Ethan
I’d managed not to answer Calder’s text all afternoon despite how much I wanted to.
By the time I got home, had dinner, and settled into bed, there were at least four messages from him that I hadn’t responded to.
However, it looked like he’d given up for some time, the last one having come through before I left work.
They sat there on my screen, staring at me.
I felt a strange sensation in my chest, like anxiety and something deep inside trying to break free.
I wanted to text him back, to tell him I forgave him, maybe even ask him to come over.
It had been a long time since I’d shared a bed with anyone else.
Even if it was just sleeping, it would be nice to feel those strong arms of his wrapped around me.
And maybe, if he reacted to being so close to me, things could get… heated.
I shook my head, dropping my phone on the bedside table and plugging in the charger cable.
Those kinds of thoughts weren’t going to help me get to sleep.
A quick glance down showed the sheets were already slightly tented around my groin.
Clearly it didn’t take much to get me going these days.
But I didn’t want to get hopeful or attached to Calder, not when he had such a history of running off whenever things got interesting.
Besides, Jake had been so attentive during lunch.
The way he leaned in when I spoke, how his hand held mine across the table, not accidentally, I was sure.
He was everything I should want, confident, established, and actually interested in men without having some sort of sexual identity crisis every five minutes.
I rolled over, punching my pillow into a more comfortable shape.
The digital clock on my nightstand showed 11:47 PM.
I had to be up early for a staff meeting and I was exhausted.
I laid back, staring at the shadowed ceiling until my eyes fluttered shut.
If I could just pick one of these guys and get it over with, maybe I’d finally find some peace…
A sudden noise outside my window made me sit straight up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand.
It was 2:31am. I rubbed my eyes, trying to figure out what the sound was, but I’d been too deep asleep to hear it clearly.
I sat still, listening in the dark for it again, my heart still beating quickly.
There it was again… a strange scraping sound, like claws against the asphalt of the parking lot three stories below. My body went rigid, every muscle tensing as childhood terrors flooded back. I knew that sound. Had heard it once before, fourteen years ago, in the woods with my father.
I slid out of bed, my bare feet silent against the worn carpet as I crept to the window.
The rational part of my brain insisted it was probably just a stray dog or a raccoon rooting through the complex's dumpsters.
But the part of me that had spent years collecting evidence, the part that remembered those glowing eyes and razor-sharp claws, knew better.
With shaking fingers, I pulled back the curtain just enough to peer outside. The parking lot was dimly lit by a single street lamp, its yellow glow creating a small circle of light amid the darkness. And there, standing directly beneath it, was a figure.
Not a dog. Not a raccoon. But a massive, hulking shape that stood on two legs, its shoulders hunched and its head tilted upward, looking directly at my window.
"No," I whispered, stumbling backward, my legs tangling in the discarded jeans on my floor. "No, no, no."
It was the monster. The same creature I'd seen that night in the woods. The same beast that had torn my father apart while I watched, hidden behind a fallen tree. It was here, in Portland, staring up at my apartment.
It had found me again…
I tripped over something solid, the box I kept hidden under my bed. It had somehow been pulled out, its contents now spilling across my bedroom floor. Newspaper clippings, police reports, and sketches scattered like fallen leaves.
My hands scrambled for my phone, knocking it off the nightstand in my panic. When I finally grabbed it, my fingers were trembling so badly I could barely unlock the screen. Without thinking, I pulled up Calder's messages.
"Help," I typed frantically. “Please!"
I hit send before I could think better of it, then crawled back to the window, peering out from below the sill.
The creature was still there, its massive form illuminated by the street lamp.
I could make out more details now, the thick, dark fur that covered its body, the elongated snout, the pointed ears that stood erect on its head.
And the eyes. Those terrible, intelligent eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light.
The monster tilted its head, as if sensing my gaze, then raised one massive paw-like hand. With deliberate slowness, it drew a single claw across its throat in a cutting motion.
I scrambled away from the window, heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. My phone rang in my hand and I could barely hold it steady enough to hit the green button.
“C-Calder?” I stammered.
“Are you alright?” His voice was urgent and full of concern. “What’s going on?!”
“I… I’m scared,” I said, glancing up at my window. “There’s…” I paused, having just enough sense not to say the word monster and sound insane. “Someone outside my apartment. They’re watching me.”
“Lock your doors and windows. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Then the line went dead.
Five minutes? My apartment was at least a fifteen-minute drive from downtown, even without traffic. How could he possibly—
Another scraping sound, louder this time, drew my attention back to the window. I crawled forward on my hands and knees, staying below the sill. When I dared to peek over the edge, my blood turned to ice.
The creature was gone.
I scanned the parking lot frantically, searching the shadows between cars, the edges of the dumpster enclosure, and the small patch of trees that bordered the complex.
Nothing. It had vanished as completely as it had fourteen years ago, leaving me questioning my own sanity.
My gaze fell on something lying in the center of the pool of lamplight.
A small, dark object that hadn't been there before.
I squinted, trying to make out what it was, but the distance was too great.
The only thing I could tell was that it looked… wet.
My breathing came in short, panicked gasps as I backed away from the window.
