chapter 12

It's been a few days since the fourth and nobody even noticed I was gone for a week from work. I wonder what they told my boss? Now either Daimen or Drew comes to pick me up from work, which I thought was unnecessary but they insisted, saying how both me and Rayne are being protected this way seeing how the Elders can strike at any minute and they have also upped our training so if I thought I was sore from my nightmare beatings then I wish to go back to that.

So, here I am. Sitting outside the cafe, waiting for them to pull up. "See, this is why I got a car in the first place. So that I wouldn't have to wait on anyone to come and get me." I sighed, I got up from the cafe steps and started walking. I pulled out my phone and turned on some music. So that I wouldn't have to think about how far the house is on foot. As I'm coming up on the turn to get to my usual route home I hear strange noise, It sounds a bit far away and if my memory serves me right, the farther something sounds, the closer it is. I turn the other way and my GPS reroutes me so that I wouldn't get lost. As I keep walking I happen to wander into a little suburban area, small and quaint. And it looked like one of those Halloween paintings, with a full moon in the background and houses lined on either side of the street. But what got me about the setting was there were no street lights and there wasn't a single sound to be heard.

I took out my earbud as the eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach grew, "Maybe this wasn't a good idea?" I said to myself, then I heard it, a blood-curdling howl that sounded cursed. I ran. I turned down a corner that lead straight to the woods and just as I was about to turn again I heard something scrape the concrete, "Fuck that" I whispered under my breath, I kept running and was now in the forest trees, I kept running and turning trees. I knew not to look back but just then I ran into something, hard. I anticipated the hard fall of the earth to hit my head and worse, whatever creature to come up and finish me off, but all I got was the smell of cinnamon and cypress.

As I opened my eyes I was met with sea blue eyes. I ran into someone, I turned back but I saw nothing there, only my footprints. "You okay cutie?" He asked, I turned back to look at him and he helped me stand. I was able to get a better look at him, he was wearing a plain shirt with jogger shorts and running shoes. Was he out here for a late-night run? I thought, "Yeah, just thought I heard something." I said as I straightened myself out, he gave me a once over. "You look like you need a drink, wanna go grab one?" He asked, I did need a drink but I needed to get home more. I pulled out my phone and there wasn't a single notification. So I sent Daimen a text telling him I walked home. "Anna," I said as I held out my hand, he took it and they were warm and calloused. "Mason, nice you meet you, Anna." We chuckled as we walked out of the forest. "Oh," I said as I immediately saw a bar across the street from the forest. "Yeah, I know." He said, "So you do this midnight stroll then drink often?" I asked him he turned to me and shook his head, "It's only a recent development. And do you usually run from sounds inside your head?" I playfully punched his arm, "No. My people were supposed to get me from work but they were taking too long so I started walking." He nodded and opened the door for me to walk in first. It was a nice looking place, calm, it had a pool table and a foosball table. Some dining tables and juice box too, rustic. I went to a small table seeing as usually bar counters are sticky. He followed and ordered two shots of Jack, "So, what was it you heard that made you run?" He asked, I shook my head, "That's the thing I couldn't describe it to you even if I tried. it was like a cursed howl of some kind."

"And you only heard it once?" He slowly began to look more and more serious with every question, "I heard it twice." I said as the waitress came with our shots, I quickly took mine and he followed suit. "Do you think you of been able to tell what kind of animal made that sound?" He asked. "No. And that's the scary part about the whole thing. You know you're sure taking this thing seriously, is there something I should know about it?" I asked, He was silent for a moment before he rubbed his face in exasperation. "Do you know the muffin man?" He said with a serious expression. I stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before he broke and began laughing. "Sorry, sorry. I had to break up this tension. Um, so, I believe you it's just. I don't know how much to tell you. seeing as how you're still trembling from the whole ordeal."

I didn't argue with him because I was. "What are you?" I suddenly asked him, I cautiously looked back up at him in wait for his answer, if, he answered. But I was met with this soft look on his face, "I'm like you. A hybrid." he said, "A hybrid?" I asked, and he nodded, "Yes, we are rare but we are not as uncommon as you would think. Hybrids happen when a high-ranking King mates with a woman out of his race. The Elders tend to look the other way in those instances but from what I can tell, your's wasn't a union they could overlook." I looked at him for a moment. "Why would you say that?" "Because you are mixed with a beast and magic. A wolf and a witch made you." He said, "And what made you?" I asked. "A wolf and a dragon." He said. Just then my phone buzzed. "Sorry," I said before I looked at my phone, It was Daimen.

Are you okay? Where are you, I'm coming to get you.

"Um, where exactly is this place?" I asked Mason, "Moonlight Falls. A place that never needs streetlamps for we have the moon to guide us. And were are currently in the Moonlight tavern." He said that like he was in an infomercial. I giggled at his silliness and sent that to Daimen. "Well, it was nice talking with you." I said as I got up from my seat, He got up too, "To make sure you get picked up this time." I nodded and we headed outside.

As we were waiting I began to play with the music on my phone again. "It was a Berserker." He said suddenly. I froze, I didn't know what to make of what he had just said, I couldn't even process it. "Why would it be here?" I asked under my breath, "Because of the Elders. If there is an individual they want home or found and that person is making it difficult or is fighting back. They send those. But sometimes they go after the wrong person." He said, "Also, Anna." He said, I turned to look at him, he had this serious look on his face. "Have you been practicing your given magic?" I shook my head, I didn't even know I had real magic like Amber's. He scruffed the back of his head and pulled out his phone and handed it to me. "I can help you with that, but if you also just want someone to talk to you can always call or text me." I took the phone and put in my number, I also sent myself a text. "So, is it true?" I started, and he looked at me a bit confused, "About what they say on how dragons like to protect their hoards of treasure of gold and trinkets." He took a moment before what I said was fully processed in his head. Then he became consumed in a fit of laughter. I followed him in his laughter, "Well, I'd say no but not every dragon is the same so, probably."

Just then Daimen called me. I waved Mason goodbye as I walked off to the car. "He seems nice." Rose said, "Oh now you want to bud in on the conversation," I could see her shrug, "What?"