The next morning Clara lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, her eyes were sore and bloodshot. She hadn't slept for the rest of the night, she couldn't, out of fear that the moment she closed her eyes she'd cause something else to happen, her abilities would take over and destroy the pack house. Instead, she let the nights events replay over and over in her head. Drew lay next to her on the bed, snoring lightly. He'd try to stay up with her but had fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. Clara didn't wake him, he looked so peaceful sleeping and she knew he needed some rest. A knock on the door made Clara jump a little, she turned and shook Drew's shoulder gently.
"Drew, someone's at the door." She spoke softly, but he didn't wake. Instead he groaned a little bit and shifted. She smiled at his reaction and climbed out of the bed. Walking over to the door she wondered who it could be, was it Maggie or Edward or someone else? It was so early, the sun had only just risen, why on earth was someone knocking at the door at this hour? She reached for the handle, covering the cold metal knob with her fingers. As the door creaked open slowly show peered through the crack but couldn't see anybody there. Frowning she opened the door wider, but nobody was at the door. All that was there was a small red envelope on the floor. She bent down and picked it up, before stepping out the room and into the hallway to see if there was anyone there. Nobody. The hallway was empty. Clara frowned, and shrugged her shoulders as she headed back into the room and closed the door quietly. She looked over at Drew who was beginning to stir awake. His eyes fluttered open and when he looked over at her he smiled.
"Morning love. What you got there?" She walked back over and took a seat on the bed next to him. Looking down at the envelope, she turned it over trying to see who it was for but there was nothing written on it.
"I don't know. Someone left it on the floor outside the door." Drew watched as her delicate fingers opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. It was a photo, but he couldn't see what of properly. Clara gasped and dropped the photo on the bed, her whole body began to shake in fear. Drew frowned and grabbed it and immediately frowned. The photo was of Clara pushing the young girl from the nursery on the swings. In the corner of the photo written in red marker was a note.
One day we'll have one of our own.
Immediately after looking at the picture Drew's blood began to boil. His face scrunched up in anger and he jumped up from the bed.
"Lock the door." He said sternly before storming out of the room, photo in hand. As he thudded down the hallway, his breathing sharp and heavy, he used every ounce of will in his body to hold down his angered wolf. He couldn't lose control; he couldn't let his wolf take over. If he did, it would not end well. He marched down the hallway, until he reached his parents room and banged loudly on it. He didn't stop banging until it opened revealing his Father in the same pyjamas and dressing gown as he'd worn in the kitchen that evening.
"Son, what's wrong?" His Father croaked out, still half asleep. He looked confused at Drew's angry state. Drew tried to compose himself to talk and not scream.
"Who knew we were here? Who knew about last night?" His Father looked at Drew still confused and shook his head. Drew looked past Edward and to his Mother who was now sat up in bed just as confused as her husband.
"WHO KNEW WE WERE HERE?!" He roared causing Maggie to jump as her sons burst of rage.
"Nobody, we hadn't spoken to anyone yet. Why? What's happened?" His Father stuttered out, unsure of what had gotten his son so worked up. Drew pushed the photo into his Fathers chest before turning and walking back down the hallway.
"We're leaving. Now." Drew said as he walked away. His fists clenched by his sides, he walked back to his room. When he reached the door he stood outside, not making a sound or knocking, he needed to calm down before he went in. He didn't want to lash out at Clara and scare her or end up in a blind rage shifting to his wolf. Normally in his wolf form Clara would be safe with him, but with house his anger was at the time it would be dangerous, even for her. Taking a few deep breaths and counting to ten he calmed himself down enough to be able to go in.
"Clara, it's me. Can you unlock the door?" After a moment the sound of the lock clicking was followed by the door creaking open. Clara stood cautiously in the doorway, not wanting to say or do anything that might cause him to leave again. She felt safe when he was there, she knew he'd protect her. It was quite clear the note was not just somebody messing around. Deep down she knew that, her dream was her mind telling her what she already knew but was denying.
Clara walked back over to the bed and sat down, Drew closed the door and locked it behind him behind slowly walking over and sitting next to her. He sighed and leant forward, covering his face with his hands and leaning his elbows on his knees. Neither of them said anything for a moment. They just sat quietly appreciating the company the other gave them, and the safety they had with each other. Drew broke the silence first.
"Love, we have to leave. Someone... they want you. I won't let that happen. We have to leave." Clara's head shot up, eyes wide, fear in her eyes. Someone... wanted her? What did he mean? She looked back down at the cream carpet and began to twiddle her thumbs thinking over what was going on.