The scattered contents of my secret box caught my eye.
There was years of research, evidence, and obsession spread across my bedroom floor.
Among them was the book I'd checked out from the library just before leaving New York, the one I'd never returned.
The History of Werewolves by E.R. Cunningham.
I'd dismissed it initially as pseudoscientific garbage, but now, with my heart hammering against my ribs and the image of that creature fresh in my mind, I found myself reaching for it with trembling fingers. I needed something to distract myself even if it was a bad choice of reading material.
The book fell open to a page I'd marked with the checkout card almost a year ago but never really read.
The illustration that stared back at me made my breath catch, a detailed drawing of a bipedal wolf-like creature, eerily similar to what I'd just seen in the parking lot. My eyes darted to the text beneath.
"The werewolf, unlike its purely fictional counterparts, does not transform solely under the full moon.
Many documented cases suggest that these creatures can shift at will, maintaining human intelligence while in wolf form.
Most dangerous is their ability to recognize and remember human faces, tracking specific targets across great distances and over many years... "
A sudden pounding at my door made me jump, a strangled cry escaping my throat. The book tumbled from my hands.
"Ethan!" Calder's voice, urgent and commanding. "It's me. Open up!"
How had he gotten here so quickly? I scrambled to my feet, suddenly aware I was wearing nothing but boxers and a thin t-shirt. I grabbed my discarded jeans from the floor, yanking them on as I moved toward the door.
"Coming!" I called, my voice cracking. I fumbled with the chain and deadbolt, then pulled the door open. Calder stood in the hallway, his chest heaving as if he'd run the entire way. His hair was wind-tousled, his eyes wild with something that looked like fear.
"Are you hurt?" he demanded, pushing past me into the apartment, his gaze sweeping the room for threats.
"No, I... I'm fine," I managed, closing the door behind him and engaging all three locks. "How did you get here so fast?"
Calder paused in his inspection of my living room, those light brown eyes meeting mine. For a split second, I could have sworn they flashed gold in the dim light from the hallway. "I was already in the area," he said, his voice rough. "Couldn't sleep."
The explanation felt thin, but I was too shaken to question it. Having him here, solid and real and protective, made some of the terror recede from my chest. "What did you see exactly?" he asked, moving to the window. His movements were fluid, predatory almost, as he peered through the curtains.
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold. "It was... God, you're going to think I'm crazy."
"Try me." His voice was gentle now, coaxing.
"It looked like a… monster. But huge, standing on two legs. It was watching my window, and when it saw me looking, it..." I swallowed hard. "It made a throat-cutting gesture."
Calder went very still, his hand frozen on the curtain. "Did you get a good look at its face?"
"Not really." I shuddered. "But it’s eyes... They were intelligent. Like it knew me."
When Calder turned from the window, his expression was grim. His gaze fell on the scattered contents of my box, taking in the newspaper clippings, police reports, and the open book. I saw him read the title, saw something flicker across his features.
"Ethan," he said carefully, "I’m going to go outside and make sure whatever it was is gone.” He came over, placing both of his hands on my biceps. “It was probably just some creep. This… isn’t exactly a good neighborhood.”
I looked deep into those brown eyes of his, seeing something flicker there that I couldn’t quite place. “Don’t go out there,” I replied. “Whatever it was, I don’t want you getting hurt.”
He smiled this time, touched by my concern. “I’ll be alright. I work out.”
"I'm not worried about your ability," I said, though the warmth of his hands on my arms was steadying. “That thing wasn't human, Calder."
His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath the stubble. "Ethan,” he said softly. “It’s gonna be okay. I’ll be right back."
Before I could protest further, he was moving toward the door with that same fluid grace that seemed almost too perfect for a human body. I followed him, grabbing his leather jacket sleeve.
"Please," I whispered, hating the desperation in my voice. "Don't go out there."
Calder turned, his eyes searching mine. For a moment, I thought he might listen, might stay. Then he gently extracted his arm from my grip. "I'll be right back," he promised. "Five minutes."
The door closed behind him, and I immediately engaged all three locks, my heart still hammering against my ribs. Through the peephole, I watched him stride down the hallway toward the stairs, his shoulders set with determination.
As soon as he disappeared from view, I rushed back to the window, pressing my face against the glass to see the parking lot below.
The streetlamp still cast its sickly yellow glow, illuminating the empty space where the creature had stood.
The small dark object was still there, a stark blot against the asphalt.
Minutes ticked by, each one stretching impossibly long.
I paced the living room, checking the window, then the door, then back again.
When Calder finally reappeared in the parking lot, I nearly collapsed with relief.
He moved with purpose toward the center of the light, crouching down to examine whatever had been left behind.
Even from three stories up, I could see the tension in his body as he reached out to touch it.
Then he straightened, scanning the darkness with an intensity that seemed almost inhuman.
His gaze traveled upward, finding my window with unerring accuracy. Our eyes met through the glass, and something passed between us, something primal and unspoken. He held up his hand in a gesture that clearly meant "stay put," then he pulled out his phone and started to dial.
Whatever was left behind by the monster, I knew it couldn’t be good if Calder had to call the police.