Hughes (Shifter Dating App)

Chapter 01

1

HEIDI

M oonlight bathes the glade. Silver light glints off the grass blades and huge tree barks bounce shadows into the clearing. In the precise center of it all, a silver fox sits, its furry face turned to me. Dark eyes blink lazily, a gentle breeze making the fur sway. I can’t stop staring at him. My gaze is riveted on the beautiful silver hairs, the darker nose, and the way it all feels so magical. It’s so strange, a creature of the wild sitting in a place like this.

My mind grows fuzzy, and I feel like I should know this. Recognize the feeling, the scene. Has this happened before? Is this some sort of loop?

The fox cocks his head at me. I don’t know how, but I can tell it’s a male. His lips stretch in a knowing smile. As if we share a secret. As if there’s something between us besides the breeze and the glow of the moon.

My feet move on themselves. I approach, my arm outstretched. Another couple of steps and I can almost touch him…

Then I wake up.

Darkness is all I see. The memory of the silver fox and the moonlight burns the back of my eyelids, and I slam my eyes shut, pressing my face to the pillow. Please, please, let me go back. I want to go back into that dream.

But sleep evades me. It drips from my body with every passing second as I fiercely hold on to the memory of the dream. The light of the sun sneaks past the open windows of my living room and drifts inside my bedroom. Should have closed the curtains last night.

Sitting up, I release a huge sigh. Isn’t it the worst when you’re dying to get back into a dream, and you’re impossibly unable to?

At least it doesn’t vanish. It lingers on the edge of my mind as I drag myself from beneath my covers, stretching my legs and arms, wiggling my fingers to will my body to wake. My phone tells me it’s almost nine. Too early for any artist, for sure. I’m a night owl. Naturally nocturnal.

But my brain had to rouse me in the middle of one of my favorite dreams.

Opening my bedroom’s window, I lean forward, not caring I’m still in my pajamas, and take a deep breath that fills my lungs to the maximum.

“Morning, forest!” I call out into the woods behind my house. Then I straighten my spine and grin at the sing-song several birds reply with.

Awesome. The day is beautiful out there, warm, the sky a sparkling blue. The smell of the woods reaches me in waves, and, with a smile taking my face, I whirl into my living room.

“Good morning, Alexa!”

A ping lets me know Alexa’s already up. “Good morning, Heidi,” she answers in her mechanical voice. “It’s eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit outside today. No chance of rain.”

“Good to know, Alexa. Thank you.” I stride across my living room to open every window. Smarty past me closed them but forgot the drapes. A breeze fills my cabin in the woods, and I turn to face my home, sweet home. “Alexa. Play my Morning Songs playlist.”

An upbeat song streams from my stereos, and I pump and dance to its rhythm. I’m a lost cause with names, so I don’t even try to guess which music plays as I jump into the shower. The dream lingers in my memory throughout my morning routine. It upsets my meditation, and I drop it halfway.

My fingers itch. I walk into my studio, opening the windows there too. Sunlight streaks down my paintings, some finished, some halfway through. Some only with the first strokes. But anyone who walks into my place would see a motif. Barefoot, I take down the painting I had been working on yesterday, propping it to one side. A new canvas comes up next.

I need to paint that fox.

He’s been in my dreams for years. I don’t even remember the first time he popped into my brain. And one thing’s a pattern in my paintings. Him. The silver fox.

Sometimes, I make studies of his form. I take my time to paint each strand of his hair. Sometimes he’s just a passing figure. A shadow. But he’s constantly on my mind.

Before I sit down and waste my morning away drafting this next portrait, my stomach rumbles, demanding attention. It knows once I start painting, I can’t stop. I’ll only get up for water, bathroom, and quick snacks. My hand won’t stop moving until I have to let the paint dry. Until I’m half-satisfied with its performance. Until it reflects what I see in my mind’s eye.

Today, I want to paint him exactly how he was in my dream. Staring at me with those ardent eyes, fur shimmering in the moonlight. I wonder if I’m able to reproduce such beauty.

But first, food. Sliding into sneakers, I brush my hands down my black leggings and my T-shirt. The entire town knows I’m the artist living close to the woods. They’ve already seen me out for midnight snacks in my pajamas, so I don’t need to dress up.

Jumping into my car, I look into the mirror, adjusting my curly hair. It’s in desperate need of a cut, but today’s not the day. Also, the honeyed highlights reach my eyebrows, so maybe it’s time to have them done once more. Turning the key, I feel the engine purring before I turn on some music and drive down the country lane.

This corner of the city is the reason I moved here. I don’t care I have to drive an hour and a half to sell my paintings. I don’t care the post office doesn’t reach my house and I have to drive downtown to grab the stuff I buy online. Doesn’t matter there’s only one coffee shop in the tiny city.

I live in a cabin in the woods. It’s a-maz-ing. So quiet, so much freedom. The air is unbelievable. And I felt such a call to live in here. There are other cabins on the grounds, but they’re far enough for everyone to keep their privacy. The house to my right has a cute family with two kids. They’re very reserved, but I only have pleasant memories of them. The house to my left is empty, and I hope whoever moves there has the same vibe as the rest of us.

Pressing my lips together, I can almost taste the cold jasmine tea I’ll get. Croissant on the side? Maybe two. I have a feeling today will be a good day. The fox of my dreams shows up when I’m about to have a good day.

So I drive downtown with a smile across my face, singing a song under my breath. Whatever the reason for me to dream about this fox so much, I’m taking it as a good omen. And I’m facing the day with my heart open.