Nadia opened her eyes and found herself standing on the beach. She knew it was a dream, but it still didn't stop the weird feeling slithering up her spine. Her toes wriggled in the sand and she was distinctly aware of the grit. Her eyes looked out over the water and she swore she could see a tiny island far off the coast that hadn't been there the other day.
Or maybe she just hadn't seen it.
Many different scents filled the air around her. The salty brine of the ocean. The heavy scent of bark and lush plant growth threaded through what. Nadia wondered why she had never stopped to pay close attention to it before.
Her eyes looked down at her hands, fascinated with all the tiny details that were now apparent.
Is this what she could expect when her mind became fully unblocked?
There's so much more we can do...
Nadia looked up and spun around, trying to find the source of the voice, even though she knew it was in her head. All she saw were the trees swaying in the ocean breeze. Her house was lit up, all warm and inviting.
"Who are you?" Nadia asked.
You know who we are...
Before she could respond, the scent changed in the air and immediately, Nadia's entire body started to come alive. While it was something she had never smelled before - a mix of sandalwood and soap - she somehow knew who it was. The presence was bigger than life, warm, and comforting.
Something pressed against her mind, silencing the voices though she could feel them reaching out. Wanting to be closer.
Incredibly still and waiting, Nadia watched as Remy stepped out from the shadows of the trees, wearing only a pair of worn jeans that rode low on his hips. Though it wasn't the first time she had seen his bare chest, she still had a strong reaction, feeling her palms begin to tingle with the urge to touch him.
Frustratingly, Remy stopped at the edge of the beach, not moving closer though his entire body looked tense as well. Like he was fighting the urge to be closer to her too. His normally hazel eyes were a bright gold as he stared at her.
Nadia!
Nadia whipped her head around, searching for the source of the voice. This time it wasn't one of the ones in her head, but rather another familiar voice though she hadn't heard it in person in a long time.
"Mom?" she called out, her eyes scanning the overcast beach for her familiar form. A heavy fog was starting to roll in, obscuring the water. "Mom! Where are you?!"
An urgency began to fill Nadia, though she wasn't sure why. She hadn't seen her mother in years and though she wanted answers - about her life, her father, why her mother had done the things she did - she wasn't completely sure she was ready to face Mara.
Are you ready for me?
Nadia whipped her head to look down the beach in the other direction, a new voice entering the mix. This too seemed familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. It was masculine, though held a menace within it that had her shivering in fear.
Run, Nadia. It's what you're good at...
No. Stay. We're safe here.
Don't trust him!
Nadia bent over, her hands over her ears as the various voices began shouting conflicting instructions at her. It was becoming difficult to tell who was who or what she should do. The fog continued rolling in, surrounding her. All the while, Remy remained where he stood - silent.
Nadia looked up, watching as the fog began to slowly obscure him from view. Heart pounding, she began to walk towards him, her arms out and hands reaching.
"Remy!" she shouted frantically, now no longer able to see him.
Hello, Nadia...
The other voices stopped abruptly as she became stone where she stood on the beach, unable to see anything but the dense, gray fog swirling around her. The new voice was deep and filled her with unexplained dread. Her head whipped around in various directions as she turned in circles, knowing that the owner of the voice was nearby.
Everything inside her screamed to get away. To run. That whoever owned the voice was evil incarnate. Terror squeezed her chest.
"Who are you?" she called out.
We'll see each other soon...
Nadia came to a stop, her heart about to burst out of her chest. Before her, all she could make out through the fog were bright, red eyes fixed on her. A deep, sinister laugh filled the void, growing louder as the eyes drew nearer. She stumbled back, knowing she needed to stay away from whoever was in the fog with her.
"No. Stay away! NO!!!"
Nadia shot up in bed, strong hands fixed on her shoulders. She pulled in deep gulps of air, her heart still racing and body shivering. She could still see the red eyes before her.
"Nadia, breathe. Look at me."
Her eyes flicked up, meeting Remy's hazel gaze as calm immediately flooded her. She followed him, matching his pace as he slowly breathed in and out. It wasn't long before her heart finally got on board and started to slow down.
Glancing around, she noticed that it was still pretty early in the morning, though there was light starting to filter in through her curtains. What time was it?
She had stayed up late waiting for Remy to come back, but must have passed out. The last thing she remembered was lying on the sofa, reading through her grandmother's journal while he was out checking the forest around the house. It seemed he had moved her to her bed and then crashed on the couch since it was obvious she had been the only one here.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked gently, sitting on the edge of the bed as he let go of her shoulders.
Thankfully, he kept his hand on her leg, continuing to provide a stabilizing comfort through touch.
"I... it was a nightmare, I think. But... it seemed so real," Nadia said, pushing her hair back from her face. She was still sweaty and the dark tendrils clung to her skin. "I was on the beach and you were there. I keep hearing these... voices in my head. But then... I heard my mother... and others... then these eyes in the fog."
She looked up at Remy, feeling as though she completely botched the actual explanation of the dream, but for the first time, words were failing her. It was difficult to describe the terror that filled her. And the confusion.
"I don't know what any of this means," she breathed. "I feel like I'm losing it."
"Maybe it has to do with the blocks... and them coming undone," he murmured. "You said you keep hearing voices?"
"Yea, I've heard three of them before. They're always there when I dreamed about y-"
Nadia snapped her lips shut, feeling heat filling her cheeks. Remy blinked a couple times, but then a small smirk appeared as though he knew exactly who and what she had been dreaming about.
