Luminescent: Crescent Wolves

by Cate Maroon

  We hung out in the living room. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to my dad before we went out for the night but Kayla did not seem to be very tired. I was not sure how we would get away from the house without her knowing and was starting to think it was not really a good idea to leave her in the house alone. I had not even told my dad that I would be staying in Kayla’s room, which would make leaving even more complicated. How would I explain me not being there if she woke up again? I could not think of a realistic reason for disappearing in the middle of the night, especially if she came to find me and realized that we were all missing. It was almost midnight when she finally showed signs of being tired.

  “Do you want to head up?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I’m beat.”

  “Okay, I’ll be up in a few.”

  Kayla went up alone and the others all made moves like they were going to bed to. I followed my dad into the kitchen and explained the predicament we were now in. I hoped that he would understand how fragile Kayla was, and that seeing a bunch of wolves in the garden heading to the house had made her so scared that she would not sleep without me. I could only hope that he would agree that for now, it was better if I stayed home with Kayla, while they went out in search of the lone wolf, at least for now.

  “It’s not ideal, we work better as a pack.”

  “I’m sure you can manage without me for a few nights until Kayla calms down a little.”

  “As long as it is only a few nights, we should be okay. But in the long-term, we need you out with us.”

  “I know, it’s all my fault. I should have been more careful when I got home last night but I really didn’t expect Kayla to be up. By the time I saw her, it was too late and she had already seen me.”

  “I know. You shouldn’t blame yourself; I don’t think any of us expected her to be up.”

  “What time are you guys heading out?”

  “In an hour, hopefully by then she will be asleep.”

  “She should be.”

  “Well if she isn’t, just keep her away from the windows.”

  “I can do that.”

  I headed up to bed, where Kayla was already lying down, wrapped in the blankets. She watched me curiously as I got ready for bed. I made sure that the windows were closed, and that the curtains were fully closed, leaving nothing to chance. When I was finally sure that there was nothing which could draw Kayla’s attention to the window, I lay in bed with her, putting some music on my phone. I stroked her hair in time with the music, hoping to settle her to sleep before the others left but if she didn’t, the music should be enough to make sure she didn’t hear them. While I could probably explain one of them moving around the house, it would be difficult to come up with an explanation for the four of them leaving the house in the middle of the night.

  Kayla seemed a lot more settled tonight and I hoped she did not have anymore nightmares. She was snoring softly when my dad and brothers left the house. I felt a pang of guilt at not being with them and my wolf was angry at not being out running with the pack. I turned the music on my phone down, so that it did not wake Kayla up, and tried to get some rest. It had been a long week and I was exhausted myself. Even though wolves did not need as much sleep as humans, we still needed to rest for a few hours in order to keep our strength up, so I closed my eyes and drifted off.

  I was not sure how long I had been asleep for, but I woke to the sound of Kayla’s high-pitched scream. I sat up in the bed, prepared to fight whoever it was that had hurt her, only to discover that she was sat up next to me. I switched on the lamp and she was covered in sweat, breathing heavily.

  “Kayla, what’s wrong?”

  “Just a dream,” she said in between gasps of air.

  I passed her the glass of water that was on the drawer and watched as she drank it greedily. Her heart was beating way too fast and I knew that I needed to get it to slow down.

  “I’ll be right back,” I said before racing downstairs in just my boxer shorts.

  I filled a glass with ice and topped it up with as much water as I could fit, while trying to make sure I could get it back upstairs without spilling any. I ran back to the bedroom, passing Kayla the glass before closing the door.

  I sat in front of her on the bed, rubbing her leg as she drank the water. Her hand shook and I could see her heart pounding through her vest. I was starting to panic, but knew I had to stay calm, to try and help her. I had never seen anyone have a panic attack before, but I thought that was what was happening, at least I hoped so. Her breathing was still way too fast even after the freezing water.

  “Kayla, copy my breathing.”

  I started to breathe slowly in and out, until she was copying my rhythm.

  “That’s it, in, one, two, three, four and out: two, three, four.”

  I repeated my words calmly and quietly, until Kayla’s heart rate had slowed to an almost normal rate and rhythm. She carried on with the deep breathing for a few more minutes. The color was starting to come back to her face but her eyes were still wild with a deer in the headlight expression. I could not help but blame myself for everything that she was going through. If I had not have gone for that run, there would be no danger. If I had been more careful last night, she wouldn’t have been scared after seeing a pack of wolves in the yard, which caused her to have a violent panic attack. I should have stayed away from her after our first meeting. We sat in silence for a long time after the panic attack subsided. I continued to rub her leg rhythmically, hoping that it would help in some way. I felt useless that it was all I could do.

  “I’m so sorry Kayla, this is all my fault.”

  “You can’t blame yourself for any of this Jackson.”

  “You are wrong to think that; I should never have brought you here.”

  “I can go back home if you don’t want me here!”

