Chapter 3: Reine’s Invitation

I woke up feeling as confused as ever. I had finally seen what the creature from my dreams looked like, I was very sure that it was a wolf I saw but still, I had no idea what it all meant. I remembered that Reine had left so abruptly the previous day and I couldn’t help but feel a sudden pang of loneliness that my only friend had abandoned me.

I did not dwell in the sad feelings and quickly took a shower to freshen up for the day then I headed to college and decided to be productive for the rest of the day but a part of me remained anxious to hear from Reine and have all the strange events explained.

As I attended my classes and saw to my tasks for the day, I found myself often distracted by a whirlwind of thoughts, I was still expectant to hear from my friend but I had to admit to myself that it was another thought that was at the forefront of my mind; the image of the man I had met the day before. My brief but intense meeting with Lucien was not like anything I had ever experienced, and the memory of that intimate time lingered in my mind.

I found myself reliving the intensity of his gaze, every time I thought about our interaction the spot below my collarbone throbbed. I couldn’t quite explain what happened in that moment, a connection had sparked between us and as if time had stood still and only the two of us existed, I felt bound to Lucien in a way I could not comprehend. It was like our souls had been longing for each other.

Unfortunately for me, every time I remembered the intense intimate interaction I had shared with Lucien, it also brought back memories of how he had walked out on me leaving me feeling rejected and undesirable without any explanation and my anger was renewed. No man had ever made me feel that way and I decided that no man would ever be able to make me feel that way again, strange pull or not!

That evening, as I left college and returned to my apartment I had a strange feeling like I was being watched, I kept on looking over my shoulders but I did not find anyone there. The feeling remained but I didn’t know what to do about it. I hurried home, entered my apartment building and headed to my floor. I got a whiff of the scent I had smelled the other day and I opened the door to my apartment in a rush expecting to see Reine and her brother Lucien but I got disappointed when I found that the house was empty.

I got something to eat and headed to bed half expecting to have the same dreams I had been having but it turned out differently this time. I slept completely undisturbed by dreams of strange places and strange creatures for the first time in a while.

The next couple of days seemed to go by like a blur. I continued in my daily routine but with the lingering feeling that I was being watched and followed everywhere I went.

It had hit the two week mark since the strange events that altered my life and I still hadn’t gotten word from Reine and her brother, I also didn’t get any dreams since the day I saw the wolf clearly. That morning I woke up as I would every other day and followed the same routine to get ready for the day. I headed out of my apartment to campus but this day was not like the others because something strange happened.

Immediately I stepped out of my apartment building, I found a very tall good-looking man waiting for me at the doorstep. He introduced himself as Isaac and told me that he had been sent by the Duvall family to deliver a very urgent and important message to me. He asked that I should follow him and assured me that I would be safe with him.

I didn’t want to trust him because he was a stranger, I was at a crossroads because I really wanted to know what was happening and see my best friend again but I was scared. As I was still thinking about what to do, I got a notification of a text message on my phone. I quickly grabbed my phone to check who had texted me and to my surprise it was a text from Reine.

The text I got read “Hi bestie, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to reach out, my business at home is taking longer than expected. I know you have been waiting for my return and I don’t want you to be anxious any longer so I am inviting you over to my world. You will witness strange things but please do not be scared and trust that I would never deliberately put you in harm’s way. Follow Isaac and do as he says and I am sure you will get here safely, all will be explained once you get here and I will be waiting for you Aimee”.

As I read the text I became less anxious and scared of following Isaac. I told him I would go with him but I needed to get something very important to me from my house first. I went back into my apartment and headed straight to my room, and then I went to my jewelry box and grabbed an old locket that I couldn’t leave behind.

The locket was a small golden chain with a heart pendant and a tiny Jade stone on it. Inside the locket was an old picture of my parents and engraved on it were the initials LRP. I didn’t know what the initials meant but I figured it must have been important to my family.

Once I had secured the locket safely in my jacket, I headed back out to meet Isaac and told him I was ready to go. He led me to a very expensive looking car and directed me to get inside. After getting into the car, we set off, and although I was still unsure of our destination, I was sure of one thing: I was tired of feeling confused and not knowing what was going on in my life. I decided to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. I trusted Reine and knew that with my best friend by my side, I would face whatever challenges lay ahead and uncover the secrets of her family; secrets that I didn’t know would change my life forever.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves that were getting worked up; I straightened my shoulders and prepared myself to face whatever was to come. I had no idea that no amount of mental or physical preparation could prepare me for where I was going and that the truth I was looking for would take me into an unknown world.