Kara Davies

What kind of fantasy world did I end up in? That's the main thought dominating Kara's mind when she watches the group spread out on the open field. It's all she has been thinking about these last couple of days. What the hell happened to her life? Is she dreaming? Did she die? How does one go from camping with her girlfriend to ending up surrounded by supernatural creatures?

Here she was, a merry human, fresh out of college, very close to submitting to a 9 to 5 job, a small apartment in the city, and a nonexistent social life, now, stuck in this young adult slash supernatural drama full of werewolves, vampires, and witches who are either yelling or glaring at each other like creepy stalkers.

Eight days ago, everything was normal. But then a wolf attacked her, and then a leopard appeared. And then her girlfriend pulled out a freaking crossbow. Then that leopard became a girl. Then she saw a witch–yes, a real-life witch who's also a part vampire–heal her painful leg within minutes.

Seven days ago, she thought she would never sleep again, knowing what she knew. Knowing the truth about the world. All around her, there are creatures walking among them. They aren't human. They're different. No, not just different. Stronger, faster. Superior in every way. Some may seem similar, but they all can be dangerous. Which is why Kara is a little reluctant to accept the truth. That, and the fact Denise and she are still in a forest with these creatures. With the dangerous ones as well as the familiar ones.

After seeing what she saw, she thought she would never close her eyes again, but in the end, the tiredness won and forced her to retreat to her tent. That night, she slept better than she could have imagined. As if she felt safe within the group of witches and shapeshifters.

Yes. This is my life now.

And now she's here. Still in the forest, still with the angry wolf, the into-a-giant-cat-turning girl, the witch-turned hybrid, and her very kind, yet intimidating mate-something. Yes, soulmates are real. Apparently. Now, another supernatural creature has joined the group, a vampire. Like the freaking world isn't crazy enough already; they have to add an angry, blood-sucking man to the story. Which is just... great.

Apart from Darius and Athena, everyone walked back to the part of the forest where they have spent the night. As 'usual', Leon leaves the group first. He runs towards the densely wooded area; Kara shivers when she can hear his bones crack, indicating he has shifted. She watches Shani; the sadness visible in her eyes, even from where Kara was standing. Demir guides the werecat to the unlit fireplace where they take a seat. Even thinking about it makes Kara realizes how normal this routine has become. It has only been a couple of days and she feels like she has known these people for much longer. Except for the vampire, of course. She looks sideways, where Hinote is watching her studying everybody else. Kara can't believe they wanted him to stay, but it shocked her to see he's still here. Doesn't he have super speed? Couldn't he just go before anyone even realizes he's missing? Maybe he's found a reason to stay? Just like she did.

Denise wanted to leave the moment her leg was healed. She remembers what Denise had said to her right before the campfire and Athena's magic show:

"We shouldn't stay here, Kara. I know this world, it's far too dangerous to get mixed up in," Denise says, still whispering even though they walked far away from the group. Kara knows Denise is probably right. This is no place for a human. But something is holding her back. She knows the reason, but how can she tell her girlfriend? "Can't we stay a little longer? At least until we're back in the city again. Now I know what's out there, I don't feel comfortable being alone in the forest," she says and Denise sighs, "I understand, but I'm not sure if it's safer for us to travel with this group. We don't know them."

"Don't you think if they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already? Would Athena have healed my leg, or would Demir have saved me from falling hard on the ground? I know I don't know this world, but I think we can trust these people. At least for now."

"I'm so sorry you got mixed up in this mess, Kara," Denise says, grabbing her hand. Guilt is written on her face. It makes Kara a little uneasy. "This is not your fault; I was the one determined to go camping at night in the most dangerous forest of the country."

"Yeah, you really picked the deadliest one, and I didn't stop you because I love you and I didn't want to disappoint you." Denise had told her briefly about her past, but Kara could tell those weren't the best memories of her life, so she accepted the limited information she received about Denise's former life as a hunter.

Kara doesn't want to leave this group, not before she got the answers she's been looking for. But she still hasn't told Denise. Her reason for staying might upset her, and that's the last thing Kara wants. For now, Denise agreed it would be safer to travel together, but how long before she starts to feel uneasy with all these supernatural creatures around her? It has been seven days already; surely her girlfriend must realize by now she doesn't want to return to the city.

