Bite Me Softly

Chapter 3: Ancient Dreams

I didn’t sleep much that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw gold. Not sunlight or jewelry or something poetic like autumn leaves. Eyes. Kade’s eyes.

Logically, I knew it was a trick of the light. But underneath my gut said that glow wasn’t natural. It wasn’t human. And yet, the way he looked at me—steady, unwavering, almost calm—it didn’t feel threatening.

It felt like protection.

Which made absolutely no sense.

I didn’t know him. He didn’t know me. He sat near me a few times at school, big whoop. And yet he’d shown up out of nowhere, stepping in like some kind of silent savior.

Was that just who he was? Or had he been following me?

Either possibility was deeply unsettling—and, if I was honest with myself, a little thrilling.

As hard as I tried to shrink myself into invisibility, Kade had somehow seen me. If I was a normal girl, maybe this would be fun. The bad boy and the shy girl? All that was missing was the motorcycle. But I was not a normal girl, and Kade was obviously no normal boy. And as thankful as I was for his help, I knew that the best thing for both of us was for him to stay far away from me.

The next morning at school, I expected whispers.

Rumors. Accusations. Maybe someone mocking Cody for running like a terrified rabbit.

But no one said a word.

If they noticed the bruise on my wrist, they didn’t mention it. If Cody told anyone what happened, he was keeping it quiet.

Which meant Kade’s silent threat had worked.

And that was... disturbing.

And also weirdly comforting.

I knew we needed to stay away from each other. All that could come from this was trouble. But I couldn’t lie to myself: when Kade had appeared, a part of me had breathed easier. Like the part of my brain that constantly scanned for exits and threats had suddenly taken a break.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Earth to Aria,” a voice said, snapping me back to reality.

I blinked and looked up. A girl with short black curls and a half-lidded stare had taken the seat beside me in History. Naomi. She was the knows-no-stranger type, and had sat next to me every now and then since I’d transferred.

“You’ve been staring at your textbook for ten straight minutes and haven’t turned a page. Either you’re in love with the table of contents or you’re mentally somewhere way more interesting than here.”

“I—uh—sorry. Just tired.”

“Sure,” she said with a smirk. “ Because you’re totally not the one Kade Thornhill keeps hovering around.”

My stomach flipped.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Naomi snorted. “Please. You’d have to be blind not to notice it. Everyone has. He’s never done that before.”

“Done what?”

She raised a brow. “Look at someone like they’re more than a bug on the ground.”

Great. Because the one thing I was in desperate need of was unwanted attention.

After school, I tried to escape quickly, cutting through the back courtyard. The autumn wind rustled leaves around my feet, and the late afternoon sun painted everything gold and red. I liked this corner of the school. It was quiet. Forgotten.

Which, of course, made it the perfect place for him to be standing.

Kade.

Leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting.

My footsteps faltered.

“Hey,” he said softly.

It was the second time I’d heard his voice. The first had been after Cody. This time, it was calm. Almost hesitant.

“Hey,” I replied, my own voice awkward and too soft.

And just like the times before, we stood in silence for way too long, looking everywhere but at each other.

Finally, I asked, “Why were you there yesterday?”

His eyes flicked to mine. “Because I knew he was going to corner you.”

“How?”

His jaw tensed. “Because I pay attention.”

I swallowed. “Do you... always follow people home?”

He didn’t answer right away. “No. Just you.”

My stomach dropped.

“That’s not creepy at all,” I muttered under my breath.

To my surprise, he smiled—just barely. “Probably is.”

That tiny smirk faded as quickly as it had appeared. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.”

“Why?”

Kade looked away. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“You show up in back alleys and scare off creeps like some kind of vigilante. Forgive me for wanting a few answers.” The inside thoughts became outside words before I’d realized I was speaking. Bold was not my thing, and part of me cringed internally at the f**k up.

His shoulders rose and fell with a slow breath. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.”

“I didn’t say I was and that’s not an answer.”

“Well it’s all you’re getting right now.”

I forced myself to hold my tongue and walked away, because three strikes you’re out and I definitely did not want to get on Growly Boy’s bad side.

That night, the dreams came.

Not nightmares. Not memories.

Something stranger.

I was standing at the edge of the woods behind the school. Fog swirled between the trees, thick and silver. The air hummed with something wild. Ancient.

