Henry’s Origin

Lila's POV

It was cold. So cold it burned.

I spun slowly in the darkness, heart hammering. The woods stretched around me, eerie and endless, just like before.

“Tobi?” I cried, my voice cracking. “Tobi!”

A soft brush against my shoulder made me whirl. His hand slid down my arm, leaving a trail of tingling heat. I turned and threw myself into his arms without thinking.

"Why are you back here, Lila?" Tobi asked, lifting my chin until our eyes locked.

"I don’t know how I got here again," I whispered. "Where are we?"

He smiled faintly, pressing his forehead to mine. "We’re in my dream. I think... but it looks like the woods behind the Witches Hat."

My heart twisted. "What are you doing out here?"

"It's somewhere I can shift without being seen," he murmured, his voice low against my ear, sending delightful shivers racing down my spine.

"Shift?" I echoed, confused. "What do you mean shift?"

"Let me show you," he said, stepping back.

I watched, wide-eyed, as he stripped down to nothing but his briefs. His muscles tensed, his fists clenched, and then the air around him shimmered crackling like fire.

I gasped as his body blurred, reshaping into something enormous and beautiful.

Before me stood the largest wolf I had ever seen: silvery grey fur, darker-tipped ears, and molten gold eyes. The same wolf from my dreams.

"Tobi? Is that you?" I whispered.

The wolf gave a soft groan and lowered his head.

Trembling, I stepped forward and laid my hand against his fur. It was softer than anything I'd ever felt. He leaned into my touch, rumbling deep in his chest as I scratched gently behind his jaw.

Without thinking, I pressed a kiss into the thick fur of his neck.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The alarm shattered the dream. I sat bolt upright, heart racing, breathless.

It had been a dream. Again. But so vivid, so tangible I could still feel the warmth of his fur against my lips.

I threw on jeans and a white T-shirt, shoved my phone into my back pocket, and slipped quietly out the back door of the hostel. I had to see it with my own eyes.

The woods were quiet and still, the ground damp beneath my sneakers. What am I doing? I thought. Two dreams and I'm wandering the forest like an idiot?

And yet... I kept walking, weaving through the trees until I reached a small clearing.

I froze.

It looked different in daylight, but it was the same place. I knew it. I sank onto a fallen log, deep in thought. How could I be dreaming about somewhere I had never even seen? Why was Tobi always there?

My phone buzzed.

Tobi:

Hope you had a good sleep.

I smiled despite myself.

Lila:

Not really. Had a weird dream. :/

Tobi:

What happened?

Lila:

I was in the woods behind the hostel again. It felt so real.

Tobi:

You dreamed you were in the woods?

Lila:

You were there too... The rest is too weird to explain.

There was a long pause before he replied.

Tobi:

Yeah… dreams can be like that sometimes.

Tobi's POV

Dreams. Connected dreams.

Impossible. Wasn't it?

I’d heard whispers of bonded mates sharing dreams reaching for each other across any distance. But it was rare even among full-blooded wolves. And Lila was human.

Still, the fact that she dreamed of the woods… dreamed of me... it set something primal stirring in my chest.

I shook the thoughts away.

Focus. I only had six nights left before Oscar would come sniffing too close. Lila had to stay safe. Everything else could wait.

Lila's POV

When I got back to the hostel, I grabbed a coffee from the café and spotted Henry slumped in an armchair, nursing his own cup.

"Good morning," I chirped, sliding into the seat beside him.

He gave me a half-hearted smile. "Morning."

"What's wrong?" I asked, concern sharpening my voice.

"Moira just told me the hostel’s booked solid for the next few weeks." He shrugged. "I gotta find somewhere else to stay."

My stomach dropped.

"But... why?"

Henry looked away. "I’ve been living here rent-free whilst there are spare beds. Well there aren’t any spare tonight."

I was already out of my seat, storming toward reception.

"Moira! Are you kicking Henry out?" I demanded, a little too loudly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Calm down, girl. Go wait for me in the store room."

Red-faced, I ducked behind the counter. A minute later, Moira joined me.

"Now listen," she said gently. "I’m not kicking him out. I’ve given him two days to find somewhere else. And he’s welcome back after the busy season."

"Oh," I mumbled, shame burning my cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn’t know."

She smiled and opened her arms. "Give your Auntie a hug and we'll call it even."

I hugged her tightly, relief flooding me.

I hurried back to Henry, who was still staring morosely into his coffee. Without hesitation, I hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.

He reached up and brushed my hair aside, cupping my face.

"It’s going to be okay," I whispered.

"If you have nowhere else to go," I said, "you can stay with me."

His whole face lit up. "You mean it?"

"Of course. I’ve got a big couch, all yours."

Henry hugged me hard enough to lift me off the ground, laughing and thanking me over and over. Behind me, Moira watched with a fond smile.

"That’s incredibly kind, Lila," she said.

"It’s nothing," I said, though my throat pinched painfully.

Moira’s voice softened. "That boy hasn’t had much kindness. His parents threw him out when they found out he was gay. His friends abandoned him. You're probably the first person who’s made him feel at home in a long time."

Tears burned behind my eyes. I hadn’t known Henry long, but somehow it didn’t matter. He felt like family already.

Later, I settled into a cozy chair with my coffee and wrote a long email home about Lenweil, about Moira’s crazy hostel, about Henry. I attached a photo of me and Henry grinning on the front steps of the Witches Hat. I sent it off to Mum, Dad, Maggie, and Thea.

Hopefully they'd be happy to hear from me.

By noon, I wandered down to the kitchen for a snack. I threw together a quick sandwich just as Victoria and Emma strolled in, chattering about some museum they'd visited.

"Hey, Lila!" Victoria called.

"Hey guys," I said between bites.

"We're heading to see the old church tomorrow morning," Emma said. "It’s supposed to be super creepy. You in?"

I perked up. "Sounds awesome. What time?"

"8:30 in the common room."

"Mind if I bring Henry?"

"The more the merrier," Emma said brightly.

Victoria grinned. "Bring that tall dark handsome one too."

I blushed furiously.

"You mean Henry?" I asked.

"Nooo, the other one," Victoria teased, winking. "The broody one."

Tobi.

My heart skipped painfully. "He’s... busy," I said, hiding my face behind my coffee cup.

On my way back upstairs, I bumped into Henry.

"Hey, we’re going to the church tomorrow," I said. "You wanna come?"

Henry’s face darkened. "No thanks. That place is cursed."

I blinked. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Lila, a girl I knew disappeared near there. They found her dead months later. No one was ever charged." He tapped the side of his nose meaningfully. "The Order never really died. They just went underground."

I shivered.

"Still," I said lightly. "It’s a tourist site now. Probably harmless."

"If you say so," Henry muttered.

I spent the afternoon napping, letting the music on my phone lull me into a dreamless sleep. I woke up feeling, for the first time in days, refreshed. I pulled on a mustard yellow T-shirt, my favorite denim pinafore dress, and some white sneakers. A loose side braid completed the look.

"Who are you trying to impress, missy?" Moira teased when I arrived at reception.

"No one!" I lied, cheeks flaming.

That night was chaos.

Thirty new guests checked in. I handed out welcome packs and maps while Henry manned the café, fumbling adorably through his first attempts at making decent coffee. By the end of the night, he had nailed a basic latte, complete with a wobbly heart shape in the foam.

"You're a natural," I told him, and he beamed.

By the time I locked up at 10 PM, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. I headed upstairs, changed into an old tank top and shorts, and collapsed into bed. Maybe tonight I’d have a normal dream. Maybe tonight he wouldn’t find me in the woods again.

Maybe.