NIGHT TERRORS.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.

Adora's pov.

I was back at my house three hours earlier than usual because I felt tired.

That word alone felt so strange coming from my own mouth, considering I was amongst the strongest werewolves yet. I tried to blame my fatigue on the lack of concentration due to the uneasiness of the events that were yet to happen, but I somehow felt like there was something else, I just couldn't figure out what. I felt drained physically and mentally and I knew for a fact that my mind and body both needed some rest, and then I'd try to figure out what it was that was bugging me later on.

I dragged myself to the couch in the living room, landing on it with a huge thud and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible before taking my much needed nap, I stretched my legs first before curling my body into the comfortable sofa, snuggling on my favorite old blue vanilla scented pillow that I had inherited from my parents, I felt my body begin to relax, as I imagined myself sleeping under the warm sun and before I knew it I was out like a light.

The continuous twitching of my nose woke me up a few hours later and I was mesmerized by how long I had been asleep for, talk about miracles now. My whole house reeked of a strong and tasty lavender scent with hints of nature in it. The scent was both calming and tantalizing to me, and I couldn't help but want even more of it.

It took me a few stupid seconds and my wolfs uneasiness to recognize that I actually lived alone, I had no friends or relations of any kind, and that whoever that scent belonged to had broken into my house. Stupid is an understatement of what I felt as I jumped up from my couch ready to defend myself from whoever it was that was in my house, I wondered how I had not heard any noise, considering I had a super hearing ability, and how it was that I only smelt them now, surely I was not that deep and careless a sleeper now, was I?

"Darwina, long time," a familiar deep and manly voice greeted from upstairs, just outside my bedroom door, and my body shivered at his voice which had gotten a little deeper than I remembered, but it clearly still had the same effect on me, some things just never changed.

I swallowed tightly, as I turned to face him, trying as much as possible to maintain my heartbeat at a normal rate as I met face to face with the intruder, I felt my hands become clammy with sweat, as a million questions ran through my mind, no wonder his scent had been so deliciously strong and familiar, and behold! there his tall frame stood, staring directly at me with his cold grey eyes, he seemed to have aged a little over the years, but he still looked ravishing, clad in a long black coat that covered his whole body entirely.

His once boyish and charming look was gone now and replaced with a more lethal look and if eyes could kill, then I would probably be sixteen feet under now, or more.

"Derek." I whispered, shocked and uncertain, what was he doing here, how had he found me, and why now? he smiled at me, a sly cold smile, one that was meant as a threat. "You seem disappointed, but why is that you thought you'd finished me of just like the rest? you didn't think it possible for me to still be alive and well, or are you surprised I found you? which is it? both?"

He seethed out, my first name sounding so strange coming from his mouth, my mind was still a bit hazy and the only thing I could utter out was "It was all your fault." and within seconds he was right where I was standing, my neck in his hands as his piercing cold dark grey eyes looked down at me, I couldn't breathe and my body completely refused to fight back, he placed his hand on the top of my head which seemed to put me in some kind of trance as I felt my body being transported somewhere, as all I could see was blurry images and images of me causing me to close my eyes, and when I opened them there I was, fifteen year old me kneeling down by my father's dying body, drenched in blood, his own blood and behind us were our park members laughing and praising the goddess for having saved them from the "beast" referring to my papaya.

I watched as my younger self begged and cried for help until her voice had become hoarse, I watched as she lay with him, watching his body painfully fight to breathe, fight to stay with me for a while longer, wondering why he wasn't healing, while I sat there a hopeless mess, crying to the goddess for his salvation, continuously offering myself to take his place but nothing ever happened.

But I was stronger now, I was strong enough to carry him away and help him myself, but my body refused to move, I tried so hard to fight against the invisible chains holding me back, thrashing and screaming for Derek to please let me go as I pulled a little harder, I could save him now, I just had to break free first, I screamed at my younger self to try harder when I saw nothing was working, I was becoming desperate now, I couldn't watch him die again, please, not again, I was softly crying now, begging her to please try a little harder, that she was much stronger than she knew or thought about, but she didn't even turn to look at me, she never heard me, no one did, and for the umpteenth time, I felt useless, I couldn't help him, I was reminded of just how weak and pathetic I was.

