CHAPTER 33

Chapter 33


 He lay low in the dense shrubs, his lungs functioning as if they were controlled by a metronome – steady, and even, his muscles did not seem tight anymore; they were relaxed. He had been in pursuit of Ema for hours sticking to her scent along all the curves of the forest tracks. It hadn’t been easy – Ema was good at hiding her tracks here and there and more than once Elijah almost gave up on her. However, He had sustained he was building up for the part as Bruce’s Beta over the years and had honed himself to a fine tip. 
  

 Elijah was now hiding behind the tree’s shade as watched Ema go near a small, ordinary-looking cabin. The location was fine, he had to acknowledge that. Were it not for the fact that he has been following Ema around he never would have found this place. It was completely camouflaged thereby being hidden from human sight by natural structures and what he supposed to be anti Visualization charms. 

 
 

 Elijah‘s face became stern as he saw Ema knock on the door three times fast, then twice at a slower tempo. He instantly remembered that it was coded. He raised his already suspicious level even more. 
 

 Elijah caught only a brief view of a woman, bald, but her hair was what remained of her streaked in silver when the door opened. When Ema got in, the door closed behind her as well. 

 

 Elijah did not move for the next hour as he tried to use his werewolf hearing to listen to any sound coming out from the cabin. Nonetheless, the sound was also under protection in the same manner as the other aspects of the place. The cabin could have taken the appearance of a tomb especially when it was this quiet. 

 

 

 

 As Elijah was thinking of whether or not he ought to attempt to get closer and get a better view at the same time, the door was opened again. Ema stepped out with confusion masked on her face. Elijah tensed, and ready himself to follow her back to the Packhouse but for some reason, he hesitated. 

 

 

 

 Before long, the door opened, and a lady who was older than the lady he had seen earlier walked in, rewarding his stalking. Now in better light, Elijah observed the woman fully, deep lines of work and life on the face, and those eyes so intelligent and sharp. Elijah realized that there was something about her that he knew although he was not sure what that was. 
 

 What struck him was the woman’s fierce look when engaged with Ema. Though he couldn’t comprehend if she had decided her liking or not, Ema straightened her back a little, nodding. She then made a turn and started walking back through the forest He then listened wind blowing and the birds singing. 

 


Elijah felt conflicted. It was natural to follow Ema and it was nice to see if she was going to do something else that was esper of her on her way back. But deep in his bones, he felt that the woman from the cabin would know the truth. 

 

 

 

 At that, Elijah made the impulsive decision to stay where he was. The woman stood in the doorway, uttering a long string of unpleasantities that Ema couldn’t hear as the girl walked away. Cautiously, she went back inside and shut the door, having a brief look at the area which made Elijah squat even more. 


 To ensure that the woman and Ema did not escape hence get the purse, Elijah waited for an additional fifteen minutes. He then proceeds towards the cabin, walking like a real cat.

Then he approached the cabin and he was moving like a real predator. 

 

 He felt a tingle in his spine as he got nearer—magical wards. Pain shot through Elijah’s side, and he clamped his jaw shut in determination not to allow the sensation to distract him. Its intention was not so much that the wards would not let in someone who wanted to get in, but would make it difficult for any mere idle prowlers. 
 

 Elijah was standing against the window and gazed inside, he easily distinguished the darkness of the room even with his eyes but did not have a great improvement of sight. The cabin’s interior was rather sparsely furnished, yet comforting, and had books and miscellaneous items arranged along the walls. The woman was reading what looked like rather faded volumes at a quite small table. 

 

 

 

 Last of all, when Elijah recognized it, his breath only then hitched in his throat. Of course, the woman had aged and her hair became more gray than the dark brown that Elijah knew before. But those eyes and the set of her jaw when she was going to do something there was no turning back from were not to be confused. 

 He murmured, ‘Caroline’; the name distaste in his mouth. 

 
 Recollections surged: All in all, Caroline was a popular Pack member. Under some pretext, which the Gossips deemed sufficient proof that Bruce and she had quarreled – the ex-Luna and Bruce’s mother, were under the impression that Caroline had gone for vacation. It cannot be merely accidental that she is meeting with Ema secretly at the moment, here. 

 


Elijah who qas seemingly fed up by whatever is going on. Just like before he turned and walked silently back into the bush. For some reason, he was in a state of stupor and yet his mind was whirling as if there were puzzles out there that he never knew existed. 

 There was the feeling that it took hours yet it only took a few hours and it was not long before returning to the Packhouse. Sat down there with his mind running in overdrive trying to imagine various possibilities, and at the same time, trying to build a sequence of causative conclusions based on this new knowledge. 


 Elijah saw Bruce on the front porch as if he were in the middle of a very deep conversation with Amelia, though he could only see her from a distance since she was inside the Packhouse, as Elijah got closer to the Packhouse. Upon coming out from the trees, both of them looked up and concern was evident in their features immediately. 


 “Elijah?” Bruce moved closer and shouted. "What is the issue?"
 

 Elijah to answer Bruce’s question took a deep breath to prepare himself. He sternly said, “We need to talk. ” “In private I might add. ” 


 Bruce looked at Amelia and then nodded, before getting up and moving into his study. After Bruce entered and double-checked that the door was closed, he turned towards his Beta. 

 “Just report,” he said and it was as if Elijah heard it from an officer in charge. 

  Elijah who uttered not a single word as if he was in restraint. Hang on, I did as you asked and trailed Ema; she went very deep into the forest to a secluded cabin where she met someone you would least expect.