Lisa’s POVWhen my eyes blinked open again, light stabbed at me. Not soft dawn light — no, full-on, bright, burning sunshine pouring through the curtains. My first thought was— what time is it? My second was— wait, I actually slept?I rolled to the side, squinting at the clock on the nightstand. The red digits glared back.“10:03…”I sat up so fast the blanket tangled around my legs and nearly sent me face-first into the floor. “Wh-what?! Ten??! No way—” My hands scrambled through my hair like maybe it would help me think clearer. “Ohhh crap crap crap, it’s—late, it’s… waaay late, oh God…”My chest squeezed, that cold reminder washing back in. Last night. The forest. Heri. The men. The suffocating weight. My breath hitched, and suddenly it all came tumbling back at once.I clutched the blanket to my chest. “No, no, don’t—don’t think about it right now… calm down, Lisa, urmm, just… just breathe, ahhh…”Before I could spiral further, a sound made me freeze.The bathroom door clicked ope
Lisa’s POVI opened my mouth, but nothing came out—just a dry squeak, like my throat forgot how to work. Damon stood there, jug dangling in his hand, his eyes scanning between me and Heri. Too sharp. Too heavy.“I… uh…” My lips stuck together. My palms were sweaty, trembling, and I tried wiping them on my shirt but it only made the fabric cling. “I-I… urmm…”Heri clutched at my arm, pressing into my side like she wanted me to shield her, and that tiny shake in her fingers made my chest hurt. Damon took a slow step closer, tilting his head, his nostrils flaring like he was trying to sniff something out.“Lisa,” he said, voice lower, firmer now. “I know something happened. Don’t… don’t say nothing. Because I feel it. The fear. The drain. It’s heavy on you both.”Ahh, crap. My knees buckled a little. I wanted to run, but where? We were already home. “I-I’ll explain, I will, just—just let me…” My voice cracked. “Heri first. She… she needs to rest.”His brows pulled tighter, but he nodded
Lisa’s POVMy throat was tight, like I’d swallowed glass. I couldn’t move, not really, not when that weight pressed the men down. It wasn’t mine, wasn’t me, and still it was here—thick, suffocating.Heri pressed closer, her fur brushing my leg, trembling. Then—crack. Her bones started snapping again, sharp, awful sounds. I gasped, stepping back.“Wha—Heri, wait—”Her small wolf form twisted, stretched, and within seconds she was back. A little girl again, kneeling in the dirt, hair a mess, sweat sticking to her temples. She was breathing hard, clutching her chest.Her eyes—confused. Too confused.She looked around, wild, blinking like she’d just woken up. Her gaze darted from the groaning men to the forest shadows, then landed on me.“Li…sa?” Her voice cracked. Small. Trembling. “W-what’s… wh-where are we? Whaaaat’s happening? Why are we… in the… forest?”Her confusion hit me like a slap.“What—” I croaked, then clamped my mouth shut. My lips trembled. “You… you don’t… you don’t know?
Lisa's POVBy midnight.I tossed a little in bed. My lips were dry, sticking. Ugh, thirsty. My hand fumbled toward the side table, searching for the jug. Fingers tapped the wood. Empty. No glass, no cool water. Just… nothing.“Ahhh, come on,” I muttered under my breath, rolling over. For a moment I thought maybe I’d just wait until morning. Sleep it off. But the scratch in my throat made that impossible. I sighed, dragged myself up, feet hitting the floor with a dull thump.The hall was quiet, dark, shadows long on the wall. Everyone should be asleep. My steps were light, almost guilty, as I made my way toward the kitchen. The floor was too cold as I walked barefoot, which sent shivers down my spine, and I winced.I passed Heri’s room on the way.The door.Open.I froze mid-step, my throat suddenly drier than before. The blanket was tossed back, the bed empty, the faint smell of her lingering. My chest gave a quick squeeze.“Heri?” I whispered softly into the dark, peering in.Nothing
Lisa’s POVThe ride home felt like one of those half-dreams, you know? Where everything’s quiet and soft and you’re floating but also heavy. Heri was knocked out in the back seat, fox plush mashed up under her chin, mouth just barely open like a little kid who’d played too hard.I kept twisting around to look at her, just… just to make sure. That she was really sleeping. That she was breathing. That she was there.Ronan kept one hand steady on the wheel, the other on the gear. Focused. The hum of the road filled up the silence. Damon’s bike headlights blinked in the rearview, steady as a shadow tailing us.By the time we pulled up to the villa, my neck was stiff from watching Heri. “Ah, crap,” I whispered when I tried to move. “Ow—why do I do this to myself—”Ronan killed the engine. “You don’t have to crane around every five seconds.”“Yes, I do,” I snapped softly. “She’s—she’s little. She’s tired. She’s—”He just gave me that look. The quiet one. The one that says I’m not arguing bu
Lisa’s POVOkay. So.You know how you think you’ve seen everything? Like—you’re convinced, convinced nothing could possibly surprise you anymore?Yeah. No. Wrong. Because right now I was staring at Damon—Mr. Broody, Mr. “I Wear Darkness Like A Cloak”—standing there with a balloon dog in one hand and three kids literally yelling, “Throw it here! Come on, mister!”I… I couldn’t breathe. I was doubled over, my ice cream almost falling straight out of my hand. “Ahhh—no—stop—my ribs—oh my god—”Ronan, of course, was trying very hard not to laugh. Which only made it worse because his whole face was twitching, jaw tight, mouth pressed flat, and I could see it, I could see it trying to break out.And Heri. Sweet, sweet Heri? She was just standing there with her little fox plush squished to her chest, head tilted, watching Damon like he was some puzzle she finally figured out. Then she whispered, almost to herself, “He looks… funny.”That did it. I lost it. Full-on ugly laugh, snorting, tears-