1
STEFAN
“Stefan.”
“Stefan!”
“Stefan.”
The voices sounded familiar. From all my nightmares.
“Beware.”
“Watch out!”
Leave me alone! I wanted to scream.
“Stefan!”
“Stefan.”
“Stefan, get up!”
I jumped from my laying position, alert at hearing Lucas’s voice.
He was kneeling at my side. His dark brown hair was disordered, and his mysterious chocolate eyes meant mine. He was wearing his usual—jeans, black jacket with a plain button up blue dress shirt and brown boots.
We were in a forest, I realized, surrounded by trees, shrubs and all kinds of insect and small animal noises. My breathing was uneven and my heart was beating uncontrollably.
The wind was calm, and the sun was peeking through the many green summer leaves of the tree branches. The ground seemed dry, but soft, surprisingly. The smell of wildflowers hit my nose, and it made my cheeks lift into a fond smile.
Lucas rose to his feet.
“You might want to block out all those annoying voices in your head.” He teased.
I pressed my lips together.
If only it was that easy, I wanted to tell him.
I noticed him picking up his handgun that laid on the ground at his feet.
“It’s easier said than done.” I muttered, getting to my feet.
I trailed after him in the late afternoon forest, listening to the sound of birds chirping above my head.
Lucas peeked over his shoulder at me, waiting calmly for me to join him in the stream of sunlight, shimmering like a spotlight upon us.
“You know, I’ve had stranger dreams when I was your age,” he admitted with a gloomy smile. “Trust me, I didn’t know how to handle it.”
“How did you?”
“Well, it never stopped… until…”
Until… he wasn’t human anymore, is something I always think of saying.
I nodded, understanding.
“But it strengthened me. As a Hunter and a human. And I got used to it,” he said. “Sometimes, our dreams … are more reality than anything. We see strange things every day. For us, there’s nothing more normal than unnatural dreams.”
I couldn’t stop the doubtful laugh erupting from my mouth.
“It’s been a while since I thought about the word normal. Never mind, living it.”
“Do you miss your mortal life, Stefan?”
My brows furrow with annoyance.
“No,” I answered, locking eyes with him. “And I never want to go back.”
“And Tyler?”
His tone was disapproving—like he was already disappointed.
I opened my mouth but closed it again, not knowing what to say.
“Don’t,” he shook his head.
“What?”
He raised of an eyebrow. “Lie to me.”
His rich voice was soft, but there was a serious tone in it as well.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized, ducking my head.
To this, he chuckled.
“Why do I keep dreaming about you?” I asked.
He cracked a knowing smile.
“Maybe you should stop being curious and let things fall into place, instead.”
A sharp buzzing shattered the quiet, dragging me from the depths of sleep. My heart slammed into my ribs as my brain jolted awake.
The vibration came from the bedside table. My phone.
Exhaling heavily, I turned my head, glancing at the figure beside me.
Kelly stirred, her head shifting slightly against my chest as she woke.
Careful not to disturb her further, I slid out from beneath her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead before reaching for my phone. The moment I moved, she let her head fall onto the pillows, her body sinking deeper into the mattress.
I sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I read the text from Derrick.
“Come and see me. We need to talk.”
I resisted the urge to sigh. Leaning back against Kelly’s white wooden headboard, I let my gaze drift toward the window. The sun had barely crested the forest beyond, casting long shadows across the room. Dawn shrouded everything in dim light, soft and hazy.
I ran a hand through my hair, knowing I didn’t have a choice.
With another quiet sigh, I slipped out from beneath the silver-gray sheets and padded across the room. After pulling a fresh set of clothes from the closet, I disappeared into the bathroom, moving soundlessly so I wouldn’t wake Kelly again.
But when I returned, she was sitting up against the headboard, fully awake.
Her golden hair tumbled in wild waves over her shoulders, a tangled mess from sleep. Her deep chocolate eyes tracked my every move as I strode toward the couch in the corner, retrieving my jacket draped over the armrest.
Shrugging it on, I crossed back to her and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Morning. Sorry if I woke you,” I murmured against her skin.
