Chapter Six: Nightmares

"In the calm, deep waters of the mind, the wolf awaits." - F.T. McKinstry

Ooo0ooO

The night was dark, so dark she could barely see anything in front of her. It was like wading through an inky fog. The darkness was heavy, weighing down her bones and her mind, dragging her down like the tide.

Where am I? she wanted to ask, but her voice failed her.

Someone help me, she mouthed.

Then she heard it, a deep, vibrating growling that began in the back of her mind before creeping closer. It was then right behind her and every instinct screamed at her not to look, don't look, don't turn around-

Do not fear that which hides in the dark.

The voice rose suddenly, as though someone had spoken directly into her ear. It was firm and unwavering and that cowering part of her responded instantly to it, obeying it.

Her chin rose, her fists curled loosely at her side.

I am not afraid of you, she heard herself say, in the same tone as the voice.

The darkness parted like a veil, revealing a silvery reflection of herself. She stared at herself, watching as the eyes in the mirror changed from blue-green to amber.

You should be, her reflection snarled.

Kayla was ripped out of her dream by more snarls, but these sounds were not in her mind. She turned to see Bandit's bed was empty. She found him right by the front door, crouched and snarling, teeth bared to the root.

She opened her mouth to shush him, but then a prickling sensation crept from the base of her skull down her shoulders. There was a shift in the air, just like when someone was standing right behind you.

Then - a shadow outside the window moved.

Bandit's snarls increased.

A part of her wanted to hide, to pick up the phone to call someone, Doug, Pam, the police… But another part of her, deep within, wanted to snarl as well. It did not want to cower in fear.

Steeling herself with nothing but her fist, Kayla lunged for the door, yanking it open.

There was nothing there.

Bandit moved, but Kayla snagged him by the collar, preventing him from going outside to track down whatever had quickly vanished.

The only thing it left behind was a pair of boot prints, as if they had walked up from the woods.

Kayla peered outside, her eye tracking everything, every movement, but did not see anything out of the ordinary.

When she closed the door, her eyes closed briefly.

I am not afraid of you, she thought again and again.

Ooo0ooO

When she went to the coffee shop later that day, she paused when she saw the redhead that had been at the community by the lake standing at the counter, talking to Stacey.

No, not talking. Flirting.

Kayla lifted a brow when the black and pink haired woman smiled coyly, before she noticed Kayla standing there, waiting patiently.

The redhead's gaze cut over to Kayla as well, and Kayla forced herself not to shrink under the two sets of sharp eyes that were now focused on her. Both women had hazel eyes, but Stacey's were greener while the redhead's were brown and amber.

Kayla offered them a smile as a peace offering.

The redhead moved first, eyeing her with the same intensity as a hawk stalking a mouse. "So, you're the one Emmett has been talking about."

It took an effort not to blink, not to react. Something told her the redhead would see everything, even the slightest shift in her breathing.

"You were in the woods. You help him with Lucy."

The shift in the redhead's eyes was very slight, the softening at the mention of the girl's name. "I'm Jasmine, or Jaz."

"Kayla."

"I know." There was a beat before Jasmine smiled. "Lucy talks about you too."

Kayla's eyes shifted from Jasmine to Stacey. The black haired woman watched them both with a quiet curiosity, even as her hands moved about to ground the coffee beans to brew a fresh batch.

She didn't miss the way Stacey's eyes drifted back at Jasmine, or the look that warmed them when they did.

"Well, I have to get back to the shop. Emmett's truck isn't going to fix itself."

"You fix cars?" Kayla asked.

"Yeah, so?"

Kayla smiled again, sheepishly this time. "My car has been having problems, something with the oil line, I think. It's not as old as Emmett's truck but it's still…"

"The rust colored thing?" Kayla nodded. "Bring it by some time. I'll take a look."

"Thank you," Kayla said, before Jasmine gave her a nod and strode out of the shop.

Stacey leaned forward, already holding a large cup of coffee in her hand. "She can be standoffish to outsiders, so excuse the attitude."

"I'm used to it by now," Kayla replied, arching her brow pointedly.

Stacey smiled. "We're used to people stopping for the night, maybe two. I'm sure you know it's been a while since someone moved here."

"How long have you two been dating?" Kayla asked casually, sipping her coffee.

The other woman blinked. "A while. We grew up together. Not sure when it became official exactly, if I'm being honest."

Some part of Kayla relaxed, the tension slipping away from her shoulders. "I better go too."

"See you tomorrow."

Kayla laughed softly, nodding, before walking away.

Ooo0ooO

It would take Kayla a week before she drove her car to the auto shop, trying not to wince as it limped into one of the parking spots right outside.

Jasmine was already waiting outside, as if she knew Kayla had been coming. Or maybe she had heard the car's wheezing from a block away.

"I see why he likes you. You both have a penchant for rust buckets," Jasmine said in lieu of a greeting.

Kayla made a face, ready to defend her Tacoma. Then she saw the teasing light in Jasmine's eyes and grinned.

"You can come by later to pick it up."

"How much will I owe you?"

"Inspections are on the house."

Oh. Free.

"I'll bake you something," Kayla said, waving a hand when she saw Jasmine open her mouth to protest. "Don't worry, I'll make enough for you to bring home to share with Lucy."

Jasmine laughed. "If you bake her anything, you'll have a friend for life."

"Isn't that what fellow townspeople do for one another?"

When Kayla waved and made her way down the street, Jasmine watched her go. Despite her reservations, she was mildly shocked to find that she liked the human.

Chuckling, Jasmine turned towards the old car before rolling her eyes.

Ooo0ooO

The nightmares were wearing her down, even to the point where Kevin noticed how tired she looked. When he asked her about it, Kayla found herself hesitating about telling him the truth.

Oh, I've been having nightmares about being stalked by a wolf. Also, they're mostly about the guy I'm interested in.

"Bad dreams," was all she told him in the end.

After all, that was not an outright lie.

Because even though wolves talked most of her dreams, they did not haunt every single one of them. Because some nights she dreamed of the life she left behind, and how one night had been the reason why she had packed up her car and left the next day.

Ooo0ooO

Deep in the woods, the moon tracked the quiet footsteps of a wolf. It was nearly full now, a tiny slice of darkness allowing the shift to be the choice rather than by force.

He knew he had time. It had taken years to get here and he wasn't going to mess things up by being overzealous. He was, after all, a very patient man. And an even more patient predator.

He had been tracking the Alpha's son's movements for weeks now, which often crossed paths with his other prey. That had been a delightful coincidence.

Still, he had to be careful, methodical. He knew the other wolves could quickly identify his scent and would sound the alarm. But they were easy enough to avoid, since they so rarely left their lakeside community.

The ones who did leave were easy enough to follow, with their daily routines and jobs, all of which he knew had been governed by the Alpha.

Blend in. Don't be noticed. Be human.

Those words were his own guiding light, even as he stalked within the dark. It was easy enough to pretend to be human, to slip into that skin no differently than a wolf's.

But he also knew there was a time to watch, to wait, and there was a time to act.

His amber eyes shifted to the moon, which sat like an hourglass in the sky, its sands slipping away with every new moment its full face revealed itself.

If he was not going to have a choice in shifting in the next few nights, he was going to take advantage of everything the full moon had to offer him in turn.

Ooo0ooO

Author's Note: The two year hiatus is FINALLY over! If you've been waiting for an update, thank you for your patience. If you're new to the story, welcome!

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