Chapter 4: The Man In The Woods

Emma.

We agreed to investigate and I'd never felt so fulfilled. Finally, I was going into the mountains to uncover countless attacks on the locals. There had to be something there, Karl would realize I've always been right.

To Alec and my mum, I had an alibi ready. I was going to a party with Benny and her brother would come along too. Knowing who Benny's brother was and that he'd just gotten back into town, they would totally agree.

A few minutes into work, a loud tap came on the door and Benny suddenly burst in without waiting for a reply.

"Emma, wait." her face was pale with fear. "You can’t go into the woods. Stay away from the forest."

I blinked. "What? Why?”

"My brother's not coming." Benny said, her voice low and serious.

I shook my head. Typical. “Yeah, whatever. We'll still check it out. There's really nothing out there. Maybe we could find…like a… cave where these animals are and tell the cops about it. Look, I need to do this, so many people are getting hurt."

"I’ve been thinking about it all day. That wolf… what if it’s not just watching you? What if it’s waiting for you to go into the woods?"

"I don’t think so Benny, wolves don't stalk people. Look, I know you're scared and all so, don't worry, I'll go.”

Benny grabbed my shoulders, her eyes intense. "Please, Emma. My brother told me things, promise me you won’t go.”

I could see the fear in Benny’s eyes as she grabbed my hands. "Think about what I said, Emma. Please, I know you're stubborn but please, I'm begging you."

"Yeah, I won't,” I lied smoothly. I didn't want to frighten her.

As Benny left, I stood frozen in place. The wolf would come again, I knew it. And this time, I couldn’t just sit by and watch. Quietly, I packed her bag.

I slipped my hoodie on, tugging the hood low over my face. The house was quiet, but Alec and Mom were still awake. If they found out I was sneaking out, there would be a full-on interrogation, and I didn’t have the time or energy for that.

My camera batteries were dead, but no big deal, “I’m a journalist, not a photographer.” I muttered the words to myself as I stuffed a notepad and pen into my backpack. It would have to do.

This wasn’t like Benny at all. After what happened she had every reason to be spooked. But to bail on me? She wasn’t the type to chicken out.

Well, whatever the reason, I was going alone.

There was no way I was taking my car, either. They’d hear me pulling out of the driveway. So, it had to be the bus.

Once I was out of the house and far enough away, I let out a breath and headed for the bus stop.

The bus rolled up a few minutes later. The driver, a stocky man with a scruffy face, watched me climb on.

"Late night, huh?" he grumbled.

"Yeah, something like that," I said, "Just got a little project I’m working on."

He shook his head, clearly unimpressed. “What’s a girl like you doing heading out to the forest alone at night?”

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.

He let out a low whistle, eyeing me in the rearview mirror as I took a seat near the front. "Mean no harm, just making sure you're not lost or anything."

“I’m not,” I insisted, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Finally, the driver pulled over and opened the door. “Here’s your stop. You be safe out there, okay? And don’t worry about the fare. This one’s on me.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, hopping off the bus.

The bus roared off, leaving me alone in the dim light of the streetlamp.

Then I saw him.

A man stood just a few feet away from me. He was tan, with a leather jacket and an intense look that made my stomach flip. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me.

“Uh, hello?” I called out, my voice sounding way more nervous than I liked.

Before I could even blink, he was gone. Just like that. I whipped around, looking in every direction. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was imagining things.

“Okay, I’m losing it,” I whispered to myself. “Great start, Emma.”

I shook off the weird feeling creeping up my spine and headed toward the alley that led to the forest.

As I reached the mouth of the alley, I froze. Another man was standing there. He was dressed the same as the first guy—tan skin, leather jacket—and he was just standing there, staring at me.

I whipped around to see if the first guy had come back, but no, he hadn’t. And when I looked back toward the alley, the second man was gone.

My breath caught in my throat.

I didn’t wait to find out. I bolted, sprinting down the alley as fast as I could.

But the moment I reached the edge of the trees, I heard a low growl, deep and guttural, coming from somewhere behind me. My legs turned to jelly as I spun around, and my blood went cold.

A pack of wolves stood there, snarling, their eyes glowing in the darkness. They were huge, way bigger than any wolves I’d ever seen.

“Oh my God...” My voice barely came out as a whisper.

I fumbled for my pepper spray, but my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t get a grip on it. “Help!” I screamed..

The wolves advanced, their growls growing louder, more menacing. I backed up until I hit a tree. I thought I might pass out. The biggest wolf, its fur brown and thick, locked eyes with me, snarling.

Just when I thought it was over, a gray wolf lunged—not at me, but at the pack. It fought them off, snarling and biting, driving them back until they scattered into the night.

I stood there, frozen in shock. It was the same gray wolf from my window. The wolf I'd been seeing. Right in front of my eyes, it began to change. Its body twisted and morphed, yelling out as fur giving way to skin, until, standing there in the wolf’s place, was a man.

“What...?” I was a quivering mess.

The man was on me in a flash, nuzzling my neck with a deep reverberating moan.

“Mate," he breathed and his fangs sank into my neck.