who is emmy matthews?

He laughed as she played along and he shook his head. He didn’t believe it could get much crazier than what he had in his rear view, even if she was just joking. “I like to think I’m pretty skilled in dealing with crazy,” he said with an easy grin. “But you’re welcome to try me.”

He turned his head to remind himself where he was, filling in his mental map and scoping for what food joint might be nearby. “I haven’t tried Devil’s Diner yet, have you? I hear the food is pretty good.”

Their playful banter gave Emmy the faint hint of happiness, something that she hadn’t experienced at all since she arrived in Shadow Falls. She appreciated the fact that he underestimated her crazy, she truly wished she was less complicated than she actually was. Momentarily she entertained the thought of him understanding her life story, and how it had all been a lie, but she couldn’t even imagine what that would look like.

“Let’s do it.” She encouraged the suggestion of the diner. Truth was, she hadn’t really been eating much lately, stress had gotten the best of her, but the sound of greasy grubby diner food sounded appealing. Emmy loved the concept of diners, they all had the same mediocre charm behind them, she always knew what to expect. “Lead the way.” She said as she pointed off into the ambiguous distance.

But he hadn’t replied yet, had he? His mind was muddled, a hazy maze that took some navigating before he reached the conclusion that he had to say something in order for this to be conversation. “I was curious about you.” The real answer would have been that he didn’t have a choice, but his words weren’t a lie either.

Seemed like her brain was more interested in someone real — ironic considering that this was a dream — than a mere fantasy, because rather than jump at that suggestion, Nate found himself hesitating. An in-character action at the worst time. The void inside of him didn’t like what he was doing, tearing and expanding pitilessly, begging to be filled by something, anything, no matter what it was. Gods, what was wrong with him? This beautiful girl was inviting him closer and yet here he was, frozen. All because of the actions of someone years ago, the incident that had left him with an aversion towards touch in the first place. Those memories were a little less vivid than usual right now, for which he was thankful for. This wasn’t his dream or nightmare, they couldn’t get him here, but they made him careful nonetheless. So he took a step forward, settling down on the floor close to the bed, the salt still between them. He wasn’t sure if things like that worked here or not. “Is it true that all witches have a familiar?” That made no sense in the context of their previous exchange, but he had stated that he was curious, so he didn’t question himself. “What’s yours?”

Her eyes were trained on him as she waited for him to make a move. It took a moment before he made any visible response, almost like there was a glitch in time. She couldn’t help but furrow her brows at the inner turmoil she suspected was going on before her. All empathy she had within escaped her, and she wanted him gone from her room in that moment. This reaction was completely out of character for the young witch, and even though logically she understood his lack of sexual interest, her body was beginning to be irritated by the distance.

All irritation faded as soon as he feet started moving closer to her. She heard the floorboards creak underneath the weight of his body as he settled on the floor next to her bed. Moving closer him she slid forward onto her stomach, her knees bent, so her bare feet were pointed to the ceiling. Using her arms as a pillow, she crossed them, and settled her cheek on her forearm. Her gaze still lost at the man before her.

Her trance seemed to be broken when Nate mentioned her familiar. “What?” She questioned aloud, lifting her head up. “My familiar?” The question was getting lost in the haze of reality. Then a rush of panic hit her, and her whole body jolted up from the bed. “Aspen!” She called out, as she began searching her room for her cat. There were no signs of her cat in the room, her water bowl was absent from it’s usual corner. The door to her closet absent of the scratches that were once carved in them. As she analyzed the clues to where her familiar was- she had a moment of lucidity. This wasn’t her room. It was then when she realized she was in a dream, and it was then when she fully absorbed that there was an incubus in her room.

“You need to go. I don’t know how you got in here, but...please go.” Her words clear, and had a force behind them. This moment of lucidity allowed her to acknowledge that she was in a vulnerable situation, and although Nate had expressed his disdain for sex, she didn’t know him, therefore she couldn’t trust him.

