It began the same way every night for three nights in a row.
Aria was standing in a thick, gray fog that looked like angry smoke swirling around her feet. Only shapes moving just out of reach were all she could see. Then came the voice, which was soft, scared, and so very familiar.
"Aria... help me..."
Elena's weak and desperate voice could be heard through the fog. As Aria ran toward the sound, her bare feet splashed through puddles she couldn't see. Her heart jumped.
Elena!" "Where are you?" Aria yelled while turning around and around. The fog grew thicker, making it hard to breathe.
"I'm trapped... she won't let me go..." Elena's voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Please, Aria... I remember now... I remember everything..."
Aria's chest felt tight with fear. She reached out with both hands, trying to grab onto something, anything. Her fingers touched nothing but cold air.
"Elena, keep talking! I'll find you!"
But the voice was disappearing, getting smaller and smaller. "Don't trust... don't trust her... she's coming for you..."
The air suddenly turned blood red. Dark laughter rang all around Aria, making her skin crawl. Then everything went black.
Aria's eyes flew open. She was back in her bed, but her heart was beating so fast it hurt. Sweat covered her face and neck. The sheets were wrapped around her legs like ropes.
She sat up, breathing hard.
The room was dark except for moonlight coming through her window. But something felt wrong. Very wrong.
Someone was watching her.
Aria froze. She didn't move a muscle, but her eyes searched every corner of her room. The feeling was so strong it made her stomach sick. It was like invisible eyes were staring right at her, watching her every move.
She turned her head slowly toward the window. Was that a shadow moving outside? Her breath caught in her throat.
"Who's there?" she whispered, but no one answered.
The watching feeling got stronger. Aria's wolf stirred inside her for the first time in years, growling low and angry. Something was definitely wrong.
She grabbed the lamp on her table and flicked it on. Light filled the room, pushing away the darkness. Everything looked normal her clothes on the chair, books on the desk, the door still closed. But the feeling didn't go away.
Aria wrapped her arms around herself and tried to think. This was the third night she'd had the dream about Elena. Each time, Elena sounded more scared, more desperate. And each time, Aria woke up feeling like something evil was hiding nearby.
What if the dreams weren't just dreams? What if Elena was really trying to tell her something?
A soft knock on her door made Aria jump so hard she almost fell off the bed.
"Aria? Are you okay?"
Caleb's voice came through the wood, gentle and worried. Aria's shoulders loosened a little. "Come in," she called softly.
Caleb opened the door and stepped inside. His dark hair was messy like he'd just woken up, and he was wearing a simple black t-shirt and pants. His green eyes looked concerned as they met hers.
"I heard you crying out in your sleep," he said, closing the door behind him. "Bad dream again?"
Aria nodded, not trusting her words. How could she explain that she thought her dead sister was asking for help? How could she tell him about the horrible feeling that someone was watching her right now?
Caleb walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. The mattress dipped under his weight. "Want to talk about it?"
"It was Elena again," Aria said quietly. "She sounded so scared, Caleb. She kept saying someone won't let her go, and that she remembers everything now."
Caleb's eyebrows drew together. "What do you think she meant?"
"I don't know." Aria hugged her knees to her chest. "But what if... what if she's not really dead? What if she's stuck somewhere and trying to reach me?"
For a moment, Caleb didn't say anything. Then he reached out and gently touched her hand. His skin was warm and comfortable.
"Even if that's true," he said slowly, "there's nothing you can do right now. It's three in the morning, and you need sleep."
"I can't sleep." Aria's voice cracked. "Every time I close my eyes, I feel like something's watching me. Like something bad is coming."
Caleb's grip on her hand tightened. His eyes became aware and sharp. "What kind of watching?"
"Like right now," Aria whispered. "Even with you here, I feel eyes on me. Cold eyes that want to hurt me."
Caleb stood up quickly and went to the window. He pushed the curtain aside and looked out at the dark trees beyond. His whole body was tense, ready to fight.
"I don't see anything," he said after a long moment. But his voice sounded worried.
"You believe me?" Aria asked, shocked.
Caleb turned back to her. "Your wolf has been quiet for ten years, but I can see her rising now. Wolves feel danger better than humans do. If you feel watched, then we're probably being watched."
A chill ran down Aria's spine. "By who?"
"I don't know yet." Caleb came back and sat beside her again. "But I'm not leaving you alone until we figure it out."
Aria felt a rush of thanks. Unlike Rowan, who barely looked at her anymore, Caleb actually listened to her. He made her feel safe and valued.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Caleb smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was still on guard, still protecting her. "Try to get some rest. I'll stay right here."
Aria lay back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin. But even with Caleb sitting close, the feeling of being watched didn't go away. If anything, it got stronger.
As she closed her eyes, Elena's words echoed in her memory: "Don't trust her... she's coming for you..."
Who was coming? And why did Aria have the terrible feeling that whoever it was had been watching her for a very long time?
Outside her window, a twig snapped in the forest. Both Aria and Caleb heard it. Their eyes met in the lamplight, and Aria saw her own fear mirrored in his green gaze.
Something was definitely out there. Something that had been waiting in the dark, planning and watching.
And now it was getting ready to make its move.