So far plenty of things have gone wrong, my level of expectations is at zero percent, and my level of patience is at its peak.

Losing our first-class seats was just the beginning of this trip's downfall to hell.

Our flight got delayed three hours due to "technical difficulties", everyone was cranky and tired, especially the baby hybrids and toddlers.

I had brought earplugs with me, but I gave them up to Mr. Raynard, since he'll be the one driving us to Ms. Bianca's cabin, and because I wanted him to stop glaring at me, and go to sleep.

While Mr. Raynard slept in his seat uncomfortably, I weathered away in mine.

I'm trying my hardest to block the noise, but I can hear almost everything, the babies crying, a number of hybrids snoring, whispering, chewing, or doing other things that makes me want to puke.

I unwrap the cheap earphones they give to the passengers and use them to plug my ears, it's the best I can do to muffle the noise around me.

I put my eye mask on, trying to get some sleep, and dreadfully slowly, the plane finally lands at our destination.

Once we land at the airport, the chaos erupts again, everyone was too eager to get off the plane, and the next hour and a half were as tiring as much as the flight.

Eventually, we made it to the car rental, just to discover that they have rented the car I'd booked to another customer.

Blaming the matter on our lateness, they seemed too keen on keeping the money and not issuing us a refund, but when threatened by a lawsuit using their own company policies against them, which I made sure to go through before the booking, they were nothing but apologetic.

With the money back, I go into the car rental next door and book a car, unfortunately, it's nothing like the car I booked first, I hope this one will make it through.

I hand the keys to Mr. Raynard, who gets in the driver seat as soon as he places his luggage in the back, once my luggage is put away as well, I close the door and hop into the passenger seat.

I watch as Mr. Raynard opens the address to the cabin on his map app, seeing that I'll take a couple of hours to get there I decided to take a nap Instead.

I don't know how long I slept after that, but the sound of heavy thudding, which seems to be getting closer woke me up.

The more we drove the louder it sounded, instinctively I open my eyes as my arm shoots out and hits Mr. Raynard in his chest, "STOP THE CAR!" I yelled.

Mr. Raynard, startled by my outburst, steps on the brakes really hard, causing us to get jerked forward.

"..." at first no one says anything, both of us are panting, still getting over being startled.

"WHAT THE FUCK, PUMA!" yelled Mr. Raynard, I wince in pain because his voice is loud in this confined space.

"Please, just wait," I said rubbing my temple, "something is coming," I tell him, and not a second later a herd of moose runs past the road we are driving through.

We watch them pass through to the other side of the forest, I retrieve my hand that was holding Mr. Raynard back, "Sorry about that, you can keep going," I apologized, the thudding sound fading away, along with it my sleepiness.

Mr. Raynard doesn't say anything and sighs, rubs his palm down his face, and goes back to driving, an hour or so after we reach a dirt road, or should I say muddy road.

The rain had started falling down a while ago, and puddles of water were already forming on the ground.

We drive for a while on this muddy and rocky ground, until Mr. Raynard drives the car into a muddy hole in the ground.

I watch him as he tries to get the car unstuck but to no avail.

He gets out of the car and I follow after him, cursing, "Fuck!" He kicks the tire.

I look around us maybe there's something we can use, but there's nothing around except for the forest trees.

Maybe if I look from above, I might find something useful, flapping my wings, I fly up high in the sky, and above the trees, I can see a small cabin a few miles away, and even further from it, I can see a big house far away in the distance.

I fly back down, "the cabin is a few miles away," I stated as I landed, "would you like me to fly you there?" I asked Mr. Raynard.

"What?" He asked looking dumbfounded.

"I said, would you like me to fly you to the cabin?" I repeated.

"So we are just going to leave this car here?" He asked, then rubbed his arms looking for warmth as he shivered from the damp coldness.

"Do you have a better idea? At least we can look for something at the cabin, to get the car unstuck," I suggested, which seems to convince him, "Okay then, turn around," I asked him.

He turns around, giving me his back, "I'm going to put my arms around you, even if it's uncomfortable, please try not to flail a lot," I told him.

He nods his head and I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly, I flap my wings and gradually we ascend.

He sure is heavy, and gravity is not helping, by the time we land at the cabin I was out of breath, "Sorry if I squeezed too tight," I apologized while he gagged.