Honestly, Grace felt more secure in Shadow Falls then she ever did while she was bouncing around New York with the other witches she met.  The things they’d done back then were dangerous and Grace didn’t want to revisit them.  “I can hook you up if you’re looking to get in a coven, or just point you towards some of the other witches in town.  Whichever you’re into.”

Emmy nodded as she listened to Grace’s experience in Shadow Falls. There was always this underlying sense of anxiety staying in the witches quarters at Radleys and not interacting with any other witches. Being a loner she was comfortable keeping to herself, but sometimes she wondered if her presence was stepping on anyone’s toes. It put her at ease to know that the witches in town weren’t this intense crazy cult, and that they were pretty chill.

“Thanks, that would be so cool.” She responded to the girls offer of being a liaison between her and the other witches in the community. “Covens aren’t really my thing...but I’m always down to meet more witches.” She explained. “Also, if you ever want to grab a sober drink in the daylight away from the noise and men breathing down your throat I’m down.” The offer had a sense of vulnerability behind it, Emmy wasn’t one to extend herself, but moving into town was suppose to be about change, and she was trying.

With everything in hand, Mattie was finally ready to leave. As she followed the other woman out of the store, her excitement rose. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of flavors the shop had. It didn’t distract her for long before she realized the other woman had a point. She was too eager to leave with a stranger.

“You know, that might help,” she said with a laugh. “I’m Mattie. Totally should have said that right away. Customer service 101.” Mattie then shrugged. “No, don’t worry about it. I’m glad you found it. I’m sure it’s expensive, your oil stuff.”

The blonde before her was so incredibly upbeat. She had this enthusiasm with her words, that infatuated Emmy. The only time she had ever exerted that energy was when she added it to a sarcastic joke. However, she appreciated that the woman had found something within to keep pep in her step. It was something that she struggled with most days.

Beginning her stride towards the dessert shop, she smiled at the girl. “Yeah, and I guess it holds sentimental value and shit.” Her eyes rolled and she shrugged her shoulder, trying to make light of the statement. “We all have that one thing that we really don’t want to lose i guess.” Assuming  her new friend could relate she continued, “When I was thirteen my heart would’ve broken if I had lost my denim jacket covered in Paramore patches.” The confession colored an alternative part of her that seemed long gone with age. “What’s your thing?” She asked, trying to color Mattie beyond her kind exterior.

An eyebrow was raised at her bold question, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. Every social filter and form of appropriateness was missing at the moment and he couldn’t remember why he should care or be irritated. “Maybe I did.” His voice was inhabited by confusion rather than challenge. Who had lived here before her again? “Maybe they bent me over that bed and even my fast healing didn’t protect me from walking home with a crooked gait.” Nate didn’t think that the salt circle had been there just a moment ago, but its presence made sense, so he didn’t question it. “Or maybe we just hung out. I don’t know. I prefer to think it was the latter. You might not believe me, but there is nothing fun about sex when you do it only because you would die otherwise.” A frown appeared on his face as soon as he said that. Depressing. He didn’t want to talk about depressing things right now, they were too hard to focus on.

Standing still would only make him more aware of the strangeness of his surroundings and he didn’t want to dwell on that either, so he continued moving around slowly. “By the way, why did you invite me?” If there was a reason he was here, he might as well figure out what it was.

The question was bold, but it wasn’t out of character at all for her to ask. She had a tendency to challenge men, making her inadvertently a ball buster. Her personality combined with the haze around them made all her words seems brash. His apparent confusion on whether or not he had hooked up with someone in this room before, caused her to cock her head in wonder. Who was this man? Why was he so aloof? Why did he have a tendency to get so crass? Was he confused with himself? Her thoughts and judgements flew through her head so rapidly she couldn’t catch and ponder a single thought.

