Chapter Five

Caitlyn’s POV

My dreams were confusing, completely horrifying, filled with strange flashes and voices. I woke up that morning in our front yard once again—naked.

“Oh shit,” I gasped, looking around, relieved that I wasn’t in some woods far away from home.

“Who is there?” Joanna’s voice prompted me to hurry back to my room. She stepped out to investigate, but I had already begun climbing up anyway.

The task had become easy. I guessed it was because my body was getting used to sneaking back in.

****

I stepped out for school and there they were again, whispering words amongst themselves.

“No!” my aunt blurted quietly. “We have no right to disrespect her father’s wishes. She doesn’t need to know.”

“I don’t think—” Joanna paused when she noticed my eyes by the slightly ajar door.

My aunt turned, beaming with a smile. “Are you ready for school? I want to drive you.”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I nodded, and we both hurried out of the house, but I could still feel Joanna watching me.

They knew—about Tristan, about the wolves, about everything. I didn’t know the whole story yet, but it was obvious my father knew as well. It explained why he never wanted me to visit Aurora in the first place.

Aunt Betty drove me to school, and throughout the drive I could feel the tension between us. I knew she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

She parked by the white line, and Theo was the first person I saw. He waved and waited for me by the entrance.

“Ouuuu! He’s cute,” she commented, waving at Theo, who grinned in response.

“Yeah, he’s a friend,” I muttered as I grabbed my bag from the passenger seat. “Thanks for the ride, Aunt Betty.”

“Caitlyn,” she grabbed my hand just before I could step out of the car.

“I know we haven’t really talked since, but I hope you know I’m here for you.”

I nodded, smiling to calm the pressure she was clearly under.

“I know, and I appreciate you.”

“Like what I’m trying to say is…” she swallowed hard. “See me less as a parental figure and more as a sister you can trust with anything. I want to know what’s going on in your life, want us to chat about boys like that cutie over there.”

I snickered, watching as she waited for my response.

“Done,” I affirmed, and her face lit up like a candle.

“So can I go now?”

“Yes! Get out of here,” she responded. “Go meet your ‘friend.’”

“Jeez! He’s really just a friend,” I said softly as I alighted from the car.

Everyone was cheery that day. Even Theo had a huge smile as I walked up to him.

“Hey, jacket.”

“Naked girl in the woods,” he shot back with a slight smirk. “Betty? She’s your aunt, right?”

“Yeah,” I answered as I watched her drive off. “Do you know her?”

“Yeah. She used to come shop at my father’s supermarket,” he said. “I’m actually glad I ran into you. You’re the reason I came to school this early.”

“Ohh,” I reacted. “You could’ve made things easier and just asked for my number.”

“Yeah, I will do that,” he replied, leaning back. My eyes widened at how tight his frame was in his shirt. I was captivated by his flexing muscles and those bright blue eyes. Who wouldn’t be?

“Next Monday is our bonfire event, and I wanted to ask if you’d like to go… with me.”

I hesitated, processing both his words and his very distracting chest.

“Uhm… like a date?”

“I want it to be a date,” he said. “But it doesn’t have to be if you don’t want it to. It can be whatever you want.”

I chuckled and was about to give my response when I felt a presence behind me.

The pungent smell of acid was the first thing I noticed before turning swiftly to see someone walking toward us.

“You were the girl that came to my house, right?”

It was the reporter; Annie I met three days back about her article.

“Yeah,” I replied softly, examining her clothes and how badly she smelled. “Are you here for me?”

“They got to you, didn’t they?” she asked, walking quickly toward me. Her hand almost reached me when someone gripped it firmly.

I turned slowly to meet his terrifying gaze. Those void eyes always gave me goosebumps, no matter how many times I looked into them.

“Leave,” Tristan grunted, shoving her gently.

“I looked into you,” she rambled, itching her skin, which was already bleeding from scratches.

“You are a Fang, but yet you don’t know. Your father didn’t want you to know.”

“Lady, back off!” Theo stepped in.

“Wait,” I paused them. “How do you know my father?”

“Come over to the house later and I’ll show you,” she said as she backed away. “You might be the one to expose them all.”

I could hear Tristan’s teeth grinding as we watched her leave. I could hear things, smell things I shouldn’t have been able to from a far distance. It was beginning to freak me out, and my mind started forming theories just to make myself sound less crazy.

“Are you okay?” Theo asked curiously as Tristan left without saying a word.

“Yeah,” I exhaled. “What the hell was that?”

*****

I couldn’t get it off my mind all through class. I had seen the werewolves , something that only lived in fiction existed within a small town.

I needed answers desperately but no one was willing to give them to me.

After my last class, I hurried to her house. I couldn’t remember the street at first, but after six wrong turns, I got there.

Standing by the street and staring at the door, I doubted my decision. My racing thoughts created a suspenseful moment.

I pushed myself forward, but a loud thump startled me.

“Fuck!”

“For someone who is so easy to frighten, you’re actually very stubborn,” Tristan spoke with his casual, husky tone.

I heaved a sigh, my heart racing in my chest.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, still panting heavily. “Did you follow me?”

“No. I knew you couldn’t resist,” he answered. “What do you seek to find here, pup? Let go of this and just live your life.”

“How can I live my life with a huge secret hanging over my head?” I retorted fiercely.

“I saw something that completely shook me, and yet you don’t want to explain it to me in detail.”

“I’m just reciprocating your actions,” he said. “You lied when I asked you what happened in the woods. Something happened, and you’re keeping it to yourself.”

“Screw you,” I muttered and walked toward the door.

“You don’t want this life!” he voiced loudly. “You don’t want this burden.”

I paused by the door. “Maybe I—”

The words froze on my tongue when the wind carried a scent my way. I recognized it from the accident; it had stayed with me for a month.

“Blood.”

“How could you pick up a scent?” Tristan reacted as he walked to my side.

“I just can,” I replied, noticing the doorknob was busted. I attempted to push it open, but Tristan grabbed my hand swiftly.

“What?”

“Stay behind me,” he whispered as he pushed it open himself. The smell grew stronger when we stepped inside. The scent of blood was mixed with various chemicals that had clearly been doused around the room.

A portrait of Annie and another woman caught my attention. The woman looked familiar, enough to make me stop instinctively.

“Pup! Get out now!” Tristan instructed loudly, pulling my attention.

“What’s going on?” I was perplexed. I walked toward the kitchen, where his voice came from, and met the horrible sight.

“W… what is th… that?” I stuttered as my stomach churned, saliva pooling in my mouth.

“We need to leave. Now.”

My breath hitched as bile surged up, and I gagged, turning away from Annie’s body—nailed to the wall, her eyes gouged out.