Once we both have composed ourselves  Mr. Raynard goes to look for the key to unlock the cabin while I opened the shed on the side of the property, I look for anything I can use, and find pieces of wood and rope.

I grab them and fly back to where we left the car, I was much faster without the added human hybrid weight.

Upon landing I inspect the tire, then I place the piece of wood directly underneath it, just enough where the tire can step on it and get out of the muddy hole, I then tie the piece of the wood to the tire with the rope tightly, once done, I hopped back inside the car, and sat in the driver's seat, then I turned the car on and stepped on the gas pedal.

The car goes above the wood piece like it's driving on a road bump, once out of the muddy hole, I continue to drive until I reached the cabin.

Once parked, I take four trips going back and forth to bring our things out of the car and onto the cabin porch.

Once done, I lock the car, and push the door open to the cabin, I swivel the bags in and carry the ones that need to be carried.

Once inside, I close the door behind me and lock the door, at first glance the cabin layout is just like my apartment, with an open concept.

But unlike my apartment, you enter from the front, right in the middle of the living and dining area, behind the dining table was a U-shaped kitchen, it wasn't big or small, just enough for two people to use.

Behind the living room was the bedroom, and across from it on the right are a couple of doors, I can hear the shower running from one of them and the others are probably closet doors.

I feel the warmth radiating from my right side, and I turn my head to check it, the fireplace was lit, probably by Mr. Raynard, since I didn't see any smoke when I flew him here.

Raindrops or cold sweat was dripping from my forehead, I feel my throat close up so I gulp down trying to make it better, I stumble back a few steps until I reached the dining table, at first I stumbled into the chairs, then I pull one and sit on it, my eyes never leaving the fireplace.

The crackling of the wood sends me back inside the house, I can see myself going through the corridor with fire surrounding me everywhere.

It felt like it was going on forever before I reached Paloma's bedroom, and just like in my nightmares I see my dad help Paloma out, I see that facial expression on his face again.

And when the beam was about to fall on top of me again, "PUMA!" Mr. Raynard calls out to me, startling me.

I turn away from the fireplace to look at him, he had a towel around his lower half and was dripping water on the floor, "Yes?" I asked.

"What's the matter with you? I've been calling your name for a while now, go take a shower the water is still hot," he says as he walks and sits on the coffee table, right in front of the fireplace, Probably seeking warmth.

I look at the back of his head, being this close to it, 'that's dangerous', I thought.

Nevertheless, I open my suitcase and grab a few pieces of clothes, then hid in the bathroom.

Like always I avoid the mirror, with my back towards the door I get undressed, Mr. Raynard said the water was hot, but I don't like hot water so before hopping fully inside the shower, I adjust the knob until the water temperature is to my liking, then I shower.

Once I'm done I turn off the water and get out of the shower, I notice a towel placed on the counter sink, I don't remember it being there before.

I don't know how long I've stood there looking at that towel, but I'm pretty sure I didn't grab nor see a towel before I walked in.

Did Mr. Raynard put it there? He's the only other person here with me.

I walk to the towel and unfold it, I pat my body down drying it and gently go over the burnt scar tissues.

I had scars going across my body, mostly my back, and the back of my right thigh, then some of it goes around my thigh and torso, from when the beam fell on top of me.

Did he see my body?

Did he see my back?

Did he see my scars?

I didn't hear him come in, and I don't have evidence, is my mind playing games with me? But I'm sure It wasn't there.

I get dressed before coming out of the bathroom, Mr. Raynard was dressed and casually scrolling through his phone while eating an apple.

I was so uncomfortable, and on high alert, from one side there was the fireplace, and from the other, there was Mr. Raynard.

I didn't know where to stand, or sit, I want to go home so bad, scratch that, I want these three months to end.

"The kitchen is fully stocked up if you want to cook something for yourself, I've talked to Bianca, we are meeting her tomorrow, there's no chance of us getting to her residence in this rain," Mr. Raynard informs me, which seems to get me out of my daze.

I walk to the kitchen, the stove was a gas stove so cooking was not an option. I don't use gas stoves, I only use electrical ones.

I grab an apple like Mr.Raynard as well as my phone which I had left charging since it ran out of battery a long time ago, and took a seat at the dining table to eat it.

I turn my phone on, I had forgotten to switch the airplane mode off, and as soon as I did though, a parade of messages and call notifications came through.

