Connor's New Wolf

by Georgina Stancer

  “Before heading over here, I checked what days we both had left. We don’t have many but it’s enough for a long weekend.”

  “Okay, so where are you taking me this time?” Anya hadn’t traveled much before they met. When Sasha found out that she’d never been on holiday, she took it upon herself to rectify that. In a matter of hours, she had the first of many holidays booked. Sasha even managed to convince Anya to get a passport, so they could go abroad.

  Anya had been skeptical at first, not sure it was a good idea to go on holiday with somebody she barely knew, but with a small amount of encouragement from Sasha, she finally gave in and was glad she did. After that, Sasha became the sole holiday organizer, and Anya was more than happy to keep it that way.

  “Since it's just for the weekend, I thought we could go to a swanky hotel and spa.”

  Anya loved the idea of being pampered for a whole weekend. “Sign me up! When do we leave? And where is it?”

  “This weekend, in Scotland.”

  Okay, that’s somewhere we haven’t been before. Anya thought. Might be a bit cold this time of year, but what the hell. You only live once.

  It wasn’t as if they couldn’t wrap up in enough layers to keep themselves warm if they ventured outside. It might be nice to explore the rugged landscape, that’s if the weather allowed it.

  Plus, Anya has heard so many wonderful things about Scotland, she even has it on the list of places she would like to visit, and she could definitely do with being pampered.

  “Yeah, I’m up for that.”

  “Brilliant! Have your bags packed ready to go Thursday morning.”

  Sasha continued pottering around in the kitchen as the coffee machine gurgled, preparing the cups and searching the cupboards.

  “Go get ready for work while I find something to eat. The guys need you in this afternoon.” Sasha said over her shoulder. “I tried getting you the rest of the day off, but they were having none of it, especially since we’re now off for a long weekend.”

  “Okay, won’t be long.” She said, as she walked to the bathroom.

  She locked the door and switched on the shower before facing her reflection again.

  Running her hands through her hair had made no difference at all. She looked like she had been dragged through a bush backwards, and sideways.

  For fuck sake.

  It was going to take ages getting the knots out if she didn’t use any conditioner. Not to mention the dark circles under her eyes and the pasty white skin. This was going to be one of those rare occasions when she needed makeup.

  Anya quickly jumped in the shower. She rewashed her hair and dealt with the knots while the conditioner was in. After rinsing, she turned the shower off again and wrapped a towel around her hair and body, like the previous night, before dashing to her bedroom to dress.

  She riffled through her wardrobe until she found something to wear. She picked out a long black flowing skirt, a light blue shirt, and black cardigan. When she was dressed, she applied just enough makeup to cover the dark circles around her eyes, and added some colour to her skin.

  Then she slipped on some low heels, and with one last look in the full-length mirror, she left the room.

  Normally, Anya would hang her work clothes out ready the night before, but last night she didn’t. Anya still couldn’t remember what happened last night, and every time she tried, she came up blank. The only thing that kept swimming around in her head was the nightmare, and she would rather forget all about that.

  By the time she emerged from her bedroom, Sasha had made her some toast and set it down at the dining table along with a large mug of coffee.

  “You look more human now.” Sasha said as she joined her at the table.

  “Thanks.”

  “By the way, you need to seriously go shopping. There is fuck all in the cupboards, and I just used the last of your milk.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m going after work tonight.” She was actually meant to go on her way home from work last night.

  “Anyway, eat up and let’s get going.”

  Anya didn’t feel like eating, but since Sasha had gone to the trouble of making it, she forced herself to eat at least half of it. Then she gulped down the coffee before taking the dirty dishes to the sink.

  “Ready?” Sasha asked.

  “Yeah, just let me grab my bag.” It took Anya a couple of minutes to find where her bag was. She usually hung it up with her coat, but today it was down the far side of her bed.

  Something was definitely off about last night, and it was starting to worry Anya. It wasn’t like her to completely forget any amount of time, let alone hours. Since she didn’t drink, she couldn’t blame it on that either.

  “You okay?”

  Anya spun around at the sound of Sasha voice in the doorway.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” She lied, swallowing down the lump of worry in her throat. “Let’s go.”

  Sasha looked concerned but didn’t pry, which Anya was grateful for. She didn’t want to lie to her friend, but she didn’t want to worry her over nothing either, so it was best not to say anything.

  Sasha changed the subject anyway. Instead, she talked about all of the spa treatments the hotel had to offer, and the order in which she was going to try them. They thought it would be a nice idea to grab some donuts to share at work on their way in, and Sasha was still talking about the spa treatments when the got there.

  While waiting in line, Anya got an unnerving feeling that she was being watched. She casually looked around but didn’t see anyone that seemed to be paying her any attention.

  “Can I have eight donuts and four coffees to take away please.” Sasha said, placing the order when it was their turn.

  Anya continued scanning the crowd while Sasha chatted with the lady serving them. By the time Sasha passed her the box of donuts, she was more than ready to leave the shop. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably when they finally reached work, and it took all of Anya’s strength not to let her hands shake.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “You look like shit.” Aidan said, blunt as usual.

