Following the ebb and flow as the roads twisted one way then the next would normally sooth her, but with the constant ‘are we there yet?’ it was having the opposite effect. Which was probably a good thing since it kept Anya awake.
If it hadn't been for taking it in turns driving, and the many coffee breaks along the way, Anya wouldn't have been able to do this journey in one go. She would have needed to stop half way for an overnight pit stop.
This must be what parents have to put up with. Anya thought. If it was then she didn’t know how they put up with it. She was ready to gag Sasha.
Even still, Anya couldn’t help but admire the scenery as they drove through the glens and past the lochs and mountains. It was the most breathtaking drive of her life. It was also the scariest drive of her life as well. More than once Anya held onto the steering wheel with a death grip as she narrowly avoided colliding with the oncoming traffic. There had been a few near misses, especially when passing the lorries and buses.
“Next time, we’re take the train.” Anya declared.
At least the roads were dry, she wasn’t looking forward to driving them in the rain. It wouldn’t be so bad if she knew the roads, but driving them for the first time and in the rain did not sound like fun.
“Sod that, next time I’m bloody flying. They have an airport, don’t they?”
“As far as I know they have a couple.” She didn’t think that most of them were very large, but she was sure they had more than one.
“Why they hell are we driving then?”
Anya had wondered the same thing many times in the last couple of hours. “Because you thought it would be a good idea.”
“Well, I didn’t know it was going to take so long to get here.” Sasha complained again.
Anya did not want to do this drive again with Sasha bitching the whole way. It might be a different matter if she was on her own, she could enjoy the drive in peace and maybe even make a few stops along the way. It would mean going away by herself, which is something she hasn’t done yet.
Even so, it might be nice to take the train next time she came here, whether with Sasha or on her own. She bet it was even more beautiful viewing the country without the added traffic around, and she would be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.
It was by far the best place she has been and she hasn’t seen much of it yet. Come rain or shine - preferably shine - Anya was going to spend some time outdoors exploring. She didn’t want to be stuck inside when there was so much natural beauty all around.
Breathtaking!
Anya could happily live in a little house hidden among the towering trees overlooking a loch in the middle of nowhere, the closest neighbor a mile or so away.
I’m sure I could get used to these roads.
It might take some time, but after a little practice even driving in the rain and snow shouldn’t be a problem. If only she had the courage to make the move. She would have to leave everything and everyone she knew to move to the other end of the country on her own. Anya would miss her friends, but she was sure they would be happy for her if she decided it was the right thing for her. And it wasn’t as if she would be leaving any family behind, because she didn’t have any.
The main issue would be work. It would be so much easier if she worked from home, but her job wasn’t one that she could do from home. Maybe it was time she thought about her future and what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She never planned on being a receptionist, it was just a job that paid the bills and gave her a little spending money each month. Anya didn’t even enjoy her job all that much. Working with Sasha and the guys helped make the day go by, but she didn’t think she would have stuck with the job for so long if it hadn’t been for them.
“Ha…five miles!” Sasha blurted out, snapping Anya out of her thoughts.
“What?”
“The sign said it’s five miles to the hotel. Didn’t you see it?”
Thank god! “No, sorry, I was daydreaming.”
“It’s a good job one of us is paying attention to where we’re going, it would be better if it was the driver though.” Sasha said sarcastically.
“I am, I just missed that sign.” Anya was paying attention to the road, she just wasn’t looking at the signs.
After sitting in the car all day, she was more than ready to reach the hotel, her back was starting to ache from siting in the same position for so long.
A nice long soak in a hot bath with a tall glass of wine was definitely what was needed.
“I don’t know about you, but I could do with a drink. A nice, strong, alcoholic drink.” Sasha said.
“You read my mind.” Anya said, smiling. “That and a nice hot bath.”
The sky had been threatening all day to unleash a down pour at any second. With only a couple of miles left to go, Anya crossed her fingers and sped up a little more. With any luck they will make it there before the heavens opened.
“I’m starving.” Sasha said. Anya’s stomach chose that moment to growl loud enough for Sasha to hear. “Sounds like you are too.”
“Yeah, just a little. Is there somewhere we can get something to eat? Because the last place we passed was miles back.”
“I know they have a restaurant but I’m not sure if they do room service. I hope they do, I really want to chill in my PJs in bed and watch TV while eating dinner.”
“Snap.” The snacks they packed for the road trip ran out hours ago and they hadn’t stopped for food along the way, just the occasional bathroom break and caffeine refill.
It didn’t help that Anya’s appetite had been nonexistent the last few days. With the nightmares keeping her awake and the feeling of being stalked every time she was outside, it left her anxious and on edge all the time. She knew it was ludicrous. Why would anyone want to stalk her? She was no one special.
Anya shook her head, she didn’t want to think about any of it. She was away for the weekend and she wasn’t going to ruin it by worrying about nothing. She told herself that none of it mattered, she was here to enjoy a perfect pamper weekend and she would leave all her troubles behind.