She shook her head. “You didn’t.” Then, studying me, she asked, “Where are you heading off to so early?”
I sighed, meeting her gaze. “The hospital.”
Her brow arched. “Derrick?”
I nodded, my eyes flicking down to the plush white carpet.
She reached for my hand, her fingers warm as they closed over mine. “Be careful.”
A smirk tugged at my lips. I leaned in, brushing a kiss against her cheek.
She turned her head, catching my mouth in a soft kiss.
I held back a chuckle, moving toward the door.
“You should actually eat breakfast first,” she teased with a smirk.
“I’ll eat when I get back, I promise.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled as I left the room.
The castle halls were silent as I made my way downstairs, passing the grand staircases before stepping out into the crisp morning air. The scent of fresh pine filled my lungs as I entered the forest, my footsteps crunching against the dry ground. Birds chirped in the canopy above, their calls mingling with the soft gurgle of the nearby stream.
The familiar path stretched ahead, guiding me toward the city. Even as I walked, my mind was already working, piecing together whatever Derrick wanted to discuss. If he was summoning me this early, it wasn’t for idle conversation.
The tranquil quiet of the woods didn’t last long. Soon, the distant hum of traffic reached my ears, growing louder as I neared the city.
Stepping out of the trees, I spotted my Kawasaki Vulcan parked at the edge of the street. I inhaled deeply, taking in one last breath of the forest air before swinging a leg over the bike.
Whatever waited for me at the hospital, I’d be ready for it.
∞ † ∞
I parked my motorcycle in the Providence Hospital parking lot and strode toward the entrance. The automatic doors slid open, welcoming me into the cool, sterile air of the building. As I made my way down the hall, I exchanged nods with the now-familiar nurses passing by.
When I reached Rachel’s room, I barely had a second to step into the doorway before someone sprang up from the corner and rushed toward me.
Dark waves of hair trailed behind Charlotte as she skipped across the room, her heeled boots clicking against the tile. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me in a warm embrace.
Her familiar lavender scent filled my lungs, and my body instinctively relaxed. My arms locked around her waist before I even realized it.
Three weeks. That was how long Rachel had remained in a coma.
Derrick visited her every day when he had the chance, while I stopped by less frequently, usually with Charlotte. Sometimes Kelly and Jared would join us, but no one spent as much time at Rachel’s bedside as Charlotte did. She seemed to find comfort there, as if her presence could will Rachel to wake up. And every time Charlotte sat with her, I wished the same thing—that Rachel would open her eyes and see for herself that her daughter was alive. That she had survived the fire all those years ago.
Tyler, however, was in a much darker place. Depression weighed heavily on him, and though I wanted to help, there was only so much I could do. Fortunately, Selena had promised to check on him, making sure he didn’t spiral too far.
Derrick turned away from Rachel’s bed as I pulled back from Charlotte’s hug. His expression was serious, his posture tense.
“I need to call Jared quickly,” Charlotte murmured.
I gave her a nod, understanding, and she slipped out of the room, already reaching into her jeans pocket for her phone.
Once she was gone, I turned to Derrick. “What did you want to talk about?”
He exhaled sharply, glancing down the hallway before lowering his voice. “I already told Char about this… I overheard some people talking about strange activity near Dupont Circle—the abandoned train station. A few days ago, I went to check it out and found what I think is a witch’s lair.” His jaw tightened. “I didn’t even make it inside before one of them attacked me.”
A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face as he leaned back against the wall. He fell silent when a petite nurse passed through the hallway.
I shifted back as well, resting my head against the wall, watching as the brunette nurse strolled past. She smiled warmly at us, humming under her breath. Once she passed Charlotte farther down the hall, I straightened and stepped closer to Derrick.
“Did they hurt you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “One of them scratched my arm, but I got away before it got worse.”
I frowned. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“You had other things to deal with, Stefan.”
I pressed my lips together, not entirely sure if I believed him.
“Do you want me and Charlotte to check it out?”
“If you don’t mind,” he admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. “Charlotte’s already letting Jared know, too.”
I nodded. “We’ll handle it.”
