Sitting out on the porch with the first cup of coffee of the day was the most peaceful one. The sun making its first appearance. The birds singing, the warming wind blowing softly, a start of a new day. Another 2 hours before breakfast got on its way and the kids woke up for their first official day of camp. Schedules set and a day of complaining when the teens tried to change theirs so they could spend every waking hour with long-time friends, which was when I would tell them nicely to deal with what they had and send them on their way. This was probably the busiest day of camp besides getting everyone settled into their cabins.

All year I waited for summer camp, it wasn't just the kids that enjoyed it. Year after year I too became attached to seeing their faces every year. To see how much they have changed and to hear how school went and what their plans were for following year. Inhaling deep the fresh scent of coffee hit me first then the bark of the trees, fresh pine and dirt, all my favourite smells; the scents of home and freedom. Closing my eyes taking in the scents, sounds, and the predawn air warmed my skin. Then came a subtle underlying scent that was out of place. Inhaling more deeply I caught the out of place scent; blood. Jumping up, I dropped my hot mug of coffee. The mug shattered and the hot coffee splattered on the wood. I search for the source.

Breaking through the tree lines at a brisk pace was Jarek caring someone in his arms. No not someone, Hunter. Off the porch at a dead run letting my senses open wide I heard her strong heartbeat, and steady breathing. What I could see where cuts, scrapes, and drying blood over her legs, arms, hands, and face. Jarek's face gave nothing away as he cradled Hunter's body close to his chest.

"She...fine. She says she fine," Jarek said when I was about five feet away.

"What the..." I took a breath before I started cursing the mother's name in vain. "What happened?" I went to take Hunter from his arms.

Jarek stepped to the side and said, "I finally have her where I am not hurting or touching anything that hurts, I'll carry her the rest of the way." It made sense and was an innocent enough request but Jarek's eyes said different.

"Hi Mr. Thomas," Hunter's said groggily, "I cut my hand on a glass can you see if Amanda is busy. I think I might need stitches."

"Sure thing sweetheart. Than you are going to tell me what happened and why you were in the woods. Both of you," I glowered at Jarek when Hunter wasn't looking.

Back in the office, Hunter changed out of her ripped, stained nightshirt while Jarek and I waited quietly while Amanda went into the room to clean Hunter's cuts. Hissing came from Hunter as Amanda used antiseptics on her cuts had me on edge. I know they were mostly superficial cuts but I was supposed to protect her from getting hurt. Period. Keeping my mouth shut, trying to cool down because I knew if I started to ask questions at this moment I would blow my cool and start yelling. Jarek seemed calm but I could see the muscles in his back tense and his eyes colder than usual every time Hunter made a pain filled noise.

I was just about to say something to break the silence when Amanda, followed by Hunter, came out of the room. Amanda's eyes were tight with worry but said nothing. Hunter looked worn out and exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes, hand bandaged, minor scrapes on her arms, legs, and cheek. Faint discolouring began to show on her wrists, forearms and cheek; the beginning signs of bruising.

Still in the camp's hospital gown, Hunter kept her eyes down and sat gingerly on the office loveseat. I didn't care how much she stayed tight lipped or protested, she was not leaving until I knew what the hell was going on and told her so.

Hunter sighed, hands clasped on her lap and said, "Had a dream. Cut my hand on the glass I had on the nightstand and was coming here to see if anyone was here to look at it. On my way I got spooked and ran." She looked at me with pleading eyes. She did not want to say anything else but it was too damn bad.

"If you think you are leaving this office with that vague description on what happened you have another thing coming," I informed her. "What about this dream? What happened for it to unsettle you so much that you thought a jog in the woods in the dark was ok?" I was a little harsher than I intended but she scared the crap out of me.

"Do you think I don't know it was stupid," her voice raised, "Do you think I don't know my dreams freak me out so bad that I ran from Jarek because his eyes changed and looked like the way Grayson's did when he change into a wolf in my stupid ass dream!" She throw her hands up in the air and started to pace. "It's always the same but different. I'm in the woods walking peaceful and happy. One minute the sun was shining against my skin and the next it's dark and the full moon was the only light I had to see where I'm going. That's when the howling starts. I run and run but they get closer and right before they attack me I wake up. But this one had Grayson changing into a wolf and he tells me to run to the water. I almost made it when a pack of wolves find me than other wolves come and started to fight the ones that wanted me for dinner. By then I made into the water but I was so tired from running my legs cramped up and I went under the water. That's when one of the other wolves turned into Jarek and he started coming after me and I panicked and went under one last time. That's when I woke up and found a cut in my hand when I must have thrashed around. So I started to come here but I saw Jarek and the way the light hit his eyes it reminded me of the wolves and I ran. Are you happy?" Hunter was breathing hard, face flushed.

Amanda told me that Hunter had mentioned not sleeping well so I guess this was the reason why. "How long have you been having these dreams?" I asked, leading Hunter back to the couch and sat beside her.

She visibly seemed to calm down some. She shrugged and said, "A couple months I guess. It had just been the past two weeks or so that I wake up every night because of them. I know I'm old enough to know it's just a bad dream but they freak me out. Hence the reason I look like I have two black eyes." Hunter sagged into the couch resting her head on the back.

Amanda came back from the kitchenette and handed Hunter a mug and said, "Drink, it will make you feel better." The aroma of chamomile and spearmint fills the room, Amanda's Sleepytime tea with something a little extra to knock Hunter out for a few hours for some much needed sleep.

Mug half done and Hunter was having difficulty keeping her eyes open. One last long blink and she was out cold. Jarek quickly took the mug before it dropped and I gently lifted Hunter's tiny weightless body and laid her in the back room on the spare cot. Tucked in and sleeping I left the room, closed the door and headed back where I left Amanda and Jarek.

"It's normal, Adam," Jarek said as soon as I walked in, "Although Amanda is right, she is ahead of schedule. I'm worried that your little meeting you have planned will be too late. You need to reschedule."

I agreed but had a more immediate question. "Why were you out by her cabin and what happened in the woods? Where did you get the scratch on your neck?"

Jarek just stared for a minute before answering. "I knew, like you, that she was having problems sleeping and suspected why that was. I was up so I went for a walk to make sure everything was alright." Touching his neck he smiled, eyes a little unfocused as he thought back and said, "Man, you need to see her run. She's fast. I can't wait till she goes through the change." Shaking his head coming back to the now, "She thought I was a wolf and was throwing some punches before I had her under control."

"What do you mean she thought you were a wolf?" Amanda asked before I could. I was more focused on the way Jarek looked when he was thinking and talking about Hunter.

"It was like she was still living out her dream. She swore she heard howling and paws hitting the ground chasing her. So when I had to tackle her to the ground when she wouldn't stop after repeatedly calling her name, she thought it was a wolf. And before you ask, no, I was not."

Rubbing my temples, easing the upcoming migraine I tell them, "Ok, I will make the calls and get most of them if not all here on the weekend. So that gives us five days to get things ready." Standing up and heading for the door to start the wakeup call I asked Jarek to follow. Once outside I turned to face him. "Listen, you are here to help her through the change and that's all. The other two are her protection while she's here." I was getting an uneasy feeling with the way Jarek watched Hunter even though he tried not to. I think that was it, he was trying to hard not to notice her any more than necessary.

"I know what my job is," Jarek spoke between gritted teeth, "Make sure the other two know what their job is. Their only job." With that said Jarek bounced down the stairs and was gone.

I sure did not like the sound of that. "Great. Just great. One more thing I need to worry about or was it three things. Damn teenagers," I grumble to myself.