Chapter 1 Furry Ambush

"Can you fathom what you're hearing?" Evelyn exclaims on the phone. "Mother passed away this morning, yet here you are in New York, relishing a new chapter as a New Yorker."

My breaths tremble in the aftermath of hearing about mum's sudden demise. Before I can utter a word, Evelyn hangs up, obviously unhappy with my distant connection to the family. Amidst the unannounced confusion, I gather myself and summon the courage to redial and reforge the connection.

"Share me the address, there are chances to make things happen." I request but she playfully mocks me with laughter.

"Despite her demise, if your new boyfriend, maybe, possesses any supernatural abilities, we'd be expecting you to work miracles here. West Oakland Avenue, Doylestown - the same location where you left us." She conveys.

"Is it Doylestown Hospital?" I ask, maintaining a cool tone, yet she hangs up once again.

Hastening towards the vehicle parked just beyond my doorstep, I promptly start the engine. I've gained several benefits from my time in White Plains, now is the right time to head back to my family.

Gliding into the streets, a light-hearted thought echoes in my heart as I check my wristwatch. In the quiet early morning, a scant number of vehicles move across the road, dictating how serene the journey ahead would be.

After an hour on the road, my car comes to an abrupt stop. Perplexed, I hastily check the empty fuel tank. With a frustrated sigh, I push the car forward, in search of a gas station in the vicinity.

I quickly return inside my car after it moves forward. As I turn the keys, the unsettling mix of screeching tires and sinister growls paves way for an eerie atmosphere.

"Nora, it's time to get down!" I silently scream within, having heard stories of wild dogs guiding people into a mysterious coven, and even if they return, they won't be their normal selves.

As I step out of my car, I catch a glimpse of two distinct eyes on a horrifying face, glistening intensely, endearing me to approach, though the expression on the face implies differently.

I thoughtfully withdraw, with the intention of giving Evelyn a ring before I am captured by strangers. As I shift away from the wild dog, planning to employ my human speed, I am suddenly surrounded by another wild dog. The presence and sinister cries from these creatures no longer match with wild dogs; they must be something else definitely.

It seizes me by the throat, and growls loudly into my ears, while other wild dogs join the noisy commotion to better enervate me. As I gasp for breath, I reach to the floor, aiming to grasp my phone for absolute safety but a closer wild dog snatches it from me and smashes it to the ground, growling more sinisterly afterwards.

As the wolf's punches intensify, I discern a particular mark on the nape of its neck. However, my observation is abruptly truncated as it injects me with an unknown substance.

I won't forget the mark - prolly if I wake, I would report to the police on time. But everything blacks out and all I can see...not see.

In the midst of the pain, a commanding presence intervenes as its authoritative shout eases the pain.

"Stop!" He echoes through the air as the fading footsteps of one entity follow, and deliberate thuds approach me.

My eyes snap open, a deadly glare fixed on the approaching figure. To my utmost surprise, I find humans surrounding me, not wild dogs.

"I'm Dominic. You had a road accident and need help. Someone should come over here." He explains, accompanied by one of the humans surrounding me. Despite my clear memory of wild creatures attacking, I decide to compose myself and ask no question from my Saviour.

Grateful for the help, I rise with a smile on my lips.

"Nora. Nora Taylor." I introduce myself.

"Be more careful next time." He offers a cautionary remark, but I click my tongue, eager to question the dude about the initial attack. I slip my hands into my pocket and retrieve my phone. I attempt to call 911 but Dominic snatches it away. His eyes gleam like those wild creatures and before I can escape, he carries me swiftly into the depths of the forest with unbelievable speed.

"I'm conscious, still conscious! Where are you taking me? Turning me into a vampire? That stuff isn't real!" I scream as we speed towards a destination known to him and unknown to me.

He whispers, "You'll live to tell if they truly exist."

The words cool my temper, nudging me to cooperate. In front of a particular building, secreted behind an active street, I spot the creatures that attacked me, awaiting Dominic. He releases his grip and confidently walks into the building.

"Good." He compliments.

"Did you shift?" He scoffs, questioning them; they nod in response.

"Bring our new member into the pack." He instructs as my brain reboots, recalling a high school lecturer's statement about wolf packs. Could they be wolves? No, I've seen wolves in pictures. They don't look like one.

While pondering this, I'm seized and taken inside the building they refer to as a pack. However, a well-dressed man restrains us from entering.

"I'm Ethan Sullivan, the Pack Healer, the Wolf Doctor. I would like to know your type of power before we can let you in." He says, but Dominic swiftly returns, flinging him away.

"I don't care what he thinks. Guide her safely into my quarters. If anyone stops you, you reserve the rights to attack." Dominic commands, giving me a peck on the chin as the creatures lead me into his quarters.