A Shifting Love

Chapter 4: In The Shadows

I led the shadow wolf to the picnic area behind the university. Ginormous trees loomed over, the tables blocking any light. This spot was perfect for dining, studying, and hiding in plain sight like the shadow wolf was doing. He was a little apprehensive when we got there but eased up when he saw that I had difficulty seeing him, even though he sat in front of me.

“What if someone sees you?" he asked. “They would probably think it's odd that you're sitting out in the dark."

“Nah," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “I spend a lot of time on campus, especially in this area."

“You enjoy being at school?" he asked, slightly amused.

“I'm different from most girls my age, Shadow Wolf," I replied. He growled his disapproval at the nickname I had given him. “I don't know what else to call you!"

“I have a name, Shifter."

“Let me guess. Is it D*ck?" I teased.

He chucked. “You're a lot more pleasant to be around when you're joking."

“Maybe it's because no one is trying to kill me."

“Good point."

We both laughed, momentarily forgetting about everything else in the world. It felt so right to be there with him, a stranger I had just met. I don't know why, but it felt like I had known him forever.

“My name is Nicholas."

I grinned more than I had intended. “I'm Autumn." I lifted my hand for a handshake but quickly lowered it, feeling like an i***t. He was still in wolf form, which reminded me why we were there. “Are you a shifter too?"

Nicholas was silent for a minute. “We're not shifters. We're cursed," he said.

I waited for clarification, hoping he didn't think I would be content with that response. “Um. Nicholas, I'm not sure I-"

I've never shared this with anyone outside my group, so please be patient with me," he pleaded. My group and I are known as the night stalkers, and forty years ago, your Moon Goddess put a curse on my father and his friends.

The Moon Goddess was not one to piss off, but she would never punish those who didn't deserve it. “What exactly did they do to get cursed?"

I could feel how tense he was. “My father didn't do anything! He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got punished as well."

It sounded like Nicholas only knew one side of the story, but we tend to lack good judgment when defending people we love.

“When everyone decided to procreate-" he paused. I knew what was next. “the curse passed to the offspring." His shame was evident. The creature that stood before me didn't represent who he was. “The curse transforms us into these horrible creatures at sundown, and we prey upon anyone or anything we spot in the woods at night."

My skin crawled thinking about the other Night Stalkers. “Your friends wanted to kill me, didn't they?"

“Those a**holes aren't my friends," he scoffed. “The Night Stalkers are affected by an uncontrollable bloodlust, and it's hard to fight."

That explained their aggressive behavior, but why was he so calm? “You didn't attack me, though," I said, hoping I wouldn't trigger a violent reaction.

“That's because I don't want to hurt you, Autumn," he replied, his neon gaze meeting mine. “The bloodlust is challenging to overcome but not impossible. It was harder to deal with when I was a teenager.

It pained me to think of children attacking innocent shifters in the woods. My people had no idea what was lurking in the dark unless the Night Stalkers were a big secret the elders in the village wanted to keep hidden. “You probably have no idea, but do you think my father knows about you all?"

“Absolutely." He said without hesitation. “Your father didn't tell you because he either thinks the situation is under control or because he didn't want to worry you."

Whatever his reasons were, my father had no right to keep this from us. The pack's ignorance about the Night Stalkers puts everyone at risk. “My father and I will have a long talk tomorrow," I said confidently. “I'll make sure he tells me everything I need to know."

“You might want to be careful about what you disclose, Autumn. If your father hears that you got attacked, there might be problems for all of my people, not just the bad guys."

My father was strict but reasonable. “If I explained—

“No, Autumn!" He said firmly. “Like yours, my father hasn't told me the whole truth about this curse. But he made it very clear that the shifters who know about us want us dead."

There was no point in debating with him about this any longer. We sat quietly, listening to the whistling of the wind. I closed my eyes, imagining the warmth of my bed.

“It's getting late, and you need to rest," Nicholas said as if he had read my thoughts.

“Can you find your way home?" I asked, hoping that he needed me to guide him back. As tired as I was, I didn't want the conversation to end.

“I'll be fine, Autumn."

“Okay," I replied. “Good night, and thank you for trusting me."

He nodded and took off into the night, following the shadows.