Lacking the focus to listen deeply to his words, she caught the gist of his statement of sex and death. His mouth morphed into a frowning position, and Emmy bit her lip in silent solidarity. It did seem like a sad existence. She didn’t know the stranger in her room, but she had an inexplicable urge to show him that sex didn’t have to be depressing. However, something in her pulled back from making a move towards him. Instead she turned her back to him and crawled further into her bed, exposing her body further to him. Making her way to the pillows, she made herself comfortable and brought her legs to chest.

Hugging her legs, she shrugged at his question. “Why did you walk in?” Her question non combative, but curious. She looked around the room before settling her eyes on him. “You can sit on the bed if you want.” Nodding forward at the space in front of her. If she were lucid this interaction would’ve gone differently, she would’ve ushered him out of the room as soon as she found out what he was, ending his stay and never inviting him on her bed. Yet the offer was extended, and she was being friendlier than her natural instinct would normally allow.

Emmy didn’t want to hear that Nikki’s father wasn’t in her life. She hadn’t grown up with a father herself, and although it wasn’t outwardly detrimental to her upbringing, she remembered growing up wondering why she didn’t have one. Her eyes grew a little wider as Gianna spelled out the word, acknowledging that she wanted to keep the word far from her daughter. She looked at Nikki and wondered what man wouldn’t want to be a part of this little girl's life.

She took the old friends offer and pulled a chair up across from her and the young girl who was still playing with her face. Sitting, she prompt her elbow onto the table and leaned her face into her hand. “I wish my life was lackluster.” She said with a small sigh, truly wishing that she could reform herself to a simpler life. “Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin.” She paused, “When did you get here?” She asked referring to Shadow Falls.

The words struck him, called to a part of him that desired to be understood, to be a part of something. He was not a creature meant for solitude, but wasn’t that exactly what he was doing to himself? And wasn’t it because he had absolutely no idea who he was supposed to be in this world? The real world? He ignored the light tone and focused solely on the words, finding he was staring again and he forced himself to blink and look away.

He hadn’t really been expecting the deflection, the question thrust in his direction and he had to scramble to catch up. He couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped him. “I guess you could say I came here for work. Free, fruitless labor.” He grinned a little to himself. If she wasn’t going to show all of her cards, neither was he. Though, now that he was done helping her rinse off her hands, he was reluctant to let this conversation come to an end.

“If you’re not busy, maybe we could grab a drink? Or some lunch, maybe? You could tell me what you know about this Emmy girl and we can both get a better idea of who we’re dealing with.”

Their interaction had started with Emmy being the vulnerable one. The one who needed help healing her wounds. She wasn’t quite sure when the air shifted, but she felt compelled to help heal whatever it was that kept Raffe in his hazy world. He was staring at her again, and although her natural instinct was to hide when people looked too hard at her, she let him stare, allowing him to take his time to reflect on her question.

She was truly taken aback at his offer to hang our further. She had gotten the sense that she had spooked the man and that he would retreat further into Wonderland park to never be seen again. Which would’ve disappointed the young witch, she couldn’t recall the last time she met a man that was nice to her with no ulterior motive. Her day had switched from spiraling to a pleasant despite her injury.

A genuine warm smile emerged over her face, she had been struggling with her own mind lately, and could really use a friend. “I’m not busy.” Her voice welcoming the offer. “I must warn you though.” She paused for dramatic effect. “They say this Emmy girl is crazy.”

Hearing the other girl was an air witch made sense.  She could see that sort of vibe from her.  She had worked at Madame Zeroni’s long enough to pick up on some things.  Being in the coven certainly helped with that too.  Her gaze flicked to watch her cause the leaves to flutter in the wind.  It didn’t seem like much, but she knew air witches could be incredibly powerful.

“Oh for sure,” she replied while chuckling.  “I can mess with that tree, but you can do some pretty fun things too.  Air seems so limitless because you’re never without access.”

