Crescent • A Twilight Story

Lying with Wolves

I stirred from the nightmare, creatures of the night chasing me through the forest.

I rubbed my aching head, a pulsing ache surging behind my eyes.

"Don't sit up too quickly." Duke was there with an ice pack, placing it gently on my forehead.

I scooted up, back in my bed at the cottage.

"What," Everything slowly came back in a haze. My hand went to my neck, and I felt out of breath.

"It's alright." He sat on the edge of my bed, offering a cup of water. "What do you remember?"

"The girl from the beach," I looked around, half-expecting her to be lurking in the shadows. But there was only the crackle of a fire. "Those things," I held my stomach. "And you. Ward," I shook my head. "That's impossible."

I touched my neck again, completely smooth. And my arm, though still a little sore, seemed fine. Unbroken.

"I've lost it." His head quirked, and he cleared his throat.

"No, you're probably the sanest person here." He rubbed his mouth.

"Duke, she mentioned wolves. And then they were there. In the woods. Massive. Just like, like that night. What are they? Are they coming back?"

"Whoa. One thing at a time." He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Whatever questions you have only lead to more." His eyes dipped down, not quite meeting mine. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you. For right now, can that be enough?"

My mind was spiraling out of control. The fact alone that he wasn't denying I was crazy, made me feel even more crazy.

"Can you trust me, Rory?"

I leaned my head back, sucking in my chapped lips.

"My mom's third husband was an angry drunk. One night I had this feeling not to go home. And the next day, he was arrested for beating his neighbor to a bloody pulp." I closed my eyes. "My gut has been the one thing I can trust. And you know what it's telling me right now?"

I glanced up at him, eyes widening.

"It's enough." I tucked my hair behind my ear. "For tonight."

He touched my hand, and immediately I felt a painful warmth. Like his skin was a burning ember.

"Should probably try to get more sleep."

"Right," He started for the couch, turning off the electric fireplace. "Are you staying?"

"Is that okay?"

It was.

We both slept on and off in the night. When the sun came up, he rolled over and groaned, his phone buzzing.

"It's my grandma. She needs a ride." I sat up in bed, watching as he slipped his shirt and boots back on.

"When will you be back?" My voice cracked, as I drew my knees up to my chest. He sat on the edge of the bed, his face inches from mine.

"An hour. Maybe two." My chest heaved, as I struggled to catch a breath. "Hey. It's okay." He reached his hand behind my head, the warmth from it soothing a pounding ache I didn't know I had. "I'm coming back. And when I do, I promise to tell you everything." He kissed the top of my head and I leaned into it, before he left. And in his absence, it felt so cold. And the familiar loneliness greeted me.

I grabbed my clothes, heading into the bathroom. With the shower heating up, I examined my neck in the mirror. A crescent shaped scar had formed along my skin.