"I don't want to run and hide away." She whispered, praying her voice didn't fail her. She wanted to be brave, she wanted to be strong for him. She didn't want to be the damsel in distress anymore. Drew looked up at her, brows furrowed.
"You're not safe here love. I can't risk anything happening to you. We're leaving." Clara shook her head and stood up from the bed. If she ran and hid away it would be harder to find out who it was. She wanted to find out who this person was and teach him a lesson.
"No. I'm not going to leave. We make a plan. We let them come to us, then... When we have them right where we want them, we show him I will never, NEVER, be his." Drew was taken aback by how she was acting.
"What if what happened last night wasn't a dream? What if... what if it was some sort of premonition? It felt so real, and your Dad was asking me all those questions. I think they think the same as me, otherwise why would the details be so important?" She began pacing as she spoke, Drew watching as she did. He was confused by what she was saying but it made sense. Clara continued to speak her thoughts, mainly because she couldn't make sense of them in her head and by voicing them, she could understand what she was thinking more.
"Think about it, I practically predicted it. I couldn't have just imagined all of that from one stupid note. It felt so real, could it be that? Could I be right?" She stopped and looked at Drew, he stood up and moved so he was in front her of her. His towering figure looking down at her.
"Clara, nobody has ever been recorded as having a premonition. It would make sense but... it's just not possible. I will speak to my Mum, but I just, I don't know. If we stay here, you're having 24-hour protection. Don't go anywhere on your own. Always go with Lexi or Harley if you go anywhere okay?" Clara nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Drew's torso, leaning her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head. They stood for a moment in silence. A knock at the door made them both jump. Clara was stood in only a top so she quickly grabbed the joggers than Maggie had given her last night off the floor and tugged them on. Drew walked over to the door and once she was clothed, he opened it slowly. In the doorway stood Jason. Slight concern was written on his face.
"Drew, Maggie told me about what happened. Are you both okay?" Drew stepped back allowing Jason to walk into the room. He was stood in a pair of faded blue jeans and a flannel shirt. His curly blonde hair hung on his head; it was clear he hadn't had it cut in a while as it reached his shoulders. He looked between the two of them waiting for an answer.
"We're fine. I actually need a favour from you." Drew said rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Clara watched as Jason nodded his head at Drew. Something about him creeped her out, maybe it was his huge muscular figure, or the way he was overly confident about himself.
"I need you to set up some protection for Clara, I want people outside the door at all times, and if she goes out, I need someone to be with her." Jason looked over to Clara and nodded his head.
"Of course, is everything okay?" Drew shook his head and sighed.
"Not really, but I'll explain later. For now, we just need to make sure she's safe." Jason nodded his head and looked between the two of them.
"If you need anything, I'm here." Jason said before heading out of the room.
*****
Clara sat at the table of the kitchen with Lexi. The two of them were sat silently, both sipping on a cup of tea. Drew was with Jason sorting out some security whilst trying to keep the issue on the down low. If the stalker knew they were on to him it could go one of two ways, either he would be harder to catch or her would go in all guns blazing and try to capture Clara before they were ready for it. Throughout the morning they'd come up with a plan. They'd go about business as usual; Clara would continue her training whilst Drew went to work. Then when the time was right, Clara would figure out a way to send a signal to the stalker to let her know she was ready to be taken. She'd wait for him alone, but Drew and the others would be watching, waiting for whoever it was to appear. Once they did, they'd pounce and capture them. But until the time was right, they'd have to wait. If they went through with the plan too early it wouldn't work, the stalker would know something was up, but if they waited too long the stalker might also guess something was up from the lack of action being taken. They had to make sure the timing was perfect.
Clara knew that by now everyone in the house would know about what happened last night. She knew that everyone would know she was there. Would they judge her? Would they be weird around her? She didn't even know most of them, but soon enough she'd get to know people.
"Lexi, can we do a workout today? I have a lot of pent up energy I think I need to get out." Lexi looked up as Clara spoke and a small smile spread across her lips.
"Of course! Do you want to do cardio or strength?" From what Clara had gathered about the wolves is they loved to work out. They loved to train, to be stronger and better than their opponents. She knew she needed to get better if she was going to be a good Luna and working on some defence or attack training might help her if her stalker ever made a move when they weren't ready.
