Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Callista

I woke with a start, an oppressive weight on my chest. I kicked off the covers, gasping for air, drenched in sweat.

Why was I seeing that damn campground? I wasn't normally a dreamer, but every since the dagger touched my skin, my mind seemed to come alive at night. The campground was a family favorite, one I went to for years with my family and Evelyn's. There were only happy memories there. I found it hard to believe the dagger was searching for those in my psyche.

My legs shook as I swung them over the edge of my bed, every muscle weak and trembling. I made it to the washroom and splashed water on my face, but it didn't improve the palor of my skin. I looked like a ghost.

My arm throbbed, and there wasn't even a question of whether I was going to make it to breakfast with Evelyn and the others. I reached for my phone. My fingers fumbled as I punched out a quick text.

Not feeling well. Catch you next weekend

I set the phone on the counter, then wrapped my fingers around the edge of the sink and took a deep breath.

It was Friday. I had the weekend to get myself together and be ready for work Monday morning. I probably had time to take a little side quest…

I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my fists just as I did every day. No . I couldn't follow this pull. I couldn't give in to whatever dark magic the dagger had embedded in my skin.

But something was different today. It didn't work. My body wasn't listening. I felt like I was floating above my head as I pushed off the counter and padded into the kitchen. It was early, but if I was going to do this, I had to get on the road. Stop! I couldn't do this!

I opened the cupboard and pulled out a package of protein bars and a bag of trail mix I'd picked up for my last hike, then grabbed my electric kettle and a box of tea bags before heading to my closet.

My camping gear was stashed in the back. I pulled out my pack and started tossing in clothes. I didn't need much. I was only planning to stay a couple of nights. And probably die a gruesome death, at which point, nobody would care if my underwear was clean, amiright?

I couldn't even make myself chuckle. I grabbed a flashlight, my sleeping bag, and a small pillow, then zipped up my bag, my hands trembling.

I glanced around my apartment. What else did I need? I wasn't planning on hiking far, but I didn't know what to expect. A first-aid kit would be smart. I shoved that and my toothbrush plus deodorant into the top pocket of my pack, then slung it over my shoulder and made my way to the door.

A picture frame teetered on the edge of the console in the entry as I slid into my hiking boots. I caught it just before it fell, then turned it over and set it down on the table. I didn't want to see Blake and Celeste's smiling faces. Not now.

My bag was heavy as I shrugged it onto my back and fumbled with the zipper on my jacket. The days were getting warmer, but there was still a chill in the air in the mornings.

My heart leaped into my throat as someone knocked on the door. I glanced at my phone. There was no message from Blake or Celeste, and I wasn't expecting anyone.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, as the knock came again, and I forced myself to stand. I approached the door, my hands trembling as I reached for the handle. I opened it slowly, my eyes widening as I took in Evelyn. Standing on my doorstep. Hadn't I told her I wasn't available?

I let out a slow breath, then threw my pack next to the couch and opened the door. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be at the cafe." I tried to give Evelyn a quick hug, but she wrapped her arms around me and wouldn't let me go.

"Why do you have a jacket on if you're sick?" Evelyn pulled back and cupped my cheeks, her green eyes searching mine. Her auburn hair cascaded over one shoulder, and she wore a simple tunic and leggings

"I was…cold."

Evelyn looked down at the floor. "You needed your hiking boots?"

"Evelyn—"

"You were ditching breakfast to go hiking? With who?" Her nostrils flared as she dropped her hands.

"With myself, and I wasn't ditching breakfast, I just?—"

"Nobody gets up at the butt-crack of dawn on a Friday if they don't have to. What's going on, Calli?" Her eyes bored into mine.

I wasn't going to get away with a half-assed excuse this time. "There's something I need to do."

"Great. Why don't we do it together? We could do it on the way." Evelyn turned back to the driveway.

"On the way to wha…" That's when I noticed Rowan in the truck. He opened the driver's side door and stepped out onto the driveway.

"Hey, Callista." Rowan waved and started toward the stairs.

"You brought the alpha?" I hissed, and Evelyn raised a brow.

"Desperate times."

I scoffed. "This isn't desperate. Just because I'm not coming to breakfast?—"

"You haven't been to anything, Callista. I came this morning to make sure someone hadn't stolen your phone after murdering you and burying you in the basement!" Evelyn saw the expression on my face and pursed her lips. "Sorry. Way too soon for hyperbole."

It was too soon. Three weeks ago, I was convinced that would be my fate. My heart softened at the realization that Evelyn and Rowan were why I stood on my porch. My life was a dumpster fire, but at least I still had it.

She leaned against the doorframe with a smirk on her lips, tucking her auburn hair behind her ear. Rowan walked up the steps and stood behind her.

"We have a surprise for you." Evelyn's voice was chipper.

I swallowed hard, my mind still sluggish after my dream. I clenched my fists as I forced a smile. If I could play along, maybe they'd go away faster. "What kind of surprise?"

Rowan's smile widened, and he exchanged a glance with Evelyn. "We're going camping. Just for the night. We thought getting away and enjoying the fresh air would be fun."

My heart dropped to my knees. Was I still dreaming? I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat. I couldn't tell them about the dagger or the dark magic. I couldn't tell them I had other plans. They'd know I was lying.