"Guys, can you all come here for a second?" Darius's deep voice echoes through the open spot in the forest. He doesn't have to yell to be heard; his voice is always heard. From every corner of the forest, people appear at the empty, chosen section of the forest. Everybody stays silent, watching Darius in anticipation. "There is something you should know," he begins. "It's the reason why I wanted to avoid a certain area on the map. In that part of the forest...lives a pack. My pack. My old pack."

He inhales before speaking again. Athena squeezes his hand.

"Six years ago, when I still lived in that pack, another alpha and his warriors attacked us. They broke through our defenses and killed the alpha. My father. That night, I lost everything. My family, my pack, and almost my life. Right before he died, he ordered me to run. He told me to survive and since I couldn't repel his command back then, I did. I left my sister and mother there to die. I abandoned my entire pack, left them in the hands of a maniac, and haven't dared to return ever since." Darius's voice is shaking, but he isn't finished yet.

"The borders are near. If we'd travel for one more day in the direction we're headed now, they'll find us and they'll come after me. I suggest we don't give them a chance and stay as far away as possible." He ends his confession suddenly practical. While the rest is still processing his story, he's moving his fingers uneasily through his hair. Kara can't name it, but something in the way he's reacting shows he doesn't want pity nor hope speeches. And so, everybody stays quiet.

Hinote is the first one brave–or not acquainted–enough to say something. "You know, I knew you were an alpha the moment I saw you; it's what fueled my anger at that moment."

"Well, I am not an Alpha, not anymore at least," Darius says bitterly, causing some frowns from the rest. "I'm not sure about that, Darius. Pack or no pack, you are an Alpha," Athena replies.

"Yeah man," Demir says. "I haven't followed you across the freaking continent because you're a nice dude."

"No ordinary werewolf would have survived an attack on their pack like that," Leon adds, followed by Denise: "and no ordinary werewolf can stop a flying arrow." Darius doesn't seem convinced yet; he looks up when Shani places her hand on his shoulder. "Look what you did for this group, Darius; you make us listen to you, you make us listen to each other," she says, smiling.

"You're a born leader."

What on earth is an Alpha? Kara has not been made aware yet of the slang of the supernatural world, but knowing that Darius is a werewolf and alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, she's guessing the Alpha is the leader of a group. But what does that mean? And how would a vampire know he's an alpha? So many questions, but definitely not the right time for answers. Darius's mind is somewhere else completely, most likely with his family. She can't imagine losing her family in such a cruel way; killed for power. That's horrible.

"Have you ever thought of returning?" Denise asks, and he chuckles grimly. "Every single day. I wish I could just march in there and demand my rightful place, freeing my pack from a terrible leader, but there is nothing I can do to change their fate. If I come even close to their territory, I am dead. We all are."

"So, we'll change our course, and we'll stay out of the forest for the next couple of days, or at least don't go in too deep, okay? I'm still looking for clues on the exact location of the pack in the North, so we'll move slowly and carefully and nobody will get hurt."

A couple of days later...

Seven pairs of eyes are intensively watching the crowd. Some look frightened; others look focused. They all look so different from one another. Different colors, different faces, and different gazes, but they all have something in common, they don't belong. A scream alerts them. She realizes it's coming from her own mouth. Nobody notices except them. Now, each pair of eyes looks at her until a bright light blinds her vision until all is dark...

The moment the darkness took over, Kara's eyes opened. Damn, another one, she thinks, irritated. It reminds her she should come clean to the group. To Denise. But every time she wants to talk, the words just get stuck in her throat. Do they know she's hiding something? Can they tell? She sure hopes they can't tell, although perhaps then it would be easier to tell. At least tell Denise, Kara. She'll listen. Kara doesn't doubt that for a second, but she's afraid of all the questions she might add to the long list she has of her own.

