I ran out the door as fast as I could. My house was on fire. Where was my mom? Was she still alive? Thinking clearly was impossible. I had to go, and I had to go now. Leaving this building was something I had to do. I had to find my mom. My panicked thoughts were racing as fast as I was running. The world felt like it was spinning as I ran. I was so distracted that I ran right into another person. Right as I reached the elevator.
"Ouch, fuck I am so sorry!" I try to get up, but I am unable to alone. I am dizzy and shaking. Strong hands help me up, steadying me. I felt a zap race through me, settling my nerves. I was still panicked, but the world didn't feel like it was crumbling underneath me, and the spinning stopped.
"It's okay, Darling," a deep male voice answered me. "But where is the fire? You seem to be in a hurry, you okay?" General concern filled his voice. I broke down crying.
"I'm sorry! I got to go! My house is on fire.... My mom..." I couldn't get the rest out without crying. I realized it was the man from earlier that I wanted to get to know so badly, but now wasn't the time. I tried to get to the elevator door. It was about to close when a strong hand stopped me. He moved me gently to face him as he spoke. His words were so gentle that it hurt.
"I want to help. Whatever it is, let me help." Tears filled my eyes, and the words choked in my throat. I couldn't get anything out, so I just nodded my agreement. I didn't even know him, but I knew he wanted to help. So I accepted. He walked us into the elevator. He held the door, letting me in first. He followed close by. He stood close to me without touching me inside the small space. It was comforting. His sandalwood and citrus smell eased some of the tension building in my muscles. The doors began to close again, and two pairs of hands were on them again, opening the elevator.
"Dani! Damn! You run fast! What's going on?! Jordan stepped in, and the stranger stood closer to me. I couldn't answer Jordan. I wanted to—I wanted to tell him—but thinking about it made me want to cry. I just covered my face and started crying. The stranger pulled me into his embrace, and I accepted it. I shoved my face into his larger than life chest. Deeply inhaling my new favorite smell. Sandalwood and Citrus. I hope I wasn't getting snot on his shirt. How embarrassing that would be.
"She said something about her house being on fire and something about her mom? She couldn't get the rest out." The man answered.
"They haven't located her mom in the house." Joel paused before asking, "Danni, are you sure she would be home?" Joel asked, and I looked at him through the corner of the man's chest. He was talking to someone on the phone.
"I haven't seen her leave since dad..." I choked out. Was I about to lose both of my parents?
"We will find her," Jordan said as he tried to get a hold of me. The stranger wouldn't let him; he just held on closer to me. I swear I felt a rumble of a growl come out from him.
"Luka... let go of her now! I need to know she is okay!" Jordan let out his own menacing growls. I instinctively shrink myself more into, I guess, Luka was his name?
"She wants me here, as long as she does. I will be here." Luka growled back.
"Stop it, both of you!! The pissing match ends here. You're scaring her." Joel tried reasoning with the men. I pulled myself away enough to see a battle of wits and stares being fought between these two men in the glares that they were shooting at each other. Joel seemed to be trying to de-escalate the situation. I didn't have time for this. As much as I enjoyed being held by the man called Luka and the Holloway brothers' protectiveness of me. My mom couldn't wait. I couldn't wait for them to put their male egos aside. I had to go.
Once the elevator doors opened at the bottom, I ran again. It took the men a moment to realize I had run off, as they were too wrapped up in their battle of wits. Instinct and fear drove me. I had to go, and I had to go now. Going through town would take too long on foot. Going through the woods would be faster if I ran. So that's what I did, no time for second-guessing. I was already through the parking lot. Before the shouts of the men caught up to my ears. I didn't care what they thought of me. I just had to get to my mother.
Very quickly, the sounds of branches snapping under my feet and my thundering heart were all I could hear as I made my way through the woods. It felt like I was running faster than I should have been able to, but I didn't care.
Didn't people say a Mom could lift a car to save their child? But I wasn't a mom. I was a scared daughter worried about her mom.
A thought clicked in my head for a moment. This felt like the dream I had all my life.
Flashes of white fur flashed by me as I ran. It was probably my imagination, I tried telling myself, but a single wolf howl broke the sounds of the beat of my racing heart and snapping branches. Not now! This was not the time for it. I mentally told the wolf. An unfamiliar female voice responded in my mind: I know, I'm helping. It was like the wolf was connected to my thoughts, and I could understand it, and it could understand me. That couldn't be. I must be so stressed out that I'm losing it. There probably wasn't even a wolf next to me.