I felt my body crumble down as I watched my hero die in my arms all over again, I felt like throwing up as he coughed up blood and whispered hoarsely, "I .........I love you little be...." he never even got to complete it as he took his last breath, holding my hand tightly, with a smile on his face, he had been happy in even in his suffering, he'd still managed to smile for me, tears chocked up in my eyes as I watched myself completely covered in our father's blood suddenly stop crying, I watched her wipe her tears with the back of her hands and close my father's eyes, whispering how he was a good man and no one deserved him, telling him to rest happily and peacefully, before she got up with a distant look in her youthful eyes, and I broke down in realization of what was to come next, I had walked away from my father's corpse, in disbelief of what had just occurred as I assured myself that it had just been a bad dream and papa would wake me up and make breakfast for me, nothing was real.

We were broken that day, and we had broken a lot more as a result, she was just a kid, I was just a kid, I never deserved it, my father never deserved it, but them, they all did, I didn't want to continue with this torture, and so I begged him to please let me go, It was all becoming too much, I didn't understand how he was doing it, but I knew it was a way of punishing me, but oh! how wrong he was, I had lived through so much and my father's passing was just a tip on the iceberg, my pain was endless, growing even worse with each passing time, this, this had just the beginning of it all.

"You won't find anything else Derek, I locked them all away, its hopeless." I whispered softly at him, and it was true, I had no other memories of the past, I only held onto the most precious one, the trigger to what I had become, I felt his hand tightening on my throat, as I was brought back to reality, he may too have realized that there was nothing more he could use, my mind was in complete shambles now, a pathetic excuse of memories, the scar on his temple was clear now, it was much deeper than what I'd expected, but then again so were all of my 'mistakes', a huge lump of guilt formed at my throat at the knowledge of what I had done, the consequences of my own actions, and yet I had no regret of any of my past actions, except only one, not saving my parents, I didn't try hard enough, I was weak and stupid, easily trusting and less cautious of my surroundings, and as a result I had lost the four of the most important people in my life, my parents, my mate Derek and myself.

He released me suddenly, catching me off guard and causing me to stumble backwards a little bit, I was hopeful for a bit, hoping that he'd at least hold me in his arms one last time, but I knew better than anyone else that it would forever remain a wish of mine and nothing more, I didn't deserve to be held, especially not by him,

"You're not worth my time " he spat at me, and I nodded in understanding, he was right of course, and I wasn't going to argue with that, I didn't even question how he'd found me, it wouldn't matter anyway, it was not like he would waste his time speaking to me, heck it was a miracle he'd even held me in the first place.

"You don't deserve this peaceful life, Adora, not after everything you've done, you don't get to be fulfilled in your life!" he told me so calmly, and I couldn't help but scoff at his words, peace huh? I questioned myself sarcastically, he really thought I lived a peaceful life just because I had finally come to my senses.

He was 6'5 feet tall, towering over my 5'8 height, but I didn't even feel intimated, I just felt pathetic and overwhelmed, and before I could even blink, he had disappeared, just as suddenly as he arrived and I felt a tiny piece of my heart break, again.

My phone ringing startled me, breaking me out of my trance, and I woke up, with a painful migraine, I was in disbelief when I found myself exactly where I had slept last night, on my couch, had it all been a dream? but how, it had all seemed so real, I knew I touched him, it couldn't have all been wishful thinking now would it?

I was confused at the turn of events and grateful it did not get to happen, even though all my emotions had seemed so real, I looked at my clock, it was 6 am, in the morning, wow, I had never slept that much, I didn't even hear my alarm ring.

It was Tony calling, for the fifth time now, I answered him groggily giving him the directions to my house as I rushed out to pack a little, clean up and eat before he was here, grateful he hadn't tried to start a conversation or complain about me not answering his calls.

He arrived just in time, and we met at his car had our usual greetings of 'heys' and just when I'd gotten comfortable, he made a comment that made my heart sink a little.

"Woah, what brand of lavender spray do you use, it's so strong I can smell it all over you." I shrugged at his question, acting as confused him, because even I didn't know the answer to that, as we drove away from my house, I cautiously looked back as only one thought ran in my mind, "He truly was here, but how?"