  “I do want you here and it’s because I want you so much that you are having all these problems.”

  “It’s not your fault my parents left.”

  “No but I should have let you stay in your own home where you were comfortable.”

  “That wasn’t your decision either. My parents practically kicked me out, remember.”

  “I know but I wanted you here with me long before that.”

  “Its not like you willed me here and it caused a chain reaction that made it so. “

  “How do you know? It could be possible.”

  “You really need to get more sleep; you are starting to sound a little crazy.”

  “Says the girl whose dreams gave her a panic attack.”

  “It was a scary dream; besides, I’m going through a lot of changes and that can cause anxiety.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.”

  I turned the music back on, leaving the light on low so that Kayla was not scared. We both lay back in bed. There was a lot to think about but I could not talk about half of it with Kayla. I did not like keeping secrets. She was going to find out the truth eventually, and when she did, she would never be able to go back to a normal life. I had taken that away from her the moment we met. I wanted her and did not care about the consequences for her life. Yes, I was selfish and that was what kept me human. We all have an underlying desire that drives us in every action in our lives. Otherwise, what would be the point? You could not spend your life doing things which only helped and pleased others, because in the end, you would be left with nothing but regret and resentment.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kayla

  I lay on the bed in silence as I was too scared to go back to sleep. Jackson would think I was crazy if I told him about my dream, besides, I didn’t think he would believe me anyway. He had made such a point of trying to explain away how I had seen a pack of wolves last night. I did not like that he questioned me and downplayed what I saw. I could not understand why he was so persistent in trying to get me to second guess what I knew the truth was. It was a pack of wolves; he lives on the edge of a f
orest, so it should not be unusual. I could tell that there was more to it and just did not know what it was yet. I hoped that whatever it was that Jackson was hiding was not as bad as I thought it was.

  The next few days went by in a blur. We got up and found that Hunter and Max left early. The twins spent their days doing anything that wasn’t work, often disappearing for hours on end while Jackson and I continued to clear out the barns. We worked until dinner time everyday and soon finished the first barn. I hoped the second barn did not smell as bad, as it took me an hour to wash the scent from my hair. We ate as a family and spent our evenings in front of the television. I had not heard anything else from my parents despite me texting them multiple times a day. I was still having vivid dreams, but they were nowhere near as bad as the one I had at the beginning of the week.

  I was desperate to go for a run to clear my mind but felt scared to go into the forest that surrounded Jackson’s house. Every time I looked into it, I could almost swear that glowing eyes looked back at me. I knew it was my imagination but it still did not help alleviate my fear. I really needed a break from the farm and the boys. I was not used to being around other people this much and was craving some time alone.

  I had made up my mind; I was going to go back home for a few hours to check on the house and get the mail. Grabbing my running clothes and trainers, I threw them in a large handbag, not wanting Jackson to know what I was doing as he would want to come with me. He had been so overprotective since I had the panic attack and I felt like he was smothering me.

  “I’m going to the shops and the library. Does anyone want anything?” I asked, choosing my moment wisely, as a big football game was due to start in about five minutes and the boys had been talking about it for days.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No, you stay here and watch the game. I’m just going to catch up on some schoolwork and grab a few personal things I need from the shop.”

  “I don’t mind missing the game,” Jackson said.

  “Stay here, I want to go on my own. I could do with a little space.”

  “Fine, if that’s what you want. Call me if you need me.”

  “I will. See you later.”

  I drove the short distance to my house. It had been a while since I had driven and I was liking the way it felt to be in control of my own destination. Pulling my car into the drive, I pressed the button for the garage door, and drove inside. I did not want the neighbors coming over asking questions that I had no idea how to answer. Going into the house through the interior garage door, I opened the back door to get rid of the stale air inside the house. I picked up the mail and sorted through it, placing what belonged to my parents on the counter and taking mine to the sofa.

  I opened my mail: three letters, a credit card statement, phone bill and my offer of acceptance to college. It seemed so strange to get that letter now. I had always been so certain it was where I wanted to go. However, now I was not sure where I would be staying in a few weeks, never mind a few months. I felt like a different person to the one who applied to study sports science. I was not sure it was what I wanted anymore. I had two weeks to make my decision and reply, which was not exceptionally long to make a big decision when your whole life was up in the air. Putting the letter into my bag and texting my parents to ask them what they wanted me to do with their mail, I did not bother to wait for a reply.

  I changed into my running clothes and locked up the house before I ran into the forest at the back of my house. The fallen branches snapped underneath my feet; it was a little warmer than I was used to while running early in the morning when it was cooler, but I would take it. I was sweating profusely from the heat and it dripped into my eyes, causing them to sting. I took off my vest top, using it to wipe my face and decided to tie it around my brow to stop anymore sweat going into my eyes. I could finish my run in my sports bra, it was not like anyone would see me.