"Hey, are you okay?" Denise asks her when she positions herself next to the huntress. A quick kiss on her lips wakes her up properly and she nods. "I am, but I have to talk to you...in private," she whispers. Denise looks around the group before meeting her eyes again. "After breakfast?" Kara asks, and Denise simply smiles to confirm. One thing she has learned from this supernatural group is they–with Shani as the only exception - don't like the mornings.

She doesn't really understand, because at least two of them barely sleep at all. She knows Athena closes her eyes sometimes, but in her mind, Hinote is always awake. When he is, he's usually observing everybody. He isn't trying to hide that fact at all. On many occasions, she has seen him gawking at her shamelessly. He watches her like he wants her to know he knows something about her, but he doesn't want to tell her. Maybe it's just his face. She really can't tell. What she does know is that there is a lot of anger inside him. Just like his curiousness, he's not trying to hide that either, unlike Leon, who keeps running away every time he's close to shifting.

Luckily for him, it hasn't happened that often as in the beginning, and Kara's certain it has something to do with the presence of Shani. Even though they have barely spoken, the fact she's close is enough to control his frustration. How? Kara has no idea. Their whole situation about them being soulmates is really hard for her to understand.

After breakfast, Kara and Denise walk into the heavily wooded part of the forest, where Denise waits patiently until Kara starts talking. Breathe, Kara. Okay.

"I know you want to leave the group and I truly understand why, but there is a reason I want to stay," she begins, gazing briefly at Denise, who raises her eyebrows at the serious tone Kara spoke with. "For more than a year now, I've been having these strange dreams. First, I only heard voices, but then I started seeing eyes and faces. Their faces," she says, pointing her head towards the clearing where the rest of the group is still eating breakfast.

"What? All of them?" Denise's eyes grow wide when she realizes what Kara is saying.

"Yes. First, they just stare at me, but then... things happen. Shani suddenly shifts and Athena... Athena has her red eyes. It used to scare the shit out of me, and that was before I considered the possibility of it being all real."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. I thought it was just a dream, Denise. I had no idea you were all really out there. It started more than a year ago; before I even knew anything about the supernatural world. I didn't even think twice about the dreams until I met you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because you were there, too. In my dreams."

"What?"

Kara vividly remembers the first time she saw Denise. She was walking in the streets of London when Denise suddenly stood in front of her. She was wearing a bright blue t-shirt and a pair of short jeans. She looked hot, and Kara immediately kept looking. It wasn't until she took off her sunglasses Kara realized she had seen her before in her dreams. It was the reason she dared to approach her in the first place and damn, is she glad she didn't walk away. And yet, in time, she convinced herself that the girl in her dream wasn't Denise; that they weren't the same, and the dream wasn't important.

Until a couple of days ago, when she saw Darius, holding the arrow Denise had fired at Shani, who had shifted into her leopard form. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Demir next, knocking the crossbow out of Denise's hands, Athena walking towards the leopard, only to return with Shani. They were all there. Every single one of them has visited her in her dreams. Sometimes apart, sometimes together. Now she knows, whatever those dreams are or what they mean, they are important.

"The dreams came more and more often. Whenever I would close my eyes at night, you were all there, staring back at me. I-I can't explain it, but something is telling me not to walk away from this. There must be an explanation, but I refuse to believe it's a coincidence. I have to find out what it means."

"I understand, Kara. Of course, we have to stay to figure this out. As you said, this cannot be a coincidence."

"Do you think we should tell them? I-I don't know how they're going to react?"

"I think it's better not to say anything," Denise says. Kara nods; she trusts Denise's judgment and her knowledge about this world. She used to be a hunter for crying out loud. Of course, she's reluctant about sharing information with a group of supernatural creatures. Kara realizes she trusts this group. Perhaps because she trusts the eyes she already saw in her dreams. Even in Hinote's angry eyes, or Athena's red ones, she could see that behind all that, they were good people. For now, she'll keep her dreams between herself and Denise, but soon, she knows she has to tell them because only they can help clarify what it means.

"Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but there are some doubtful people close by, and I'd feel much better if you stayed close to the group," Athena says, appearing from behind the bushes. Kara nods and looks at Denise.

