Heart of Ice

Chapter Nine

Song: Safe and Sound- Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars

I can still recall when the first nightmare happened.

I was seven years old. Hunter was almost 12. The only other kid in the house was Hunter, so the majority of my childhood was spent playing with him. We played tag or hide and seek outside with my aunts and uncles, made each other eat the most disgusting mud pies we could conjure up, and even though he would protest, he almost always ended up playing Barbie dolls with me. I had the Barbie castle from the Barbie movies, and I wasn't about to waste my precious time not putting it to good use-- especially when he was so good at playing the role of prince Ken.

Before the nightmares, our childhood had been carefree. Hunter and I played until we couldn't hold our eyes open, and even when kids his age would come over, he still included me. He was my best friend. And after the first nightmare, we only grew closer— he became my protector too.

That day had gone on like any other day. Training with mom in the morning, play with Hunter all day, dinner with the entire pack, and then bath and bedtime. Mom always tucked me in and read me a book, and then she would kiss my forehead before going to her room. Dad followed suit before he went to bed with mom. My room was my sanctuary.

Until it was haunted with an enemy I couldn't outrun for long.

I couldn't remember falling asleep. His neon green eyes had appeared in front of me, and the monstrous smile that spread across his face scarred my mind more than a little seven year old could handle. The first time I had seen him, he laughed like a maniac and chased me. Just before I woke up, he caught me, his razor sharp nails digging into my arms as he laughed louder, while I screamed out in agony. I had shot up in my bed, wailing intensely as tears cascaded down my face, and then mom and dad burst into the room, holding me tight and cooing soothing words as I sobbed harder. I screamed more, telling dad about the monster who caught me, and I hadn't realized it then, but by the looks on their faces, they knew exactly who it was. After that night, everything in the pack house changed.

Hunter and I were no longer allowed to go outside unless the entire pack was present. If any of the pack members had to leave, we were required to stay in the game room until they were back. Security around the house increased. My windows always had to be locked. The curtains had to be closed. Hunter was deemed my personal guard. Brett trained him to be a protector, and I saw Hunter less and less throughout the day since his training had increased so drastically. But then, he suggested to my dad that he stay with me during the nights for safety, and dad loved the idea. Anything he could do to protect me, dad would do in an instant.

The next night after I had taken a bath and mom dried my hair, I sat on the edge of my bed, clutching my teddy bear tight against my chest. Hunter laid on the cot my parents had brought in for him, but when I laid down and closed my eyes, I could see those neon green eyes glaring back at me, and I sat up in my bed as tears brimmed my eyes. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without fearing that he was in my closet waiting for the perfect moment to grab me when Hunter was fast asleep. After all, he was a monster. At seven years old, it was easy to believe that monsters were real, like the kind I saw on Scooby Doo.

If only I had known that this one was actually real and wanted to kill me.

I had glanced over at Hunter again before walking over to his cot. Clutching my teddy bear in one arm, I gently poked his arm, and he peeked one eye open before rolling on his side, looking at me with concern. "What's wrong, angel?"

"I-I'm scared," I mumbled, my bottom lip quivering as I held my bear tighter, and Hunter sat up as he brushed stray pieces of hair out of my face.

"I'm right here. You're safe," He smiled softly. "Nothing can hurt you while I'm here."