The songs of the crickets filled the air as evening fast approached the quiet town of Westfall. Stars were already dotting the dark blue sky as the oil lamps flickered on the streets below. The warm glow of the flames cast the street, and those walking through, in an orange light.
Two in particular walked hand-in-hand, gradually approaching the edge of town.
“Sometimes, I’m so awed by it all,” Hudson mused, his eyes scanning the sky.
The Wildfire glanced at him before following his line of sight. “The stars?”
“The stars,” he agreed, “but also the sky, the ground, the trees... the mountains far off in the distance, and the crickets out in the grass.” He grinned. “To think that God made all of this—I’m just awed.”
She hummed in return.
“From the biggest things to the smallest. We think pickin’ out a single blade of grass is hard, but think about pickin’ out one person out of the whole universe. And yet, that’s what he does. He knows every one of us; every hair on our heads.”
“It is pretty humbling that he’d care so much about us.” She said, turning her eyes back to the mechanic-turned-preacher. “He gives us so many reasons to be in awe,” she added coyly as she gave his hand a squeeze.
The two stopped as they reached the chapel, gazing out to the forest beyond the edge of town. The orange light of the street lamps caught the first row of trees, but the light was soon consumed by the growing darkness of the shadows.
The carefree smile on Hudson’s face soured. “I sure don’t like you going the rest of the way on your own.”
“I’ve made it plenty of times before,” she tried to keep the mood light.
It worked when the man at her side began to smirk. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t quit worryin’ about you.”
She turned to him and gave the straps of his overalls a quick tug. “I’ll be okay,” she said as she fingered the weathered fabric.
The man gasped a breath as his eyes darted over the shoulder.
In the time it took her to realize what he was reacting to, the gurgling sound of a beast rushed from the shadowed forest behind her. She had never seen one move so quickly before; she was scarcely able to twist her body and reach for her blade before the creature was upon them.
Hudson gnashed his teeth and turned to tuck her away, his side taking the brunt of the blow. He was knocked back and slid to a wider stance, but The Wildfire fell to the ground beside him. Maintaining his protection over her, he threw a punch and struck the creature's wooly head. The beast, however, was quick to recover and sink its teeth into his arm.
The man cried out, and The Wildfire was consumed with rage.
She roared and leapt from the ground, striking the beast’s head with the butt of her blade. It tore away from Hudson but was unable to move further when she thrust the blade into its mouth and used the resistance to drag it to the ground. Once there, she blasted it full of flame and left it for dead.
She moved with a lethal precision, fire blazing on her heels, as she rushed at a second creature that had emerged from the woods. She carved through its hide and gutted it open with a single swipe, flipped her blade in reverse, and plunged it into its head.
The third and fourth creatures had stopped at the edge of the tree line, and one all but abandoned the other when The Wildfire ran toward them.
It barked in fear and dug its limbs into the broken pavement in an effort to claw away, but she ripped it back toward her with a hand grasped around its eyestalks.
“If I ever see any of you anywhere near him, I will burn down this forest and kill every last one of you!!” She seethed, teeth bared, at the two yellow eyes trembling within her hand. Then, with a sharp cry, she shoved the beast away and watched it retreat, yelping, into the shadows. All other pairs of eyes followed suit, leaving The Wildfire, heaving from adrenaline, alone with her blood-stained blade.
Her breathing shuddered as she turned back to town. Her rage fell away, leaving horrified fear when she found Hudson on his knees, grasping his bloody arm.
Tears were streaming from her eyes as she ran to him, dropping her blade as she dropped to her knees. “Oh no, oh no,” she murmured repeatedly, stretching out his forearm to find a deep bite wound, “oh no!”
Hudson tried to smile, though it scrunched into a wince as she ripped off his torn sleeve and started to wrap it near his elbow as a tourniquet. “I’m all right,” Hudson reassured her, “I’ve had worse. One time in the shop I about lost this finger...” he trailed off when the woman broke into a sob. His brows bent sympathetically. “Hey, don’t cry,” he reached for her cheek with his other arm.
“It’s all my fault,” she whimpered sorrowfully.
“No, it’s not,” he tried.
“Every single time I try to get close to anyone—this happens!!” She broke down, gnashing her teeth as she went limp against his chest.
The man pressed his lips together and covered her back with his good arm. He glanced up when he heard footsteps approaching, and he slowly slipped his wounded arm out of view.
Mayor Thomas slowed his pace as he arrived on the scene, his face darkened with concern. He was flanked by the red-haired Thatcher brothers, both still holding pistols in their hands and eyeing the fallen beasts in mild shock.
“What is this?” Thomas asked, the tone of his voice carrying the depth of the question more than his words.
Hudson watched him warily, but the woman balled at his chest did not move.
“It’s been years since the beasts have come into town,” the mayor’s eyes fell upon the back of The Wildfire’s head. “What happened?”
She was gently nudged in Thomas’ direction, and with her brows low, she released Hudson and stood to face the mayor. “They came into town,” she answered simply.
“Why?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Her words flared, albeit weakly. “I don’t control what they do.”
“You control ‘em by huntin’ em, which you’ve been succeedin’ at until now.” Thomas crossed his arms. He watched her turn away as a Hudson stood, concern heavy in her eyes. “It’s no secret the two o’you have been spendin’ more time together,” he regained both’s attention. “I’m startin’ to worry this is affectin’ your duty here.”
“Excuse me??” The Wildfire bristled at his words. To her surprise, Hudson was not far behind.
“You can’t ask her to give up companionship!” He inched forward, instinctively holding her arm.
