More than Secrets

Recurring Dreams

DANI'S P. O. V.

I wake up with a start. The sound of thunder crashing overhead jolts me from my sleep and dream.

Not that I'm complaining or anything. I've been having the same dream for a couple of days now and the eerie quality of it all is really starting to get to me.

It always starts the same:

I'm walking in the woods. It's dark, but somehow I'm able to see clearly. I look up and there's a full moon illuminating the worn footpath ahead. I don't know why, but there's this sense of urgency, compelling me to walk further into the trees. I'm frightened, but I can't stop myself from taking another step forward... then another... then - snap - a branch cracks and breaks under something. A foot of a person? Or is it an animal? My heart is racing. Why do I already know that whatever is out there is not human? I'm shaking visibly and my hands are clammy from sweat. Why can't I get my legs to move? My head is screaming at me to run... But I stand still, keeping my eyes focused in the direction of the noise... And then I see it: a huge black wolf with shining, emerald green eyes, staring straight at me. I know I should be scared, but I'm not. All of a sudden, I feel safe... Mate?

The rain is pouring down in buckets outside. I sigh and turn my head to look at the time on the digital clock on my nightstand. It's just turned four in the morning, but I know there's no point in trying to fall asleep again.

My body and mind are wide awake now.

Mate. What is that? And why did I feel so drawn to the wolf in my dream as if I'd known him my whole life?

I push my heavy comforter to the side and will myself to leave the warmth of my soft bed. My body immediately tenses up at the sudden chill of cold air and the goosebumps that raise along my arms and legs are almost painful.

I tiptoe across the cool floorboards to my bathroom, and flip the light switch on.

The hum of the fan manages to drown out the sound of the thunder and pouring rain.

I stand examining my reflection in the mirror while I wait for the steam from the shower to warm up the bathroom.

I gently pull my fingers through my long, chocolate-brown curls. They bounce in tight little ringlets around my face and tickle the bare skin at my waist.

I'm the only one in my family with such dark, thick and curly hair. Both my parents have straight blonde hair. Though my dad's is lighter and more silvery in color (and not just because of the few grey hairs that grow at his temples) than my mom's, whose hair resembles a golden waterfall, cascading in soft waves down to the middle of her back.

I would be lying if said I wasn't a little jealous of my older brother, Ryan, and my younger twin sisters, Eleanor (El) and Jane, whom were lucky enough to have inherited our parents blonde locks.

Maybe I could have just let it go if I'd at least been blessed with our parents striking blue eyes like my siblings have, but no, I have hazel eyes instead.

Of course, I've never voiced my complaints to my parents, but I'm pretty sure that they know how I feel.

I'm the odd ball out.

My dad would always try to get me to giggle and cheer me up by whispering in my ear that I was the "prettiest of them all", but that it was "our little secret", and it used to work when I was a kid... but I'm seventeen now and I'm about to start my senior year in high school feeling more like an outsider in my own family than ever before.

...

"Morning, my dearest Dani. How'd you sleep?" my mom's sweet, sing-song voice greets me as I enter the kitchen.

I smile and wrap my right arm around her slender waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. She puts her coffee mug down on the counter and wraps both her arms around my shoulders, hugging me back tightly.

"I slept fine thanks, mom." I reply, avoiding her worried gaze.

She gently places her hand under my chin so she can inspect me more closely. "You sure about that? These dark circles under your eyes would suggest otherwise." she says, gently touching the skin just below my left eye.

"Yeah, the thunder woke me up pretty early this morning and then I couldn't fall back to sleep. " I say with a sheepish smile.

I'm about to turn around to grab a mug from the cupboard when she stops me.

"Here," she says, handing me her mug instead, "have mine. You need it more than I do today."

I smile and mouth a "thanks" before sipping on the rich taste, sighing gratefully at the feeling of caffeine flowing through my body.

I'm instantly hit with a burst of energy and do a little happy dance to the table.

My mom just shakes her head and laughs at my antics before filling another mug with coffee.

The sound of thudding down the stairs has both my mom and I whipping our heads in the direction of the kitchen doorway to see who's being so loud.

El, the oldest of the twins, comes huffing into the kitchen without so much as a nod of acknowledgement at us, and goes straight to the coffee pot.

I raise an eyebrow at her. I know El isn't much of a morning person, but for her to completely ignore even our mom's presence means that there's more to her sour demeanor than plain old "grumpiness".

Not wanting to be nosy, I sit down at the table and begin to fill my bowl with cereal and milk.

El sits down opposite me and reaches for a bagel.

I watch as she begins to absentmindedly pick it to pieces.

"Everything alright, dear?" our mom asks her, a look of concern flashing in her beautiful blue eyes.

El mumbles a "yeah" in reply, but slumps her shoulders in defeat a moment later. She heaves out a loud, frustrated sigh before shoving the bagel pieces across the table with more force than necessary.

"So, El, will you be trying out for the cheerleading squad again?" I ask her, trying to ease the tension a bit.

I don't really care much about cheerleading, but one of my best friends, Riley (Lee) Archer is a cheerleader and will be co-captain of the squad this year now that she's a senior.

El throws her head back and starts to sob uncontrollably, yet still manages to look beautiful with her golden hair piled up in a "messy" bun on her head and her makeup looking as flawless as ever.

I don't think I've ever seen someone cry as hard as El is right now, and still look so damn pretty.

I certainly don't look anything like that when I cry.

"Liam broke up with me... in a text!" she cries out as fat tears stream down her face.

Liam Grey broke up with her? My sister? Easily, the most gorgeous girl in our school? Well, so is Jane because they're identical twins, but Jane prefers to keep to herself and focus on her schoolwork, not boys.

I honestly thought that Liam and El would end up being 'that' couple. You know? The couple who dates all the way through high school and even go to the same college before, inevitably, getting married and having beautiful, golden-haired babies? But I guess not.

Oh, who am I kidding? I haven't even been on a date... ever. Let alone kissed a boy. Well, that's if you don't count Tyler Black's gentle peck on my lips during a game of spin the bottle in Masie Thompson's basement back in middle school as a "kiss".

That was the closest action I've had from a boy my whole life.

I've actually known Liam longer than El has (since he's my age). We've been friends since the first day of high school, not super close friends like I am with my best friends, Lee and Brienna (Brie) Miller, but close enough that I know he's a good person.

That's why I never gave El any grief about the age difference back when they first started dating.

Now, as I see her heartbroken face, I'm angry at myself. I should have agreed with our brother, when he warned El that "older boys only want one thing".

Is that what this is about? Did El give herself to Liam and then he dumped her? Use her for... what? A juicy locker room story about getting into the pants of the hottest girl in school?

I want to hurt Liam so badly for hurting my sister. I'm filled with rage I didn't even know I was capable of and I clench my hands into fists.

I don't even realize that my spoon is now taco-shaped until I hear Jane come into the kitchen and watch her eyebrows furrow at the mangled spoon in my hand. Oops.