  Being one of his oldest, and closest friends, Connor was used to Aidan’s bluntness.

  Growing up in the shifter realm together, along with their other friend Kellen, had been nothing but fun. Spending most of their time honing their hunting and fighting skills through play, much to their mother’s displeasure, had prepared them to be active members of the pack.

  “Did you get any sleep last night?” Aidan asked.

  “Not much.” He said, covering a yawn with his hand.

  Pouring himself a coffee, he carried it over to the dining table and slumped in the chair opposite Aidan.

  Connor knew he didn’t look half as bad as he felt. After spending the whole night trying to save a female from being ripped apart repeatedly and failing each time, he was more exhausted now than what he had been before going to bed. Even knowing it was only a dream, it didn’t stop it from feeling real.

  Every time he drifted off, he found himself in one of the Hell realms. He knew all about the other realms, it was something that all shifters learned about when growing up, so he knew exactly what to expect in each one.

  Some of them were absolutely stunning, like the Fae or Elf realms, neither of which compared to the beauty of his home. Some were harsh and unforgiving, danger lurking in every shadow, just like the Hell realm he was dreaming of. Connor avoided the Hell and Demon realms. Too much death and destruction ran rampant in those places.

  Connor knew all too well of the creatures that call this realm home. They were what the Humans described as Hell Hounds. Dog like creatures with mangled black fur, beady red eyes that glowed, and with blood and saliva dripping from their gaping maws. Vile creatures that killed anything, and everything, they came across.

  Whoever the female was, she picked the wrong place if she expected to get out alive on her own. That’s assuming she was real and not some fucked up figment of his imagination, w
hich was a high possibility with it being a dream.

  Each time it started the same. Opening his eyes at the sound of her screaming. He turns, scanning the landscape for her. When he spots her, she’s running for her life. They weren’t something he wanted to take on alone, whether in his wolf or human form. Their teeth were as sharp as knives and once they had hold of you they weren’t letting go without taking a chunk of flesh with them.

  Unable to shift to his wolf in the dream, he tries in vein to catch up with her before they did. Even in human form he was stronger and faster than any human, but not fast enough. They always reach her first, ripping her apart before he’s anywhere close.

  If he knew who she was, what she looked like, or even a name, then he might be able to find her. That’s if she wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. If she’s real, then he needed to find her. She might have the answer to why he was dreaming of her.

  Unfortunately, the only thing he knew for sure, was she has long strawberry blonde hair and pale skin.

  The dream ends with a jolt as they start ripping her apart. Heart racing, covered in sweat, with her screams still ringing in his ears. Connor lost count how many times he repeated the same dream.

  With a clear image of her features, he would be able to describe her to Kellen, who would then be able to sketch a picture of her. Then they could try to locate her. Knowing which realm, she lived would also be a great help, because even though the dreams were in the Hell realm, he didn’t think she was currently there.

  If he could prevent her from going there to begin with, then the dreams should hopefully stop. It only made sense, how could she die there if she never goes? She couldn’t. So, there would be no reason for the dreams.

  “You going to be okay helping me today?” Aidan asked.

  He needed a hand redecorating his parents living room as a surprise. The plan was to get it done while they were away visiting friends. After waiting ages for the perfect time, Connor couldn’t let him down.

  “Yeah, just let me have a couple of strong coffees, then I’ll be good to go.”

  Plus, it meant Connor could finally complete his basement. He finished building his house years ago, but couldn’t decide on what to do with the basement until recently. By then, it was already packed full of new furniture for Aidan’s parents’ house.

  “Thanks for storing everything for me.”

  “No problem, it’s the least I could do since you’re helping me.”

  “It shouldn’t take us long to decorate, then we can start moving the furniture across.”

  “Are you keeping any of the old stuff?”

  “Nah, it’s all falling apart, they’ve had it that long.” Aidan said, shaking his head. “It’s older than me, for fuck sake, and I’m seventy-five.”

  Which was still relatively young for a shifter. Being immortal meant they could technically live forever, but they were still prone to illness and could be killed in any number of ways. For example, it would be amazing if anything could survive a beheading. They did, however, stop aging when they reached 25.

  Feeling a little more alive, Connor asked, “Is Kellen meeting us there?”

  “Yeah, he’s just grabbing some paint rollers and dust sheets.”

  “Can we make a detour on the way to yours?”

  “Where we stopping?”

  “I need to speak with Rush.”

  As the Alpha, it was Rush’s job to know everything that might affect their pack.

  Other packs had their own Alphas. The other shifter species that call this realm home had their own form of Alpha as well, even if they called it by another title, they all do the same thing.

  “Why? What’s happened?”

  Connor told Aidan about the dream. It didn’t take long because there wasn’t much to say.

  When he was finished, Aidan sat back and said, “Shit, that doesn’t sound good.”

  Connor was inclined to agree.