"We'll talk later," her girlfriend assures her before they walk with Athena back to the area where they spend the night. "I understand you want to take some space from us, Kara. It can't be easy to get thrown into our world without a proper introduction. Just know you can ask me anything you'd like to know."

"I'll keep that in mind, Athena," Kara says. She likes Athena, maybe because she acts as the most human out of all of them. Athena told her she used to live among them. Whenever her eyes find hers, she can't help but think Athena knows something about her, something she would rather keep hidden for the time being. She is an extremely powerful enchantress. Surely, she's able to enter her mind without her even knowing. Since the group found out Athena's a hybrid, they've been acting like she's the most special being on the planet. Kara still doesn't understand the meaning of her being a hybrid, but she figured it must really be something if other non-human creatures say she's one-of-a-kind. Stronger than any witch, different from any vampire. I guess I should be glad, she's on our side.

—————————————

"No way, you've met the first vampire. That must have been awesome," she hears Demir shout. "He's actually exhausted of living, so it was kind of dull," Hinote answers indifferently. They look up when they see the three women appear. Demir smiles at all of them, trying to make everybody feel easier. Kara has found out he does that quite often, probably because this group needs it that frequently. But despite Demir's friendly looks and sometimes childish behaviour - the latter especially towards her girlfriend- she still can't think past the fact he's a freaking werewolf. He literally can change his own body to become a gigantic, furry, head-ripping wolf.

And then there is also Hinote, who would drink her blood to survive. Who's immortal because of it and faster and stronger than she could ever imagine.

"How old are you even?" Denise asks him.

"48," Hinote answers, which makes Kara gulp in surprise. "You're 48? You don't look older than 25," she says breathlessly. She isn't stupid, she's still terrified of the vampire. A few days of travelling together doesn't change that. Can you blame her? He feeds on humans just to stay alive. How could she feel comfortable about that?

"Stop looking at me like that," he grunts.

"Like what?" Kara asks.

"Like you're afraid I'm going to tear you to pieces. I never killed a human in my life and I don't plan on doing so. And I stopped aging at 24.," Hinote says to her, piercing his bright brown eyes into hers. Kara forces the corners of her mouth up; she doesn't know what else to do, but she can't help but feel uneasy about his presence. His words definitely don't change that.

"How does it work then?" Demir asks curiously.

"Well, I drink only the bare minimum so they don't feel different after... my bite heals immediately, and the toxin wipes the mind," Hinote explains, raising his eyebrows when he sees Kara's stunned expression. "Don't look so shocked. I get it's weird for you, but if I don't drink, I die. Besides it's not like I need three meals a day like you funny humans, I feed twice a month, sometimes less, and in most cases, I show my gratitude thoroughly to them, as compensation for a service they don't even know about.

"Gross," Denise answers.

"I've been bitten once," Demir says, "but because I wanted to. The toxin of a vampire is probably the only way for a supernatural creature to 'get drunk', as you call it."

"That's disturbing," Kara blurts out. She shuts her mouth immediately after.

"It really is," Hinote responds. "The black market for vampire venom is extremely big, especially in Asia and America. Even supernatural creatures like to forget their troubles or party once in a while," Hinote says amused, even though a smile doesn't appear. Kara really cannot tell what to think of the vampire. He keeps his distance, and yet, he answers all the questions the group asks him. He's not rude, but he refuses to share a car with any of them when they travel. And yet, for some reason, he's still here.

But when Kara thinks about it, she realizes the same thing applies to almost every new member of the group. Leon seems invisible most of the time, but he's also still here and she and Denise don't plan on leaving soon either. They all have their reasons for staying. For Leon it's Shani; for her and Denise it's an attempt to find answers, and even though Hinote's reasons are a mystery, it must be something big. Something worth sticking around for. And yet, despite all the valid reasons, Kara suspects it still might be something more. She isn't sure they realize it yet, because most of them are used to being alone. And maybe it's more of a human thing to think about, but she's certain none of them would still be here if it didn't feel right. So, perhaps, something's changed. Perhaps they started out tolerating the company, but are now slowly realizing they actually like the group. Maybe, just maybe, they want to stay because these strangers aren't strangers anymore. They have become friends.