Page 35 of The Right to Bear Claws
"I didn't, at first. Scared me half to death, if I'm being honest. A man that big, that intense, with those protective instincts that could turn fierce in a heartbeat." Miriam's expression softened with memory. "But then I saw how gentle he was with broken things. Birds with damaged wings, stray cats, children who were afraid of their own shadows. That's when I knew his heart was safe."
"Elias is like that too," Kaia said quietly. "Gentle with things that have been hurt."
"Including you."
"Especially me." Heat spread through Kaia's face. "Sometimes I don't understand why he bothers. I'm such a mess, dragging danger into his life, keeping him awake with my problems."
"Now, you listen to me." Miriam's tone turned firm, taking on the maternal authority that had probably corralled decades of stubborn guests. "You are not a burden. You're a gift thatlife handed to a man who's been waiting his whole life to find someone worth protecting."
"But what if Tobias is too strong, and I end up trapped in the dream realm anyway?"
"Then we fight harder. All of us." Miriam reached across the small table to cover Kaia's hand with her own. "You think you're the first person to bring supernatural trouble to Hollow Oak? Honey, this town was built on second chances and impossible fights. We don't abandon family just because the odds are bad."
"Family." The word made Kaia's throat tight with emotion. "I've never really had that before."
"Well, you do now. Whether you asked for it or not, you've got a whole town full of people who consider you worth fighting for."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the afternoon light slanting through the lace curtains and painting everything in warm gold. Kaia felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders, the constant knot of anxiety in her stomach loosening slightly.
"Can I ask you something?" she said finally.
"Of course, dear."
"How do you know when it's okay to stop running? When you've found a place worth staying for?"
Miriam's smile was gentle and knowing. "When the thought of leaving hurts more than the fear of staying. When you realize that the people around you see your value even when you can't see it yourself."
"And if staying puts those people in danger?"
"Then you trust them to make their own choices about what risks they're willing to take. You don't get to decide what's best for everyone else, Kaia. That's not love, it's control dressed up as protection."
The words hit a truth she'd been avoiding. "I've been thinking about leaving again. Running before Halloween night, before Tobias can use me to hurt anyone."
"I figured as much. You've got that same look Henry used to get when his nightmares were bad. Like you were calculating escape routes even while sitting still."
"Maybe I should go. Find somewhere isolated where?—"
"Where you'll face this monster alone and probably lose?" Miriam's interruption was sharp. "Where you'll spend whatever time you have left wondering if the people you left behind are safe, or if Tobias found ways to hurt them anyway?"
"At least they'd have a chance."
"Sweet girl, running away doesn't solve problems. It just makes you tired and alone when the real fight comes. And love isn't about being perfect, Kaia. It's about being willing to try, even when you're scared."
That night, the dreams came hungrier than any other night.
Kaia found herself standing knee-deep in Moonmirror Lake, the water around her glowing with an eerie silver light that had nothing to do with moonbeams. The surface rippled with movement from something large circling beneath, and she could feel Tobias's presence like ice against her skin.
"You're learning to resist my pull," his voice echoed from the depths. "Impressive. But ultimately futile."
"I won't go with you willingly," she said, surprised by the steadiness of her own voice.
"Willingly, unwillingly—the distinction matters less each night. Your dreamwalking has always led you here, to this lake, to this gateway between worlds. Soon, you won't be able to resist the call at all."
The water began to rise around her, creeping up her legs with unnatural warmth. "What do you mean?"
"The lake is my conduit, little dreamwalker. Every time you approach it in sleep, every nightmare that draws you to its shores, strengthens my connection to your consciousness. Four more nights of this, and the barrier will be thin enough for me to pull you through permanently."
"The anchor stone will protect me."
