Four.

(Celina’s POV)

It had been weeks and the man who claimed to be my brother hadn’t shown up again. I was starting to question my sanity and or whether living alone in the woods was the right idea.

“My parents are worried about you, despite me assuring them that you are a big girl and you can take care of yourself.” Andrew commented as I took the dishes to the old, mouldy kitchen at the back of the small diner.

I chuckled, “what exactly are they worried about?” I inquired.

“You went missing for a few days and then came back and gathered your things and said you were moving out. They were bound to have a lot of questions and you didn’t give them any answers.” Andrew replied.

I sighed, “I just thought it was time I moved out of your parents’ house.” I stated as I set the dishes down, “they took me in while I was just a little girl. I don’t want to take advantage of their generosity.”

Andrew laughed.

“Are you kidding me?” He asked, “if it were up to them, they’d have us get married and live in that house for the rest of our lives.”

I was about to reply when I heard the bell attached to the diner doorbell ding.

“I’ll go take care of that.” I said as I left the kitchen.

I found it weird how the kitchen looked mouldy and filthy but the rest of the diner was spotless. When I asked Andrew about it he told me that the owner claimed that we didn’t have to waste resources on cleaning somewhere the customers won’t see.

I rolled my eyes when I saw the people who just walked in. Werewolves. Not the friendly kind.

The leader, who had on a black leather jacket desire the warm weather, his curly, coffee coloured hair looking shaggy, not in a handsome way, his eyes red like he was drunk, and a cross shaped gold earring on one of his ear.

He looked at me and his lips slowly curved into a smile.

They took a seat close the window and door, as he gestured for me to come over with his hand.

Times like these I hate my job, I thought as I plastered on a customer service smile and walked up to their table. “Good afternoon gentlemen, what can I get for you?” I asked, hoping my voice didn’t show the disgust I felt.

“How about you on a plate?” One of the men stated and everyone around the table started laughing, a little too loudly.

“How about we keep our voices down so as to not disturb the other people in the diner, okay?” I asked politely.

They looked around among themselves and then they burst out laughing. Loudly.

I saw an old man shake his head as he slowly stood up and paid for his tab as he slowly walked past me and out the door.

“Sweetie we run this small deserted town.” The man in the leather jacket, clearly the leader, stated.

“And if you aren’t nice to us, maybe we’ll slice you open and hang you in the middle of the town. Who is going to question it?” Another one added as they continued to laugh.

I tapped my pen on the little notebook I was holding.

“So, what can I get you?” I asked again, trying to be friendly but feeling annoyed.

“We’ll all have a steak. Fry it for exactly three minutes and bring it out here, sweetheart.” The leader stated.

I pointed to my name tag, “my name is Celina, don’t call me sweetheart.” I stated as I turned to walk away. I didn’t know what I was thinking talking back to them.

One second I was walking to get the steaks and the next thing I know; I am being held down with my back on their table, looking up at a dozen eyes looking down on me with smirks on their faces.

The diner when silent.

I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

“You have a little mouth on you.” The leader said as he held me down, not breaking a sweat yet I could feel the pressure on my chest.

Just be nice, you’ll get out of this unharmed, I thought. But the next thing that came out of my mouth even surprised me.

“If I didn’t deal with a bunch of werewolves jerks, maybe I wouldn’t have to talk back.” I stated proudly.

What are you doing?!! I could hear my mind screaming at me.

I turned my head and through a small space between the men, I could see Andrew walk out of the kitchen and saw what was happening.

“I don’t mean to intrude but she is having a hard time, fellas, could you just let it slide this one time?” He pleaded for my life.

The leader looked down on me and sighed.

“You know what? Your friend’s pleas have saved you for today.” He said as he removed his hand from on top of me, and I let out the breath I had been holding.

I turned to look at Andrew and relief was written all over his face.

But then a split second later, I was back to being held down.

“I’m just kidding.” He said as his other friends laughed, he then turned to Andrew, “go make us a steak. Fried. Three minutes.” He ordered.

I saw Andrew mouth a sorry as he turned to walk back to the kitchen.

The doorbell of the diner dinged.

“I’d let her go if I were you.” I heard someone else say.

They all, but the leader whose eyes were still on me, turned to look at the person who spoke up.

