Chapter 46: Chapter 46

ADELIE

I stepped out into the early morning, dressed in my training gear. The pack was still tucked away in their beds, the events of the previous night having kept everyone up late.

The kids would likely be the first to rise, but they’d need to be filled in on what happened. We always tried to shield them from the harsh realities of our world, but they needed to know some things.

We couldn’t keep them in the dark forever, only for them to be blindsided when they finally faced the truth.

They needed to understand the world they were growing up in, but there was a delicate balance in how we shared that information. We didn’t want to terrify them.

I made my way to the training field, expecting it to be deserted. But to my surprise, Maeve and Delilah were there, sharing a bench. An odd pairing, especially considering the circumstances.

As I approached, I noticed they were passing a silver flask between them. Well, that was one way to start the day.

I figured the flask belonged to Maeve. Delilah always seemed too prim and proper to be caught with such a thing.

I joined them, and Maeve offered me a weak, almost pitying smile. She extended the flask to me, but I declined. “I’m good,” I assured her.

“Your house was attacked, Adelie. Don’t pretend it doesn’t affect you,” Delilah said, her tone uncharacteristically gentle.

“Whoever did it was bold, luring everyone away from the pack to target you and Kairos. They knew about his reputation, and your abilities,” she added, her words lacking their usual bite.

After a moment’s hesitation, I accepted the flask and took a swig. The vodka burned going down, but maybe that’s what I needed.

I settled next to Maeve. “What brings you here?” I asked.

“I thought I’d have the place to myself. Didn’t expect to find Luna Delilah here,” she replied. Maybe we weren’t so different after all.

“Just Delilah,” she corrected Maeve. “And for the record, I still stand by my previous statements. I’m not a fan of our allied packs,” she added, as if to balance out her earlier kindness.

Her bluntness made me chuckle. At least some things hadn’t changed.

“How’s Kairos?” she asked, a hint of concern in her eyes.

“He’s hurting. He lost a friend. But he’ll put on a brave face, like always. He’s not one to show his emotions,” I replied.

That was just how he was. But I knew that those who appeared the strongest often carried the deepest wounds. I couldn’t see inside his head, but I feared it was a mess.

“Well, he is the alpha…” Delilah began.

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel anything. I think everyone would understand if he took some time off. But I also know he wouldn’t want to,” I countered.

“How can he take a break when we’ve been attacked? When they brought back that monster just to throw us off?” she asked, taking another swig from the flask.

“Allying with you was a mistake. Now we’re all in danger,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry,” I said, the guilt washing over me. This was my fault. “It’s not like we planned this,” I snapped back.

Delilah raised her hands in surrender. “I’m not blaming anyone. I’m just stating facts. We’re allies, and now both our packs are at risk,” she said.

She never held back, always speaking her mind, regardless of who it might hurt. She wasn’t a bad person, just brutally honest. It wasn’t the worst trait to have, but it didn’t make her the easiest person to be around.

Delilah heaved a sigh, pushing herself up to stand with a grunt that was far from ladylike. It was refreshing to see her in a different light. “I’m heading back to my pack. Stay strong. Best of luck with Kairos,” she offered, her words directed at me.

Maeve, standing beside me, asked, “Do you need me to stick around?”

I shook my head in response. “No, I’m okay. Thanks, though.” She tucked her flask back into her jacket and ambled away at a leisurely pace.

I watched her until she was out of sight. Her departure was slow, punctuated by frequent stops to examine a dried leaf clinging to a maple tree, or to kick a stone along the path until it vanished from sight.

Once she was gone, I found myself at a loss for what to do next. I decided to get in some training, despite the fact that it was already past noon and hardly morning anymore.

I approached one of the punching bags and assumed the stance Kairos had taught me. My training was interrupted by the overpowering scent of a heavy perfume.

It was a familiar fragrance. I’d encountered it before—a rich, luxurious perfume. I scanned my surroundings and spotted a figure in a red coat in the forest.

The figure vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The scent was the same as the one on the red card. The figure had been here yesterday, before Houdini was killed, and the card had been at my house when Raphael was murdered.

Could it be... could it be the killer?

I looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. Seeing no one, I sprinted to the edge of the forest, but there was no sign of anyone. I continued on to the river, the place where I’d first seen the figure.

The morning was beautiful, the sunlight dancing on the river’s gentle waves. My gaze was drawn to the red cape.

With the hood down, I could see her long, platinum blonde hair that fell to her lower back. Her silhouette confirmed that it was a woman.

I approached her slowly, careful not to startle her into running. She sat by the water, watching the waves.

“Who are you?” I called out, trying to sound as confident as possible, ready to summon my root creature at a moment’s notice.

My heart pounded in my chest. I was potentially facing a killer, and I had no idea what she was capable of.

Part of me hoped she was harmless, but another part of me wanted to confront the person who had killed Raphael, a good man and a friend to Kairos, causing him immense pain.

I wasn’t usually one for revenge, but I couldn’t stand the thought of someone hurting him like that.

I didn’t expect her to answer, given that she’d run away the last time.

“My name is Esty,” she said, chuckling to herself. Her voice was deeper than I’d expected, but soothing. She sat up straight, swaying slightly as if dancing to a melody only she could hear.

“I didn’t ask for your name. I asked who you are! What you are!” I retorted, my hands clenched into fists at my sides, ready for anything.