“I guess I never really thought of it like that.” She admitted. Although, Emmy was incredibly grateful for who she was and all her abilities, she had never thought about what other elemental witches went through. If she really needed to defend herself from a predatory man or anyone for that matter, she could send an air blast their way forcing distance. Grace didn’t have that luxury in a place with no nature. Still she was curious what the other witch was capable of, unsure how in tuned with her abilities she truly was.

“So what’s the witch community here like? I’ve only met one other witch besides you in town, and I’m still new.” She recalled back to her first encounter with another witch at the winter ball. The witch, Erin, was incredibly nice, but she didn’t have much information on what it was like out here. Emmy wasn’t looking to become part of a coven, she was too much of a lone wolf for that, but she did want to know what the overall attitude of her peers in Shadow Falls were.

With the minor tasks complete, Mattie appeared again from under the counters. “Okay, just let me get my stuff,” she said as she ran to the back. Moments later she returned, paperwork shoved into a backpack. At least she was getting a decent break before she had to work all night. “Alright so where is the froyo place?” she asked. “I spend so much time here, I have no idea where anything else is.”

Emmy watched as the blonde put her last minute closing touches on the shop. She had the urge to offer help, but the shop was cleaner than she had expected, and Emmy really didn’t know what she would do. She stared out the window wondering what the street looked like three year ago, what it might’ve looked like when she was child. She turned back to the girl just as she was coming out from around the counter and smiled as she gathered her belongings.

She held the front door opening for the girl, as she stepped out into the quiet street. “It’s down the block and then we make a left.” Her left hand pointing into the distance. She waited for the girl to join her in the street before letting go of the door.

“Before you just go off with a stranger for froyo. I’m Emmy, and I really owe you one for today.”

He noticed how she rose and went to the window when it was her turn. People often fidgeted, paced, avoided eye contact when they were uncomfortable. He could tell the personal question, despite how broad it was, was making her itch. He allowed her her space and listened thoughtfully when she spoke. What stood out was her lack of details: the things that went unspoken. What sort of family lived in Shadow Falls? A secret siblings? A long-lost father assumed dead or abandoned her? Nick shook away the abandonment idea– he’d already revealed his own dad ditched him, so there would be no reason for Emmy to feel shame about that if that was her case. Nick tilted his head, keeping his tone open-minded, but soft. He didn’t want to scare her off, like she was a bird that would take flight from those few inches of space between her now-open window and the window pane. “What was the fight about?” He asked.

Then before he knew what was happening, she was back in his space. Her dark eyes surveyed him and he couldn’t help but let his gaze dance over her features as well. His skin felt warm from the copious drinks he had taken from the schnapps and the intensity of her gaze. He leaned in slightly, just a little closer. Her breath stung with alcohol that was soon smoothed over by the peppermint. He let out a breathless laugh at her question and let his hand fall just next to hers on the bed, his thumb grazing over her slender pinky.

“Only when provoked,” he challenged smoothly, smirking at her question. He wasn’t opposed to seeing where this would go: she was a beautiful girl and he’d be lying if he wasn’t attracted to her. The enigma, those eyes. Like she was a warm fog that guided you down a path to someplace you never knew existed. But Nick wanted to find out. He quirked an eyebrow at her, moving closer to her face, his free hand reaching up and brushing back her dark hair from her face. “You up for a challenge?”

She had fast tracked them into a moment, she wasn’t sure she was ready for. A pause of energy exchange, caused the room to go still. She waited for him to respond to her question, but he kept her waiting as his eyes met hers.

The intention was to flirt her way out of an interrogation, it had worked, but in a different way than she had anticipated. She was used to teasing men with her sexuality so they would dumbly forget about all the emotionally intimate things that they wondered about her. However, with Nick she had an inkling that he hadn’t just simply forgot about the question she ignored. He was accepting her for who she really was; a broken girl who was too closed off to talk about what really hurt. She appreciated that, and it made her whole body soften in a way she never let anyone see.

