Chapter 33 The Dog
Aria's POV
I walked home from the bus stop with my head down, feeling the damp air stick to my skin as the rain continued to fall in a light drizzle. The streetlights on my block were mostly broken, so the sidewalk was covered in long shadows that made every trash can and parked car look like a person hiding in the dark. I was tired from the shift at the bakery and my legs ached, but I kept moving because I just wanted to get home and sit down with a hot bowl of soup.
As I reached the middle of the street, I heard a sound behind me that didn't belong to a person. It was a light, rhythmic tapping, like nails hitting the wet pavement, so I stopped and looked back over my shoulder to see what it was. A large gray dog was standing under one of the few working lights, but it didn't look like any stray I had ever seen before. Its fur was matted and thick, and its eyes had a strange, bright glow that made my stomach turn into knots.
"Go away, dog," I said, trying to make my voice sound firm, but the animal didn't bark or move an inch. It just stood there with its head tilted, watching me like it was waiting for me to do something interesting. My wolf was pacing around in my chest, feeling restless and angry, because I knew this wasn't just a lost pet and it definitely wasn't friendly.
I started to walk faster, and I could hear the dog moving right behind me at the same speed I was going. I didn't want to run because that would only make it chase me harder, so I gripped the strap of my bag and stared straight ahead at the light coming from my apartment building. When I finally reached my front door, my hands were shaking so much that I couldn't get my keys out of my pocket on the first try. I fumbled with the zipper of my bag and the keys fell out, hitting the concrete with a loud metallic ring that echoed in the quiet street.
"Please, not now," I whispered, dropping to my knees to find them in the dark while the dog stopped just a few feet away. It sat down on its haunches and watched me struggle, almost like it was laughing at how scared I was, and I finally grabbed the right key and shoved it into the lock. I jumped inside the lobby and slammed the door shut, locking it immediately and looking through the glass to see the dog still sitting there, staring at me with those cold eyes.
I didn't stay there to see what it would do next, so I ran up the stairs to the third floor and burst into my apartment. I locked all three bolts on the door and leaned against it, trying to get my breathing back to normal while my heart hammered against my ribs.
"Aria? Is that you, dear?" Nana called out from the living room, and I could hear the sound of her knitting needles clicking together.
"Yes, Nana, I'm home," I said, walking into the room and trying to act like nothing was wrong so she wouldn't worry. She was sitting on the sofa with a half-finished sweater in her lap, and she looked up at me with a small smile that made me feel even more guilty for being followed.
"You look a bit pale, Aria, and your clothes are wet from the rain," she said, squinting at me through her glasses.
"There is some potato soup on the stove if you are hungry, but you should change into something dry first so you don't catch a cold."
"I will, Nana, I just need a minute to breathe," I replied, walking into my bedroom and closing the door behind me. I didn't turn on the light because I didn't want anyone outside to know exactly which room I was in, so I crawled over to the window and peeked through the blinds. The dog was gone, but there was a black sedan parked across the street with its lights off, and I could see the glow of two cigarettes inside the car.
They were waiting for me, and the thought made me feel cold from the inside out because they knew exactly where I lived and they knew Nana was here too. I couldn't protect her by myself, and I knew that if Jess or those Iron Fang bikers came up the stairs, I wouldn't be able to stop them. I sat on the edge of my bed and pulled out the piece of paper that Grayson had given me, staring at the numbers he had written in his messy handwriting. I had told myself I wouldn't call him because I didn't want to be a burden or prove him right about me being a "headache," but I was out of options.
I picked up my phone and dialed the number, and it rang for a long time while I bit my lip and stared at the door. Just as I was about to hang up, a deep, rough voice answered the call and I could hear loud music and the sound of people talking in the background.
"Who is this?" Grayson asked, and he sounded like he was in the middle of something important.
"It's Aria," I said, and my voice sounded small and shaky even to my own ears. The noise on his end suddenly got quiet, like he had stepped into a hallway or a private room to talk to me.
"Aria? Why are you calling me at this time of night?" he asked, and I could hear a bit of concern in his tone that he was trying to hide.
"There was a dog following me, but it wasn't a normal dog, Grayson, I think it was a shifter," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady so I wouldn't sound like a child.
"And there is a car outside my house right now with two men inside who are just watching my window, and I don't know what to do because Nana is here and I'm scared they're going to come inside."
I heard him swear under his breath, and then there was the sound of a heavy chair being pushed across a floor and the jingle of keys.
"Are you away from the windows?" he asked, his voice turning sharp and commanding like he was giving orders to a soldier.
"Yes, I'm sitting on my bed in the dark," I told him.
"Good, keep it that way and do not open the door for anyone, even if they say they are the police or a neighbor," Grayson said, and I could hear the roar of a motorcycle engine starting up in the background.
"I am leaving the clubhouse right now, and I will be at your place in ten minutes, so just stay on the line or keep your phone in your hand until I get there."
"Okay, I'll stay right here," I said, feeling a huge wave of relief wash over me even though I was still shaking.
"I'm hanging up now so I can ride, but I am coming for you, Aria, so just hold on," he said, and then the line went dead.
I went back into the living room and sat on the floor right next to Nana’s feet, leaning my head against her knee while she continued to knit. She looked down at me and looked confused, but she didn't ask any questions and just started stroking my hair with her thin fingers.
"You're a good girl, Aria, and everything is going to be just fine," she whispered, and I sat there in the quiet apartment, listening for the sound of his bike and hoping that ten minutes would be fast enough.