The in between

Chapter 8

The first thing I see is smoke. I am surrounded by its thick, ashen puffs. There is no discernible solid surface anywhere, nothing to hold on to. Then in walks a figure, his face shrouded in darkness. How I knew it was a male, no idea, but I figured it could only be male considering the height and broad shoulders. I gasp as his familiar salt and pepper hair, dark brown eyes, and chiseled jaw become clear. My dad. A huge smile appears on my face. I run and throw myself in his arms, crying and laughing as he catches me in mid-jump.

“Hey pumpkin,” Dad says, squeezing me even tighter, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead, as he used to when I was younger.

“What are you doing here, you’re not supposed to be here Charlie, you have to go?”

“I ----I don’t know what happened Dad,” my words falter as he looks at me with worried eyes.

“Where’s mom, where are the boys? Do you even know what’s going on? Where I am right now.” I cried, gazing at him beseechingly as he holds me at arm's length. Wondering why he was telling me to go.

“I know, baby, but I need you to be strong Char, Noah, and Leo need you to get them and keep them safe.”

“I don’t understand, dad, what’s going on. The last time I saw you, there was blood everywhere, and you weren’t moving. Was it real, did I do that?”

 “Listen to me baby, I know there is a lot you want to know, but there isn’t much time. I don’t want you to worry about mom or me. I want you to find the boys and keep them safe, and find him.”

Him, who the hell was my dad talking about.

“I know you will figure it out, and find the answers,”

“Dad, tell me what to do,” I shouted, frustrated with his cryptic messages as tears pool in my eyes. He steps back, offering me a silent smile. “I love you with all my heart never forget that.” Then he’s gone, swallowed by the grey mist like magic.

“Dad,” I screamed. Nothing but silence greets my call.

"Don't go," I screamed.

Completely devastated, I sank to my knees, tears running down my eyes. It was like losing him all over again. 

The smoke parts one my time, and out of the darkness a huge freaking grey wolf, with golden eyes, saunters out. Frozen in fear, I watch as its luminescent eyes stare at me in quiet fascination. Its grand statue towering over my petite frame made worst by being on my knees. For the second time, my eyes dart around, looking for an exit, some way out of this nightmare. To my utter dismay, the wolf sits on his hind legs, observing my every movement. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was a man, not an animal. But such things only exist in books and tv. It doesn’t approach me or become aggressive at all, just sits and peers at me, expectantly.

I don’t move. Even though my knees ache, my body is rigid, waiting to run if the need should ever arise. I dared not breathe, for fear he would take my actions as aggressive. I just wait. Eventually, he whines, it's more like a moan, and rests his head on the front paws, like it's waiting for me to come to him.

I blink, relaxing for a minute, then jolt as a second wolf materializes next to my side. The fear I had been letting go a minute ago comes rushing back. This wolf was as white as snow, with pale green eyes, elegant mussel. I think it was a she, not like I was going to further examine the wolf to determine the sex. Fuck no.  They trapped me between a boulder and a rock, two beautiful predators. I imagine what it felt like when their gazes rested on me. Maybe I smelled like fear, like prey. A really tasty snack that can get stuck in their fresh canines. I was that bite-size compared to their height and weight. I healthy dose of fear and respect kept me from eroding on their personal space.

“Sister, there is nothing to fear. Our mate will not harm us,” the softly spoken words filtering inside my head made my eye bugged out. What the eff was that.

My head swung around to gaze at the white wolf, somehow without me realizing had gotten closer. Quickly my eyes darted from the grey to the white, then back again. Did I imagine that, or did the white she-wolf talk to me? Holy shit.

Trying to monitor both at the same time was hell. Eventually, I give up trying. My head and eyes hurt from the overuse, so I concentrated on keeping the one in my immediate vicinity under heavy scrutiny. 

“Relax sister, he waits for us, our Alpha. You must prepare for the next full moon. We will become one and leave this place for good. Now go, we must not keep our mate waiting any longer. He will need us for what is coming.”

The full moon, that’s in four days to my recollection, we will become one. What did that mean?

The she-wolf nudges me towards the dense smoke bellowing to the cloudless sky. I stepped closer to the spot where I saw a red wooden door appeared out of nowhere. Surprised and thankful, I open it. Looking back, I saw both wolves sat side by side watching me intently. It was strange, yet I felt like I was a part of them, which freaked me out more than anything. Without looking back, I hurried through.