“Be careful,” Derrick warned.
I smirked. “I think I’ll be fine. But thanks.”
He gave a small chuckle but then hesitated. “How’s Tyler doing?”
I caught the faint concern beneath his casual tone. Exhaling slowly, I looked down at the floor before answering.
“He’s… managing.”
Derrick’s brow furrowed. “Still that bad?”
“He barely leaves his room except to eat,” I admitted, crossing my arms.
“Well, at least he’s eating,” Derrick muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
“I don’t want to push him. But Selena’s keeping an eye on him.”
Derrick nodded. “He’ll get better with time. He just needs space.”
Before I could respond, Charlotte returned, skipping to my side.
“Jared’s in,” she announced.
“Good. Then we should get going.” I turned back to Derrick. “We’ll update you once we know more.”
Derrick nodded, grateful. “Thanks.”
Charlotte grinned, looping her arm through mine as we walked down the hallway.
Behind us, Derrick chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
Once we were outside, Charlotte bumped her hip playfully against mine.
I huffed a laugh, shoving my shoulder against hers in return.
She giggled, her laughter light and carefree—one of the few sounds lately that reminded me that not everything had to be serious.
∞ † ∞
Charlotte’s grip tightened around my waist from behind when I speed off in the busy morning streets of Washington DC. It didn’t take me long to reach Dupont Circle.
We arrived at the old train station near Sleeve Street. Climbing off my black Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle, we walked into the alley, next to the parking area.
Charlotte’s dark hair only curled more naturally and wilder from waving in the wind on my bike. It made her appear more gorgeous.
“So, how long from today?” She casually asked.
I threw her a confusing frown.
She rolled her eyes.
“Kelly.” She said, sounding obvious to my unasked question.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head with annoyance.
“I don’t know. The girl in the relationship is supposed to keep track, not the guy.”
Charlotte shook her head at me.
“Men,” she sighed with irritation. “And most of you complain that we’re complicated.”
I chuckled.
Today was the nineteenth of June, 2010. I’m not sure when Kelly and I became an official couple, but it was so to say on her birthday, in May, when we shared our first kiss. So basically, almost a month.
We reached the gate of the subway.
I furrow my brows. “It surprises me you and Kelly don’t talk about these things.”
Both of us scanned the area while I slipped my knife out from my waistband.
Charlotte had removed her brown leather jacket and pulled up her short sleeve to reveal her unseen mark on her bicep.
I activated it with my knife, before I did the same with my own mark.
Charlotte used her hunter’s knife to unlock the gate. She threw her jacket on and pulled out her dark curls from underneath.
“Well, what do you expect? I barely get Jared to open up to me like you always do.” She complained. “Kelly isn’t far different.”
I chuckled, following her down the stairs and reaching the trolley platform.
“Well, Kelly is more sensitive than Jared at least,” I specified. “Both of them don’t easily show weakness.”
“I know.”
We reached Massachusetts Ave and entered the tunnel. It was dark, yes, probably because this place hasn’t been used for the past four decades or longer even.
Charlotte read my mind when both of us reached out for our hunter knives and flashlights, stepping deeper into the tunnel. Both of us pulled to a stop, hearing something from the shadows inside the tunnel.
In the corner of my eye, I noticed Charlotte glimpsing over at me, slowly.
My eyes examined the area, carefully, waiting for any threat that awaits us in the shadows. My muscles tensed, and I held my breath, feeling the familiar, dark twisted feeling inside my chest, that meant nothing good.
A loud snarl was heard from the darkness before the creature lunched forward towards us.
My first move and instinct was jumping in front of Charlotte, knife drawn towards the creature.
She appeared human, but I knew she wasn’t.
My knife came in contact with the witch’s stomach, which caused her scream to echo throughout the abandoned station. She grabbed hold of my throat, tightly, which caused me to choke on my oxygen.
My back slammed against the wall, and I trembled onto the ground. My head snapped up, my grip tightening on my knife in my hand.
The witch pushed pass Charlotte, disappearing down the tunnel.
Charlotte growled, her boots storming off close after the witch.
