Red and her Wolf Ch. 08

Emily:

A few days later, my sister gives me news of an impromptu month-long trip through Europe with her jetset friends. She asks me to take care of Snuggles, an orange tabby, while she's away. It feels like my prayers are answered: I've wanted a pet since my first night in this place. Now, here he is.

Ray is standing on my doorstep, one arm weighed down by a bright pink cat carrier. She sets the cage down on the welcome mat to remove a large orange fluffball. "Take good care of him for me, sis." She presses Snuggles into my arms and he settles in easy, purring warmly against my chest.

"I will." I peck the center of his fuzzy forehead. "It'll be nice to have company. It gets weirdly cold here at night, so the fur will be a good addition."

"What, country boy hasn't warmed you up yet?"

My face burns up like a match.

"Oh my god, he totally did!" Ray taps my arm with a wry half-smile. "How was it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh no." Her face falls. "Is it the girlfriend thing? I guess I shouldn't be encouraging you to be the other woman."

"No," I sigh. "It turns out the lady in black is his little sister."

"Really?" Ray scrunches her nose. "What's the trouble then?"

"He's being the epitome of hot and cold. One second he's all over me, nice to me, inviting me over to his little mead and guitar party. The next he's pushing me off his lap, saying he can't be in a relationship right now. Of course, he got his hands on me first before he insisted on that."

"Ugh, I hate that shit." Ray's arms fold, weight shifting to one leg. "Alright, now I'm starting to get the asshole vibes."

"It just sucks because I really like him." I glance in the direction of his cabin. "And I just feel like...he really likes me too. Well, at least his body does."

"Maybe he's still heartbroken over someone else," Ray muses. "It's happened to me before. My body was ready. My heart wasn't."

"I guess that could be it." Again, I find myself hiding aspects of Kade from Ray. Like how he said there was fucked up parts about his life that I shouldn't be involved with...fucked up parts worse than being in a gang.

"Some people are terrible communicators," she continues. "Maybe he's one of them."

"You are way too much on his side."

"I just have this unexplainable inkling you and him wouldn't be half bad together is all."

"I don't see it at this point."

"You know how Grandma was kind of psychic? I think some of it rubbed off on me. I trust it. " Ray pulls her phone out of her back jean pocket to glance at the screen. "Yikes, I need to get back on the road. Take care of yourself, okay, Em?" She kisses both me and her tabby on the cheek. "And Snuggles, of course."

"Have fun, Ray. I'm looking forward to my souvenir. Maybe one from France?" I wiggle my brows at her.

A devilish grin perks my way. "So a big wheel of stinky cheese then? Gotcha." I roll my eyes in return. "Love you, Em."

As I watch her drive away, I murmur coos of approval to Snuggles, increasingly soothed by his engine-like purr. "We'll have good cuddles together, won't we?" I smear my cheek against the crown of his head. "Stay close to me, little one."

*

I can't find Snuggles anywhere.

After a dinner of pasta made on the woodstove, topped with fresh basil from the herb garden, I had taken a quick nap. When I woke up, he was nowhere to be found. I searched my entire house top to bottom. Every still-dusty nook and cranny. A futile endeavor.

Now, as I re-enter the kitchen for a second look, I realize my mistake: a window left open, screenless, the shutters squeaking in the lukewarm breeze. I head outside, scanning the porch, the sun-bleached front yard. "Snuggles?"

Nothing. I wander into my backyard, overgrown with weeds, long grass and bramble. Making cooing noises, those obnoxious clicking sounds. No cat returns. The sun will set in an hour.

As my distress rises, I attempt to mentally comfort myself. Maybe this isn't a big deal. Cats go for little adventures all the time and usually come back, don't they? Not that I would know firsthand. My only experience with felines was our elderly Siamese my family had as a child. A city-cat. Entirely indoor since birth.

But then I remember my first night here: the wolf howling, the glow of golden eyes in the darkness.The concept of poor Snuggles getting mauled not even a day after arriving curls itself around my brain and prods incessantly.

Shit. Ray would murder me if anything happened to her cat, a pet so prized that she throws him actual birthday parties. I don't know if our friendship would ever recover.

I race to harsh conclusions: my sister might be an idiot. Why would she entrust her cat to me? Doesn't she know me at all? Clearly not. How sad for our relationship to end this way.

Should I call her? Send a Facebook message so she can freak out upon arriving in Paris?