Her lips curved ever the slightest, when he strategically let their fingers touched. She was mildly intoxicated, but it didn’t dull the electricity that the touch shot up her pinky as his thumb grazed it. His cheeky words slipped out of his mouth as he smirked. Emmy playfully raised an eyebrow as her fingers found the almost empty bottle, tracing the edges as she waited for Nick to make a move.

She stayed still as he brushed her hair back and moved closer to her face. Hyper sensitive to his touch, she felt total immersion when their lips found one another. The kiss although soft had so much built up energy. She wanted to share herself with him. She wanted him to know her, she wanted to reveal herself the way that he had exposed himself to her, but she couldn’t do it with words. So when she slowly kissed him back, she allowed her lips to part more ever so slightly, giving him the opportunity to explore her more intimately.

Shadow Falls Incorrect Quotes - #3

Despite how thin the walls were and how loud the people downstairs had been, he couldn’t hear them anymore. In their place there was this thrumming sound too close to his ears which only aided in making him feel more isolated from reality. The air tasted strange on his tongue, dead somehow.

He was himself, but he also wasn’t. The real Nate would have glanced away out of respect when she leaned forward, but this version, the one he couldn’t control and only observe, wasn’t held down by concepts like courtesy, inhibition or shame. She had checked him out, so wasn’t it fair if he did the same? At least that was what he told himself. Right now he was nothing short of voracious, his insides a gnawing hole, the only sensation he was capable of feeling that wasn’t numbed. Still, even his dreamself knew that he wouldn’t be able to feed here, he’d end up more hungry than he already was. He would simply have to entice and play hard to get as usual — the best meal was brought by sheer frustration, both that of his partners and his own.

Besides, he hated the thought of seducing an enthralled person. If someone wasn’t clear-headed, he wasn’t interested, the same way he wasn’t interested in someone drunk.

“What do I like to eat? Hmmh.” He made a show of thinking about that question, gaze off to the side. The lighting was orange, but the sky outside was a pure gray, even though it wasn’t clouded. The shapes of the town were all wrong and constantly shifting, it made him feel uncomfortable. “I like those that aren’t afraid to talk back to me. Those that are a little rough around the edges.” He found himself leisurely strolling through the room with the confidence of someone that wasn’t a stranger to it. “I can’t handle sweetness.” When he turned back to her, a wicked smile was on his lips. “I’d rather burn my tongue.” After all, getting burned would make him less inclined to be with the same person again and if it stayed a one time thing he wouldn’t be a danger to their lifetime. There were many reasons he hated being an incubus, being able to kill with a kiss was one of the biggest.

It didn’t matter if she was awake or dreaming, she had a bad habit of staring. It was one of the many reasons people found her to be so intense. She never meant it to be rude, in fact she had developed the habit by trying to assure people she was listening. Trained on his exaggerated thinking gesture, she waited for him to tell her what he wanted a taste of.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes in a huff, no matter what realm she was in - men we’re always the same, they loved the chase. Emmy had always been an elusive being with a snarky mouth on her, and often it garnered her unwanted attention from men. She recoiled back towards the other side of the room, bored with his answer. Sitting on the edge of the bed she pressed her hands into the mattress, prompting herself up. “You wouldn’t like me then, I’m sweet as pie.” She teased sarcastically. He didn’t know her, but she didn’t exactly emote sweetness. She wasn’t a malicious person, but if she needed to burn someone she would.

Crossing her right leg over her left, she bit her lip, and squinted at him, “Were you banging the witch in here before me?” She wouldn’t have been surprised if that’s why he had knocked on her door. Recalling on what the room looked before she arrived was hard, the air around them was heavy, and all her possessions seemed like they had been rooted into the floorboards for years. The thought of a salt pentagram under the bed crossed her mind, and then it appeared in a perfect circle surrounding her bed. Emmy didn’t have the ability to manifest things on command, but she didn’t think twice about the apparition. Strangely -- nothing about this whole interaction seemed out of place, not even the stranger before her.

