ALICE

Two more days until our trip away. I was meeting up with the girls to discuss the last-minute things we need.

I arrived at the coffee shop and spotted them huddled in the corner seats.

“Hey.” I slung my bag down and grabbed the chair as I tried to hide a yawn.

“Alice, you made it on time.” Tammy chuckled as she knew what I was like.

“I’m so excited about our trip.” This would be our first trip away without our parents. “Did you say you had the map of where we are going? Greystone Peaks is a massive place.” I tapped my fingers on the table, asking her to show me.

“They have a check-in point at the beginning; we will be given everything there. Don’t worry, I rang them and double-checked we are booked in,” Cassie said.

She placed her hand on top of mine. “We are in the Ridgetop cabin. It has two bedrooms, so we will have to share. But we are allowed campfires in the designated area.”

Cassie clapped her hands as she continued reading some of the information. “Check-in is after midday.”

“If we set off at about 8 a.m., we should get there on time.” Bella sipped her coffee. “My dad has checked my car for us so we will be safe.” She smiled, a little embarrassed.

Bella was useless with cars—I was surprised she even passed her test. I always wondered if it had something to do with her dad owning the only car maintenance workshop around here.

“8 a.m.?” I exhaled and glanced at Tammy.

“I’ll be up and ready,” she snapped back at me.

Tammy was as bad as me at getting up in the mornings.

“It doesn’t matter if it is a little later as long as we get there before nightfall. I don’t want to be driving up forest tracks in the dark.”

“What do we need to bring?” Tammy pulled out a notepad. “I’ve got all the main things, like food and booze.”

We all burst out laughing.

“What, that’s all we need.” She laughed along with us.

I grabbed a coffee, and we went through everything. Tomorrow was packing day.

We agreed on who was buying what and parted ways.

I walked the short distance back to my home.

My parents always kept themselves busy with building projects. Dad built these wooden outbuildings, as he called them. I called them sheds, which he hated. But, to give them credit, they were unique and varied in size.

The one he built for use was amazing. As half of it was a bar, he threw the best parties around.

“Hi, pumpkin.” He appeared from the lounge as I poured myself a chilled glass of water. “Are you excited for your trip?”

“Yes, I just met the others. Could you run me to the shop tomorrow so I can get some things?” I really needed to learn how to drive.

“I’ve got a customer discussion with plans for a huge contract. Your mother is going through some of the paperwork now.”

He pulled out a couple of bottles of water. “If we go first thing, would that be okay for you? I need to be out of here by 11.00 a.m.” He held his breath as he waited for me to answer him.

“So, what are you saying?” Dad knew I was not easily tamed out of my bed in the morning.

“If you are quick, 10 a.m. We go in and come straight back out.” He raised his eyebrows, probably not hoping for the answer I was about to give him.

“Can I just give you the list and you go get them for me?” I put my hands together and begged him. “I have to be up and ready the following morning by 8 a.m.”

Dad burst out laughing and slapped his thigh. “You barely made it to school in time; even then you didn’t get up till five minutes before you were due in.

“Pumpkin, you are going to university soon. You really need to start taking control of your life and going to bed early so you can get up on time.

“You won’t be living at home, and I won’t be there to make sure you get up on time,” Dad huffs out.

I knew I was a nightmare when it came to waking up, but till the early hours of morning, I either read or sat at my desk, drawing.

“You could always ring me?” I bit my lip and giggled as Dad pulled a face at me.

“No, you have to be up in the morning, otherwise I won’t take you.” He waggled a finger at me before picking the bottles of water up and going back to join Mom.

“Ugh.” I grumped and stomped upstairs so dad could hear me. My bag was on the floor, half-packed. For two weeks, I’d be away with the girls in a cabin in the woods.

An idea sparked in my head and I had to draw it down.

The thought of a pretty cabin and the trees surrounding it filled me with joy.

As I was drawing, I got lost in things, and a vision of a handsome wolf came to my mind. I added him to my picture.

I colored him in, and his amber eyes were amazing once I’d finished. The picture wasn’t big enough, so I started a new drawing of him.

Did wolves roam about the place we were going to?

Something inside of me fizzed up to the surface. Excitement and… “Oh my.” I squeezed my legs together.

Okay, so I read a lot of fantasy stories and lost myself in the worlds created by authors. There were so many times I’d wished that I was one of those girls whisked off by a handsome stranger—in this case, a wolf.

I didn’t realize the time as I was so engrossed in drawing my wolf. And I almost missed dinner.

My stomach growled as I wondered what to eat. Voices could be heard out in the garden, so I knew mom and dad had friends around. I went into the kitchen and saw a plate left covered.

Dad was an amazing cook, as well, and had left me some of his famous herb mozzarella-stuffed chicken in a creamy sauce, with a side helping of baby potatoes.

“Mmm,” I moaned, licking my lips, as I watched it heat up in the microwave.

It finally pinged and sent me to an orgasmic heaven with the flavors. I was sure Dad made it for me as a special treat as I was going away tomorrow.

I planned to not read tonight and get my head down to sleep, but instead of reading, I couldn’t stop staring at the drawing of the wolf.

Maybe it was the anticipation of the trip, of being in some wild woods, and a hell of an imagination. It was all fantasy. Werewolves weren’t real, but my dreams said otherwise.