Oh, I never felt this important.

I roll my eyes when I saw who the culprit was. A hundred notifications came from Noir's unsaved number, while two came from Paloma.

Scrolling through Noir's messages, it seems he had forgotten his keys and wallet at my place, and that he had nowhere to stay, then some messages about him coming to my place to pick them up, then another about him waiting outside of my apartment, a few messages of him asking me to answer the door, then a final 'nevermind'.

I frown at the last one, what ended up happening with him? I should call him.

I dial his number and he answers after a couple of rings, "Hello?" He greets.

"Hey, sorry I just saw your messages, what did you end up doing?" I asked him.

"It's alright, I forgot you had your trip yesterday, I'm staying at someplace," he says the last part shyly.

"Could that someplace be next door?" I asked already having a gut feeling about this.

"No!" His voice got unconvincingly higher, "No~" he repeated trying a different tone, "no," he again repeated but then sighed and said, "yeah,".

"Why are you trying to deny it, Noir? There's nothing wrong with staying with your mate," I said, noticing how Mr. Raynard's Fox ears perked up upon mentioning his brother's name.

"Dude, Do you know how hard, and uncomfortable it is to stay with him knowing he has feelings for you," Noir whispered, his voice laced with sadness.

"I don't know where you got that, I'm telling you, your mate doesn't have feelings for me," I tell him the truth, I'm pretty sure Maverick doesn't have feelings for me.

"He doesn't even think I'm cute," I can hear him pouting.

"No, he definitely said you were cute," I remind him of the text message.

"Don't even argue with me about that, he said you were cuter than me, if this is his standards of cuteness then I must be super ugly," Noir complained.

I roll my eyes, this bitch and his backhanded compliments.

"You know, although you were pretty rude to him yesterday morning, he asked me for your name and said you are cuter in person," I relay yesterday's messages to Noir.

"He did?" He asked, feeling doubtful.

"Yeah, you know I don't lie," I assured him.

"Yeah,..." he says then pauses, "you just avoid the conversation," he says sarcastically.

This time I couldn't keep the word from coming out of my mouth, "bitch," I called him sending him into a fit of laughter.

"Oh honey I'm no bitch, a pussy sure, but no bitch," he corrects.

I shook my head rather fondly, At least he knows himself, "I shouldn't argue with you, arguing with stupid hybrids, will only make me look more stupid." I justified.

"If I'm stupid, you're stupider," Noir argued.

What? I frowned, "well, that's a very critical argument," I pointed out.

"Shut up you, I'm hanging up," he says before ending the call on his end.

I pulled away the phone and looked at the screen, seeing Noir's unsaved number I decided to save it, I have the urge to save it under Stupider which makes me chuckle, I type it down, my finger hovering over the save button.

Hesitating because it feels too good to be real, that I feel this comfortable around Noir, that I feel this much fun around him, even if we are arguing.

'If it is Noir, I don't mind being friends with him' I thought startling myself, no this is wrong, this is how it started back then, I shouldn't think this way, I don't need friends, Everything's over once the three months contract ends.

"You seem close with Noir," Mr. Raynard stated as he looked up from his phone, his eyes glaring.

"We are not close," I corrected his statement, "we are cordial, nothing more," I said as I erased the name Stupider and typed down Mr. Noir instead, then tapped save.

"Stay out of his love life," he warns.

"I don't intend to be a part of it," I assured him.

"Good," he says before going back to using his phone.

I sigh, I should really draw a line between me and Noir, maybe Maverick too, this way I won't have to be put in the middle of their relationship.

I look outside the window, the rain was falling pretty heavily, how come none of these raindrops can slip through the chimney and turn off the fire?

I sigh, I'm bored out of my mind, and it's still bright outside, although I'm tired I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep, especially with that fire hazard in the corner.

What to do?

I look around and I notice a one thousand puzzle pieces box on the console table.

I stand up to retrieve it, maybe I can pass time with this.

Hours passed and the sun settled behind the mountains, the rain has yet to stop but it is much lighter than a couple of hours ago.

I stretch my wings and back, noticing that Mr. Raynard has fallen asleep on the sofa, the fire has long been off.

I should go to sleep too, I can't show up to the meeting tomorrow feeling sleepy.

I get up, and walk to the bed, I left up the blankets and settle myself under them, allowing myself to relax and fall asleep.