"It's probably your inner wolf or Havsfru trying to connect," he said, though there was a playful glint in his eyes that told her he was going to revisit exactly what she had dreamed about. It then suddenly disappeared as shock filled his features. "Wait. Did you say three?"
"Yea... is that weird?" Nadia asked.
"I... well-"
Remy suddenly went rigid, his eyes taking a far off look as his brow furrowed. Nadia leaned closer, worried he was having some sort of medical issue. After a few seconds, his eyes cleared up as he looked over at her.
"I'm sorry - I need to go. That was Chloe. There's been a breach at the border," he said, already standing.
Nadia reached out, taking his arm in a vice grip with a strength she didn't know she had.
"Wait, I'm coming with you," she said, already yanking the quilt off.
"Nadia, I don't think that-"
"End of discussion," she stated as she let go of him and ran over to the dresser to pull out some clean clothes. "You leave without me, I'll just go out and try to find you on my own."
She heard a heavy sigh as she quickly made her way to the bathroom.
"Fine."
The drive to the location Chloe had given Remy was mostly quiet. He only spoke to give her directions since he had come over to her house in his wolf form last night. Apparently the shifters kept random stocks of clothing hidden throughout the woods, though he had sheepishly admitted that he had a stock of his own in the old shed where her grandfather had kept various tools and yard stuff.
It actually warmed Nadia's heart a bit to know that he was looking out for her, even before she knew the truth. Though in any other situation, Nadia probably would have found that creepy.
They finally came to a stop at a trail head and got out of her SUV, starting through the woods. Nadia made a note to get a pair of sturdy hiking boots so she could get around better. Her Converse sneakers definitely weren't cutting it and had seen better days as it was.
"Did she say anything more?" Nadia asked, her eyes fixed on the ground as she followed Remy through the trees.
"Just that there was a breach and they were still searching the area," he replied, moving easily and quickly. Nadia huffed slightly as she struggled to keep up.
"Any idea of who or what?" she asked.
"No, but that's why I'm here," he replied, glancing over his shoulder at her.
Nadia wasn't sure what that meant but kept going until they finally arrived at a clearing where Chloe and Tate stood, both of them wearing loose athletic clothing that didn't seem to fit either.
"Well, look who it is," Tate shouted, a grin already on his face.
Nadia rolled her eyes, already knowing he was likely jumping to the wrong conclusions. Again.
"What do you have?" Remy asked, ignoring the comment.
"It's a wolf," Chloe said. "I'm not sure how they made it through. No one outside of town residents should be able to go in and out. Agatha made sure of that after our visitor yesterday."
Nadia blinked a few times, part of her not quite reconciling this stoic and serious woman with the outgoing, bubbly one that had befriended her. She remembered that Remy had said Chloe was his beta, which she assumed meant she was second-in-command or something.
Was she also some bad-ass warrior chick? If so, that was beyond cool in Nadia's opinion. Maybe she could teach Nadia some moves when she had time.
"Why haven't you located it yet?" Remy asked, looking around the woods and obviously seeing things that Nadia couldn't.
"Whoever it is, they're good at hiding their tracks. We've been struggling to follow the scent," Chloe grumbled. "Even Sid can keep it."
"Shit. He's our best tracker," Remy said, now looking at Chloe in shock.
For a moment, Nadia began to wonder why she had insisted on coming. It wasn't like she could do anything to help. Whatever her abilities were, they were still obviously bound by some random demon. She couldn't turn into a wolf. And well, if she had a seaform, it was unlikely to be of any use on the land.
As the three continued to discuss details of the breach, Nadia stepped away and walked towards the edge of the clearing, looking around. For what, she wasn't sure, but it helped to clear her head a bit.
Someone had gotten through the borders. Borders that were closed to everyone but town residents. A someone who was good at evading shifters with their enhanced sense of smell, sight, and hearing.
Nadia came to a stop as her eyes widened. Of course. Why hadn't it hit her sooner?
"Guys. I think I know who it is," she called out.
The talking behind her stopped as she spun around. Chloe looked confused, while Tate appeared amused, but that was just his resting appearance. Remy took a step closer to her, clearly eager to hear her out.
"Who?" Chloe asked.
"Only residents can get in, right?" Nadia asked. They nodded. "Then that must apply to old residents, too."
"The only person who's left is-"
Chloe's eyes widened as it hit her. Remy only continued to stare at her. Nadia looked around the woods, wondering where she could be and if it was possible she was tracking her right now. Anxiety welled up, though not out of fear. Moreso because she wasn't ready to face her yet.
But it seemed that the time was upon them no matter how ready Nadia felt.
In a split second, her three friends were tense, all of them looking around as though they smelled or heard something that Nadia couldn't. She held her breath, her eyes fixed on the trees as she looked around as well.
She then heard a crack from her left, her head swinging over to see a woman in a loose, long dress step into the clearing, her feet bare. She moved with a grace that Nadia had never witnessed before and though she seemed completely different, there was no mistaking who she was.
"Nadia," the woman said softly, tears filling brown eyes that were no longer glazed over, staring off into space or searching for things only she could see. "You look good, kid."
Remy looked at Nadia, the question clear in his eyes, though Nadia couldn't stop staring at the woman. So many emotions welled up in her.
Anger. Pain. Disappointment. Confusion. Funny enough, there was also a bit of relief.
"Good to see you too, Mom."
Author's Note: So, I completely rewrote this chapter. Anyone who read the last version would know this all originally happened in the town Archives. And there was no nightmare. As much as I hated to cut that - and the steamy scene that took place there - I felt this more fitting. I needed to fill a few plot holes I accidentally left.
As always, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!