Chapter 8

• She remembered how these men had transformed into weird creatures before her eyes. She remembered how they howled and fought like beasts. She had remembered the furs, the extended limbs and the claws. But yet, none of the pictures captured these details. Was she hallucinating? It was impossible to believe otherwise as she stared at the pictures of eleven murdered humans.
• "I'm leaving..." Emma jumped in surprise as Allen tapped her shoulders. "Are you okay?.." He asked, observing her shocked expression.
• "Ummmm...Yeah..." She lied. "I was just reading through the files. This is a very bizarre case..."
• "Well, the autopsy results would be ready tomorrow and we'll probably have a lead..." He sighed. "For now, I'm heading home..."
• "Ok. I'm just going to stay back for a while..." Emma said leaning casually against her chair. "I think I have some other files to review..."
• Allen nodded, then strode hurriedly away. There were several thoughts in her mind as she watched him leave. She shook her head, trying to overcome her anxiety. She looked at the files again and wished she had a normal night and hadn't snuck into the Formonix warehouse. She wished.
• She spent the next four hours alone on Allen's desk reading through the files. As much as she was in a tight position, she wanted to find out more about the case herself. There was a lot of conflicting information she needed to verify.
• At the end of her work hours, she managed to figure out some things. The victims were Russians. They were murdered with motive. Their bodies were dumped behind a cafe. Everything that the field contained. It had been a complete waste of her time but yet, she couldn't bring herself to abandon the file. She was exhausted; her head had resumed aching and pounding. It was entirely impossible she hadn't learned something new.
• By five o'clock, she resigned to her fate that the case was indeed bizarre and she couldn't figure out anything until the autopsy results were out. If luck was against her, her blood and fingerprint would be found in the system.
• Emma left for home gloomier than ever. Her life was turning upside down and she orchestrated it. To make matters worse, she would be labeled a murderer in a few hours.
• But as she drove silently in her car, she was unsettled with the constant feeling that the case revolved around her. The men had been killed because of her, she was certain of it, but why? Years of investigation could not help her with her new bound mysteries.
• She however knew that she had to see the man who saved her again. There were a thousand questions she desired to ask him. But most importantly, why had he saved her? Why did he risk his life for her? Had he known her plans all this time? Could he be the missing piece of the puzzle?
• Her feet slammed on the car brake as she pulled into her driveway. Resting her head on the steering wheel, she pondered on her life. Her life hadn't always been smooth but she had never believed she would recklessly destroy all she had worked for.
• Sighing deeply, she exited the car and made her way to her apartment, her feet tapping soundlessly against the ground.
• Unlocking her door, she walked into her apartment tired. She threw her keys on the sofa as she made her way to her bedroom. Maybe she could sleep and wake up in a few hours to realize she had been dreaming. That it was just a goddamn nightmare.
• Pushing her bedroom door wide open, her eyes fell on her bed and she froze. In a second, one large hand clapped around her mouth. Staring down at her, Emma widened at the familiarity of the intruder's ink-black eyes. But this time, she was not in a warehouse.
• She was in her bedroom.
• Clyde stared down at Emma whose eyes had widened in horror as she remained frozen against the wall. His hand was still clapped around her mouth, stifling her words or cry for help.
• "Shhhhh..." He slowly whispered. "I'm not here to hurt you..." But his words had seemed to have left only a minor effect on her. She remained frigid, her heart pounding furiously against her chest.
• Unsure of her reaction, Clyde had uncovered her mouth, drawing back in slow motion, his actions gentle enough to dismiss her fears.
• Her eyes were burning through him as she watched him cautiously. Clyde was certain she had a thousand questions on her mind or plotting an escape plan. His wolf stirred with excitement from seeing her and he fought to suppress it.
• "How-How..." She stammered, her eyes not leaving him for once. "How did you get in here?.."
• He grinned charmingly, before glancing at her bedroom's wide open window. "You have a window..."
• "Is this a normal habit of yours?..." She asked. "And-And-And how do you know where I live?.."
• Clyde glanced at her. Her face was apathetic, but her eyes were filled with terror. She looked outsized with all the clothing she had on her body. Her sun-bleached brown hair was carelessly let down, bouncing on her squared shoulders. He could still see the bruises and cuts from the past night through the heavy layer of makeup she wore.
• It felt like a dream but very much real and to worsen the situation, she had no weapon to attack this man. Or, beast. Whatever he was. There was no way in reality a human could fight off those creatures. Even a skilled warrior would have been fazed. Yet, this one wasn't. Until he proved her otherwise, she was going to hold onto her suspicions.
• Stay calm and get him to peacefully leave without doing anything stupid, Emma planned out.
• "I've known where you live for the past six years...." He admitted. "Is that a problem?..." His eyebrows were cocked expectantly.
• "Who are you?..." She blurted out. "I mean, What are you?..."