Train Reflections
995 Words
Regan POV
I watched her leave through the thick glass of the car window, the sunlight catching in her hair just so, and my chest tightened in a way I hadn’t expected. She moved with grace, even now, vulnerable and shaken, yet carrying herself like she belonged to the world in a way that defied fragility. And yet… something about her unsettled me. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
I had tried, subtly, to sense her. To feel the threads of whatever power was hidden beneath that fragile exterior. But it was faint. Her wolf, if she had one, whispered like a candle flicker in the wind — tiny, hesitant, barely aware of its own strength. And yet, the pulse had been there. When I had been near her in the lounge, I swore I felt a resonance, subtle, almost imperceptible, like a single note in a chord too complex to grasp.
The wolf within me shifted, excited. Not elated in the careless way of a predator claiming its territory, but with that sharp, intense curiosity that only comes from recognition. She was not fully human. Not truly. The scent, the subtle rhythm of her heartbeat, the inexplicable presence of her wolf — it confirmed it. And yet… why so late? Why now?
She should have been aware. She had family, a home, a lineage that didn’t hint at rogue blood or hidden predatory leanings. And yet here she was, stumbling into the supernatural as if the world had suddenly revealed itself overnight. It made no sense. I couldn’t reconcile it.
My wolf bristled at the uncertainty, at the anomaly, craving answers I could not yet provide. It whispered to me, insistent and impatient: Investigate. Learn. Understand her.
I sighed, running my hand over my face. This would not be easy. Revealing the truth to her would change everything — for both of us. I could feel the weight of that decision pressing against me, subtle but insistent. And yet, I couldn’t let her wander through danger blind. She had seen too much already. She had been present at a fight she shouldn’t have, and though she hadn’t understood, her presence alone could complicate everything.
I made the call quietly, summoning a small team to investigate her background. Nothing intrusive, just careful observation. Family, history, financials, any indication of prior supernatural exposure. And her wolf… that, I would have to sense myself. Carefully. Quietly. Not yet revealed.
The thought of her wolf’s potential, combined with her human naivete, made my wolf restless. She could be magnificent, if nurtured. Powerful. But untamed. And most of all, she didn’t yet know her own strength. I would have to guide her, carefully. And for now… I would wait.
Wait and protect. Wait and observe. Wait until the moment was right.
Cadence POV
I dressed, pulled my coat tight around me against the chilly autumn air, and set off. But when I returned, the place was empty. Completely empty. No evidence, no disturbance, nothing to suggest that the chaos I had witnessed had even existed.
I blinked, looked again. My heart thudded in disbelief. Was I truly losing my mind?
Then I felt it — a subtle thrum in my chest. The wolf. My internal companion, a presence I could neither see nor fully explain, whispered reassurance. You saw it. You know.
The train to my grandmother’s felt longer than it should have. I kept glancing out the window, the small town streets stretching past in a blur of muted autumn colours. The leaves clung stubbornly to trees in shades of burnt orange and amber, and a chill crept in through the cracked window as if the world itself had been holding its breath.
I thought of my parents — their smiles frozen in photographs I kept tucked in my wallet, their warmth still echoing in the quiet corners of my room. How young I had been when the car crash took them, the world suddenly hollow and unfair? I remembered the smell of rain on asphalt, the flash of headlights, the helplessness of a child clinging to shadows. I had wanted to scream, to stop time, to undo it. But nothing could be undone.
I glanced at my wallet, thinking about my finances. Not great. I wasn’t well off, never had been, and after the crash, managing alone had been a lesson in survival more than independence. Grandma’s advice and support had always been my anchor, but even that had limits. I hoped she had answers, some guidance beyond cryptic warnings and soft admonitions.
And then there was Regan. I found myself thinking of him again, despite the strangeness of the night, despite the fight and the unexplained chaos. Something about him… I didn’t understand it fully. Yet even after only three meetings, three encounters that should have left me wary and cautious, I felt closer to him than anyone else I had ever known. It wasn’t just protection or instinct; it was a gravity I couldn’t explain.
I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. Focus on the scenery. Focus on Grandma. Focus on answers. Yet my fingers twitched unconsciously, as if I were still reaching for that calm, dark presence he carried, for the reassurance of someone who seemed unshakable even when the world was falling apart.
The wolf within me pulsed faintly — uneasy, questioning, hungry to sense her again, even from miles away. My pulse matched its rhythm, and I felt the weight of the day pressing down on my shoulders. She was out there, fragile and unknowing, and yet somehow tethered to a force she didn’t yet understand.
I exhaled slowly. I hoped my grandmother would have the answers. I hoped she could shed light on what the world had kept hidden from me, from Cadence, from everyone.
And yet, part of me knew that the true revelation — about her, about us, about everything — was coming. Soon.
- Writer