And then I heard it.

A howl.

Not like a dog. Something deeper. Something that vibrated in my ribs.

And then a figure emerged from the mist—tall, powerful, golden eyes glowing.

I knew who it was before he even stepped into the light.

Kade.

Except he wasn’t quite human.

That night, the dreams came.

Not nightmares. Not memories.

Something stranger.

I was standing at the edge of the woods behind the school. Fog swirled between the trees, thick and silver, clinging to the ground like a living thing. The trees stretched endlessly upward, their skeletal branches clawing the sky. The air shimmered with tension, humming with something wild. Something ancient.

There was no moon, but the forest glowed faintly—lit from within by a light that didn’t belong to anything I could explain.

Then I heard it.

A howl.

Not a dog. Not even a wolf, really. Something deeper. Primal. A sound that reached inside me and stirred something I didn’t know I had. It vibrated through my ribs, settled into my bones.

And then, through the swirling fog, a figure emerged.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Barefoot on the moss-covered forest floor. His skin shimmered slightly in the eerie light. His eyes glowed gold.

I knew who it was before I even saw his face.

Kade.

Except... he wasn’t quite Kade. Not the one I knew. This version of him radiated something untamed, something barely held together. He didn’t speak, but I felt him in my chest—like gravity, like fire.

He moved closer. The air between us crackled. Every step he took made the trees tremble. The fog parted for him.

He raised a hand, reaching toward me.

I didn’t run.

I couldn’t.

His fingertips were inches from mine when the sound came again—a second howl, sharp and furious. This one didn’t vibrate. It pierced.

Kade turned sharply, eyes flaring brighter.

Behind him, the forest bent inward, like something massive was about to break through.

And then I woke up—heart racing, breath caught, sweat clinging to my back.

I stared at the ceiling for a long time.

I didn’t know why I was suddenly having dreams of Kade but I was starting to believe that I wasn’t going to be able to avoid him-; awake or not.

The next day was worse.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the dream. Or the way Naomi said he looked at me. Or the fact that he’d told me he was watching me and it hadn’t completely creeped me out.

I was losing it. That had to be the answer. Sleep-deprived, emotionally fried, slightly traumatized from Cody. That’s all.

I went to class. Did my best to steer clear of Kade. Refused to look at him during lunch even though I could feel him watching me.

And then came gym.

I hated gym.

Changing in front of strangers? No thanks.

Running laps like I was in boot camp? Pass.

A history of physical abuse that included extreme exercise as punishment will do that for ya.

But I made it through warmups and was halfway around the track when I spotted movement near the tree line.

Something—or someone—was watching.

I slowed.

It wasn’t Kade. It wasn’t a teacher.

It was something else.

Tall. Still. Eyes glowing faintly from the shadows.

I blinked, and it was gone.

Cool. Nothing to see here. Just a normal town with a normal amount of glowy-eyed growling boys and creepy woods creepers. Totally fine.

That evening, I stopped by the old church on Main Street. My aunt volunteered there sometimes, and I’d told her I’d drop off canned goods. I ended up getting roped into helping with some extra projects. Not that I minded much, but I did end up out later than I wanted to be.

As I stepped out of the building, dusk had settled. The sky was cotton-candy pink, and the air held a bite of cold. My shoes crunched against the gravel as I crossed the parking lot.

Then I heard it.

Hushed voices.

I paused.

Two people stood near the side of the church, speaking in low tones. One of them I recognized instantly.

Ryker Thornhill.

Kade’s older brother.

The other was someone I didn’t know—tall, lean, with a jagged scar along his jawline.

They were arguing.

“—not your call, Ryker. She doesn’t belong here.”

“She’s already involved.”

“It’s too early. Kade’s being reckless.”

“He’s not the only one watching her.”

My heart pounded.

I backed away slowly, then turned and walked fast, trying not to look like I was running.

But I didn’t stop until I got home.

What the hell. Did someone put a Thornhill magnet in my cheerios or what? What did this family want with a nobody like me and why wouldn’t they just leave me the hell alone?

Later that night, I lay in bed with the window cracked open. The wind stirred the curtains, carrying the scent of pine and distant smoke.

Somewhere far off, a howl echoed through the trees.

It didn’t sound like coyotes.

And this time, I didn’t pretend it was.