Page 3 of Little Red and Her Creatures of Chaos
“This can’t be real,” I say mostly to myself, but Grandma hears me anyway. She doesn’t say anything; she just lets me try to process what she told me. “Why didn’t they hurt me?”
“According to legends, wolf shifters aren’t known to be violent. They only attack when they feel threatened, or someone is threatening their loved ones. However, they can also be unpredictable and are known for creating chaos.”
“So, if this is true, there are people walking around that have huge fangs and red eyes.”
“No. When they’re human, they look human.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
She nods her head, and we start walking around the rest of the cabin. “Your great-grandmother had a collection of lore for the area including that book in there. She passed it on to me when I was a teenager because I was fascinated. Radley, I know you don’t want to believe me, but you need to. Your dreams are manifesting now, and they’ve caused you to sleepwalk. That’s dangerous.”
“I don’t know how to stop it.”
“You need to get them to find you while you’re awake.”
I stop dead in my tracks. “What?”
“Your mind calls out to them while you’re sleeping. That’s why you think it’s a dream. But what happened last night wasn’t a dream.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me to find three men who can turn into bear-sized wolves. How would I even do that?”
“You need to concentrate on them. They’ll find you.”
She leaves without another word and goes back into the house. Once she’s out of sight, I bend down and run my fingers over the biggest print. Something like recognition hits me, and I jerk my hand back with a gasp. I slowly reach out for the other one and start getting that tingly feeling again. This one is just slightly smaller but no less intimidating. The one right behind it is the smallest, almost half the size of the biggest print.
I decide to try what Grandma said and concentrate on them. I sit between all three prints and close my eyes, imagining theirvoices from last night. The raspy tone and the deep, almost animalistic tone. It doesn’t take long before I start seeing my dream play out, except this time, I’m awake and see it from an outsider’s perspective. It’s eerie as hell watching my dream self come through the clearing.
“Who’s there?”dream me asks, and when she spins around, red eyes are glowing in the forest.
“Nope,” I say, jumping to my feet and dusting my jeans off. “Hell to the no.”
I decide right then and there that I don’t want to know.
I should have known saying I didn’t want to know would make it worse. After saying goodbye to Grandma, I head to my evening shift at the diner. We’ve been crazy busy, but that didn’t keep my mind from wandering.
If what Grandma said is true, that means anyone in this place could turn into a giant creature from my nightmares.
“Radley! Order up!” our cook, Cecil, calls out.
I quickly make my way over and load the plates onto a tray. Balancing it on my shoulder, I go over to the table and drop everything off. The bell above the door jingles, and I have to suppress a groan. I’ve been going non-stop for hours, and people just keep pouring in. Our hostess seats them in my section, and I take a few calming breaths before plastering a smile on my face and turning to them.
“Hi. My name is Radley, and I’ll be your server tonight,” I say, digging through my apron pocket for my notepad. Pen poised over the paper, I finally look up and stop breathing completely. Three very attractive men are staring back at me. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”
The one closest to me on the left is tall, even sitting down. His hair is dark brown and short. His eyes are the same shade, and they feel like they’re boring into my soul. “I’ll have tea,” he answers, his voice soft but deep.
“Same,” the one beside him answers. His hair is a mass of dark blond curls. His green eyes are lingering over me in a way that would normally make me uncomfortable, but not with him.
“I’ll have a chocolate shake.” That voice raises the hair on my arms, and I turn to him slowly. His hair is jet black, and his eyes are a pale blue. Where the hell did these men come from?
“I’ll give you a second to look over the menu. I’ll be back for your order.” I hightail it behind the counter and push into the kitchen. Leaning against the door, I try to calm my erratic heart.
“You okay, girl?” Cecil asks with a smile.
“Yeah. Just taking a breather.”
“It’s busy out there tonight, but you need to take a break.”
I smile, even though I know our owner won’t let me. This job barely pays the bills, but it’s the only thing I can do in my small town without a college degree. I didn’t get a scholarship for school, and my parents couldn’t afford to send me. I’m smart, but my mind has always tended to wander, and I couldn’t focus on my studies.