As I mull this over, I feel an odd sucking sensation in my solar plexus. Like my body is being shifted in a specific direction. My eyes flutter closed and I slowly turn, pulled north. Lids open to face a distant wall of black forest, a dark contrast to the golden dusk surrounding me.The urge to follow that pull is insatiable. Before I know it, I'm in my driveway, staring at the beckoning trees.

Crows caw in quick succession. The wind picks up with a hiss, making my long skirt ripple at my ankles. My curiosity is overpowering, compelling my feet to move. Step by step, I get closer. Down the driveway and onto the bumpy road. My ballet flats crunching gravel before crossing the patchy grass, the dried up puddles that lead to the forest trail.

As I near the trail entrance, I get a kick in my gut. Stop. My feet root to the earth like tree trunks. Breath and pulse locked into rapid overdrive, crows circling above. A whole murder of them.

Then I spot him. Snuggles, in his kingly glory, perched smugly on a moss-encrusted boulder grazing the tree line. His eyes seem to spark with impish glee before he hops away.

Into the forest.

I feel caught in the crux. Two sides in me battling over staying or going. The stronger wins: my feet move north. My hands push away cobwebs to enter the thin forest path. The evergreen smell is so strong it's practically chemical, burning my nostrils like the Lysol my mother cleans her tiles with.The lane is jagged and ugly, drawing me further and further into the forest's clutches. When I look behind me, branches half-cover the entrance from where I came.

Weird. I immediately chock it up to anxiety. Those branches were there when I entered. They must have been.

Memories fly back to make my skin coat with goosebumps: the Missing sign in La Luna Cafe, Myra saying, "most people don't believe in ghosts and goblins... but this town does."

I'll just grab Snuggles and get the fuck out of here. "Snuggles! Here, kitty, kitty." More clicking, more over-the-top cooing. Desperate now.

The sun is setting low, scant light through branches turning deepest crimson. Why are the skies here so red at sunset? I've never seen skies this bloody anywhere else in my life.

I call for Snuggles a few more times to no avail, my voice beginning to falter, throat dry. Now that blood red glow is barely enough to see by and I don't understand how the light escaped me so quickly, how the trees seem to swallow it all up.

Okay, time to abort this mission. I turn in the opposite direction, back down the path, aiming for the small opening in the forest wall that let me in.

The path ends. There is no exit. Just never-ending trees. There is no sound besides my own ragged breathing.

Something is deeply wrong with these woods. Kade's words echo alongside Myra's now: "Nobody goes in the forest alone."

Except for Sabrina Hindley. Now missing.

"Calm the fuck down and breathe. Em," I whisper to myself, palm over heart. "You got lost. You'll find your way back out."

I continue walking in the direction I came from, path or not. Shoving my way through bushes and bramble before I trip, stumble to my knees, palms hitting rotten mulch and thorns that bite.

"Goddamnit." I scramble to my feet, my hair tangling in spiky branches. My ankle is kissed by something sticky and cold. "Ew, god, what is that?" A hysterical laugh croaks from my mouth.

The dark is closing in. I can barely see now and panic is welling. The trees seem to be alive, shifting and contorting around me, creating barriers of branch and vine. I can actually hear them move, the snapping, crunching, oozing sounds of furious nature. They tear at my dress, my legs and the side of my face. Scrape razor-thin cuts in my flesh.

Well, Kade and Myra were right. As of today, I believe in ghouls and goblins.

Also, I think I'm about to go missing.

The trees block all the light now, their branches closing in on me.Then red eyes glare through blackness. A liquid crimson. As soon as I see them, I'm yanked by my feet, pulled towards what is surely my doom. My scream tears up my throat. The ground burns my belly, my hands slapping hopelessly for grip.

Red eyes flash again, closer this time.

Then everything goes black.

*

My eyes slowly open, met by low light. I'm flat on my back and my whole body aches something fierce. Birds chirp, leaves rustle, the forest pleasantly active and...strangely normal.

I rise to my elbows, scan my surroundings, confused. I'm in the center of an open forest glade. The sunset is no longer blood red but an orange-pink. Serene. Beautiful, even

Then I hear footsteps. I look towards the sound, blinking in and out of what must be concussed brain fog. A tall figure emerges from behind the trees.

"Kade?" I murmur as steps crunch nearer.

"Hey, are you okay?" A male voice. Not Kade's. Lighter. Sweeter. "Saw you take a tumble there. Need some help getting up?"

My eyes adjust as he steps out of the shadows. Taking in a heart-shaped face, with the palest gaze I've ever seen. Diamonds reflecting unnatural light as he bends, his hand extending to assist me.

