It's been three months since Kaia's encounter with Lucaa and she was beginning to think it was the last she would ever see of him.
Kaia wouldn't admit, not even to herself that she really was holding on to that promise Luca made about seeing her again. It was embarrassing how much of a hold that man had on her. However, it was hard to forget someone who took off a huge chunk of weight off her financially. Not to mention how ridiculously attractive that someone was too.
It almost felt like a fever dream to Kaia and she was starting to think if she dreamed it all up.
If not for Paula who kept occasionally asking her about "that hot piece of ass" (and Kaia repeatedly admitting she was just as clueless as her), she would've been convinced it was all dreamt up by her and would personally check herself in at a hospital.
"All right here?" Rosalie asked when they got to Kaia's street junction and Kaia smiled gratefully at her.
Rosalie has started work at the restaurant Kaia worked at about 4 months ago and they bonded so quickly, Kaia wondered if it was possible.
Each time Kaia was on shift, Rosalie always escorted her until they got to Kaia's junction. Once Kaia mentioned it and Rosalie said she went in the same direction, Kaia left it at that.
It really was so sweet of her to do that.
"Yeah, thanks Rosie." Kaia held the red head's shoulder briefly in gratitude. "Get home safe."
"Yeah, you too." Rosalie smiled and sniffed once then looked up at the sky.
Kaia frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Rosalie had been acting strangely today, a bit skippy. Kaia had questioned her but she was just a cold.
"I am. I'll be fine." Rosalie gave a tight lipped smile then looked up at the sky again. "The moon would be beautiful tonight."
Kaia followed suit in staring at the sky again. The moon was just beginning to peek out of the clouds. It looked like a full moon.
"Yeah, the werewolves would be out tonight. Rawr." Kaia joked then immediately felt embarrassed. She usually wasn't comfortable enough to make jokes around people.
However, Rosalie eased her by laughing albeit a little painfully. "Yeah, I hope their shifting isn't painful tonight."
Suddenly, Rosalie's head snapped down Kaia's street, eyebrows furrowed. And for a millisecond, Kaia could swear she saw her eyes widen.
Kaia furrowed her eyes at that confused. "Hey, what's—"
"See you, K." Rosalie cut her off and practically sprinted away.
"Oh... Kay." Kaia said, confused then walked into her lit street.
If it had been in her old neighborhood, a pepper spray and a pocket knife would have occupied both hands, ready to be used at any slight threat— and Kaia had used them a number of times.
This neighborhood, however, was peaceful and had a very low crime rate, so Kaia reduced her weapons to just a pepper spray in hand.
Her house was 6 blocks away from the junction but tonight, it felt further away than that. There was this shiver in the air.
Kaia stopped and turned, stilling and looking for signs of a presence. There was none, but that lingering feeling of someone watching her stayed.
She knew better than to stand there or go investigate when she got this type of feeling, so she turned back and increased her pace, getting her house keys out in the process.
3rd Block... 4th block.... 5th block...
Kaia heard a growl. A literal animalistic growl.
There were no stray dogs in this neighborhood and this sounded... almost sinister.
That was enough for her, she sprinted the remaining distance to her doorstep, hurriedly trying to open the door but the anxiety behind her actions made her miss the keyhole a few times.
The growl grew louder and out of panic, Kaia banged at the door, hoping her sister was home.
"Nel! Nelly!? Oh my God." She tried the keys again and this time, it worked and she pushed into the door, banging it and locking it immediately.
Instead of the warmth she expected her home to bring, there was still a chill enveloping her.
Hands trembling, Kaia put the lights on.
Everything was intact.
"Nelly?" She called out, warily stepping into her own house. "Chanel? Are you in here?"
Kaia slowly brought out her phone, 911 typed in and ready to call.
The chill was coming from the kitchen and Kaia followed it slowly. She put on the kitchen lights and the sight that met her made her heart drop.
The kitchen window was wide open, and the trash can beside the sink was toppled over. Like someone was hurriedly trying to make a getaway.
With shaky breaths, Kaia hurriedly went to close the windows, hoping with everything in her that the intruder was truly out.
She hit the call button then ran to the broom closet in the hallway, shutting herself in.
"911, what's your—"
"T-There was a break-in in my house and I'm not sure if the intruder is out." Kaia said as she held onto the knob.
This was such a stupid decision. She should've run back outside.
And what? Have a wild animal at you instead? Her thoughts taunted and she shook her head. It probably was all her imagination, this was probably paranoia from being stalked.
A horrible thought hit her. Was he... out of prison?
Did he find her?
"Ma'am?" The dispatcher spoke up again and Kaia realized she vaguely heard his questions.
"I—"
A window shattered loudly and Kaia dropped her phone. Hyperventilating at this point.
"Miss, is everything okay?" The dispatcher asked again and Kaia could vaguely hear him screaming her address to people.
She couldn't risk getting discovered so she put disconnected the call with her free hand. Hoping with everything in her that whoever just smashed her window hadn't heard a sound.
It was dead still for a while. Then Kaia heard sniffing. Loud, animalistic sniffing.
And there was that growl again.
"Oh my G-God." She trembled, tightening her hold on the knob.
What was it? A wild dog? A coyote?
But what would push it to smash through her window?
She tried to control her rapid breaths as she listened again.
Suddenly, the door was yanked away from her hold and she screamed, falling forward with it and hitting her head on the door frame.
Her vision was blurred but she could see the outline of a huge animal a short distance away.
Kaia whimpered, staying still as it came towards her.
Was this how she was going to die? Torn to shreds by a wild animal.
This all felt so unreal, like some type of fever dream.
However, the terror was alive and well in her.
Before the animal could reach her, a loud clattering and another loud snarl came from the kitchen. The first animal snarled back, snapping its head that direction.
Kaia used the distraction to back into the broom closet once more, shutting the door and inching to the wall.
Dizziness from the head hit was getting stronger and Kaia couldn't risk running blindly around her house in search of better safety when there were now two of those creatures.
Hopefully this was all one big, lucid nightmare. It wouldn't be the first time she had one.
She could feel herself losing consciousness, and she didn't fight it.
Letting the sinister snarls and the distant sound of sirens accompany her to a pitch dark world.