“I just came from the club and I’m glad I’m not there anymore,” he started conversationally, glancing around the room with only the mildest curiosity. It didn’t look too different from the others in this building. “Some of those people really don’t get the meaning of boundaries. You can’t just grope me out of nowhere and expect me to be fine with it and then get angry when I’m not.” Shit, this was quickly getting into a territory of things he wouldn’t usually talk about with a stranger. It was strange, how a part of him could be so aware that he was dreaming and yet he still wasn’t able to consciously decide his own actions or interfere with the dream. Even though it didn’t make sense to talk about this right now, at that moment he felt like it was a completely natural thing to mention.

The world seemed muddled, too dim and vivid at the same time. “’But you’re a guy and an incubus. Aren’t you supposed to like that?’ That’s what they ask.” He huffed, crossing his arms. “And to that I would like to say that I like to choose when and what I eat, like anyone else. You wouldn’t want me to shove a casserole down your throat, Susan, so get your grubby hands off of me.” Rant finished, his posture relaxed a little and he turned around to face her again, his expression considerably more playful. “Really, I don’t know why I bother going to those places. But enough about me, how are you doing?”

Her eyes followed the man as he walked into her room. Her room was cleaner than she remembered, there was a lack of clothes thrown about, and her altar was clear of all residual candle wax from the ritual earlier. The dust coating the window muted the orange light coming through. She watch the dim ray as it hit the man, she could hear him talking, but was captivated by all the minute features that made him attractive. Emmy trained her eyes her eyes on the curve of his mouth as he spoke.

Listening to him speak of a club, made her cock her head in confusion. Was the sun rising? She couldn’t recall what time she went to bed. Hadn’t she just woken up from a day nap? Everything was so hazy, she needed to start focusing. Tuning into his story, just aided to the confusion. Why was he talking about being groped? He was a man, he couldn’t know what it was like to have strangers put their uninvited hands on you. She tried to figure out if there was a part of the story that she had missed, but quickly became uninterested in trying to recall. This interaction although comfortable, wasn’t making sense.

Her ears perked when he revealed himself to be an incubus. She had encountered so many different kinds of supernatural beings since her arrival in Shadow Falls, so why hadn’t she put things together sooner? She watched enthralled in his words as he went on his rant, about his taste in women. Not many things intrigued the young witch, but this man had an inexplicable allure to him.

“It’s hot in here.” She said as she walked passed him towards the window to their left. Her slinky black nightgown was short, and when she leaned forward to open the window a crack she inadvertently flashed him the curves of her bum. Her movements were so fluid, she didn’t even catch her indecency. Turning around slowly, giving him attention, “What do you like to eat?” The question slipped out playfully, not carrying any fear of whether or not it was appropriate to ask.

Radley’s again, unsurprisingly. The house was a breeding ground of frustration, full of supernaturals with an innate desire for something better than what humanity had deigned to give them. For some it was freedom, for some it was companionship, what might it be for today’s dreamer? Well, Nate would find out soon enough. Contrary to what some might think, not every dream that was visited by an incubus or a succubus ended in a pornographic manner. After all, not all people would be comfortable with that and this was first and foremost a way to achieve comfortability. Of course, that didn’t mean it didn’t happen — he was used to ending up in some unappreciated spouse’s dream and he was glad that today wasn’t one of those times. Nate was getting a little sick of the skimpy outfits he was made to wear, of being a sexy gardener or whatever other basic fetish people had. And then there were the even weirder ones. He’d wake up from those with confusion and discomfort permeating his day and always hoped that he wouldn’t run into that person in real life. Not that he was easy to squick out. He really wasn’t. But dreams like this were never about his own comfort level and he couldn’t control what others saw in him.

Nate stepped across the threshold, pausing for a moment to assess the crowd. There was always something electrifying about being inside of a dream, something that made him feel intoxicated. Blurry people moved past him, their laughs making them sound like they were underwater — none of them where the owner of the dream, they were just decoration. A harpy caught his gaze and smiled, wings fluttering behind him, but then his face shifted again. Not the dreamer either then. There was nothing here, so he let his feet carry him to where they wanted to be, up the stairs and away from the haze. A few confident steps later, he found himself stopping in front of a door and he lifted his hand to knock on it.

