Big Bad Wolfie
Chapter 55: 54 - Dreams

It's my turn to hide and Sophie's turn to seek.

I giggled quietly as I climbed the tree as silently as I could to avoid Sophie, my favorite cousin/bestie (just don't tell Brandon and Rosy), hearing me from her counting place a few feet away.

I'm a whole 4 months older than Sophie and an entire 3 inches taller, so there's no way my mear 7 and a quarter year old bestie can compete with my 7 and a half year old tree climbing skills. She won't even think to look up here for me.

She was almost done counting to 25 when I heard some rustling in the opposite direction.

I looked to see what animal it was, because something smelled a little funny, but she finished counting and all my attention went back to her.

She walked right past me and I covered my mouth to hide my giggles.

She kept looking. Picking things up and checking under them, and around bushes.

When she looked utterly confused, I laughed and called down to her, "Do you give up?!"

She turned to me startled, then a smile grew on her face, "There you are!"

I laughed loudly as I clumsily climbed down the tree. "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah," She waved me off, "but I'm about to replace the best hiding spot ever. You'll never replace me." She grinned cockily.

I smiled back and covered my eyes. "One!"

I heard her run off.

Twenty four seconds passed...

"Twenty five!" I finished counting. "Ready or not! Here I come!"

A few minutes passed.

"Wow!" I yelled to her in no particular direction, "this really is a good hiding spot," I laughed.

A few more passed.

"Can I have a hint?" I asked her.

I got nothing in return.

"Alright" I giggled, "that's just gonna make it even cooler when I replace you."

A lot more passed.

I started getting uneasy but pushed it away. She did say she came up with the best hiding spot.

. But how did she make it so I couldn't smell her.. ?

An hour passed.

Wow! She's so good at this! It's only taken this long for one of us to replace each other once, and it was when I kept switching hiding spots to get away from her.

That must be what she's doing.

An hour and a half...

"Okay Sophie," I laughed.

I can't believe she hid this good.

"I give up, you win."

Nothing.

I rolled my eyes but was still smiling, "C'mon Sophie, you already won I can't replace you."

Even more nothing.

My heart picked up a bit.

Calm down Maria. She's just messing with you, I told myself.

But I'm still scared.

"Sophie, c'mon, it's almost dinner, our parents will be mad if we don't go inside." I tried to lure her out.

She still didn't come out laughing at me because I had lost.

And I'm starting to freak out.

"I'm serious Sophie! I'll call my mom if you don't come out."

Still nothing.

"I'll call Aunty Brie!" I threatened her with her own mother.

Silence.

I felt the tears prick at my eyes.

"I'm serious Sophie, you're scaring me."

It's like her to play a little trick on me, but she would never take it this far.

"I'm going to get our parents," I called.

When I got inside I ran to Aunt Brie. "Aunty! Sophie -"

"This is all your fault!" She screamed at me.

What? What's my fault?

"If it wasn't for you! My little girl would still be here!"

My chest started hurting where my heart is.

What?

"They were looking for you! They were after you!," she started crying. "Oh, my little girl," she weeped.

She still managed to give me a death glare.

"It should have been you! It was supposed to be you! She didn't deserve to be taken away!"

"Aunty" I reached out to her with tears running down my cheeks.

"No!" She hollered. "Look what you've done!" She pulled Sophie's detached head out from behind her back. "Look what you've done!!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Everything about those few weeks came crashing back to me.

"Maria! Wake up!" Someone yelled, lightly covering my mouth, but holding me tight. "Maria!"

I punched whoever was holding me in the face and shot upright in fright.

"Ouch," Wolfie groaned.

I took in my surroundings while trying to slow my breathing.

Then finally processed what I'd just done.

I turned to him and cringed. "I'm so sorry."

He laid down next to me and shook his head, "Just go back to sleep. Luckily you didn't wake anyone up with your screaming."

"I didn't?" I asked while he pushed me back down.

"Not with my hand in the way," he grumbled tiredly.

Hm.

"I can't go to sleep. I'll just have another one and wake everyone up this time. I'll just take the next shift," I said, sitting back up.

"No Maria," his grip tightened around my waist.

I stopped. Which is weird because he's so banged up he's practically helpless to stop me, but I still halted my movements to hear what he had to say. Probably the d@mn mate bond.

"Zach is taking the next watch. I had to leave you to take the last shift but I'm staying with you the rest of the night."

I looked to Zach and he waved at me.

"You need to rest Maria," Wolfie asserted.

"I've gotten the most rest out of all of us, Wolfie," he flinched a little at the nickname, but didn't say anything about it. "I didn't take watch a couple nights ago either."

"And neither did Zach or I," he told me. "Now don't worry about it and just go to sleep," he hugged my waist tighter and laid down and closed his eyes.

My eyes were drawn to my mark on his neck and the feelings of guilt resurfaced.

But there was also shameful joy and excitement.

I can't control that nature and the moon goddess want us together.

"Maria," he mumbled with his eyes still closed.

"Hm?"

"Stop starring at the mark and lay down."

I'm sure if I was a little more hydrated my cheeks would have turned red.

"Okay," I said out of embarrassment and did so.

His warmth lulled me into sleep once again, while I tried to ignore the fact he knows him laying next to me is the cure to my nightmares.

"Hey, Mari," he whispered to wake me up. I smiled and stretched my limbs out after a long and comfortable sleep.

"Good morning," I grinned turning to Wolfie in our comfortable bed.

"Morning, baby," he smiled back and gave me a peck on the lips. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great," I nodded happily.

"Good," he nodded back. "Ready to start the day?"

I sighed, "I guess," I groaned dramatically.

He chuckled at me and got up out of our bed.

I got to enjoy his shirtless torso while he got everything ready for himself for the day.

When he sadly finished putting a shirt on, I was still in bed.

He shook his head at me with an amused smile and came over. "C'mon," he said as he lifted me out of the bed bridal style.

I squeaked and held onto his neck, laughing.

When we were both ready, we headed out of the Master house and into the day.

"Hey, Mari, Jason." Happy greated as he walked by. "You two sure slept in, fun night last night?" He wiggled his eyebrows at us.

I rolled my eyes but laughed, and Wolfie threw a pillow from the couch at him.

We kept on with our day and everything was going great.

"Mistress Maria, Alpha Jason," one of Wolfie's scouts came running from the woods, already in human form.

"What is it, Seb?" Wolfie asked him.

"Rouges," he told us shortly.

We both became serious. "Where?" I asked.

"Right outside the main square," he responded.

"Let's go," I took off at the same time as Wolfie with Sebastian close behind.

We collaborate on a plan, and it played out exceptionally well.

The rouges retreated and everything was right again.

I was beaming and Wolfie came over looking confused, but amused.

"Why so smiley?" He chuckled.

"Somebody pinch me," I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck. "This is too good to be true."

"Psst, Maria." Someone whispered. "Maria?" He did it again.

I opened my eyes, back on the cold floor of the real world.

"Hey," Wolfie spoke quietly, seeing I was awake. He wiped the tears I didn't know were falling from my cheeks. "Did you have another nightmare?" He furrowed his brows in confusion.

I swallowed and shook my head.

He looked even more confused. "Then, what's wrong?"

I paused, but slowly rolled onto my back to look at the still starry sky. "This time... reality's the nightmare."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