"I was thinking we could do some erm... fighting stuff? Maybe a few defence tactics?" Lexi nodded her heading, understanding why Clara wanted to do it without her needing to actually say it. They finished off their cups of tea and stood up to leave the kitchen.
"I have some gym gear you can use, let's go to my room to get changed." Clara nodded her head and followed Lexi out of the kitchen, down the hall, and up the stairs. Lexi's room was on the same side of the house as her parents, but rather than being at the end of the hall it was one of the first ones. As Lexi opened the door Clara smiled at how much her room resembled her personality and dress sense. There were a few band posters up on the walls which were painted black. The bed was a big circular one with satin black bed sheets. There were a couple of hot pink fluffy cushions on the bed. The room had a very dark gothic feel to it, the bed side cabinet had a lamp and some candles, which clearly had been used a lot. Other than the posters the room was a lot like her parent's and Drews in the fact that there wasn't a lot of clutter. They didn't have a lot of belongings on show. It was all very bare and basic. Clara shut the door behind her and watched as Lexi walked over to a big chest of drawers. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out two sets of sports bras, and shorts. Clara took them from Lexi but didn't begin to get changed, instead she stood awkwardly waiting for Lexi to tell her where the bathroom was.
"The bathroom is over there." Lexi said pointing to a door in the corner of the room. Clara smiled appreciatively and walked over to the bathroom. She walked in and noticed it was exactly the same as Maggie and Edward's. Maybe they just had a standard bathroom décor for the house. Quickly changing out of the clothes she'd been wearing since the fire, she slipped into the gym wear. She looked down at herself and realised she was covered in little scuffs. She must have got them when she was trying to get out the house. Letting out a small sigh she walked out the room and saw Lexi stood ready to go workout as well.
"Let's do this." Clara put on a smile and the two of them headed out of the room. They went back down the steps, a slight skip in Lexi's step as she went. She loved training; it gave her wolf a chance to release some energy. But she knew she'd have to be careful how much energy she used with Clara as she wasn't as strong. She didn't have the advantage of wolf strength that Lexi did. Even in human form they can channel their wolf's strength and agility.
When they entered the gym a few other pack members were in there training. They all stopped what they were doing and stared as Clara and Lexi walked in. Immediately Clara felt a little uncomfortable from all the eyes that were on her. They weren't staring at Lexi; they were staring at her and she was fully aware of that.
"Continue with your business. No reason to stare." Lexi shouted to the wolves, they all began continuing with their workouts, listening to the authority in Lexi's voice. It didn't budge the uncomfortable feeling that Clara had. She knew she wasn't the strongest but she felt like there was a lot of pressure on her to be good with all the other wolves around.
"So, what are we going to be doing?" Clara asked nervously as the two of them reached the large open space. There was nobody else using it, so the two of them had plenty of room.
"Well, I was thinking if we start off with a few basic defensive moves and them we can build it up. Then later before we finish, we'll put what you've learnt to the test." Clara nodded her head and watched as Lexi spread her feet slightly and raised her fists up in front of her.
"Okay, stand like me. When I swing, raise your arms up to cover your face, don't worry I'm not actually going to hit you hard." Clara nodded her head and stood as Lexi did. She watched her carefully, trying to judge when she was about to swing. As Lexi reached forward pretending to punch Clara jumped back instead of putting her arms up. Lexi laughed a little and motioned for her to try again. They repeated the move a few times but each time Clara missed the move. The more she messed up the more frustrated she got.
"Ugh, I'm no good at this." She threw her arms up in frustration. Lexi laughed and shook her head.
"Come on, let's keep going. Watch my feet, watch all my movements, try to pick up on something that'll signal that I'm about to move." Clara nodded her head, trying not to admit defeat just yet. She studied Lexi as she waited for her to throw a punch. She watched her feet and noticed that she stepped forward on her right foot as soon as Lexi moved Clara lifted her arms up and blocked Lexi's punch.
"GOOD! YES! Again!" Lexi cheered, Clara smiled at little and they continued to practice. She kept her eye on Lexi, watching her feet and body language, trying to find any sort of sign that she was about to pounce.