Thomas was taken aback by the mechanic’s firm tone. “I’m not,” he said carefully. “But maybe this means she needs to stop tryin’ to do it all herself an’ just ask for help!” He refocused on the woman in black. “I’ve had these two men ready from the get-go, but I trusted yeh when you said you’d take care of it, and I kept ‘em out of yer business.” He put out a hand toward the fallen beasts. “But it’s hard to ignore somethin’ like this.”
The Wildfire felt the heat of anger rising within her chest. She was simultaneously embarrassed and outraged, and her mind flickered erratically between the two.
“It’s my duty to protect this town. Whether you think you need help or not, if I feel this is becomin’ a problem—”
“Sir, don’t you think she’s hurtin’ enough?” Hudson interrupted, tucking her away in his arms—and displaying one badly torn.
It was only then did Thomas recognize what had truly happened; red blood in the dusty road, Hudson’s wounded arm, the increasing look of disappointment in The Wildfire’s eyes, and two vengefully-torn beasts. He bit his lip and backed down.
“We both want the same thing,” Thomas tried while The Wildfire smoldered silently in Hudson’s arms. “We both don’t want folks gettin’ hurt. I’ll leave you be, but I won’t hesitate assignin’ more help if I think we need it.”
With that, Mayor Thomas waved at Adrien and Randall to clean up the street before turning and walking away. The two brothers quietly drug the wooly carcasses into the brush at the edge of town and left the scene without so much as a look in the couple’s direction.
Once alone, The Wildfire shut her eyes and buried her head into Hudson’s chest.
“Hey,” Hudson looked down at the top of her head. He coaxed her upward with a gentle finger beneath her chin. “Don’t you worry about none of that. You know how Thomas is; his concern tends to come across as,” he frowned as he tried to think of a word, “...prickly.”
“He’s not wrong,” her eyes dipped again.
“Well, you weren’t wrong either; you can’t control what they do. You can’t make ‘em stay out if they don’t wanna stay out.”
“But when I’m actively hunting them, they stay away, so it’s a lot less likely,” her eyes pierced into the darkening woods behind her.
“You still took care of it. They got into town, but just barely; nothin’ to get cut up about.” Hudson grumbled in annoyance.
“If I’d been doing my job, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
The man gave her a reassuring smile. “I told you: I’ll be fine. I’ll go right now to Lillith and get patched up. I’ll be good as new before we know it.” His good arm slid to her shoulder. “But I’m not going anywhere before I know you’re okay.”
She turned her sad eyes toward him. Breathing a sigh, she nodded in concession. “I’m okay.”
“You’re mighty brave, and I know you’re always giving it your all. This town’s grateful to have you,” he paused, dipping his head, “and I sure am too.”
His smile and warmth rekindled her courage. She took his hand with a light smile. “I’m very grateful for you, too.” She squeezed his hand. “Now go get your arm bandaged.”
“I’m goin’. You should get home before it gets any darker,” he urged, despite seeming unhappy to do so.
She nodded, also unhappily.
“You be safe,” he added.
“I will.”
With that, the two parted ways; The Wildfire back into the forest along the broken pavement that led to her cabin and Hudson back into town toward the hospital. With every step, the warmth and courage faded from her mind, leaving only regret, confusion, and darkness.
She was spending too much time with him. She was falling down on the job. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to get so distracted; it put the town, and Hudson, in danger.
But as the months passed, her relationship with him had only grown. It was a deep, mutual respect; a devotion and a warmth unlike any she had felt. His presence filled her longing for companionship after years of feeling alone. He was helping her feel more at ease, and more at home, within the town of Westfall. They had even began to study together, digging deep into the scriptures—just like William had once predicted.
But could she do both? Could she care for Hudson and keep the beasts at bay? Or would one aspect of her life be doomed to suffer if the other was to be properly carried out?
By the time she reached her cabin, she was beginning to tremble with anxiety. She shakily unlocked the door with the small, iron key, trying to suppress another wave of tears. She hadn’t cried in so long; she hadn’t had the need.
But now she was once again a useless mess.
She sat heavily upon her bed and hunched over her shoulders, holding her head in her hands. She wheezed through labored breaths, as if her lungs were being squeezed within her chest. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have sworn one of her hearts had been stopped from the pain and panic overtaking her. She soon found herself curled at the edge of the bed, balled in a heap of gasps and sobs.
Slowly, the agonizing grip on her body began to release. Her legs dangled from the edge of the bed. Her eyes were red, but no longer crying. Her breathing had evened out, though it still sounded raspy as she took slow, careful breaths.
A knock came upon her door.
She gasped loudly, nearly falling over as she bolted upright. No one had ever knocked on her door before.
She rushed to the door and cracked it open in caution. Her eyes bugged as Hudson stood before her with a lantern in hand and a freshly-bound arm tucked into his jacket pocket.
“Wh—what are you—how did you get here??” She stammered in shock, quickly accepting him into the house.
“Same way you did: I walked.” He offered a smile and set down the lantern on the table.
“But, the beasts—”
“They left me be.” He said, hunching over somewhat. “I just knew... I knew you didn’t need to be alone right now.”
She broke with another sob, only this time, her lips were bent into a half-smile. “What did I do to deserve you?” She muttered through tears.
“That’s awf’lly kind of you to say, but I...” Before he could speak further, she dove into his arms.
He felt her body press against his as her hands slid behind his neck. He bowed his head into her hair and shut his eyes as he breathed in the scent of burnt wood.
She buried her face into his chest, finding the familiar smell of the mechanic shop from his overalls. Her fingers stretched into his hair. She felt his hands spread across her back, holding her closer.
In this moment, nothing else mattered.
In this moment, she wished it would never end.
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Chapter Notes