Chapter 356

Nina

My hands trembled as I slammed the door behind me, locking it in a desperate attempt to keep the world—and the enigmatic shadow entity—at bay.

Leaning against the cool, wooden surface of the door, I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. I closed my eyes, trying to dispel the haunting image of the shadow entity.

Why now? Why tonight, when I was surrounded by joy and love?

In a flurry of frustration, I kicked my high heels off with a clatter and began pacing the room in my bare feet, clutching the ends of my hair nervously.

“Talk to me,” I muttered to my wolf, who was always waiting in the wings, watching, observing. “Please help me make sense of this. I can’t take it anymore.”

But even she seemed just as confused as I felt.

“I wish I knew, Nina,” she said, her voice uncertain. “But I can’t even make out if the shadow entity is real or fake. I can’t see it.”

My eyes widened. “You can’t?”

“No,” she replied. “I can’t. I believe that you see it, I really do. But if it’s real, it’s like whatever it is is… blocking me from seeing it. And if it’s not real, then maybe it’s a machination of something going on in the very depths of your own mind, something that even I can’t see.”

I stopped pacing and stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I hardly recognized the woman staring back. Her eyes were wide, tinged with fear, her cheeks flushed.

This wasn’t me. I wasn’t a coward; I was a fighter. Yet here I was, trembling over something I couldn’t even comprehend. Jumping at my own shadow, quite literally.

Just as I was about to spiral further down this rabbit hole of angst, there came a soft knock on the door.

“Go away!” I called out, feeling my fists clench out of instinct.

“Nina, it’s me.” It was Tyler’s voice, and hearing it instantly made me soften.

I hesitated, glancing at the door, then back at my distressed reflection.

“Hang on,” I called, quickly wiping away a stray tear and composing myself as best I could. Unlocking the door, I pulled it open to find Tyler standing there, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

“Where’s Enzo?” was the first question that escaped my lips.

Tyler stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “I told him to wait downstairs. I wanted to talk to you first.”

His words hung in the air between us, filled with an unspoken understanding. Tyler, of all people, knew when I needed space and when I needed family.

“Tyler, I…” My voice trailed off, unsure how to verbalize the insanity that had gripped me.

He sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to him, inviting me to sit. I did.

“Talk to me, Nina. What happened back there? You scared everyone, especially mom.”

I took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “I… I saw something, Ty. Something horrible. And it’s not the first time I’ve seen it.”

“A vision?” He leaned forward, his eyes searching mine for clarity.

“No, not a vision,” I corrected him, my eyes dropping to my fidgeting hands. “More like... an entity.”

His eyebrows shot up, intrigued yet cautious. “An entity? As in, something real?”

A wry chuckle escaped my lips. “I don’t know what it is, whether it’s real or not. It’s this... this shadow, Tyler. A creature with horrible, sharp teeth, long fingers that keep reaching for me. It’s like it’s mocking me. I’ve been seeing it lately, but never like this. Never during such happy moments.”

I felt Tyler’s hand grip mine, grounding me. “Nina, this is serious. Do you think it's a figment of your imagination? Stress, perhaps? Or could it be something real?”

I sighed, my eyes meeting his.

“I wish I knew, Tyler. Part of me hopes it’s all in my mind, but another part… Another part things it’s all very, very real.”

We sat in silence, letting the weight of my confession fill the room. Tyler’s grip on my hand tightened, as if he could somehow squeeze the fear out of me, and replace it with the courage I so desperately needed.

“I don’t know what this entity is, Tyler, but it terrifies me,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Nina, have you considered talking to someone about this?” Tyler broke his silence, his words cautious.

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. “A therapist, you mean? You really think some human shrink can make sense of what I’m going through? They’d hear everything I have to tell them and they’d think I’m crazy.”

Tyler sighed, his fingers brushing through his tousled hair in a rare display of agitation. “No, not a human therapist. But there are people out there trained to deal with... well, unique situations like yours. People who understand both the human and the supernatural aspects.”

My eyes narrowed, pondering the possibility. “You mean a werewolf therapist?”

“Yes. Or at the very least, someone from the werewolf realm. I could do some research for you, help you find someone reputable.”

A werewolf therapist. The idea had honestly never crossed my mind, seeing as how I had spent most of my life believing that werewolves didn’t exist.

“I don’t know, Tyler,” I said, shaking my head. “It just feels… pointless, sometimes.”

Tyler’s eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of the old Tyler, the sweet little brother who had played superheroes with me and always wanted to hold my hand on the way home from school, even when I was being belligerent.

“Maybe it is,” he conceded. “But honestly, what’s the alternative, Nina? Living in fear? Constantly questioning your sanity?”

His words, in a strange way, were a haunting reminder of the torment I had been going through lately. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and I was already exhausted from it all.

“I guess you’re right. I’m not just thinking about myself anymore,” I finally whispered, my hand instinctively dropping to my abdomen where a new life was taking form.

Tyler followed my gaze. “The baby.”

I nodded. “I can’t bring a child into this world knowing I’m plagued by visions or entities or whatever the hell this thing is.”

Tyler nodded, his demeanor shifting from one of concern to one of resolution. “Then you know what you need to do. For your sake and for the baby’s. If there’s even a slim chance that talking to a werewolf therapist can help, isn’t it worth trying out?”

His argument was compelling. And yet, a part of me still hesitated, clinging to the stubborn belief that I could manage this on my own, as if every therapist would just be another Edward.

But then, my thoughts drifted to the child within me. A life I was responsible for, a life that deserved a mother who was whole, unburdened by shadows, literal or figurative.

“You’re right, Tyler,” I admitted. “I should try. Not just for me, but for Enzo, and for our child too.”

Tyler beamed, visibly relieved. “I think you’re making the right choice, Nina. And remember, you’re not alone in this.”

His words made me smile, but at the same time, beads of tears began to well up in my eyes again. I blinked them away and rested my head on his shoulder, chuckling slightly.

“I’d better not find out that mom and dad sent you in here to convince me of this,” I teased, lightly punching his arm.

Tyler chuckled and punched me back, with a little more strength than he used to have. “Of course not,” he replied. “But I should warn you…”

“Trust me, I know,” I interrupted as I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming up the winding staircase outside my room. “I’m prepared for the lecture.”