  I ran faster as the shade from the trees made the heat more bearable. My feet pounded through the dirt in time to the running playlist that I was listening to. I felt good for the first time since my parents left. I had a lot to think about, but while running, none of it mattered.

  It was strange living at the Taylors but it wasn’t that I didn’t like it. In fact, it was nice to have people around who took an interest in your life. However, I wasn’t sure how long I could cope with so many people under one roof; I liked my privacy and felt a little smothered at times.

  It was not that I was not grateful for everything that Jackson and his family had done for me but I just felt as though everything was moving way too fast. I had not felt safe there since the night I saw the wolves, and the nightmares were becoming more vivid and frequent, despite Jackson staying with me.

  I made it to the lake which was deserted and took a seat on one of the large boulders, needing to rest before running back home. I spent a long time sitting at the lake, my thoughts wandering as I skipped stones across the lake. I was lost in my thoughts, listening to music, and did not notice that someone else was here. It was not until I felt like I was being watched that I looked up and spotted a stranger on top of the rocks, staring at me.

  He did not say anything but just stood there staring at me: I did not like the way he made me feel. I took my vest top from my hair and put it back on, not caring that it was cold and wet, against my skin. I felt violated when the stranger seemed to smirk at my action. My phone rang at that moment, making me jump. It was Jackson, he was going to be so mad.

  “Hi, I was just calling to ask if you could grab some chips from the store if you’re still in town?”

  “Sure.” I looked up at the stranger, who was now slowly walking in my direction and his demeanor was predatory. “About that. The funny thing is that I’m not actually at the store or in town,” I laughed nervously.

  “Where are you Kayla!” Jackson demanded.

  “The lake by my house.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “That’s good, because there is someone else here too.”

  “Stay on the phone Kayla, we are on our way.”

  I did as Jackson asked, even though he was not talking to me anymore. I could hear him and his brothers getting in the car and was glad that he was not alone, because this guy was all kinds of weird. He still continued his slow approach, almost like he was mocking me, trying to scare me for some reason. I could hear Jackson’s voice and he sounded so angry.

  “We are nearly there Kayla,” Hunter said calmly.

  “Okay,” I replied, my shaking voice giving away how scared I truly was.

  I took one of my earphones out so that I could hear when Jackson entered the forest because I knew there were places where the reception was patchy and I may lose the call. A low growl reverberated through the trees, which made all of the hairs on my body stand on end, but the stranger did not seem scared. If anything, he seemed to thrive off my fear. I could hear the doors close on the car and the sound of Jackson and his brothers running through the forest. I knew they were fast but the stranger was almost at the bottom of the path to the lake. Suddenly, a huge gray wolf moved out of the trees in front of where the stranger was coming from, almost in between him and me. I weighed up my options. Do I wait for Jackson to get here or do I try and make a run for it? I couldn’t get around the wolf and the strange man but if I ran in the opposite direction, I could find my way to the road. It was whether the wolf would chase me which was the problem as I could probably outrun the stranger but not the wolf.

  Just as I was about to get up and try to make a run for the road, Jackson, Hunter and the twins emerged in the clearing at the top of the lake. I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, but I made the mistake of looking to the stranger. He did not appear phased by the snarling wolf or the arrival of the four Taylor brothers.

  The twins jumped of the cliff into the lake, before swimming in my direction; Jackson and Hunter followed the path in the direction of the stranger, pinning him between them and the
wolf. I watched, with curiosity, as the stranger’s gaze never left me, despite everything that was going on around him. He was unfazed by any of it. When the twins reached me, they positioned themselves between the wolf and me, blocking my view of the stranger and his view of me: I felt relieved to no longer be under his glare.

  “Jay, Josh, get her out of here,” Jackson called and the twins nodded, turning to me.

  “I’m not leaving you here.”

  “Kayla, do as you are asked,” Hunter ordered, before adding, “please, we will be fine.”

  I let the twins lead me away. I could barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other as there was far too much going on and I could not work any of it out. The twins were practically dragging my dead weight through the forest as I felt like my body was freezing to the spot in fear. My thoughts were running at a hundred miles an hour.

  “We are going to have to carry her,” one of the twins whispered.

  Before I knew what was happening, Jay was scooping me up. The next second, the forest was rushing by in a blur as they ran at full speed through the forest. We made it back to my house in record speed and before I knew it, I was home with the boys patting me down in search of the keys. They took me inside. Jay placed me gently on the sofa, while Josh was locking the door and closing all the blinds.

  “Go find some blankets,” Josh stated. “She’s shaking and all her color has gone.”

  “She’s in shock,” I heard Jay whisper, before I passed out.

  I must have been having some strange out of body experience because I could hear the twins trying to get through to me. I could see them as they tried to pull me back from whatever had taken over my body. I was draped in blankets with one of the twins rubbing me to try and get my blood circulating. The other spoke to me calmly but his voice sounded distorted like he was talking underwater.

  I suddenly jumped from the sofa letting out a high-pitched scream.