Scarlett

I had more questions running through my mind. Why on earth did a wolf smell like the group of students at my school? And, why was it so large? I knew it wasn't possible that a wolf could be that big, but I had seen it with my own eyes. Maybe someone had fed it steroids.

Also, why had it been on my property, watching me? I felt a shiver run down my spine.

It was creepy.

There was no way I was going to tell Gary any of this because he'd make me move and I liked it here.

That night, I fell into a restless sleep and I dreamed about the massive black wolf with the glowing amber eyes that had been watching me.

The wolf chased me through the dark forest. No matter how fast I ran, it was faster. In the next moment, I felt myself fall and I lay face down in the damp grass. Fear spread through me as my heart hammered in my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and I smelled fresh rain.

Something inside of me that I'd nurtured for years refused to allow me to lie on the ground and tremble in fear. No matter what life threw at me, I wasn't one to cower from a challenge.

I pushed myself up onto my knees and then I stood up. The smell of fresh rain surrounded me as I struggled to hear any sounds. Slowly I turned to see the wolf watching me with its amber eyes.

The forest was dark, but the streaks of moonlight illuminated the massive wolf in front of me.

My heart pounded in my ears. The fear in me fought against my actions; it made me want to turn and run, but I kept rooted to the spot.

I knew none of my training would help me against this massive animal in front of me. It was the first time I felt vulnerable because I couldn't defend myself.

The wolf sniffed the air before it took a step forward. Against all my instincts, I remained unmoving with my eyes fixed on the wolf that was slowly approaching me.

It sniffed the air again as it stepped closer. It was only a couple of feet in front of me but I stood my ground, my heart still hammering with fear in my chest.

Slowly it pressed its wet snout into my hand. I held my breath, unsure of what the wolf wanted from me. I opened my hand and the wolf angled its head so my hand rested on its head.

I felt a tingling sensation start up in my hand as I touched the wolf. It was the strangest thing I'd ever felt.

You've got to be kidding me! I thought when I realized it wanted me to stroke its head. I gently moved my hand over its fur and it nuzzled my hip.

This made no sense. The wolf didn't want to hurt me, and suddenly I felt safe even though I'd feared for my life just a few moments ago.

I bent down on one knee and it brought its eyes level with mine. It licked my face and I felt a smile tug at my lips.

"Why are you here?" I asked in a whisper. I knew it was ridiculous that I was talking to a wolf. Don't ask me how, but I knew without a doubt that it could understand me. If anyone saw me, I had no doubt they would lock me up in the looney bin.

I watched its eyes as they began to change. Slowly, they changed from the amber color to a turquoise-blue color. I'd only seen those eyes once but I would recognize them anywhere.

Cade.

I shot up in my bed, tangled in my bed sheets. My heart hammered in my chest and it felt like it was going to take off.

I rubbed my temple, trying to sort through the remains of my strange dream while I tried to calm my breathing.

There had to be a logical reason why the wolf and Cade were plaguing my subconscious. I'd seen a wolf before I'd gone to bed so that explained why the wolf had followed me into my dreams.

What stumped me was why the wolf's eyes changed to Cade's piercing ones. It made no sense. Somehow my first and brief encounter with him had left a bigger impact on me than I'd first thought.

My dream had felt so real that I could still feel the fur under my hands. I remembered the strange sensation of tingles when I touched the wolf. It had been a strange dream.

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of images of the dream. I knew it was created from my subconscious thoughts, and I pushed them away. Dreams weren't really supposed to make sense, so I wasn't going to look for something that wasn't there.

I reasoned that it had been all the strange behavior from my first day at school that made me experience such vivid, weird dreams.

Tired and still struggling to wake up, I dragged myself into my bathroom. After a quick shower, I was feeling better but I needed my caffeine fix. While I dried my body off, my fingers brushed over my birthmark on my hip. It looked more like a tattoo, but I'd been born with it.

It was two teardrops side by side. One teardrop was bigger than the other.

I finished getting ready and went downstairs to get some coffee.

"You look awful," Gary informed me as I walked into the kitchen. He sat at the kitchen table with a half-eaten plate of food and holding a newspaper. I just glared at him then walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself some. The rich aroma began to clear my tired and foggy mind.

"Didn't you sleep well?" he asked as his eyes softened.

"No, I didn't."

The dark bags under my eyes wouldn't allow me the white lie so there was no point in lying. Normally, I wore very little makeup, but I'd put a little more on than usual in the hopes of hiding my lack of sleep. I hadn't been able to cover it up, though.

His eyes held mine. I knew what he wanted to know and I shook my head.

After my parents had died, I'd suffered from night terrors and after a while the night terrors had faded into nightmares. After a few months and some therapy, I began to experience the nightmares less often until a few years later they stopped completely.

It had been years since I'd had a nightmare and I could see the concern in Gary's eyes. His first thought at the mention that I hadn't slept well was that I'd had a nightmare about my parents. There was no way I was going to tell him about my dream. He'd think I was crazy.

"It was probably first-day-at-a-new-school nerves," I tried to explain. I took a sip of my coffee.

"Okay," he said. He didn't look convinced, but he let it go.

******

This time I wasn't early so I had to park my baby farther away from the school. I hitched my bag over my shoulder and walked to the entrance.

Just as I got to the front, someone stepped into my path. My eyes went to the obstacle.

He stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. Vibrant eyes held mine.

There was an unmistakable power in him that demanded attention, but I wasn't your typical girl. I tilted my heard upward and held his gaze confidently, refusing to be intimidated. The truth was I felt it, but there was no way I'd show him that as my stubborn streak kicked in.

In his eyes I saw surprise at my reaction to him.

Yeah, pretty boy, I think you've met your match.