Anya still hadn’t mentioned it to Sasha, there was no point in worrying over something that was probably nothing. Plus, Sasha would have insisted Anya report it to the police. Since there was nothing to report, there was no reason to go to the police.
“Did you see what that sign said?” Sasha asked. She had been rummaging in her handbag, pulling out the booking letter. Luckily enough, Anya did see that one.
“Yeah, it said to take the next left.”
Anya slowed down, she didn’t want to miss the turn. When they came to the turn off she was glad she slowed down. It was a small dirt road mostly hidden by trees and over grown shrubs.
“Are you sure it’s this way?” Sasha asked skeptically.
Anya wondered the same thing as they drove up the twisting, winding dirt road. For a five-star hotel she thought they would at least have a tarmac road. Anya looked back through the rear-view mirror but couldn’t see the main road, it was as if they disappeared into the woods.
“That’s what the sign said.” And sure enough, just as the last word left her mouth she could see an opening in the woods.
With a sigh of relief, she said. “See? We’re here.”
“At last!” Sasha all but shouted.
By the time they found somewhere to park the car it started to drizzle. They jumped out the car, grabbed their belongings out of the back, and ran for the entrance. With no time to admire the beautiful architecture, they ducked their heads and ran as fast as they could to avoid being soaked through.
They stopped just inside the lobby to compose themselves before heading to the reception desk.
“Did we drive in the back entrance or something?” Sasha asked.
“I don’t think so. You saw the same signs as me. It definitely told us to go that way.” It looked like they haven’t finished paving the road, because as soon as the woods cleared they pulled onto a
gravel driveway, even the parking lot was gravel. “Maybe they haven’t got round to finishing that bit yet. Is it a new hotel?”
“Not as far as I know. I only looked at a few of the reviews and I didn’t really pay attention to the dates, I just assumed it had been here for a while.”
“Never mind, we’re here now.”
“I’m just gonna go get us booked in. I’ll be right back.” Sasha dropped her suitcase and walked over to the reception desk.
Anya took the opportunity to take in her surroundings.
Wow! She was in awe.
The lobby was lavishly decorated, but that didn’t retract from the warm homey atmosphere. Marble floors with rugs scattered everywhere. Plants and flowers filled the room with a wonderful display of colours, and the floral smells worked well together.
A small seating area with comfy looking sofas and arm chairs were off to one side by a wall of windows that overlooked the manicured front gardens and small gravel drive. Paintings of scenic landscapes in all different seasons hung all around the large open room. Anya even spotted a couple of paintings that had the northern lights in the sky.
There was also a lot of tartan scattered around, in painting and as soft furnishings. There was more than she expected, but it wasn’t so over powering as you might think.
The staff all looked happy and welcoming, and the guests that she could see all looked relaxed and content, instantly making her feel more at ease.
When Sasha returned she was holding out a key for Anya.
“Here you go. Your room is next to mine.”
“Okay, thanks.” Anya took the key.
Sasha grabbed her suitcase, then they headed for the stairs.
“I checked with the receptionist, they do have room service.”
“Fantastic.” That meant Anya could order food and have a bath while she waited for it to be delivered. After the long drive she didn’t feel like socializing tonight, and tomorrow she wanted to be up early for a hike, so she needed to have an early night.
CHAPTER FIVE
Listening to his alarm go off early Friday morning, Connor regretted offering to take the morning shift. Kellen asked him the night before if he could cover the morning shift while he dealt with the trouble Kayla had gotten herself into. She was a typical teenage pup, always getting into mischief.
He was due to start the shift in an hour and would be on patrol until lunch. Then he needed to speak with Rush about the dream again, and preferably face to face..
It was the same dream on repeat. He was still trying to save the female, or at least find out who she was so they could track her down. The dream last night was the same but it was different at the same time. It felt like she was getting closer to him.
Connor didn’t know if that meant anything or not, but if it meant that she was closer to him physically then he might have more chance in locating her. He wanted to know why he was the one dreaming of her.
Switching his alarm off, he climbed out of bed. Stretching as he strolled out the bedroom and into the bathroom. He turned the shower on, then walked over to the sink and brushed his teeth while the water heated up.
He grabbed a towel from the hall cupboard as he brushed his teeth, and put it on the side of the bath.
When he was finished he spat the toothpaste in the sink, wiped his mouth, and then stepped in the shower. The good thing about living alone, he could walk around butt naked and no one could say a thing. Not that he would listen even if they did. Connor couldn’t stand the feel of clothing against his skin when he slept. Most shifters felt the same way, preferring to sleep naked.
After quickly having a cold shower to wake up his body, he went back to his room and pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. He grabbed a pair of socks from the top draw, and picked up his boots off the floor on his way out the room and carried them downstairs to the kitchen.
Aidan was already sat at the table when he walked in.
“You’re up late.” He said, stating the obvious. “You still not sleeping?”