"Yes," I say groggily. Letting cool, thin fingers surround mine, help me to my feet. "Thank you." I sway, blood rushing as I squeeze his palm for balance.

"You seem to have wandered off the trail...?" His head tilts, waiting for a name.

"Emily."

"Hello, Emily." A smooth smile lights his face, his clear eyes locking with mine."I'm Blake."

As soon as he says his name, a piercing pain jolts right in the center of my forehead. A needle of cold fire. Did I slam my skull on the ground at some point? I must be concussed. "Nice to meet you, Blake." I wince, one hand palming my head.

"Let's get you back to the main path." He gently lets my fingers go, beckons me to follow. "The sun is setting fast. Don't want to be all alone here in the dark now, do we?"

I follow after him, his steps sure-footed as we plunge through pathless greenery. "I was...trying to find my cat." I'm about to tell him about the horror that just took place but I'm not sure if it really happened or not now. Maybe I fell and hit my head too hard, had some kind of delusional nightmare. "I saw him go in here but couldn't find him."

"I'm sure he'll turn up." Blake looks back at me with a nod. "Do you live nearby, Emily?"

"Yeah, I'm just down the road."

"Excellent." The trees seem to part for him as he steps onto the path and gestures at me. "Here we are, back on the trail. Easy-peasy."

Am I still asleep? This all feels very strange. Smoky, tinged with a swirling fog. Like Alice going down the rabbit hole, Dorothy waking up in a technicolor dreamscape. Nothing has seemed real since the moment I stepped in this forest.

Blake guides me to the edge of the trees, the entrance that closed over looking perfectly normal now. No cobwebs, no branches blocking the way. Just a regular path leading back to the road.

Yes, I slipped and fell and hit my head. That must be it. I fell and had a nightmare.

We exit through the forest entrance back onto the matted grass. The dusky sunset comes into full view, almost completely slipping under the horizon. The stars glitter overhead. Despite the dimming light, I can see Blake much clearer now. I guessed he was good-looking before but now it's obvious. His hair is midnight black, matching his blazer and fitted jeans. Tall. His cheekbones, model-like. Rare looks, angelic in their refinement, tempting one to stare.

He seems to know that too.

"Well, thanks for helping me out, Blake." I reach to shake his hand, and I can't seem to tear my eyes away from his. In fact, they seem to be penetrating me, a laser that can see past flesh and blood, cutting right to my core.

It's not entirely pleasant. A part of me feels...invaded. Yet, I'm still looking, still shaking his hand, entranced. I've never been this pulled in this fast before.

A grin creeps at the side of Blake's mouth, revealing sharp teeth. His hold on my hand tightens, brings me slightly closer. "Hey, I know we just met, but, wanna go out for a coffee?" Those diamond eyes never blink."I hear La Luna Cafe has the best in town. Or rather, the only coffee in town."

I continue to stare, flattered by his clear interest in me. So different from Kade. Blake saw what he wanted, and now he's going to go after it. A straight shooter. It's admirable, really.

Not to mention, after being rejected twice in less than a week, my ego needs this. "Sure, why not?"

I'm answered with a harsh smile, a startling edge in that dreamboat face. "Let's go then, darling. Time's a-wastin'."

He leads me to a silver Lamborghini parked on the side of the road. As I settle into the cushy passenger's seat, the feeling that this is happening far too quickly enters my consciousness. Yet, for some reason I'm doing it anyway.

It's almost as if I can't say no to him.

*

Inside the cafe, it's surprisingly busy. Myra is running around, nearly hyperventilating. Slamming steaming dinner plates on tables. Rushing back behind the front counter to punch in orders and froth milk for coffees.

"Looks like Myra's understaffed," I mutter as I squeeze past customers. "This place is packed." Thankfully, I manage to find a tiny table in the corner.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Blake looks around the premises with distaste. "There's a bar down the street." He cuts me with a smile. "You seem like you could use a drink after your ordeal."

Coffee was a good offer. A drink doesn't seem as inviting, and frankly I'm tired of alcohol. "Here's fine." I take a seat at the table. Blake's smile falters.

I can't help but watch Myra with pity. She looks absolutely overwhelmed, sweating buckets from her ruddy pink skin as she sprint-walks between tasks. I excuse myself and get up to check on her.

I perk behind the counter, technically where customers are not supposed to be. "Hey, Myra. Are you okay?"

