The idea of needing a night light as a grown-ass man seemed ridiculous, but, admittedly, it made me feel better as I looked around the room. Better, but not great. After seeing the shadow hand in my nightmare, I was finding it difficult to get back to sleep, tossing and turning, and generally miserable. I didn’t think I would be able to sleep at all, but I must have dozed off at some point because I woke to the sun’s light coming through my window. It wasn’t bright, still overcast, but it was enough to know I’d survived the long day and night.
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t stay in bed any longer. My skin crawled with the urge to move. Maybe I could spend the day learning more about this random island I’d found myself on. I hadn’t been able to see much of it beyond the torchlit path and the inn’s lobby.
Unfortunately,I didn’t have any toiletries or clothes packed in my messenger bag, since I hadn’t been planning on taking a trip. I took a much-needed shower, grateful to wash the travel grime off. With a grimace, I did a sniff test of the clothes I’d worn yesterday. It was… what it was, I supposed. Icouldleave. I didn’t have to stay here. Except… maybe I did. I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.Ugh.At least I could start with breakfast and see if there was a gift shop or something.
My messenger bag came with me—it always did—as I left the hotel room. It was eerily quiet in the hallway, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Stop it, Bowen.” I hated that I was still on edge, even after remembering Maxime told me I had the whole floor to myself. I slid my glasses up my nose to rub my eyes. Fuck, was it too early for a drink?
With my bag gripped tight like a security blanket, I headed down the flights of stairs, mentally preparing myself to interact with people. I doubted there was any takeout on the island, sigh.
In the lobby, I headed to the counter and was surprised to see the same man working as the night before. Maxime looked up and met me with a smile, but his appearance was a little startling. In the light of the day, the pallor of his skin was more striking than it had been at night, and the unique red rim around his pupils seemed even more pronounced. Was he sick?
“Ah, good morning, Mr. Thomas. How did you sleep?” Either he was a great actor, or he wasn’t as sick as he appeared to be.
I shrugged. “Uh, not great.”
His brow furrowed with concern, and he came closer, lowering his voice. “I do apologize. Is there anything wrong with your room?”
“No. No. The room was fine.Isfine. It’s not that.” I wasn’t about to go into the fact that I’d been chased by shadows I couldn’t see all day, only to have them reach for me in my dreams. Nope. Not a room problem.
“Ah. Well, if there’s anything we can do to improve your stay, please let us know.”
My fingers tightened around the strap across my chest, wishing I could ask without having to ask. “Uh… actually… I didn’t pack well, and it seems I forgot a few things. Is there any chance you have a store here?”
Maxime looked at me carefully, his unusual eyes scanning over me, seeing that I was wearing the clothes from yesterday. There was no judgment in them, but a hint of concern.Please don’t ask, I begged in my head. I wasn’t interested in a discussion about my gift or how I got here without meaning to.
The short man straightened and fixed a smile on his face. “Yes, we have a gift shop with a selection of personal care items as well as some souvenir jackets and shirts. But if you need more attire, we have a courtesy closet with a wide selection of sizes and styles. You arewelcome to anything there, included as part of your stay.”
“What is acourtesy closet?” I asked.
Maxime grinned and put his hands behind his back. “Mmm. Yes. It’s a service available to all our guests. We do not wish for clothing to be a hurdle and try to accommodate for a stress-free stay.”
“I don’t… understand.” What hotel had a closet full of clothes for guests’ use? Unless… I sucked in a sharp breath and leaned in close to Maxime. “Is this a…nudistresort?”
He threw back his head and let out a loud laugh. With his mouth open wide, I thought I caught a glimpse of elongated canine teeth. “No, Bowen. Creature Comforts isnota nudist resort, though I will admit that some guests have lost clothing during their visit and found themselves in need.”
“Weird,” I mumbled. Though in this case, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing if it meant I wouldn’t have to spend all my money on souvenirs for a place I didn’t even plan to come to. No ‘My Mom Went to Creature Comforts, and All I Got Was This Shirt’ T-shirt.
Footsteps approached behind me, and the agitation I’d woken with thrummed beneath my skin, making me shudder. I could feel the presence of someone as much as I could see Maxime look over my shoulder. The look he gave wasn’t one of fear, like the animals that had looked over my shoulder and gone into apanic. Maxime seemed more curious than anything. Whatever he saw behind me didn’tfeelforeboding.
Before I could turn around to see what lurked at my back, I heard a growl. A growl that brought words with it. Words I understood. “Smells delicious.”
I felt the tension in me release with the understanding that some kind of animal was near. That was something I could deal with. The creature probably smelled the treats in my bag and was drawn to them. If I had been alone, I would have replied, but I didn’t want Maxime to see me talking to someone who wasn’t there, and it would be weird if I suddenly put my earbuds in.
I tried to ignore the critter, wishing I wasn’t standing here talking to a human. “Thank you. I might like to check out the closet. Can you tell me where to find it? And are there any rules? Like, should I return whatever I take?”
Maxime glanced past me again before meeting my gaze with a smile. “That is entirely up to you. We run on a have-a-shirt-leave-a-shirt policy. Take what you need or give what you have.”
I felt the presence behind me move closer. So close, I could feel a huff on my neck. Another growl sounded. “So fucking delicious!”
That surprised me. I didn’t hear many animals curse with human words, except for the domestic ones that tended to pick up language from their owners. Reaching into my bag, I tried to determine what it was the animalwas smelling that seemed to entice it so much. Though I wouldn’t know what it liked until I knew what I was dealing with. Some kind of canine, from the sound of it.
I began to turn around when Maxime hissed out a sound and slapped his hand loudly on the desk, making me jump at the suddenness of it. The creature behind me let out a whimper that sounded apologetic. I glared at Maxime for scaring the poor thing and turned around quickly to offer it comfort and treats.
Except… there was no critter behind me. A tall man with shaggy black hair and dark scruff stood entirely too close, with eyes as round as saucers. He was frozen in place, making me think of an animal caught in the beam of a flashlight. The baggy jeans and loose T-shirt he wore made him look like a nineties skater boy, though he didn’t seem to be much older than me.
He stared at me with eyes too wide, too round. Something wasn’t quite right about them, and I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Instead, I looked around him, trying to see whatever dog I’d heard growling.
When he didn’t move, and I could no longer pretend I wasn’t mere inches away from someone who couldn’t even blink, apparently, I offered an awkward wave. “Uh, hi. Did you need something?”
