Safe

TWO

    Fear. 

    It spread through the patrol quickly, like a bad smell creeping into the night air. It left a sour taste in Elise’s mouth. No one could figure out what was wrong though. Nothing was off, but everything seemed like it was. Everyone’s wolf was on edge, even Kyra, who was usually calm in times of crisis. Unlike Elise, Kyra felt at ease during some of the most uncomfortable moments. But not tonight. Tonight, even Kyra felt the energy washing over her, and she couldn’t help but feel antsy. 

    I don’t like this, Kyra whined at Elise.

    I know, me too. It’s too still out, too quiet, Elise responded. She let Kyra take control as they roamed the forest, grateful for the chance to stretch her legs.

    Their first shift had gone well enough. Elise and Sophie were early and had shifted into their wolves long before the other people working that patrol had arrived. Nothing had felt off and the shift couldn’t have gone smoother. But when the shift and people working changed, so had the energy. As soon as everyone started showing up, they all instinctively went into high alert. Elise noticed the shift in energy, not just in her fellow wolves but in the entire atmosphere. 

    Something was coming. Elise knew it. It was big. As soon as she had split everyone up into patrol groups and assigned them their sections, the problems began. One by one, each group mindlinked her to tell her how uncomfortable they felt. Like something was watching them, but there was no one there. Elise began to feel it too, like someone was waiting for her to have a lapse in judgement as she led the shift. But despite everyone’s paranoia, nothing happened. Elise quickly mindlinked her father, telling him the details of the shift. He took note of everything, and then after a quiet second he mindlinked her back. 

    It’s a good thing you took Rylan’s shift then, he’s not in the right mindset. I’ll send him down there to pick you up, her father said. Elise began to protest, but he quickly ignored her and ended the mindlink. She knew that she should be happy that her family was just taking care of her, but she felt like the mille walk from her apartment to the packhouse was more than manageable for her. 

    I wish they would put a little faith in me, Elise grumbled to herself. 

    They do, that’s why they’re making you Alpha in a week dummy, Kyra chuckled back. Elise had forgotten that Kyra had been listening in to her thoughts, and she sighed when she was promptly reminded that she’s never truly alone. She wished she had the space to mull all these feelings over without someone else interjecting their opinion, but then again it wasn’t just anyone else. It was Kyra, and this was just as much her fate as it was Elise’s, but that didn’t stop Elise from wishing for a second of true privacy.

    Elise finished the rest of her shift silently, waiting for something to pop out and try something, but nothing ever did. She quickly dismissed everyone and they left quickly, grateful that the patrol was over and that they could retreat into the safety of their own houses. Elise then began to walk over to where she knew Rylan would be parked, waiting for her to take her home. She expected him to spend the night at her place, it was well past midnight now and she knew he needed space from an intense evening with their father. Elise groaned as she realized that she wasn’t going to be getting the sleep that her body was demanding from her. Tired from a day full of constant stress, she picked up her pace as she finally saw Rylan’s car. It was too dark to tell, but she could almost see Rylan’s goofy grin directed at her as she walked in his direction. She got into the car and gave him a long, overdue hug before he could even say anything, grateful that he was there to pick her up after all. 

    “What was that for?” Rylan asked as he playfully shoved her away from him. Before she could respond, he dropped a hefty brown bag on her lap. She looked up at him questioningly and he flashed another big, goofy grin at her. 

    “I stopped by Fatty’s for you and picked up your favorite, just as a thank you”, he said laughingly. He had expected her to be hungry after picking up his shift, and he knew just the thing to make her feel better after a weird night. 

    “Thanks, but you forgot the vanilla sha-” Elise started to jest before he pulled a large cup out of the door’s cup holder.

    “No, I didn’t” He said smartly back as Elise’s eyes lit up. Rylan may be a goofball, she thought, but he knows me so well. She immediately began eating as Rylan pulled away from the packhouse, knowing Lila would be upset if she tried to bring a bacon cheese burger and shake into the house. She finished just as Rylan pulled up to her downtown apartment, a quick five minute drive from the packhouse. Satisfied, she licked her greasy fingers as Rylan parked in her spot. She didn’t have a car herself, so it was his routine whenever he came over to use it. She sighed in contentment and looked at her little brother, about to ask him if he wanted to come up. But Rylan was already unbuckling himself and getting out of the car, laughing at her for even wanting to ask.

    “You coming?” He just yelled through the car door. Elise quickly got herself situated and opened the car door, looking forward to showering and going to bed. As soon as she opened the front door though, everything changed. Just like earlier on patrol, everything was wrong. Tainted by a bad energy, Elise and Rylan walked through the house, turning on all the lights as they did. 

    “Mindlink Dad’, Elise said quickly, her eyes scanning through her entire house, looking for every possible detail that could be off. 

    “I already did, he’ll be here in five. What’s wrong?” He said. Rylan could feel the shift in energy, could sense the danger, but he too could not see what  was off.

    And then it hit her. 

    “Where is Lila?” she wondered out loud. Lila would always wait up for Elise to get home, a habit she picked up in grade school and continued when they moved in together. Quickly she ran to the kitchen and flung open the still on oven, where a perfectly baked (but slightly crispy) mushroom casserole sat, waiting for her like Lila said it would be. She then went to Lila’s room and gently knocked, hoping that her roommate had just been tired and gone to sleep early. But the door squeaked open as soon as Elise touched it, showing exactly what Elise feared. 

    Lila was gone.