She furiously shakes her head at me before she turns back to a patron. "Two medium lattes, half-sweet, extra hot. Of course." She punches in the order on the cash register, then leans to whimper in my ear. "I'm barely hanging on by a thread. Dear God, someone kill me now."

"I can help if you'd like," I offer. "I had a short stint as a barista."

Relief drains Myra's face of tension, floods off her in a wave. "That would be so helpful. I'd only need you for an hour."

I glance at Blake, currently staring at us, his fingers drumming slowly on the table. "Let me just inform my...friend."

I return to stand in front of Blake's table, feeling cautious. "Um, this is kind of weird, but Myra needs my help. So...I'm going to have to call a rain check." Irritation flashes behind his eyes and I clasp my hands together in apology. "Sorry, I really appreciate you helping me though-"

"I can wait." That unblinking stare never wavers. "Not a problem."

My chest tightens."For an hour?"

He leans closer and I take a small step back. "There aren't any buses that run after nine. You don't want to walk home, do you?"

From this angle above him I realize his raven black hair is not natural, blonde roots peeking through. Just as I notice, that sharp pain returns. "Alright," I say wearily, massaging my forehead. "I'll see you in an hour."

Soon I'm making lattes and cappuccinos behind the bar as fast as I can. I wasn't a very good barista when I worked in Seattle, but decent enough to make people coffee at a slightly-above-slow pace. Enough to help Myra out.

The shift ends in the blink of an eye, that crowd leaving no room to breathe or think. When the last patron leaves, I'm sweating from every pore.

Myra pops opens the cash register. Licks her thumb and starts riffling through fifties like it's second nature. "How did you cut your face, hun?"

"My face?" I check out my reflection in the espresso machine and sure enough, there on my right cheekbone is a long, thin cut. Dark blood crusted over. Maybe my dream was more real than I thought. "Shit, I never noticed." And neither did Blake apparently. Odd how he never pointed it out. "I uh...was pruning my rose bushes. Got in too close, I guess." I have zero desire to share today's horror story with Myra.

"That's too bad, dear." Myra's already lost interest, quickly switching subjects as she counts twenties. Somehow able to talk and add simultaneously. "By the way, I don't know if you've noticed the "Help Wanted" sign out there..."

"I did," I say lightly, knowing exactly where this is heading.

"Do you think you'd mind picking up a few shifts here and there?" She riffles through a stack of tens. "Doesn't seem like you're doing much out here." She side-eyes me, her tone cloying. "Well, except for getting to know your neighbors, of course."

I'm tempted to turn her down with that unnecessary dig, but I've honestly been bored out of my skull for the past few weeks. A little bit of work couldn't hurt, even alongside a gossiping old tart like Myra. "I actually could probably use the stimulation."

"Thank god." Myra lets out a relieved huff. "I don't know if I'd survive the summer without some help. Wouldn't want to train anyone from scratch either." Then her smile fades as she glances over at my new forest-wandering friend. "Speaking of stimulation...you sure attract the lookers to you. Though I guess like attracts like." There's a hint of judgement in her voice when she adds, "I thought you and Mr. Black had something going."

"It's just a cup of coffee, Myra." I purse my lips. "And Kade's not my type." A lie that lands weak as soon as I say it.

Myra titters with an obnoxious laugh. "Oh, whatever you say, hun. I'll just admire your escapades from afar, I suppose." She juts her chin towards Blake. "He'll do just nicely too."

A queasy sensation churns in my gut. I do feel like I'm betraying Kade tonight. Which is dumb because Kade and I aren't an item. He's determined to make sure of that.

Counters are wiped and chairs are flipped upside down on tables. Myra clicks off the lights, locks the door behind Blake and I as we exit into the dark evening.

"Well, have fun you two." She flutters her fat fingers at us, blowing Blake a kiss. "You'll take care of darling Emily, wontcha' handsome?"

Whereas Kade probably would have been pissed off by that innuendo, Blake looks overly pleased. "Oh, I will, ma'am," he purrs. "Don't you worry."

Uneasiness rises, but it's immediately cut off by my mind hissing everything is fine. The next time I look at Blake, there's no resistance. Something hypnotizing about his eyes, pulling me under pale gray waves. No, he hasn't done anything wrong. In fact, he's been an total gentleman. Saving me from the nightmare forest, taking me out for coffee, patiently waiting to give me a ride. I sink into the passenger's seat, relaxed.

Blake plucks up his phone, scrolls his Spotify account to find a song to play. "Chopin or Satie?" He raises a brow at me.