When it opened, his eyes widened and the corners of his lips twitched into an awkward smile. “Sorry,” he heard himself say. “Are you the new owner of this room? I knew the person that lived in there before you, didn’t realize they weren’t here anymore.”

This week she had been spending a lot of time locked in the room she had claimed in the witches quarters. Not having the motivation to do much of anything, her days were spent lying around, sometimes writing in her journal other times scrolling through her social media feeds. The lack of stimulation driving her mad, she began flooding her days with naps. Not having a grasp of time or reality helped make the rut she was in a little more bearable.

Her eyes fluttered open as she heard a knock at the door. She rolled out of bed, her bare feet tiptoed across the cold floor as she made her way across the room. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror beside her altar, she didn’t remember putting on this black night gown. Pushing through the confusion she opened the door to reveal a man. Her heart skipped a beat, he held a strong resemblance to her high school boyfriend Crash. Her brows furrowed as she took in all his likeness. Her lips parted slowly and her head cocked to the side as she spoke, “I am.” There was a long pause, before her confused face softened, “Do you want to come inside?” Her hand let the door swing open wider, inviting the stranger in. She had no clue why she was inviting a stranger inside, it was like she wasn’t in control.

Emmy couldn’t help but smile at the girl when she had chose sweets over alcohol. She couldn’t ever recall turning down a drink, especially after a long day of work.  She had suspected this girl was younger than legal, but after her comment about beer being gross, she concluded that the blonde was probably just a genuine good girl.

“I’m down to wait.” Her voice sounded assured. She looked her around the empty shop, taking in all the small details of the clean space. “So how long have you worked here?” She asked, her back turned as she fiddled with the leaf of a plant.

Nick smirked slightly at her question; despite it’s simplicity, there was almost a childlike wonder to it, something that egged on and wanted more, but in a playful way. But in that, it also showed she didn’t judge him. She wasn’t afraid of him. Which, he mainly expected given the world they lived in. Nick wasn’t a monster and didn’t consider himself to be one. His turning was an act of self defence. He hadn’t killed since and didn’t feel a desire to. While he wasn’t grateful for what happened, it made him believe everything happened for a reason. If he had never turned, he never would have found his family. He would have been a trailer park deadbeat, succumbing to drugs and being a womaniser like his father.

Not that he didn’t have a way with women and trouble staying focused on one at a time. But he didn’t have several children scattered around the nation who never knew him. Or just in general.

“Wolf Nick? That’s actually the most Business-Nick you’ll ever get,” he said with a chuckle, taking the schnapps and helping himself to another sip. “I’m a beta in a pack, so like, our brains are linked up with this like, kind of telepathic network? I can sense where everyone is, we can feel each other’s emotional states when the moon’s out. Keeps me grounded, though, to know I’m out there looking out for my pack, and they’re there for me too. It’s sappy, but it’s nice,” he said with a shrug. It was one of the most intimate and platonic things he’d ever experienced and it was difficult to describe. Being in a pack was more than a family, it was a bond that wrapped around every fibre of you being, especially when everyone is shifted. “When I was a ‘pup’– a new wolf– I was all over the place. Running around and howling, that shit. You get so feral but I was like, chasing birds and weird stuff?” His brows pinched together, laughing at himself. “You’re like a dog. You attack stuff, like deer and things like that. But once you get ahold of yourself, joining a pack helps, it all kind of comes together. You become more you than wolf, which is chill.”

He pointed his gaze at Emmy this time, jabbing a finger in her direction. “Your turn. Here’s the time to spill the tea. Why do you live in Radley? Why have I never seen you before?”