She stood and turned to face me. She appeared to be in her forties. Her eyes were narrow and a light purple, her lips full but pale and chapped.

Her platinum hair framed her face, making it appear thinner than it was. Her nose was upturned, prominent on her face.

“I’m a witch,” she declared. “And you are Adelie Murrell, forest nymph, death angel, and barely a werewolf.”

Was she trying to intimidate me by showing that she knew who I was?

“What do you want? This is my pack. Intruders aren’t welcome,” I told her, attempting to maintain my confident facade, though I could feel it beginning to crumble.

“I’m here to stay, Adelie, until I get what I want,” she replied, a smirk playing on her lips.

“And what is that?”

“A favor from you.” She smirked again, looking me up and down. “Want to hear it now? Or should I make another statement?” she asked.

“Did you kill them?” I demanded, my patience wearing thin.

She tilted her head towards the heavens. “Them. There’s a whole lot to pick from. Can you narrow it down a bit?”

She was teasing me, but I had no doubt she could kill without a second thought. She had that kind of detached air about her.

I needed to know, so I played along with her little game. “Houdini and Raphael.”

Esty chuckled. “His name wasn’t Houdini,” she corrected.

“Why’d you do it?” I demanded.

“Phineas,” she said, her hand moving as if she were underlining his name in the air, “was making you nervous, filling your head with tales of impending doom.”

She was referring to Houdini. At least now I knew his real name.

“So, you’re the doom he was warning me about. He was cautioning me about evil, and your first instinct was to kill him? That’s exactly the kind of thing he was warning me about,” I shot back at her.

“Adelie, you’re young but you’re not naive. You understand that evil comes with a price. I have no intention of hurting anyone,” she claimed.

“What about Raphael? You hurt him.”

She rolled her eyes. “He wasn’t meant to die. He attacked me. I just needed to get to you. Given how protective Kairos is of you, I didn’t think he’d let you go to Circe.

“Maybe he doesn’t love you as much as I thought,” she added, but I didn’t buy it. He loved me, but he also promised to trust me in situations like this.

“Why did you even need to come to my house? You could’ve just found me in the woods.” I pointed out the flaw in her plan.

“Why would I want to meet you on your turf, where you feel most powerful? I don’t want to hurt you in a fight and besides, the forest is crawling with werewolves,” she countered.

“So, let’s cut to the chase. I assume you got my note. What’s your answer?”

I sidestepped her question. “You didn’t have to kill him. You did that to send me a message,” I accused, my anger flaring.

“I told you, you’re a smart girl. I didn’t want to kill Kairos because then you wouldn’t even want to live, but killing someone close to him might make you listen.

“If you ~don’t~ listen, I know everyone you care about. I can wipe out your entire pack if that’s what it takes.”

She was grinning like she’d won some kind of prize by figuring out how to manipulate me.

“What makes you think we’ll let you do this again. We’re a pack, but you’re just one person,” I retorted, standing my ground.

She moved closer to me, but I refused to back down. I would hold my ground, no matter how intimidating she was.

She was too close now. No enemy should be this close. “I don’t even have to try, I don’t care about any of them, I need you to cooperate. If you’re forced, it won’t work,” she stated.

“What do you want from me?” I finally asked, playing into her hands.

She stepped back, turning her back to me in a way that suggested she didn’t see me as a threat or an enemy.

“I need you to shift into your wolf form,” she said.

“I don’t have a wolf form. I never have.” I stated the obvious, though I was sure she already knew.

She turned back to me, her hands clasped in front of her. “I have a theory, an experiment of sorts, that I believe has an eighty percent chance of success. If you undergo it, I can give you a wolf form.”

She began to circle me, her cold hands resting on my shoulders from behind, her voice a whisper in my ear.

“Haven’t you ever wanted Madeline to be happy? For Kye to have a full mate?” she asked. But how did she know our wolf names? Only Kairos knew my wolf’s name. How could she possibly know?

“Why am I so important to you?” I questioned.

“It’s all hypothetical at this point, but I’m confident it’ll work. I just need proof. In return, you get to transform into a wolf at no cost, and I promise to leave your pack alone,” she proposed.

I won’t lie, I was intrigued. Werewolves always boasted about the intensity of their wolf connections, but I just didn’t feel it. I was aware of Madeline’s presence, and I knew she was mine, but I didn’t feel like we were on equal footing.

It felt more like having an imaginary friend living in my head. Kairos never shared Kye’s thoughts on Madeline, but if I couldn’t sense her when she was so near, I doubted Kye could.

“What… what would it involve?” I asked, my bravado slipping away.

“I would administer an injection. It’ll weaken you temporarily, but it should take effect after six to ten doses,” she clarified.

“And the risks?” I probed.

“That depends on your resilience,” she replied, but I knew I couldn’t go behind Kairos’s back. I couldn’t keep secrets from him.

I shook my head. How could I even contemplate it? “I can’t do it!” I declared. I was about to leave when she uttered the words I dreaded.

“Fala is a sweet girl, isn’t she? And Kairos seems to care deeply for her.”

Kairos had just lost his best friend. I couldn’t let her target Fala. What if we failed to protect her or anyone else? Esty had resurrected someone from the dead. She was powerful.

I couldn’t do this to Kairos. I didn’t want to lie either, but my lie wouldn’t cost anyone their life.