Queen POV
Sleep came in pieces. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back there in the forest. I was running, lungs burning, branches snapping against my arms. Manny's voice could be heard somewhere behind me, footsteps getting closer and closer. Then the shift, the silence, the bear. I dreamt of the huge black bear, closing in on its prey; closing in on me.
I jerked awake with a sharp gasp, my chest rising and falling too fast, sheets twisted around my legs. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. I was in my room, in my house. Safe.
I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to slow my breathing. "You're okay… you're okay…"
But my body didn't believe me. It still felt like I was in the woods. Still felt like something was watching. I turned my head toward the window. The curtain swayed slightly from the draft, the faint glow of the sunrise bleeding through. Nothing was there. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling. I pushed myself up slowly and regretted it immediately.
Pain shot through my ankle so fast it stole the air from my lungs.
"Ah—shit!"
I grabbed my leg, teeth clenching as the throbbing settled in deep.
"Okay… yeah… that's not a twist," I muttered.
I swung my legs carefully over the side of the bed, testing my weight just enough to confirm what I already knew. Nope. Not happening.
"Great," I whispered. "Love that for me."
A soft knock came at my door.
"Mommy?"
My expression softened instantly.
"I'm up, baby," I called, forcing the tension out of my voice.
The door creaked open, and Demetri peeked in, his little face still puffy with sleep, curls sticking out in every direction. He stepped inside my bedroom, and I chuckled as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"Come here baby." I held my arms open for him. He sluggishly moved his little legs toward me and stood in between my thighs before throwing himself on me. His foot brushed against my ankle, and I winced, holding back a groan. I tried not to alert him, but he noticed anyway.
"You okay Mommy?" he asked, pulling back.
I smiled, "I'm okay."
"You look sleepy mommy," he said.
"I am sleepy," I admitted.
He climbed onto the bed, and I slid back carefully, trying to cushion my ankle with the bed. I was surprised when his small hand suddenly landed on my leg, right above my swollen ankle.
"Did you get a boo boo?" I hesitated for just a second.
"Yeah," I said, hand reaching out to stroke his curls. "Mommy had a little accident."
Not a lie. Just not the whole truth.
He frowned, looking down at my foot. "Does it hurt?"
"A little."
His face scrunched up like that answer personally offended him. Then he leaned forward and blew gently on my ankle.
"I'm fixing it," he said matter-of-factly.
A small laugh slipped out of me despite everything.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah," he nodded seriously, blowing on the ankle again.
I laughed and pulled him close to me and brushed my fingers through his hair, palming his small face with the first genuine smile in hours. "Well then, I'm lucky I got you, huh?"
He nodded again, satisfied.
"Can I watch Paw Patrol?" he asked.
I glanced to my left, checking the time on the small clock atop my nightstand.
I smiled. "Go ahead."
He slid off the bed and ran out, his little footsteps echoing down the hall. The moment he was gone, the quiet returned. Heavy, much too heavy. I leaned back slowly, staring at the ceiling. And just like that, it all came rushing back. Manny, the woods, the bear. My stomach twisted.
"They really followed me…"
That wasn't something I could ignore. That wasn't something I could pretend didn't happen. Manny planned that, and they were waiting for me. He knew my routine. A chill ran through me.
"I can't keep walking home like that…"
That much was clear. I sat up slightly, wincing at the movement. My mind drifted to the wolf: massive, white fur, golden eyes. Too big, too aware, too...gentle.
"That wasn't normal."
There was no way that was normal. Animals didn't act like that. Didn't look like that. Didn't--My thoughts then rapidly shifted to "the man." Another mystery. My chest tightened. I could still feel it: the warmth. My mind clearly remembered the way I was held, the steady movement as I was being carried. But I struggled to remember his face. All I knew was that it wasn't anyone I had met before.
I flinched as a sharp knock echoed from downstairs, tearing me from my thoughts.
"Demetri?" I called.
"I'm watching TV!" he yelled back.
Good, he didn't open it. I swung my legs carefully off the bed, gripping the wall as I stood. Pain shot up my ankle, but I forced myself to move anyway, limping toward the stairs. Each step was slow and careful. By the time I reached the bottom, my breathing had picked up again. Who was knocking like that this early? I moved toward the door, hesitating just for a second before unlocking it.
I pulled it open, "Hello?" I froze.
No one was there. Just the empty porch. The quiet street. The faint sound of wind brushing through the trees. My brows furrowed.
"Hello?" I stepped forward slightly, looking left. Then right. Still nothing.
"That's… weird."
I was about to close the door when something caught my eye on the ground, right by the steps.
"No way…"
I stepped out onto the porch slowly, my heart starting to pound.
My purse. My phone. My wallet. All were things I dropped in the woods. They had been neatly placed on a stand that used to hold a flower pot. Not thrown, not scattered, but placed. My stomach dropped.
"That's not possible…"
I looked around again, sharper this time. No cars were pulling away, no footsteps, no people. But I hadn't brought these home. I knew I hadn't. My hands trembled slightly as I bent down, picking up my items. I checked inside my purse, and everything was inside, exactly how I left it. My throat went dry.
"That means…"
I could no longer ignore the reality as my mind recalled the warmth I felt, the arms—no, his warmth, his arms. I swallowed hard.
"I didn't make it home by myself."
The realization settled heavily in my chest. Because if that were true…someone brought me here. And that someone knew where I lived. That meant they were close enough to come back. To stand right here, to knock on my door, and disappear before I opened it. A chill ran through me at how creepy that was. Why not just wait for me to answer the door? I turned slowly, stepping back into the house, closing the door a little faster this time.
Locking it.
Then locking it again.
I leaned back against it, my grip tightening on my purse. My heart wouldn't slow down. Because now, I wasn't just confused. Someone had brought me home, returned my things--And I had no idea who.