Stalked

Chapter 1: Mates

pic of Nadia

Have you ever gotten the feeling that you're being watched? Ever heard footsteps behind you in an empty parking garage or dark alley? That someone, or something, was waiting in the shadows to sneak up on you? I have. Many times. What's worse is that there are creatures out there that thrive on doing things like that. About two years ago werewolves and vampires had let themselves known in my small town. It sent a few members of the community into a scared frenzy, and I was one of those few. Others were thrilled at the realization of the true existence of these creatures of the night, I considered them idiots. Shortly after their come out, the vampires started to seduce men and women, getting them to invite them into their homes. Once the vampire was invited, they saw it as an open bar. I've lost family and friends this way. Others were drooling after the wolves. Some werewolves forced humans into being their mates, there's no happily ever after for a mate to a wolf, just ask my brother and best friend.

My brother, Andrew, met his mate, Linda one unfateful night while coming home from a party. My brother was walking home, drunk as usual when a girl came out of the woods that lined the two-lane road he was walking on. She introduced herself as Linda and before my brother knew what was happening she left her mark on him. A werewolf marks their chosen mate by biting them, claiming the person as their's. My brother's mark was on his hand. Werewolves never marked their mates on the neck - that was the vampires' signature place to mark.

After he was marked, Linda walked Andrew home. They walked in the house holding hands and talking like they knew each other their whole lives. My brother had sobered up and acted like it was totally normal to have a werewolf in our house. My parents were furious. They immediately taken a disliking to Linda, as did I, and demanded that Andrew never bring her back to their house again.

Strangely, Andrew defended Linda and decided right there and then to move out of our parents' house and move in with Linda. Linda was more than thrilled and helped him pack. Within the next hour, Andrew and Linda left, holding hands and smiling. She was taking him to her house in the werewolf pack community.

Weeks went by and my only contact with my brother was one phone call every few days. My parents said he was more than welcome to come over, but that mutt of his wasn't welcomed. So, he never visited. I wanted to see him, but there was no way I'd willing go near the wolf pack. At first the calls were happy ones. Andrew was loving pack life with his werewolf mate. He said that he had made a few werewolf friends and was even in the good graces of their alpha, Doc. A little while later he informed me that Linda was expecting. He was a little nervous, but still happy. Then, the calls started to get bad.

I was woken up in the middle of the night by my phone blaring in my ear. Groggily I answered, "Huh?"

"Nadia, I need to come home!" Andrew cried. I could hear him chocking back sobs. My brother never cried. Never. Something was definitely wrong.

"What's up?" I asked alarmed. I sat up and threw the covers from me, flinging my legs over the bed.

"It's Linda," he whispered. He paused. I could hear a muffled voice in the distance. "She's-she's different, Nadia."

"You've said that once before-"

"No! I mean, she's not the same as she was a month ago."

I sighed. "She's hormonal, Andrew. Come's with being pregnant."

"No!" he yelled. Then he went back to whispering. "I mean she's different. She tried to attack me. Like seriously tried to rip my guts out."

I got out of bed and walked to my window, then I saw it. A full moon. "Uh, Andrew?"

"Yeah?"

I pulled the curtains further back, revealing the entire window. "Is the legends of the full moon true?"