“I’m sleeping.” Connor said honestly. “Just not very well.”
“That female still?”
“Yeah.” Connor poured a coffee before joining Aidan at the table.
“Any closer to figuring out who she is?”
Connor shook his head. “No, but I think she might be getting closer.”
“What do you mean ‘closer’? Did you manage to get a better look at her this time?”
“I don’t know,” Connor said, frustration evident in his voice. “She isn’t any closer in the dream. I’ve just got this feeling that she is… physically… closer, if you know what I mean.” It would be amazing if Aidan understood what he meant when he didn’t understand it himself.
“So, you still don’t know what she looks like?”
“No.”
“What are you planning on doing about it?”
“There isn’t anything I can do about it. Until I know who she is, or what she looks like, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Have you told Rush about last night?”
“No, not yet. I’m going to tell him later today. Even still, there isn’t anything that he can do either.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Anyway, we’ve got work to do.” Connor said, changing the subject. He really didn’t want to think about the female anymore, let alone talk about her. It was frustrating the hell out of him, and he couldn’t wait for the dreams to stop so he could have a decent night’s sleep again.
“How come you’re working? I thought it was Kellen on patrol today?”
“Kayla has gotten into trouble again, so he’s gone to deal with that.”
“What’s she done this time?”
“I don’t know but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”
Connor was pulling on his socks and boots while they spoke. Once he was done, he sat back and drank his coffee.
“I heard she’s been hanging around the mountains near some of the Dragon caves. I wonder if that’s where he’s gone today.” Aidan said thoughtfully.
“Where did you hear that?” Connor asked.
“From Caleb and Misti.” It didn’t surprise Connor that his younger siblings knew about Kayla being in trouble, those three were as inseparable as Connor, Aidan, and Kellen were.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve been involved as well.” He said honestly. If one was involved, it was more than likely the other two had something to do with it as well.
“You should ask them.”
“Oh, trust me, I will be asking them, and they best give me the right answer.” One way or another they were going to tell him everything they know, and if it turned out they had a hand in whatever Kayla was in trouble for, then they deserved to be punished the same as she did.
“Anyway, it’s time to go.”
“Yeah, I know.”
They weren’t the only hunters out today, there was always a dozen or so pairs patrolling around the area where the pack lived. It wasn’t that they were always expecting to have problems with the other shifters that lived in the area, but they weren’t the only ones with access to this realm. Quite a few other beings could find their way here if they knew where the portals were or if they had the magic to make their own way here.
Humans were not an issue. The portals in the human realm, no matter what realm they lead to, were concealed using magic so no humans could accidentally finding their way through. It was one way they had been able to stay hidden from the humans for so long that they had eventually turned into myths and stories told to entertain or frighten.
So far, every time a different species let themselves known to the humans, they had been hunted and brutally killed. Connor knew that if it ever came out again to the humans that they were in fact real, then it would lead to another mass murder. Only this time it would be the humans that would suffer the greatest loss.
Connor took the empty cups to the sink and then follo
wed Aidan outside. He didn’t bother locking up when they left the house, there was no need. Anyone who wanted to get in would be able to whether he locked the door or not. Plus, with his heightened senses he would know if anyone had entered while he was out, even if they didn’t touch anything.
Once on the veranda, they both shifted into their respective wolves.
Connor opened a telepathic link and asked, “You ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go.” Aidan replied before loping off the porch and running in the direction they were to patrol.
It wasn’t a bad way to spend the day. They rarely came across any problems. Mostly the other packs kept to themselves, it was mainly the youngsters that caused trouble, and they were easily dealt with.
Occasionally some of the beings from the other realms thought they could come here and cause trouble, there had even been the odd one or two that tried to take over the realm, none of them ever succeeded. The shifters, no matter what species, always pulled together whenever something like that happened and put a stop to the intruders before they could do any real damage. They protected what was theirs, to the death.
“What are your plans for this afternoon?” Aidan asked after a couple of minutes.
“I’ve got to update Rush on the dream. After that I’m having dinner at my parents’ house.”
“Are you going to ask Caleb and Misti what they know about Kayla?”
“Definitely. Because no doubt they have something to do with it as well. I’m not going to let Kayla take all the punishment if they are equally to blame.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“How about you?”
“The same as usual, just going to hang out at the club house for a bit, see if any of the females want company for the night, then go home.” Aidan spent most of his time at the club house, that’s where everyone in the pack went to socialize and have fun.
The building was the size of a large warehouse, with multiple rooms inside. Each room was completely different so as to accommodate everyone in the pack. There was a bar in one of the rooms, and a nightclub in another. Another room was set aside for the elderly, so they had somewhere quieter to socialize if they wanted. There was even a large soft indoor play area for the little ones in the pack, they could be dropped off to play safely and looked after by other pack members so their mothers could have a break for a while and maybe relax in one of the other rooms.
Connor's New Wolf Page 3