They practiced a few other defensive moves for at least an hour and a half before Clara was panting heavily and lying on the floor. She didn't have the stamina that Lexi and the other wolves did. Lexi grabbed them both a water bottle from a fridge that stood in the corner of the room, and joined Clara lying on the mat. Clara thanked her for the water and took big gulps of it whilst trying to catch her breath. A few more wolves had come down to the gym and were doing weight training or cardio, none of them had come near the mat. Clara could sense him before she saw him, Drew walked into the gym and looked around. Their eyes met and a smirk grew on his face slightly. He was with Jason, who smiled at her and Lexi. The boys headed over to them and a small chuckle escaped Drew's lips seeing his mate sweaty and tired on the floor.
"Good workout?" He asked with a smirk. Lexi stood up and laughed.
"Oh, we're not done yet. In fact, you have very good timing. Clara and I have been practicing a few defensive moves, I want her to put them to the test. You..." She pointed at Drew and her eyes flicked between Clara and him.
"Can be her attacker." Drew laughed and shook his head.
"Not a chance, I'm not fighting Clara." Clara stood up with a smirk of her own on her lips.
"Scared I'll beat you?" Drew's eyebrows raised a little in shock at her, she was taunting him and he knew it. He laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
"The opposite actually. But okay, you asked for it. Don't worry love, I'll take it easy on you." Clara smiled and watched as he removed his shirt, revealing his rippling muscles. She looked over at Lexi for some sort of advice. Lexi leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Don't worry, I'll guide you through, and when I tell you. Knock him on his arse." Lexi giggled and Clara nodded her head. She turned to face Drew who was smirking at her. She tried to remember not only what she'd gone through with Lexi, but also what Maggie had shown her the other day. Maggie had shown her a few attack moves that she hoped she could try and use. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her mate.
Drew got into position and Clara followed suit, she took at deep breath and tried to focus on his body language, but she couldn't stop the smirk from showing on her lips. Both stood shifting their weight from one foot to the other, slowly moving round in a small circle. Drew made the first move and lunged forwards, Clara quickly dodged him by leaning to the side. He blew out a breath and smiled.
"Okay, okay, good one love." Her smirk grew that bit bigger, and she took her chance while he wasn't focusing and lunged forwards. Placing a small gab to the right side of his torso. She didn't hit him hard, but he still flinched a little. Lexi cheered out a little, whilst he faked a hurt look and took note that he couldn't lose focus again. Clara was oblivious to the group of wolves that had come to observe the two of them. She was too focused on Drew and making sure she didn't miss a thing he did. Just as Drew was about to lunge again Lexi began to shout,
"LEG! CLARA USE YOUR LEG!" Clara listened to Lexi and swung her right leg up and crashing it into the right side of his torso again. Drew fell to one knee and laughed. He stood up wagging his index finger at her, she laughed and rolled her eyes. But just as she was getting a little cocky, she swung her left arm out, he grabbed her wrist before she could hit him and twisted it behind her back. He didn't do it hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough to stop her from moving. She groaned in frustration and he let go, allowing her to return to her position facing him. His smirk was thick on his lips, whilst hers had now vanished and a look of determination covered her face. Drew moved as if he was about to throw a punch with his left arm but just as Clara brought her arms up to block his blow he changed tactic and swung his left leg out and into her legs, causing her knees to buckle and her to go crashing down onto the floor. She landed with a thud, but before she could get back up Drew was on top of her straddling her, he took hold of her wrists and pinned them on the floor above her head, whilst using his weight to stop her from moving.
"NOW CLARA! USE THE WIND!" Clara smirked knowing what Lexi meant, Drew's brows furrowed slightly, but before he could work out what Lexi had meant, Clara closed her eyes and focused on her ability. As she opened her eyes, she pointed the palms of her hands towards Drew and pushed the energy she could feel building in her to her hands. A small breeze blew her hair slightly, before a gust of strong wind lifted Drew up in the air and sent him flying across the mat. He landed with a thud, Clara propped herself up with a smirk on her face and saw him laying on his back looking over at her with a smirk on his face. Laughs from the wolves watching filled her ears, causing her head to shoot round and finally realise they were all stood watching them. He cheeks turned red, feeling awkward that she'd just thrown him across the room with about twelve wolves watching.
"Okay, okay, shows over. Get back to what you were doing!" Drew said loudly as he stood up. Clara turned her head back to look at him, he was walking towards her paying no attention to the wolves that surrounded them, only looking at her. When he reached her side, he reached his hand out for her to take. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her up so she was standing.
"Quick thinking love, but that was cheating." She laughed and shook her head.
"Nope, you have your wolf abilities and I have mine. I won fair and square." He chuckled and wrapped his arms round her waist.
"Okay love, whatever you say."