“You should leave now.” The leader stated his eyes still on me.

“Are you always this cowardly? Taking advantage of helpless girls because you aren’t man enough to pick on someone your own size?” The man asked, taunting the leader with his smart mouth just like I did. I closed my eyes and relaxed in defeat. All this just because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

The leader let go of me, as he whispered to me with a smirk, “don’t go anywhere, sweetheart.”

He turned around allowing me to get a glimpse of my saviour. My eyes went wide when I saw him. It was the man who showed up at the cabin, Brody Conley.

“So, you want to get torn apart?” The leader asked.

I slowly sat up, I saw the man smirk. He glared at them as his irises turned red. He was a werewolf? I wondered in confusion.

“You’re in our turf.” The leader growled.

“Doesn’t stop me from tearing you apart.” Brody stated confidently with a smirk that never left his face.

“Let’s go man, the bitch ain’t worth it.” One of the men said to the leader.

The leader didn’t even turn around to look at me when he said, “see you around sweetheart,” as they walked out of the diner.

I felt the energy of the people in the restaurant relax, but only slightly.

Brody helped me down the table.

“It’s you.” I stated.

He smiled as he nodded.

“I thought I dreamed about our encounter.” I stated.

“I wanted to come see you sooner but I had important matters to handle in the pack.” He replied. “Can we talk?” He asked.

I looked around the diner. People were starting to leave and I was sure what had happened in the diner would spread around the small town and soon everyone would know, so we might not get a lot of customers for the better part of the afternoon.

“Sure. Let me just tell Andrew.” I stated.

“Actually let’s just leave from the back door.” Brody said as we headed to the back.

Andrew had a lot of questions about who Brody was but I was eager to hear what Brody had to say. So, I promised to answer his questions when I got back.

“Do you really enjoy living in this town?” Brody asked.

I shrugged.

“It’s not that bad.” I replied, “where do you stay?” I asked.

He smiled, “a town a few miles from here.”

“Now to the question I have been dying to ask you. You claim to be my brother but you are a werewolf and I’m not.” I paused, “how is that possible?”

He chuckled, “I knew this question was coming.” He stated, “but it will need more time to explain, but the short version is, I turned into one so I could look for you and take revenge on the people that killed our parents.”

“But the Dawsons are my parents.” I stated.

“They just took care of you. But Landon’s father was the one who killed our biological parents, you can’t trust him.” He warned.

“But he has been nothing but kind to me.” I stated.

“I think he is using you to get to me.” Brody stated.

“What? Why would he want to get…”

“Ssshh.” He said cutting me short, as he listened keenly at nothing I could hear. “I have to go, someone needs me. But trust me, Landon isn’t who he claims to be.” He added, “I’ll explain everything to you soon enough.” As soon as he finished the statement he was gone.

I sighed as I shook my head and made my way back to the diner. I answered Andrew’s thousands of questions, as I helped him clean-up and close up for the day. By the time we were done, it was dark outside.

“Where do you live?” He asked. “I will escort you home.” He offered.

I smiled as I shook my head, “it’s into the woods and I don’t think you should be roaming around the woods by yourself at night.”

“Neither should you.” He replied immediately.

“I know how to protect myself.” I lied. I knew I couldn’t protect myself even if I had to.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

I nodded, he gave me a hug and we went on our way.

I loved walking in the woods at night. The whistling of the wind as it swayed the trees, the quiet that engulfed the woods making it a relaxing walk home where I could have my thoughts to myself.

I was halfway home when I heard what sounded like a whisper. I stopped in my tracks as I looked around, paying close attention to my surrounding.

The cold wind hit my face, my hair blown back.

I chuckled as I shook my head, assuring myself that it was nothing. I had walked through this path before. I continued to walk, as I relax a bit.

Then I heard it again but this time it was clearer, someone said the word sweetheart. I knew who it was, so I just started running.

I knew I wasn’t faster than them, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Run sweetheart run!” I heard someone say in a mocking tone as they laughed.

Out of nowhere, one of the guys at the diner was standing in front of me. His orange eyes shone in the dark.

I looked behind me and around me and there was no one else.

“Just you and me now, sweetheart.” I heard him say as he slowly crept up to me with a creepy grin plastered on his face.