You’re shaken, but creeps like that always back away when confronted. He’ll bother someone who won’t stand up for herself now that you chased him off.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
I’m not at all convinced. If anything—as stupid as it sounds—I wish those intense green eyes were back on me.
I let Natasha leave. I can’t tell her that I feel like some thing is watching me. Some kind of monstrous thing rather than a mere man. She’d think I’d completely lost it.
When she leaves, I force myself to try to focus. Finals are coming up in a week, and as usual, I’ve procrastinated most of the papers I’ve had to write. I’m not in the right headspace at all to study or write, but there is no way I can take even an afternoon off with how much I have left to do.
As I work, the feeling of being watched gets worse and worse. It feels as if whatever is watching me is getting closer. When the man first left the coffee shop, it felt like it was watching me from a mile away with binoculars, but now it feels as if it’s just across the street from me.
I decide to go home. The feeling that something is coming closer and closer to me won’t go away, and the primal urge to get up and move is growing. I need to run from whatever it is, even if I can’t see it, and even if it makes no sense at all.
Two
Kula
There’s just one coming for her. But it’s getting closer. I left when she asked me to because I thought the Ulkar would keep its distance from her, but it’s acting bolder than I expected it to.
I shouldn’t have left. Staring at the human signaled to the Ulkar that I would protect her, but now that I’ve left, it doubts my resolve.
She seemed put off by my staring, but I did it to protect her. It didn’t hurt that I got to look at her the whole time too. She’s stunning. She’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.
In that moment when she approached me, I almost lost it. Her hair is either red or brown depending on the angle the light hits it, and it smells like strawberries. And her face turned even redder than strawberries when she met my eyes up close. It took every ounce of my resolve to not reach up and touch her.
I will protect her. It’s supposed to be my job to prevent the Ulkar from harming any humans, but I’ve changed my mission: It’s now just to protect her. To protect Ellie. It’s no coincidence that the Ulkar and I are both drawn to her. It’s forbidden for me to so much as touch her, but I will keep her safe.
The Ulkar won’t take her in front of so many other humans, but when Ellie comes back outside, it will start looking for an opening to take her. I won’t give it one.
As soon as Ellie comes outside, I’ll—
There’s movement from all directions. Dozens of them are coming now. They’re swarming in on her. The one closest to me laughs. An Ulkar’s laugh is more like a screech that makes you wish you were deaf. Even though I’ve fought Ulkar many times before, it sends chills through me. They all start laughing as they move toward Ellie.
Three
Ellie
As I’m packing my computer up, a horrible coldness goes down my spine. It’s like a horrible screeching sound that’s so high-pitched I can’t hear it, but I can feel it vibrating through my bones. Just moments ago, it felt like there was just one thing watching me, but now there are many more, coming toward me from all directions. And it feels like they are all screaming.
I grab my phone and shove it into my purse, zipping it up as fast as I can. I need to get out of here. Whatever feeling I had is more than a feeling now. Whatever is watching me feels real, and even if I’m going utterly insane, I know I need to run.
I walk outside and look around at the sky. I feel like they are coming from the sky, but I don’t see anything. It’s cold out, but the sky is unseasonably blue and clear. I really must be going insane, but my body seems positive I’m in danger, so I walk as fast as I can toward my apartment.
Then he steps out from an alleyway and puts himself