62. A wolf's meeting

Back within the boundaries of the wilderness, the home of Shane, Danika lay within the enclosure of the bed. Having never particularly been fond of mornings, the cover was pulled over her head, blocking out the sun. Ignoring the little voice in the back of her head that would urge her to get out of bed, Danika slipped further into the darkness. The land of dreams. A place that is neither life nor death, but simply a plane of unspoken thoughts and memories.

It was here she went.

Lying on her side in the center of the bed, calmed by the scent of the man, her eyelids fluttered rapidly. Even lost to the world her body was rigid as a pole, her heartbeat pounding frantically in her chest. All the obvious signs of the distress that she was currently feeling, but couldn't escape the inevitable. As the claws of darkness had latched themselves around her, dragging her deeper and refuge to leave her be.

Danika.

Danika my child.

It's time to awaken.

Snapping eyes open at the soft voice that whispered through her mind, dragging her from sleep. Only she no longer was in the bed she'd fallen asleep in hours before, nor within the security of the walls. Danika frantically glanced at her surroundings, to find she was out in the middle of the forest. Her heartbeat jackhammered inside of her, feeling like someone was trying to punch out her chest. Sweat profusely beaded on her brow, hands were sweaty and clammy, barely able to contain the shaking.

Oh gods, this can't be happening.

How had she gotten there?

Who brought her to this place?

Around and around she spun, her eyes frantically sent in all directions, trying to find a way out of this mess. Only to find she was still out in these woods, beyond the boundaries of the compound, in the darkest foliage of the trees. Where not even Shane could find her. The shaking becoming entirely visible, Danika dropped to her knees on the ground, sobbing in terror.

"Shane," she cried out.

Silence.

"SHANE!" she screamed.

Still no answer came from him, nor would there be. Danika hollered on the ground, belatedly remembering the reason how this could've happened. Because Shane had left the security of the compound, having business that'd taken him into town. Of course this would be the one time his people would take action, when he wasn't around to protect her. Hence the reason Danika was all alone in the forests, that he wasn't around to punish the perpetrators.

Danika beat her brain in the back of her head, in the hopes of finding out a way out of the shit storm. Knowing there was an allotted amount of time for her to figure out what to do, before they came. The wolves that prowled these woods. The monsters from all of her nightmares. If those creatures were allowed to find her there'd be no escape, she'd surely die at their hands.

Then it came.

From where she curled up on the ground, Danika scrambled back in fear, when she saw it come near her. A wolf. Only this wasn't just any wolf. It was an enormous beast that stood nearly to the middle of her chest, a good two hundred pounds. As big as a bear, she realized. Its fur was the purest white she'd ever seen, though when the light struck just right she'd worn it glowed.

And the eyes, they were yellow.

Propelled backward in fear at the sight of the animal, she violently shook at the image of her worst nightmares. "No," she cried out in fear. "You can't be real. Wolves like you don't exist."

"Danika," the voice came again.

She shook her head. "It isn't possible." For the first time she realized that the voice wasn't coming from the outside world, it whispered in her mind. It was this wolf speaking to her, putting its thoughts straight inside of her head, never needing to speak.

Petrified at how broken her mind had become in these last few days, faster than even last time. Danika knew better than most how fragile a mind could be, having witnessed it herself. From personal experience. Tears burned the corners of her eyes, then poured down her face, as her entire body shook in sobs. Gods, this can't be happening to her.

When the enormous beast took another step towards her, driven by her need she leaped to her feet. Without thinking of her next move Danika fled deeper into the woods, simply needing to get away from that beast. She needed to escape it. The reality of her mental state. The knowledge of how completely she was losing it. Her bare feet pounded against the hard-packed earth as she ran through the trees, desperate to escape. Several times she tripped and fell to her knees, scratching up her hands and legs, but still she ran.

Still the wolf followed her.

Its movement slow and sure.

As if it knew her thoughts.

Knew her every move.

The longer it followed her through the trees of the wilderness, the more terrified she became. Danika fought against the tears that continued to spill down her face, clouding her vision. Gods, leave me alone. Let me be. Only it didn't. It continued to stalk her through the woods, determined that she wouldn't find the escape she yearned for.

"You can't run from me," the wolf spoke. "I am you."

Danika had been running for what seemed like hours, when suddenly she lost all strength from her body. Collapsing on the ground where she stood, kneeling the damn of tears broke free and spilled down her face. "WHAT DO YOU WANT? LEAVE ME ALONE!"

A moment later the wolf emerged from the trees of the wilderness, stalking to where she knelt on the ground. Less than a foot from the sobbing girl on the ground she stopped, staring straight into her eyes. "I'm here to protect you."

Her head snapped back. "Protect me?"

The wolf almost grinned. "I have kept to the shadows, hidden myself from plain sight, to keep others from finding out the truth. Now that your life is in danger hiding isn't possible, as the darkness continues to close around you. It's time for the merge, for only together will you be strong enough."

"I don't understand," she sobbed.

"You will," the voice inside of her head promised. "In time, when the merge is complete, you will finally understand both who you are and what we mean to each other. Until then prepare yourself, darkness is coming."

Darkness is coming.

Darkness meant to destroy.

To devour and conquer.

Danika's mind spun with the words that continued to filter through her mind, but this time it was not the wolf speaking. Another had taken part of the scene between her and the wolf, forewarning her of what was to come. The dangers that loomed ahead in the future, that would apparently be coming for her. Why? What darkness could they be talking about? What darkness or evil could want to come for her? She was nothing, nobody.

Without another word spoken the wolf took another two steps towards her, bringing them nose to nose. As those two enormous paws came down on her palms, Danika was surprised by the lack of pain. Only for her eyes to widen when a light glowed off the wolf, the same one shining from her own. Then watched as the wolf moved closer, as their two bodies began to merge, as if melting into each other. Gasping in shock as she felt the convergence of their bodies, Danika's head flung back as she filled her. Then a moment later it was only her kneeling in that field, feeling the essence beneath her flesh.

Snapping upright as her conscious mind awoke, Danika struggled to regain her breathing and racing heart. As she glanced around her surroundings she saw that she was upright in Shane's bed, inside of his bedroom. A breath shuddering out of her she fell back against the pillowtop bed, the fear draining out of her. A dream. It was just a dream. Just her mind playing tricks on her.

Yet, as she lay there on the bed, Danika couldn't shake the unmistakable feeling that it wasn't just some dream. That it'd been so much more than an illusion. Almost able to feel something moving beneath her skin, in the shadowy part of her mind. Danika knew in that moment that she'd never be the same again, the presence of her dream wolf had changed her.

Only time would tell how much.