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In the cloak of night, a man drives across the invisible line marking the start of the town's territory. An outsider would have sensed nothing, but the man tenses up. He leans his head from side to side to crack it and rolls his shoulders.

He parks up outside the house and stares at the blacked-out windows for at least two minutes before making the decision not to go in. Instead, he opens the door and steps out into the chilled night air. With seven long strides, he enters the protection of the trees and kicks off his shoes. His clothes follow, dropping onto the fallen pine needles in a messy pile.

He, too, falls to the ground and lets out a grunt as he accepts the transformation. His body reshapes itself without a second thought. The metamorphosis takes only seconds and soon, the man has taken a completely different form, one that he feels equally as comfortable in.

With his breath appearing in fogs in front of him, he lifts his head and lets out a long, lone howl that shakes the leaves and makes it seem as though the trees are whispering to each other.

Across town, the howl stops people in their tracks. A couple eating a late dinner on the high street pause their conversation to look up at the sky. An elderly man smiles to himself as he nods in satisfaction and returns to his book.

A bright red Drako GTE stops at traffic lights and the two occupants of the vehicle glance at each other.

"Was that...?" The woman trails off, already knowing that her question is moot. Both of them instantly recognised the howl.

"He's back," the man growls back to her, the words ground out through gritted teeth.

As the lights change, he makes a sharp turn, changing their destination. The man heads up the hill, towards the manor that overlooks the town. He punches in the code by the gates and waits impatiently for them to open. Gravel is sent flying as he accelerates up the drive, pulling right up to the front steps.

"Wait here," he snaps at the woman and gets out of the car.

He has only made it to the third step when the front door opens. A woman twice his age but an equal to his looks steps outside. Her eyes land on the unannounced visitor and her lips purse into a thin line.

"He's back," she states the obvious.

The man stares at her. "Why? Why now?"

They both turn to look out across the forest that surrounds their beloved town. Both subconsciously stand closer to one another, sharing the same puzzled expression.

"I don't know...but I guess we're going to find out."

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I'm back in the forest again. For the fifth time this week, I am having the exact same dream. I'm still in my cosy cotton pyjamas. My fluffy socks tread over the dried pine needles that litter the forest floor. The smell of fog and damp hangs heavily in the air, but the air is still and the temperature mild.

It's too dark to see much of anything, but I can make out flashes of movement around me. By now, I already know what they are. Wolves are running through the trees. Some go straight past me; others stop to stare. They seem confused by my presence but are not threatened by it.

The trees clear and bright moonlight shines upon an open area, just as it has each night this week. A wolf steps from between the trees, its pelt grey and shiny. I know it to be softer than down feathers. It approaches me and lets me pat it, as it always does.

I hold my breath, waiting for the moment it howls loudly and runs off. As predicted, the scene plays before my eyes and the wolf disappears. I stand up, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a stranger. A very handsome stranger.

A man with short, tousled locs and blacker-than-night eyes enters the clearing. He wears nothing but a pair of shorts, leaving all of his muscular body at my disposal. He stalks towards me, and I cross my fingers, praying that, this time, it will go further than it has before.

I pray and pray that the twig won't snap. But it does, just like it has every time. The branch is broken underfoot to my left. We both turn at the sound of it and the an equally handsome man steps into the light. Asian in appearance and with long, dark hair, he walks up to me whilst watching the other man. His expression is defensive and untrusting. The Black man reciprocates with just as much tangible resentment.

Stuck between the two of them, I am fighting a myriad of emotions. I am torn between being deeply attracted to them, being concerned for their obvious dislike for each other and also feeling painfully curious as to why I am dreaming all of this.

A woman appears in front of me, and I know that her arrival signifies the dream is about to end. She seems older than the rest of us, but I do not hold a candle to her beauty.

"Boys, please," she says pleadingly.

They both ignore her. She turns to me and pins me with a hopeful stare. Her hand is outstretched towards me.

"Fix this."

I sit up in bed, gasping for air and covered in a sticky layer of sweat. My ears are still ringing, as though I've been travelling through air, almost as if I fell out of the dream.

I wait for the shock to pass and my heart rate to slow before laying back down on the mattress. I check the clock and note that I should be getting up soon. I know that it would be hopeless to try and get back to sleep, so I take my phone off charge and check my notifications.

I have a missed call from a blocked number. As I'm pondering what it could be- other than an insurance scam- it calls again.

"Hello?" I answer it groggily.

"Is this Miss Felicity Figo?" An authoritative voice asks clearly.

"Yes, that's me."

"I am Nurse Rhodes from Brookesfield County Hospital. I'm sorry to inform you that Vere Figo passed away last night. She suffered from stress cardiomyopathy last week when her husband passed away and I'm afraid she had a stroke last night and passed away peacefully. You are listed as her next of kin, I believe you are her niece."

It takes a few moments for my mind to catch up. I'm still a bit dazed from waking up and I haven't heard from my aunt in almost three years. I rub my eyes with my knuckles and clear my throat.

"Gosh, that's awful. Thank you for calling me. Am I really the only next of kin listed?"

"Yes, other than a friend who is listed as the executor for the will, you are the only family. She didn't have any children?"

"No, she didn't," I reply as I try to think what the next step is. "What do I need to do now, please? Do I need to make funeral arrangements?"

"Yes, we will keep her here until you can arrange for a funeral director to collect her. They will look after her while you plan when and where she will be laid to rest."

"Okay, thank you."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Miss Figo."

She hangs up and I fall back against the mattress, wondering what to do next. I've only met my aunt a few times in my life. She and my mother were not particularly close to my knowledge. All I remember is that she used to make candles and scented soaps for a living and, whenever I saw her, she always smelled like lavender and honey.

The nurse mentioned that her friend is the executor of her will, which means I don't have to do anything with solicitors or will writers. I just need to get her transferred from the morgue to a funeral home.

I get up and start to get ready for the day. I am incredibly lucky in that I can do what I love for work. I am a painter and I sell my work at local galleries and online. They are modest pieces, but they bring in more than enough to keep me housed and fed. I am quite content in my studio apartment, although it would be nice to move into an actual house one day.

When I get out of the shower later than morning, I have another missed call from a number I don't recognise. I call them back and find that it is the company that helped my aunt write her will. Her friend has already been in contact to inform them of her death and her will reading will be in three days' time.

I'm a little startled that this is all happening so fast, but I book tickets to get to Brookesfield. It's two hours from the city I am living in, but I don't mind the travel time. I want to go to Brookesfield, I believe it is where my mother grew up and I'd love to know more about her, she was always so mysterious when she was alive.

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So there's the first chapter!! I'm so excited to share this story with you, L x