Chapter 87
I couldn’t get the image of the girl’s lifeless body out of my mind. Her convulsions, the way her eyes went blank as she whispered that single word—Beware. It haunted me, a cold whisper lingering in the back of my head. I knew we couldn’t waste any time. We needed to find out who she was and, more importantly, who had done this to her.
Fatima was at my side as we walked briskly toward the pack’s records room. Her expression was a mix of determination and worry. "We need to figure out her identity, Priscilla," she said. "Whoever she was, she wasn’t acting on her own."
"I agree," I nodded, pushing open the heavy door. "Let’s start with our records. Maybe we can find out where she lived and who her family is."
It didn’t take long to find her name—Maya Thompson. She was only nineteen. My heart clenched when I read the details. "She has a little brother," I murmured, my voice soft. "He’s only six years old."
Fatima’s face fell. "Oh no," she said quietly. "He’s just a baby."
"We need to bring him to the pack house," I decided. "He’ll be safer with us. We can’t leave him alone after what happened to his sister."
We found him at a small cottage on the outskirts of the pack’s territory. The boy, Lucas, was tiny, with big blue eyes that looked far too innocent for the tragedy he’d just experienced. He sat on the porch, clutching a tattered stuffed wolf to his chest. I knelt down in front of him, keeping my voice gentle.
"Hi, Lucas," I said softly. "I’m Priscilla. This is Fatima. We’re here to take care of you, okay?"
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a heartbreaking mix of fear and confusion. "Where’s Maya?" he asked in a small voice.
My throat tightened. How could I tell this sweet little boy that his sister was gone? Fatima crouched down beside me, offering a comforting smile. "She had to go away for a little while, sweetheart," she said gently. "But you’re going to come with us. We’ll make sure you’re safe."
Lucas nodded slowly, still clutching his stuffed wolf. He didn’t say anything else as we led him back to the pack house, but he kept looking over his shoulder, as if he expected his sister to appear at any moment.
Once Lucas was settled with one of the caretakers, Fatima and I set to work. We needed to understand what had happened to Maya. Why had she become so hateful? Who was the mysterious *he* she had mentioned?
Our first stop was the common area where Maya had spent most of her time. A few of her friends were sitting there, speaking in hushed tones. I approached them with a friendly smile, trying not to appear intimidating.
"Hey," I said gently. "I’m Priscilla. I’m really sorry for your loss. We’re trying to find out what happened to Maya. Could we ask you a few questions?"
The group exchanged uneasy glances before a tall, lanky boy stepped forward. He had a mop of dark curls and red-rimmed eyes, as if he’d been crying. "I’m Tim," he said. "Maya and I were close. I’ll help if I can."
"Thank you, Tim," I said, offering him a reassuring nod. "Can you tell us if Maya had been acting differently lately? Did she say anything strange?"
Tim’s face crumpled, and he swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yeah, she was different," he said, his voice thick with grief. "It’s like she wasn’t herself anymore. She started seeing someone, but she wouldn’t tell me who it was. I thought it was just a secret romance, but…"
"But what?" Fatima prompted, leaning forward.
Tim’s gaze dropped to the floor. "She became cold," he whispered. "Like, she stopped talking to me. Stopped talking to everyone, really. It was like she’d joined a… a cult or something. She hated the Alpha all of a sudden, and she wouldn’t say why."
Fatima and I exchanged a glance. A cult? That was concerning. Whoever this person was, he had a strong influence over her.
"Did she give you any clues?" I asked. "Anything at all about who this person might be?"
Tim shook his head. "I tried to ask her, but she snapped at me. Told me to mind my own business. That’s when I knew something was really wrong. Maya was never like that. She was… she was kind."
I reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "I’m so sorry, Tim. We’re going to find out who did this, I promise."
He nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Please," he whispered. "She didn’t deserve this."
* * *
Next, we spoke to a girl named Lila. She was petite with fiery red hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Unlike Tim, she seemed more wary, eyeing us with suspicion.
"Maya changed," she said bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest. "She got mixed up with someone she shouldn’t have. That’s all I know."
"Do you know who it was?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
Lila rolled her eyes. "If I knew that, don’t you think I would’ve told someone by now? I’m not an idiot."
Fatima snorted, covering her mouth quickly to stifle her laughter. I shot her a look but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
"Sorry," Fatima said, grinning. "It’s just, you remind me of my cousin. She’s just as feisty."
Lila’s stern expression softened slightly. "Well, I don’t like seeing my friends get hurt," she muttered. "And I definitely don’t like whatever this new group is. It’s creepy."
I nodded in agreement. "We’re trying to figure it out, Lila. We just need a bit more information."
Lila sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "All I know is that Maya met him at one of the old meeting spots in the woods. After that, she was different."
Another dead end. Whoever this person was, he was careful. It was like he’d erased any trace of his identity.
* * *
Our final interview was with a boy named Jared, who had a reputation for being a bit of a joker. He leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers.
"So, you’re the Luna, huh?" he said, looking me up and down. "Gotta say, I expected someone taller."
I raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to laugh. "Sorry to disappoint," I replied dryly.
Jared grinned. "No worries. Short people are scary. You’re probably closer to the ground, so you can kick people in the shins better."
Fatima snickered beside me. "He’s got a point," she said. "I’d watch out if I were you, Priscilla."
I rolled my eyes, but the humor eased the tension that had been building in my chest all day. "All right, Jared," I said, smiling despite myself. "Can you tell us about Maya?"
Jared’s expression turned serious. "Yeah, I can," he said quietly. "She was one of my best friends. But a couple of weeks ago, she started acting weird. Real secretive. She wouldn’t even laugh at my jokes, and I’m hilarious."
"Debatable," Fatima quipped.
"Hey, I’m a comic genius," Jared protested, winking. Then he sobered up, his smile fading. "But seriously, it was like she was brainwashed or something. I tried to ask her what was going on, but she just shut me out. She was angry all the time, and she kept saying things like, ‘You’ll see soon enough.’"
I frowned, the pieces falling into place but forming a disturbing picture. Whoever had manipulated Maya had done it well. He’d isolated her, filled her with hate, and now she was dead because of it.
Fatima leaned closer to me, lowering her voice. "This isn’t just some random guy, Priscilla," she whispered. "Whoever this is, he’s organized. He knows how to manipulate people."
"I know," I replied, feeling a chill run down my spine. "And that makes him dangerous."
"Do you think it's Andrew, he is the one gathering people up. He also seems like the cult type if you ask me." She said with a raised eyebrow.
"It could be him but I have a feeling it has to be someone else. Andrew doesn't look strong enough unless he is working with someone bigger" I said.
We left the common area with more questions than answers. We had a name—Maya—but no idea who had gotten into her head. It was like trying to chase a shadow in the dark.
Whoever this man was, he was good at hiding. And he was deadly.
As we walked back to the pack house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were running out of time.
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