2. Dylan

The last bell had chimed, signaling the end of another day at the kindergarten.

I watched the children leave, their laughter lingering in the air. With a sigh, I locked up the school, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallways.

Living in a quiet, small town like Greenfield had its upsides, but sometimes, it could feel pretty lonely.

I had only moved here a month ago, trying to escape the mess of a three-year-long relationship with my ex-boyfriend, Sam.

Before this, I”d always lived in the city. I figured a change of scenery and some peace and quiet would be good for me.

But I didn”t see the loneliness coming.

Back in the city, there were plenty of shifters and other supernatural types around, but here in Greenfield, they were pretty scarce.

I could count maybe a dozen, tops. And as far as I knew, I was one of three omega shifters in town.

The local shifters kept to themselves mostly, which made me feel like a bit of an outsider.

I got along okay with the other teachers at the kindergarten, but we weren”t exactly best buds.

Putting aside my lack of social life and any hope of dating, what I was really looking forward to tonight was some good old downtime in my apartment.

As I walked along the streets, the soft glow of the streetlights guiding my way, I couldn”t help but feel a little better.

It was a short walk from the school to my apartment.

A strange feeling pricked at me, like something wasn”t right. My shifter instincts kicked in, telling me to stay alert.

It was weird because I”d never felt unsafe since moving to Greenfield.

The town had been peaceful, and I hadn”t felt threatened until now. But as the evening set in, a new kind of fear crept up on me.

My heart raced, and I couldn”t help but keep glancing around, trying to figure out what was causing this unease.

Every little noise made me jumpy—the rustling of leaves, a distant creak.

It was like there was someone or something watching me. The whole vibe had changed.

My steps echoed weirdly in the silence, making me even more nervous. It was like I was being followed, and I couldn”t shake the feeling.

I debated heading back to the school, but part of me wanted to figure out what was going on, even though fear had its grip on me.

Keep going, I told myself.

I glanced over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of movement in the shadows. My pace quickened, my heart pounding as I turned a corner.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when I heard low, menacing growls behind me.

Fear clenched my gut, and I forced myself to keep moving, the growls growing louder and more persistent.

My apartment building finally came into view. I practically leapt up the steps, fumbling for my keys with trembling hands.

Just as I stepped into the building”s dimly lit lobby, relief washing over me, a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

But my heart sank when a black van pulled over at the curb, its engine humming ominously.

My gut told me to get to my apartment and lock up tight. I sprinted up the stairs, taking two at a time, my heart hammering in my chest.

Panic surged as I fumbled with the key, finally getting the door open and slamming it shut behind me.

Leaning against the door, I tried to catch my breath, my mind racing. Who was after me? Why?

The questions bounced around, each answer more confusing than the last.

Moonlight caught my eye, and I saw the van”s dark shape outside, waiting like a predator.

My fingers shook as I grabbed my phone, but then it hit me. Who could I even call for help?

Amber, my sister, was the only family I had left, but we weren”t close.

Friends were non-existent in Greenfield, and the other teachers at the kindergarten were more like colleagues.

I felt trapped, staring at the screen.

I could call the local sheriff’s office, but what I was going to tell them? That I suspected someone was stalking me?

I had no evidence. For all I knew, my paranoia had kicked in. Maybe the van wasn’t here for me.

Calling the local sheriff”s office seemed like a logical step, but doubt gnawed at me. What exactly was I going to say?

That I had a hunch someone might be following me? It sounded crazy, even to my own ears.

There was no concrete proof, just a gut feeling, and I could already imagine the skeptical look on the officer”s face.

I paced around my apartment, phone in hand, wrestling with the decision. It felt like a leap into the unknown.

What if I was just being paranoid? What if the van”s presence was purely coincidental? I had no real evidence to back up my suspicions.

I found myself peering out the window again, my eyes locked on the van”s silhouette.

Anxiety gnawed at me, twisting my insides into knots. Maybe it was just a vehicle passing through, an innocent occurrence.

Maybe I was blowing things out of proportion, letting fear get the best of me.

Torn between calling for help and dismissing my fears as baseless, I weighed my options.

A part of me wanted to play it safe, to report the situation to the authorities and let them decide. But another part of me hesitated, unsure if I was overreacting.

I took a deep breath, my fingers tightening around the phone. It was a tough call, but I realized that my safety came first.

Even if I sounded crazy, it was better to be safe than sorry. With a nod, I dialed the number, my heart racing as the call connected.

”Greenfield Sheriff”s Office, Deputy Lawson speaking. How can I assist you?” a calm voice answered on the other end of the line.

”Hey, Deputy Lawson. This is Dylan,” I began, my voice a mixture of uncertainty and tension.

”Dylan? What can I do for you?” he replied, sounding attentive.

