Chapter 3 – Igniting the fire within

I was barely walking to the car, more like stumbling, really and I felt...feverish, dizzy as if I was carrying the weight of the world on legs that suddenly forgot how to work. Ethan was leaning against the car, his arms crossed and looking like he was in his own world until he saw me. The way his eyes nearly popped out of his head? Yeah, he knew something was wrong. I was so close, just a few steps away, but my legs gave out like someone pulled the plug. The last thing I remember is Ethan sprinting toward me, faster than I thought humanly possible, before everything went black.

When I finally came to, I was in a room, light and airy, with these delicate floral patterns on the wallpaper. The bed was like sinking into a cloud, and my long black hair was everywhere, a tangled mess across my face. It took me a second to get my bearings, and I figured I must be in some room at the Inn. But then, I caught this soft argument happening outside the window, voices carried on the breeze. Curiosity got the better of me, so I dragged myself over to the window. Below was this beautiful garden, the kind that almost feels like it's out of a storybook, with a forest backdrop that seemed to stretch forever. I was on the second floor, and right below me were two guys—Ethan, I recognized, and another guy about my age, deep in a heated argument.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Nick? Honestly, what the hell?" Ethan spoke with a low and menacing tone, as if barely holding himself together.

"'I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! She was incredibly kind and sweet and...and I didn't mean to cause any trouble!" Nick's voice sounded tense as though he was attempting to justify something beyond his control.

"Well, it's too late now! What am I supposed to tell her parents when she starts changing?!" Ethan's voice rose, frustration bubbling over as he looked around, realizing how loud he'd gotten. "She just got to town, and you've already screwed things up."

Changing? My heart skips a beat. Who was the girl they were talking about? Perhaps she was new here, like me. Perhaps we might figure out this odd place together. But then Nick did something strange: he sniffed the air like an animal, and his eyes shot in my direction, fixing on mine...and smiled? I barely had time to duck away from the window before Ethan could see what Nick had spotted. When I finally peeked out again, they were gone. But just as I was about to pull away, something caught my eye—a wolf, the same one I'd helped take to the vet earlier, was standing at the edge of the yard. It glanced at me, almost as if it recognized me, before retreating into the trees. Did it follow me here? That isn't normal, right? Wild creatures do not just become attached to people. The notion gnawed at me, but I pushed it away. The whole area seemed bizarre, but I wasn't ready to concede that anything else was going on.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten in what seemed like forever. I went to locate the kitchen, but as I turned the corner, I walked right into Ethan's chest. He was like a brick wall.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I whispered, taking a step back as my cheeks heated up.

"That's okay. "How do you feel?" Ethan's voice was lower now, but as I glanced up, I noticed how charming he was. Great, now I was blushing. I quickly looked away, but he wasn't letting me off that easy.

"Is there any particular reason you're turning all shades of red?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, smirking.

"No! I'm not… It's just… it's hot, that's all," I lied, and not very convincingly.

"Really? Because it's rather cold, and I just switched on the heater." His smile widened, and my cheeks burned even more. I needed to get out of there.

"Where is the kitchen? I'm starving," I blurted out, hoping to divert the subject, which just made him laugh.

"End of the corridor, last door straight ahead. We could always make you something," he said, that obnoxious smile still on his lips.

"Thanks, but I've got it. I just want a sandwich," I said, heading for the kitchen. Staying any longer would only add to my embarrassment.

I needed to clear my mind, but I also realized I had forgotten to ask about my parents. Oh well, I'll find out later.

As I opened the fridge and focused on its contents, the door sprang open, causing me to jump with a squeaky yelp that I immediately regretted. Ethan leaned halfway into the kitchen, grinning like he just won something.

"Are you always this jumpy?" he laughed, and I shot him a glare, which only made him laugh harder. "I just wanted to let you know that your parents went to check out their new Inn, about thirty minutes from here. They'll be back this evening. I told them I'd keep an eye on you. They were pretty worried when you passed out."

"They weren't freaking out?"

"At first, yeah. But the vet lady you met, she's also a doctor. She checked you out and said you were just fatigued from the trip and all the excitement. That calmed them down."

It didn't make sense. I've been tired before, pulling all-nighters for exams and whatnot, but I've never passed out. I remember my hand burning, pain shooting up my arm, and then everything went black. But I wasn't tired, not really.

Perhaps traveling does that for you so I attempted to dismiss it, not wanting to fall down the rabbit hole. Was it just fatigue? Everything was normal, I reminded myself, even if it didn't feel like it.

And then I heard it—a low growl coming from just outside the kitchen door leading to the porch. Ethan's attitude altered instantly, and his body tensed as if he were ready for something. I turned to see, but before I could realize what was going on, the door that Ethan was hanging out of, slammed shut, leaving me alone in the kitchen, my pulse hammering. I tried to tell myself it was nothing, just my imagination. But deep down, that gnawing feeling wouldn't go away—something was definitely off about this place, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out what.