The Wolfs Maine - By Jinni James Page 0,3

to get a good night sleep then. Try not to wake me when you get home and have dinner waiting for me. I won’t have time to fix anything myself.

Fix dinner for himself? He has never fixed dinner for himself ever. I doubt the man even knows how to use the oven. I text Jaci and let her know that the night out is on and I would be ready by six o’clock. I got a text back that said and I quote, “It’s on.” Then I decide to write John back.

John,

I’m just not sure if meeting each other in person is the best idea. What if anyone found out? What if Nicholas found out and killed you or us both? I will think about it but I just don’t know right now. I miss you too and I want to see you. This is so frustrating you know? Anyway, I need to go and get a nap in before I go out with my girlfriends tonight!

Always,

Ava.

I figure I better lay down and get a few hours of sleep before I go out on the town. It’s been years since I’ve been out like that and I doubt I would be able to stay awake if I did not at least try to get in a cat nap. I hear my phone within five minutes of lying down and it’s John.

“Going out huh?! That’s a first! I hope you have a good time tonight. Sweet Dreams.”

Before I know it I’m drifting off to sleep. I find myself in that dream again only this time I know what I’m trying to find, it’s John. I keep walking and looking and can see him but the more I walk the further away he gets.

I look over and those yellow eyes are watching every step I take, but all I can think of is getting to John. I begin to run towards him, every breath beginning to feel like it’s shredding my chest until I finally run into him. He holds me with his strong arms, vowing to not let me go and all I can hear is him telling me to breath and then I feel something change. It’s John. He is disappearing or not disappearing but changing into something else, something soft. The next thing I know he is gone along with the yellow eyes that were following me and all I hear is a howling in the distance. I wake up breathless.

Chapter Two

I didn’t really know where I was until my eyes began to focus and see my living room walls and my computer blinking at me. A chat window is up and it’s Lena,

‘Are you ready yet? It’s Five o’clock. I’m going to come over there and pick you up. See you soon.’

Damn! It’s already five! I jump up and get myself together. Shower, clothes on, makeup on although I doubt it makes a difference to this pale face of mine but I have to try nevertheless. Finally I strap on my favorite high heel boots with my black leggings and one shoulder tunic, make sure Nicholas has dinner in the crock pot and head out the door to find Lena waiting for me.

“Hey Avalon! You ready to party?”

“Definitely!”

First we go to Five-Fifty Five where we order dinner and get that ‘out of the way’ as Jaci likes to put it and then head over to club Styxx on Spring Street. Since its Thursday it is Ladies Night which meant discount pitchers of Margaritas.

Inside is what you would expect from a club, multi-color lights, a DJ booth, loud music, an awesome wrap around bar, and all kinds of people on the dance floor. We make our way to the bar first because Lord knows we are going to need a drink before you get us out on the dance floor. The bartender looks at us and smiles. I have no idea what he’s thinking but he comes right over. He looks like any typical bartender; tall, built, his arms look almost as big as my thigh with tattoos on his arms and spiked black hair. It was nice to see white teeth though when he smiled. Normally bartenders smoke so you always see the yellow teeth if you’re lucky to see teeth at all but this guy looked much nicer.

“The usual, Jaci?” Lena and I both look at Jaci as she says “Of course,” followed with a wink.

“Jaci, how often do you come here?” I had to ask.

“I don’t