1 Chapter 1 I used to think I was normal.

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. Okay fall is my favorite time of year but my holiday is always Halloween. I'm a senior at Columbia with a writing degree and teaching masters. My life was perfect. Awesome mom that supported me through everything. A sweet boyfriend who is hopefully going to marry me one day. And friends that have been with me for most of my life. But my best friends of all are Raymond and Sue. They're kinda special. The campus is getting ready for the Halloween bash they have in town. You can smell the kettle corn being made and the crisp clean air with a hint of caramel and pumpkin spice. I couldn't wait to see what down town has this year.

"Ping!" Oohhh text message. I wonder who it's from? "Hey babe can't wait to see you at the bar so we can go to the bash in town square tonight." Claude was a sweetheart; I'm so glad I met him when I did. I never found :"the one." Per say. I'm 25 with a very, very, painfully single pringle love life. Before Claude I was literally the nerd chick that got paid to do others home work. Any way I head to my family's home the next block over. I'm home alone a lot cause well my mom she's a apothecary doctor and she travels everywhere. She's well known and most places call her the white witch doctor. My mother is Rowena Celestina Maddox. If you ever saw Supernatural. She looks like that Rowena except she has one blue eye and one green and my mom is 6"3 and she's not Scottish, she has a Georgian drawl of the south. Oh and she has a ton of tattoos from where shes traveled. My favorite is her wiccan star on her forehead. It's about the size of a quarter and it's her favorite color purple.

I get a chill like something exciting was going to happen. As I walk in our two story gothic steamboat style home I smiled wide; smells like mom made supper before she left. I hung my coat on the rack and walked past the living room into the dining room and through the hall to the kitchen I shall go. walking in to the huge kitchen and saw that mom made a feast and it's only me here. The corner of my eye I see her purple sticky note's on the fridge. walking to the fridge she wrote. " My Precious Reika Salem Maddox , now you listen and listen good. I don't know when I'm coming back but I prepared a big meal for you. I feel a strong presence near by and something exciting will happen; so with that being said. Behave your self or so help your soul I will nip it in the bud so fast your last semester will be done in this house! So my little power of the wolf, you have a safe evening and I love you forever more. Love mommy." I make my self a plate of food and look at the time. I'm running late! Scarfing down my food and quickly clean up and cover the food up till I come back later. I run for the door and grab my jacket as I lock the door and down the road to the bar were Claude is waiting for me.

Once I reach my destination; I couldn't help noticing that the town felt alive. More than the other years previously the town went all out but this year it seemed like it was going in hard this year. They even have a few people dressed up like the people from under world. It was great! I reached for the door and saw everyone bustle around laughing and having a great time. I looked around for Claude and saw him sitting in the middle booth with Raymond and Sue. They for one do not like him or my mother, Raymond says he's not the right one for his twinnie and that I should stay single. Sue says he's ugly and doesn't look right with me and that Claude is weeine hut jr. So this is why my love life is like nothing; My best friends are judgemental and don't let me explain about my mother.... long story short she wanted me in a nunnery till I turned 20. I walked over to the booth with a smile and got a kiss from Claude and daggers from my best friends. Sitting with Claude and my friends we ordered food and Halloween designed drinks. I had what's called a lycan shot, what's in it is cherry pinnacle, vanilla rum and a coke with a chaser of blue kinky and blue raspberry vodka. I can hold my drinks very well and order some heavy drinks. But tonight I don't, I feel like I should be sober. Claude ordered a green goblin. Green goblin is mint liquor with sprite and white patron. And Sue and Raymond ordered candy corn shots, literally it looked just like it, it was made with orange cream, Banana split cream liquor and coconut cream rum. We sat there and had a wonderful time and as the saying goes time fly's when you are having fun. It was eight o'clock and they were getting ready to light the bon fire in the square. Claude paid the tab as Raymond and the rest of us went out the door. Claude grabbed my hand playfully and spun me around. I giggled and felt ecstatic that tonight was actually going smooth, Raymond and Sue left us to go window shop for outfits for a wedding. Claude was very ornery and kept kissing my cheek. We were standing near the fountain in town square and saw the huge fire pit getting ready to be lit. Claude asked if he could stay the night and of course I said yes cause tonight was the night we would celebrate three years of being together. Once the fire was lit everyone gathered around the mayor as he was reading how the veil between here and the spiritual world are close at hand. That the spirits of our ancestors come and visit us till the time strikes three the ancestors leave and the spirits leave.

After seeing the fire burn and some sweet words and cuddles, Claude and I head to my house, half way there I forgot my phone. I walk back to where we were standing and ran in to a tall man in a trench coat. I was scared even more so when he looked at me with purple eyes like that of a pure aymthest. My heart hit to China. His eyes were scary yet so captivating that the man looked really handsome. Ba bump. I felt a chill go down my spine and goosebumps rise on my flesh. Stuttering excuse me to grab my phone from the edge of the fountain he moved out of my way and just stared hard at me. I mumbled a thank you and started speed walking away. I heard a big growl from behind me and I kept moving. As I crossed the road to get to my house I noticed that more people in trench coats were following me. I bolted for my front door and ran in to Claude and heard a wolf's howl. I froze for a second and shoved him in the house and locked the doors and saw shadows of wolves and people around the house I heard a window break in the back. I grabbed Claudes arm and ran up the steps I looked back and there was a big wolf the size of a great dane running for the stairs snarling. I screamed a high octave and head up to the attic to my room. Once I reached my room with Claude in tow, I throw my door closed and locked and saw shadows of wolves against my wall's and ceiling. I heard a huge horrifying howl that could make and blood run cold.

There was some one else in my room other than Claude and I. Claude kissed me on the cheek and whispered I'd protect you. Then it happened a huge wolf the size of a Clydesdale horse growled across my room bearing it's teeth at us I thought to myself. "Yup this is it. I'm going to die by a huge wolf cause you know my luck is never really that great so hey why not." I stared at the wolf and waited for my demise to begin.