  “What do you think Rush is going to do about it?” Aidan asked after a moments silence.

  “I really don’t know. I don’t think there’s a lot he can do. At least, not until I can see what she looks like, or find out who she is some other way.”

  “So why are you telling him?”

  “I want to see if anyone else has had a similar experience before, and if they have, then what was the outcome.”

  “I’ve never heard of anyone having dreams like that.”

  “How would you know? If it doesn’t include some barely dressed female then you don’t pay any attention.”

  “Yeah, true.” Aidan said, with a smirk. “It’s not my fault they are the best kind of dreams.”

  Connor just shook his head.

  “Why don’t you go ahead and start clearing the living room. Kellen might think that somethings wrong if neither of us are there when he arrives.”

  “You don’t want me to come with you?”

  “Nah, it shouldn’t take long.” Connor said.

  “Okay, sounds like a plan.” Aidan said as he stood. “See you in a bit.”

  Connor didn’t stay long after Aidan left. He downed another coffee and left. Eager to speak with Rush, he shifted into his wolf. One second, he’s stood on the veranda in his human form, and the next he’s on all fours viewing the world from a different perspective. His clothes disappeared as fur covered his skin, only to return when he shifted back again.

  Shifting forms was painless. All it took was a thought and he could turn into a wolf, or human, in a blink of an eye.

  It will take half the time to get to Rush’s running as a wolf. Plus, it has the added bonus of clearing his head and easing his soul.

  Before he knew it, he was shifting back into his human form as he stood at Rush’s front door.

  Rush always left his door open when he was home, that way if anyone in the pack needed him they could just walk in and head straight for his office. Mostly it was that way so he didn’t have to keep getting up and answering the door. People were more inclined to knock if the door was shut, they didn’t want to walk in on something they would rather not see.

  When Connor arrived the door was open, so he walked in and headed straight for Rush’s home office.

  Before Connor had the chance to knock on his office door, not looking up from the pile of paperwork, Rush asked, “What can I do for you Connor?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about a dream I had last night.” Connor said as he approached Rush’s desk.

  It was a good-sized office with a large solid oak desk right in the center. All around the edge stood bookshelves filled to bursting, and a comfy seating area was in front of a floor to ceiling window that overlooked a stream.

  As usual, Rush wore a shirt, and even though Connor couldn’t see behind the desk he knew Rush would be wearing suit trousers that matched the jacket hanging on the back of his chair.

  “Take a seat and tell me about it.” Rush said pointing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  Connor sat and told Rush every little detail of the dream. By the time Connor was finished Rush had stopped what he was doing and had given Connor his full attention.

  “Have you ever heard anyone else having dreams like this?” Connor asked after a moments silence.

  “I haven’t and I don’t know what to suggest either.”

  Connor knew that it was a long shot but he had hoped someone else might have had a similar dream.

  “It’s okay, I probably won’t have another dream like that anyway.”

  “From what you’ve told me, you more than likely will have more, especially since you experienced it more than once last night.” Rush said what Connor was thinking, but it didn’t stop him from hoping though.

  If you do manage to see what this female looks like, or you find out who she is, then we might be able to help her. There’s nothing that we can do until we know more details.”

  “I know.”

  “Keep me updated on any changes in the dream, no matter how small
.”

  “Will do.”

  There was nothing else to be said, so Connor left without another word.

  Rush was right, there was nothing they could do for the time being, so he needed to get on and help Aidan like he promised. If nothing else, it will help take his mind off the female and make the day go faster. And if he did dream of her again tonight he might be able to find out more about her.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Are we there yet?” Sasha asked for the thousandth time.

  Anya groaned at being asked the same question over and over again. “I don’t know.”

  Fifteen hours of the same questions and answers were wearing on Anya’s nerves. She thought the last couple of days at work had dragged, especial since she hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in days, but that was nothing compared to this journey.

  Sleep had mostly eluded her since the night she was burned alive in her dream, and the few times she did manage to drift off she was hounded by more nightmares. Anya thought nothing could beat being burned alive, but she was sorely mistaken. That nightmare was a walk in the park compared to the new, and reoccurring, nightmare that has plagued her every night since.

  Every time she closed her eyes she found herself in Hell. There was no other way to describe the place. It definitely wasn’t anywhere on earth. Dark red sky with no sun, moon, or stars in sight. The landscape rugged and barren, as far as the eye could see there was nothing growing, no trees or shrubs of any kind. Just hard unforgiving rock.

  Nothing seemed to live here apart from the creatures that killed her every night. Savage beasts created for the sole purpose of destroying anything and everything, and they had their beady red eyes set on her. It didn’t matter how fast she ran, they always caught up with her and tore her to pieces.

  “It can’t possibly be much further?” Sasha moaned, dragging Anya back to the present and away from thoughts of the nightmare.

  Round and round we go.

  Anya couldn’t wait to get there either. As much as she enjoyed driving, she hadn’t expected it to take so long to drive from London to Scotland.