Four: Lana

Lana's P.O.V.

The sound of thunder roaring and echoing through the forest made me wake with a start. It appeared to be something I would have to get used to as we never had these kinds of storms in the city, yet they seemed to occur every other day here. After two weeks, it was finally starting to feel like home.

I had cleaned it, started a garden with the seeds from the groceries I had brought, and all that was missing was to find and get rid of the rat that was pooping everywhere before he started to eat the wiring.

But now, I was back to walking on eggshells in my own home as I had been stupid enough to bring a wild beast into my living room. Dragging him inside last night was a feat in itself. The massive animal must have weighed at least 200lbs, if not more.

Since he had been able to pull himself onto the blanket, I had assumed he was healthy enough to help me get him into the house. Instead, he just laid there and watched me struggle.

If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he found it funny. His dark, forest green eyes bore into me as his tongue lolled out to the side. The noise he sent my way when I bumped him into the doorframe had sent Maddie into a spiral of giggles. That in itself made it so I couldn't regret my choice to bring him inside. It was the happiest I had seen her in a long time. I just wished it was because of a puppy or a cat, not a wild wolf.

My gaze moved over to the clock mounted on the wall, showing it was just past midnight. Knowing that Maddie more than likely would have woken from the thunder as well, I made my way out of bed and into the hallway. Her door was still closed, and I turned the knob slowly smiling when I saw she was curled up in bed asleep.

Laying on her stomach, she turned her head, her nose dragging across the pillow as she faced away from me and resumed her soft snoring. I had never imagined I would be so lucky to have her.

Closing the door softly, I moved slowly and quietly down the hallway, not wanting to scare the wolf if he hadn't heard me coming.

A small part of me was also begging for him to still be alive. I wouldn't know what to do if he was dead in the morning. That was not a conversation I wanted to have with Maddie.

My sock-covered feet helped to keep my footsteps masked, and I paused hearing a strange rumbling sound that would not be caused by the storm. It was low and muffled. It reminded me of the noises my stomach would make when I was starving or had intestinal upset.

Of course, the wolf would be hungry. I hadn't fed him. I thought as I refrained from smacking my hand against my forehead. He was probably ready to break my door down and eat me if I didn't feed him soon.

I peeked around the doorway carefully, hoping the wolf was still sleeping on the towel I had provided him and wasn't going to pop out and attack me. The kitchen was dark as I turned the corner into the doorway, pausing as a bolt of lightning shot across the sky, illuminating the room through the window.

My feet planted firmly on the floor as my stomach turned to concrete. Over the three seconds that I was able to see the intruder from the lightning, it felt like we were in slow motion.

Standing in the middle of my kitchen was one of the largest men I had ever seen. His broad shoulders and muscular stature made me freeze with terror. I felt my heart thumping against my ribcage as our eyes met.

His were wide as if just as shocked by my presence. He stood with one hand on his stomach as though he were just rubbing it. His long fingers were splayed out across his abs just below dark bruising across his rib cage.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the complete lack of clothing. My eyes dropped down on instinct, feeling my face flush at the sight between his legs. The sudden fear and shock of a naked man standing in my kitchen had my eyes shooting back up to his face.

Thousands of possibilities went through my head for how this would play out but my primary concern was my defenseless daughter sleeping just down the hallway. On instinct, my hand shot out, grabbing the tumbler cup from the counter next to me before chucking it at the man's face and running down the hallway.

My gun was in my nightstand, something I now regretted as I didn't have time to get to it. I threw the door for Maddie's room open, locking it behind me and dropping down to press my back to the wood, my heels planted firmly into the carpet for leverage.

She stirred on her bed with a groan but otherwise didn't wake up, surprising me. I heard the man's footsteps as he made his way toward the door almost hesitantly, like a mountain lion trying to sneak up on a gazelle before they went in for the kill.

"I'm sorry. I was just hungry. I'm not going to hurt anyone." His voice could barely be heard through the door as he whispered. It was as if he knew someone was sleeping on the other side and that made me all the more frightened for the safety of my daughter. Did he know Maddie was here? Had he checked our bedrooms before making himself at home in our kitchen?

My body was shaking as I held my palm over my mouth, tears lining my eyes.

I listened carefully as his footsteps receded. There was no other sound inside the house, and I cursed that blasted wolf for being such a lousy guard dog. Then again, there was the chance that he wasn't even alive. He could have succumbed to his injuries, giving the intruder an opening to walk right into our home.

There was no telling how long I had been listening to the storm blow on outside as I waited for any noise or sign that the man was still in the house. Eventually, the adrenaline washed away, and I began the losing battle to keep my eyes open just as the storm began to calm and the room began to brighten from the sunrise.

The sound of static-covered cartoons and the feeling of the hard floor beneath my body pulled me from my slumber. I blinked twice, offended by the light pouring in from the window before the events of the night before came forward.

I sat up quickly, feeling my soul leave my body at the sight of the empty bed that once held my daughter. The door to her room was open no more than a foot as my sleeping body had prevented it from going further.

Alarm bells went off in my head, and I scrambled to my feet and ripped the door open. I rushed into my bedroom, pulling the gun from my nightstand before making my way to the living room, checking the bathroom as I went by.

The black metal of the weapon felt heavier than before in my hands as if the weight of the situation was literally on the object itself. I spun quickly holding the gun in front of me as I moved into the kitchen with a clear line of sight to the living room where Maddie was coloring on the coffee table quietly.

The wolf had pulled himself off the blanket that I had left him and was laying next to her with his head on her knee, his eyes closed.

My hand dropped down to my side after seeing the coast was clear, not wanting Maddie to see my panic. I tucked the gun back in my waistband and made my way to the back door first, confirming it was still locked and not seeing any sign of a break-in or water on the floor.

"Good Morning, Momma," Maddie said sweetly, and I sent her a quick smile.

"Morning, baby," I said distractedly as I continued to check each window and door, feeling further confused when I discovered no evidence of last night's incident. I moved back to check the bedroom windows, pausing at the entrance to the kitchen to pick up the cup from the counter where I had originally left it before bed.

I eyed it curiously, seeing the crack in the lid that I didn't remember being there yesterday.