"I... I don't know if that's a good idea," I stammered, my voice trembling. "I haven't been sleeping well."

Evelyn frowned. "Why not?"

I shrugged, taking a step back in the entryway. "Just bad dreams."

Evelyn nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. Those images…I can't get them out of my head either."

I gritted my teeth. Of course. Evelyn had been in the clearing with Nathan, too. Since she was functional, I should be functional. She'd gone through just as much as I had. "I don't have a good feeling about leaving the house."

Evelyn winced. "Callista, you can't hole up here forever."

I pulled my sleeve lower over my wrist. "It's not forever."

"It feels like it." She met my eyes, and I knew she wouldn't leave my porch with a little pushback like she had in the past.

"Where do you want to go?"

Evelyn grinned. "Site 406. At Cotton Creek. Where we used to camp as kids."

My stomach turned inside out. "Evelyn?—"

"You haven't been in forever, I asked Blake." She pushed out her lower lip. "It'll be fun, Calli. Like old times."

She was trying so hard. It was heartbreaking. But the image from my dream flared with disturbing detail. It was the same place. How was it possible that I'd seen the park in my dreams, and now they were standing here trying to convince me to go there?

Rowan put a protective arm around her waist. "Jasper and I will both be there."

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my chest. "I can't."

Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me. "Callista, you agreed to let us help you. And now you're refusing to listen to our advice. You have to trust us."

"I do trust you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "But this is?—"

"Lana will be here to pick you up at four. Be ready." Evelyn stared at me, unblinking, daring me to argue. She glanced down at my bag on the floor behind me. "Oddly, it seems like you might already be prepped for this."

I opened my mouth, but the words fizzled on my tongue. Evelyn stepped inside and hugged me again, then turned and walked away with Rowan, leaving me standing in the doorway with my heart racing and my mind spinning.

I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, my chest heaving with shallow breaths. I collapsed onto the floor, pressing my back against the cool wood. My body trembled, and my breaths came in short, ragged gasps.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my racing heart. How had I gotten here? How had I let myself become so isolated? I thought back to all the times I'd canceled plans, made excuses, retreated into my own world. I'd cried wolf too many times.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I couldn't blame Evelyn and Rowan for not understanding. They didn't know the terror that gripped me every night, the darkness that whispered in my ear.

They didn't know about the dream.

I shuddered, the memory of it flashing before my eyes. The forest. The shadows.

My breath hitched, and I forced myself to open my eyes. The sun streamed through the windows, casting dappled patterns on the floor. The house was silent, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the mantel. I glanced up. Ten thirty-two.

I pressed my hand to my arm, feeling the bandage beneath my shirt. The wound no longer ached as it had in my bedroom. It felt... satisfied. Like it knew it was getting what it wanted. I shivered, my skin prickling with unease.

I pushed myself to my feet, my legs shaky. I wasn't getting out of this. The only way I'd get far enough away to avoid Evelyn or Lana finding me was if I got in my truck, and that wasn't an option. Or…I could tell her.

Also not an option.

I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a cloth, wetting it under the faucet. I scrubbed. I loaded the dishwasher. I used a toothbrush on the sink.

Once I finished cleaning the kitchen, I moved on to the living room, dusting the shelves and vacuuming the rug. The house was spotless by the time I was done, but the knot of anxiety in my stomach hadn't loosened.

I grabbed my hiking backpack and double-checked that I had a change of clothes, a water bottle, some snacks, and toiletries. Only one night. I felt like I'd strapped in on a roller coaster, and the ride was about to start. Maybe there was a reason I was supposed to go there. Maybe the dream wasn't from the shadows…maybe it was from my wolf? Maybe she was trying to tell me something? Trying to help me heal?

I set the bag back by the door and pulled out my laptop. I had to find something to occupy my mind. I searched relics, occult dangers, dark magic, and daggers like I had a thousand times before, hoping for anything I could sink my teeth into.

The results were the same as they had been the last time I'd searched. Legends of cursed blades and stories of ancient rituals. I skimmed the pages, my frustration growing. I needed something concrete. Something that would help me understand what I was dealing with.

Instead, I found different versions of the stories we'd heard as kids about powerful packs and cursed alphas. I scrolled…and scrolled and scrolled, stopping briefly on one blog post called The Shadow Pack: Legends of British Columbia that at least had some gorgeous images of the coast . I clicked on the link, my eyes scanning the text.

The Shadow Pack was tasked with protecting the shifters that guarded the veil between the living world and the Shadow Realm, a place where souls lingered, and dark magic thrived. They were entrusted with the knowledge of ancient rituals that could either protect the world from the forces of darkness or unleash them upon ? —

I jumped, sending my laptop to the rug as a fist pounded on the door, and I glanced at the clock. Four. My blood ran cold.

"Just a second!" I hastily scribbled a note for Blake and Celeste, grabbed my gear, and opened the door.

Lana stood there, her expression unreadable."Ready?" She wore a fitted black leather jacket and pants.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my skin prickling. "I don't need a babysitter." Especially one that looked like Lara Croft.

Lana raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Good. Because I'm shit at changing diapers."