Emmy sat close to Nick, her legs crossed as he began to explain the wolf. She was curious, she had never met a werewolf before, well not that she knew of. She was exposed to this land of gods and monsters in Shadow Falls, and it fascinated her. She took multiple tight lip sips of schnapps as he spoke of this other part of him that she had yet to meet.

Talk of this telepathic network that he was involved in with his pack, spooked her. She was naturally a very secretive being, and the thought of someone being able to track her or her emotions made her tense up. She understood this family that Nick was proud to be apart of, and she was happy that this once lost boy had finally found a home, but she simply couldn’t relate. At this point she was estranged from her mom, and she had no clue where she belonged.

A chuckle escaped her when he referred to himself as a pup. This man was completely harmless, and the thought of the wolf within him chasing birds and howling like a hyper dog was so humorous to her. She was glad to hear that he evolved out of his puppy stage, and was now more in control of his wolf, it made her respect him a little bit more than when he had first entered her room.

She was having a good time hearing Nick talk about himself, so when he diverted the conversation to herself, she quickly shifted her gaze from him, and rose from the bed. “I don’t know...I guess I don’t make too much of an impression.” She offered as an excuse, as she made her way to the window by her altar, opening it a crack. She couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol in her system, or if it was because she was now in the hot seat that Nick had threatened, but the room was getting so stuffy.

He was eternally grateful to this woman he’d never met for not pressing the issue on his intense overreaction to her innocent question. He had to get a handle on himself. He was integrating himself into the world he’d been denied for so long and something as simple as words should never have enough power over him to throw him like that. No matter how coincidentally close they came to his sore spots.

Her friendly flirting, if that’s what it was, did dissipate the tension a little and he smiled back, this time much more genuine. It was hard not to see Lucy in her now that his brain had drawn the comparisons and it was drawing him in in ways that felt like a foreign kind of yearning. For just a moment, he had the crazy thought that if he weren’t touching her, he might think her to be just a figment of his imagination. A re-imagining of the woman he’d lost, an apparition standing before him.

But she was real and she wasn’t Lucy and he needed to hold onto that. It wasn’t fair to her nor was it fair to him to try to see something in her that simply wasn’t there. Her question was an easy distraction and he was glad for it. “No. I’m actually fairly new to town. I’m originally from Pennsylvania.” At least, he assumed as much. Without knowing the true origins of his birth, he could only pretend his life had begun the morning the Conrads had found him on their doorstep.

He inspected her hand, which was in better shape than the previous one, and deemed it gravel free and clean enough and looked up at her with a smile. “I’d put some alcohol on that when you get a chance, but you should be good to go.” After one small, lingering touch, he let her hand go and then cocked his head. “What about you? Are you from around here?”

Raffe had this intensity about him that truly stunned her. She had experienced intense people, but with men it was always paired with aggression. There was nothing about the man before her that seemed innately aggressive, sure he spoke of fighting in his past, but Emmy had a notion that he wasn’t one to voluntarily put himself in aggressive situations. Although she would never mention it again, there was something truly angelic about him, and it aided to his intensity.

She felt more comfortable when he revealed that he too was new to town. She didn’t know anyone in Shadow Falls besides these one off encounters that she had experienced since her arrivals. Still they had all been established in Shadow Falls for a significant amount of time. It was nice to share the newbie experience with someone.

Nodding as he suggested that she clean the wound with alcohol when she had the chance, she analyzed his smile. He was so different than he was a moment ago, the pain she felt from him had almost completely dissipated as his touch lingered on her hand. He let go of her hand, and it was as if all the intimacy they had just shared was just a figment of her imagination. The intensity in the air was gone, and she contemplated whether the fall had messed with her ability to read the situation.

“I’m from all over. I moved around a lot growing up.” She wrinkled her nose at the question. “I guess you could say I came here to find myself. Who’s Emmy? I don’t even know.” Joking, her words light, even though they carried more weight than she would ever let anyone know. “What brings you here, work or something?” She offered the excuse to Raffe, giving him an out, she didn’t want to accidentally trigger him again.