I cleared my throat, trying to put my thoughts into words.

”I know this might sound a bit odd, but I think someone might be following me.”

There was a brief pause before he responded.

”Following you? Can you give me some more details?”

I glanced out the window, seeing the van still parked outside.

”Yeah, there”s this black van parked outside my apartment. It”s been there for a while now, and it”s giving me a bad feeling.”

”Understood,” Deputy Lawson said calmly. ”Do you recognize the van or anyone in it?”

”No, I don”t. It just feels strange, you know? Like it”s watching me,” I explained.

”Alright, Dylan. I”ll send someone over to check it out,” he assured me. ”In the meantime, are you in a safe place?”

I glanced around my apartment, feeling a bit more secure within its walls.

”Yeah, I”m inside. Thanks,” I said.

”Stay on the line with me, Dylan,” he instructed. ”I”ll dispatch an officer to your location. Can you describe the van?”

I provided the details I could remember about the van”s make and model, and we continued talking as I kept an eye on the vehicle outside.

Deputy Lawson”s reassuring presence on the phone helped calm my nerves somewhat, but the unease still lingered.

”Alright, Dylan. An officer is on the way to your location. Just stay inside and keep your phone nearby. If anything changes or if you see any suspicious activity, let me know immediately,” Deputy Lawson advised.

”Thank you, Deputy. I appreciate your help,” I said with genuine gratitude.

”No problem, Dylan. We”re here to ensure your safety. We”ll get to the bottom of this,” he assured me.

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Every little noise seemed amplified in the quiet of the night, keeping me on edge.

I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, but my mind was racing.

The last movie I”d watched, a kidnapping thriller, hadn”t been a great choice before bed.

The tension from the film had followed me into the dark.

I pulled the covers up and closed my eyes, but the images of the movie wouldn”t leave my thoughts.

Shadows seemed to morph into threats, and every sound made my heart skip a beat.

I let out a frustrated sigh, knowing it was just a movie. Still, the scenes played over and over in my mind.

I turned onto my side, staring at the faint light of the alarm clock, hoping time would pass faster.

I realized that sleep wouldn”t come easy tonight. The room felt suffocating, and even the rustle of sheets sent my nerves into overdrive.

I closed my eyes, trying to relax, but the movie”s scenarios kept looping in my head.

I shifted again, growing more tired and frustrated. Sleep seemed impossible, and I knew the movie had stirred up my imagination.

With a sigh, I turned over and closed my eyes, determined to push past the unease and find some rest, despite the movie”s lingering effect.

The night had been tough.I couldn’t sleep as every sound seemed magnified. It wasn”t until dawn broke that I finally caught a bit of rest.

Outside my apartment building the next morning, Officer Mitchell arrived, looking like he”d rather be somewhere else.

”Morning,” I greeted, unsure how to approach his gruff demeanor.

”Morning. You”re the one who freaked out about a parked van?” he said bluntly.

”Yeah, that”s me. Sorry about that,” I admitted.

He just nodded. ”Checked it out. No problems. Just a van.”

”Thanks,” I said, appreciative despite his manner.

He walked away without another word, and I headed to the kindergarten. The town was waking up, and the morning sun cast a warm light over everything.

Taking a shortcut through an alley, I hoped for a more normal day.

But when I turned the corner, my stomach dropped. The same black van was back, parked near the entrance.

It hit me like a punch to the gut. It was a clear reminder that my concerns weren”t baseless.

I stared at the van, an uneasy feeling settling in. Whatever was going on was far from over.

The noise of the kindergarten in the distance faded as the van”s presence took over.

“Just ignore it and keep walking,” I told myself.

Keeping my head down, I clutched at the strap of my backpack and hurried past the alleyway.

I could almost out of the alleyway when I heard faint footsteps behind me.

A shiver crept down my spine but I forced myself to keep walking.

“Hey,” someone said behind me, a gruff voice with a bit of a growl to it. “You dropped something.”

I turned and saw a tall, muscular man holding out my ID. A shifter, my rabbit half told me.

A blue baseball cap obscured his face but I glimpsed dirty blond hair under his cap and hawklike features.

There was a vivid tattoo on the left side of his neck, a red claw mark. I hesitated.

Part of me wondered if this was some kind of trap, then decided I was being ridiculous.

This shifter was just being helpful… although I knew all the shifters living in Greenfield by sight and I’d never seen him before.

My suspicions returned.

“Keep it,” I whispered, about to turn around but it was too late.

I bumped into a solid wall of muscle. Another shifter. This was one big, menacing and covered in old rake marks. The same tattoo graced his neck.

His arms felt like steel as they closed around my body.

I opened my mouth to shout for help but he closed one hand around my neck and squeezed until the oxygen ran out of my body.

Dizziness swamped me and I saw stars. Then darkness.