C2 First days and unforgettable nights

DOMINIC’S POV

"Rosie, pass the salt, please," I ask my sister.

"Okay, bro." She passes the salt to me, and I shake it all over my fries. "I don't know why they never salt the fries properly."

"It's just your fries, and it's because you complain no matter the quantity added. It will be better if you just start bringing your salt." My sister sass’s and the group join her to laugh at my expense.

"Nice one, guys. I don't like too much salt. They just don't add the right quantity." I defend myself.

"Sure," they all chime in unison before sharing a glance and bursting into laughter.

"Ha-ha, so funny. You guys crack me up." Realizing that I can't defend myself, I focus on my fries until I smell the most delicious scent. I look around until I spot two females coming into the diner. They go straight to the counter to order, and I stare at them. It seems like a mother-and-daughter duo since one seems relatively younger than the other.

Taking a look at the younger one, I stop breathing. She's so beautiful. With her back facing me, I can only see her short wavy hair with ginger highlights. I guess she can feel me staring because she turns, allowing me to catch a glimpse of her ocean-blue eyes. I breathe in her smell and find myself disappointed. She's human, which makes her off-limits. As werewolves and as the heir to the Haven pack, I can not be caught mingling with lowly humans. We only have them in the town and school to avoid suspicion from their nosy government.

"Seems like there are new people in town," Zayn remarks. I pivot towards him, only to notice that he, Rosie, and Liam are fixated on the new girl. The four of us reek of curiosity.

Seriously! We didn't know that captain obviously," I tell him sarcastically. He moves to pinch me, and I quickly dodge him while laughing. “It's one of the members of the Haven’s council work I’m sure,” I say before continuing. "Pretty sure it's another scholarship student, though. At least this one looks good enough to fuck, unlike the others."

"Ewwww, Dominic you're disgusting. If you want to be disgusting don't be in front of me, I'm your sister."

"Sorry," I say before laughing. Liam and Zayn join me to crack lewd jokes about the new girl.

I quickly forget about her as the conversation shifts to something else and I don't notice when she and her mum leave.

SERENA’S POV

It doesn't take time for us to get to our house. A small and quaint little cabin with two bedrooms and three bathrooms surrounded by a lush forest will be our home for the foreseeable future.

In no time, we unload the car of our belongings as their so little, and we have already moved our furniture prior. We immediately choose our rooms and start basic cleaning. In about two hours, we finish with that and immediately dive into our meal.

"Fudge, I'm starving," I tell my mum with a stuffed mouth.

"Stop talking with your mouth full, It's disgusting." She cautions with her face squeezed in disgust. This cracks me up, and I start laughing before we slip into a comfortable silence. We eat in relative silence before going to our bedrooms to organize. I remember that my curtains aren’t hung up and decide to put them up. As I’m doing that I spot a blurry movement and decide to investigate. Squinting my eyes at the thick forest surrounding my bedroom I begin to hear growling.

I ignore the sounds and the goosebumps on my skin from the growling and move closer, I see nothing and decide it's just my imagination, and if it's not, I read somewhere that Haven is a sanctuary to wolves and other animals in general.

Pulling my curtains closed, I go to my bed and dress it up. After doing that, I decided that any other cleaning would have to wait till the next day.

Jumping on my bed, I close my eyes and drift into a dream.

I'm walking to a pond where a beautiful woman with black hair waits for me. She looks up at me when I get to her feet, grabs my hand, and says

"Be formless. Shapeless. Like water. Now, you put water into a cup, and it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, and it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

"Who are you?” I ask

"I am you, you are me, you are us, we are one, we are water." She turns and walks into the pond.

"Hey! Stop! I'm confused." Instead of responding to my calls, she continues her way into the pond.

I wake up startled. "It's just my first night, and I'm already having strange dreams." Tiredness overwhelms me, and I'm starting to drift off again when I feel a cold breeze on my body. I look around trying to figure out where it's coming from and see my windows open with my curtains open and flying.

"I'm sure I closed the curtains earlier." I stand up to close the curtains when I begin to hear twigs snapping. My heart pounds faster as I peer outside the window to check. I hear the sounds coming closer but before I can move back my eyes lock with red eyes, time stands still as the body of the unknown hurls itself at me.

Fear grips me, holding me in place as I’m unable to move. Black smoke flows in through the windows and stains my floor, slowly rising and becoming a shapeless figure. My legs finally move and I fall while trying to run from what is now a four-legged creature with red eyes. A scream escapes my mouth when the creature advances towards me. I close my eyes and say one last prayer before the creature can finish me off. A few seconds pass and the sound of my bedroom door opening forces me to open my eyes.

“Serena my god, are you okay?” still shaking, I turn at the sound of Mum’s voice. I raise my trembling hand to point at the creature and realize it is no longer there.

“Th-there was something there.” I tell her hysterically still pointing at the window.” My body trembles at her question, the air cold. My mind races with thoughts of where the creature could have gone and I look around frantically to make sure it isn't hiding somewhere. Mum looks at the window in confusion before staring at me, her eyes softening.

As I was feeling overwhelmed, she spoke to me in a soothing tone, "Calm down and explain the situation clearly to me so that I can understand." With gentle care, she guided me to my bed and tenderly wrapped me in a warm blanket before embracing me with her comforting arms.

With a deep breath, I explain everything. “I had a bad dream so I woke up, I tried to sleep back when I noticed my curtains were open. I stood up to close them when I started to hear growling sounds and a shadow came in through my windows and formed the shape of a dog and it had red eyes.”

“Honey I am so sorry. Let me get you tea to calm your nerves.” I stand up to follow her but she pushes my back down. “Don’t worry, whatever that was has already left and I doubt it would be coming back." I anxiously wait for her return, looking around my room in case it comes back.

She swiftly returns with a steaming cup of tea. The warmth and soothing aroma of the tea envelop me as I take a sip. Before long, I find myself drifting off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, comforted by the embrace of my mother. The troubling events of the night fade away, becoming nothing more than a distant memory easily overshadowed by the sense of security and warmth I feel in that moment.