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pounding broke through the fog of sleep as Regan rolled over on her side. Her mouth felt like dry cotton, and though she rarely drank, she imagined this was what a hangover felt like.
    The brightness in the room told her it had to be past eight, and she wished it and the pounding would go away.
    “Regan. Are you up?” Lily’s voice came from the other side of the door, and Regan thought she must be imagining it. In the three weeks since she had been in Howell, the dark haired woman had never even come into Vera’s store, much less up to Regan’s room.
    “Regan?” The woman’s voice was verging on hysterical, and Regan’s muddled mind was having trouble figuring out why.
    “Hold on.” Grabbing the side of her head, Regan cringed as the mere act of speaking triggered a blistering headache.
    The knocking stopped as Regan slowly got out of bed. Looking down, she realized she hadn’t gotten dressed after her late night shower, and grabbed her red terry cloth robe from the foot of the bed before shuffling to the door.
    Flipping the lock, she cracked the door to find Lily standing there. The woman was dressed in a pair of black runner’s shorts and a cobalt blue fitted t-shirt.
    “I woke you.” The dark haired woman frowned.
    Nodding, Regan stepped back, and gestured for the woman to come in. “No worries. I needed to get up.”
    Lily came in and stood with her hands clasped in front of her. “I can come back.”
    “No, no. Just be warned, I had a rough night, and might not be the sharpest tool this morning.” Regan walked to the kitchen and began prepping her French press for some much needed coffee.
    “Are you okay?” The concern in the woman’s voice caused Regan to pause before plugging in her electric kettle.
    “I nearly hit a wolf driving back last night, and then I got a flat.” Regan didn’t want to tell the woman about the growling pack, or how it seemed like the one wolf had saved her. She wasn’t sure what had happened versus what the blow to her head had triggered.
    “Jesus. Were you hurt?” Lily stepped toward Regan, but then seemed to think better of it, and continued to linger near the door.
    “Peachy.” Regan poured the ground coffee into the French press, and flipped the electric kettle on. “Coffee?” She looked at Lily who stood quietly near the door. “Oh, sorry, did you need something?” Regan walked across the room, and sat on the edge of the bed.
    “Are you sure you’re okay?” The woman now stood in front of Regan.
    Running her fingers through her tussled hair, Regan yawned. “Evidently.”
    “I thought we could go for a hike, but it looks like you need to rest.” Lily knelt on her haunches in front of Regan. Even in her slightly dazed state, Regan couldn’t help but notice the woman’s perfectly shaped legs.
    “Can you give me a half hour, and I can meet you downstairs?” No matter how crappy she felt, Regan wasn’t going to skip an opportunity to see Lily.
    Smiling, the woman stood. “Sure. Come to the restaurant.” She walked toward the door, and before leaving, turned to Regan. “I’m glad they didn’t hurt you.”
    Regan’s brain was moving slower than usual, and it wasn’t until she was pouring her coffee nearly five minutes later that Lily’s comment struck her as strange. They?
    Shaking her head, Regan took a sip of coffee. The hot bitter liquid coated her throat, and brought a smile to her face. Certain she was reading too much into Lily’s unexpected visit and odd comment, Regan began getting dressed.
    Grabbing a banana, and bottled water, Regan was feeling more like herself as she trotted down the stairs.
    “Good morning, Vera.”
    The leathery old woman stood behind the counter with a cigarette in her hand. “Sure. Why not.” She took a long drag from the Lucky Strike, and Regan gladly hustled out of the stifling stench.
    The brightness of the day helped to further clear Regan’s head as she walked the short distance to the Last Stop. Lily