Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

Hayley’s Pov

What a wave of guilt and fear washed over me! My dad and I had our hurdles, but I never wanted him to suffer. “Oh my God, Mom. Is he going to be okay?”

“Everything they can.” He’s in bad shape,” she said, her voice shaking.

I feel helpless and confused. I would be thousands of miles away, and I was too far away to do anything for my family. “When are you coming back? We need you here,” she implored.

I paused, caught between the rush of my family crisis and a weave to untangle in Australia. “Just… I have to process some things here. All is not well down under.

Your father needs you, Hayley,” she argued with a note of desperation in her voice. “We all do.”

I felt guilty, but I knew there was no way I could leave yet. “I know, Mom. I swear, I’ll be back soon. You have to wait for me.” I begged, trying to convey the seriousness of my situation.

It was a long beat before she sighed. “Alright, but please hurry. And stay safe, okay?”

“I will. I said, “I love you,” with the reality of everything weighing down harder on my chest.

“Me too,” and she hung up the phone with love.

I put down my phone and looked at Ryan and the entire conversation he had been listening to. “My dad’s in the hospital. It’s serious.”

Ryan looked at him worriedly and with a little compassion. “I’m so sorry, Hayley. Are you about to run away now?

I shook my head, not entirely certain it was the right choice. “No. Not yet. I need to see this through. But I have to know what the hell is happening with Aiden and why I am being threatened.

I nodded back, my determination level matching Ryan’s. “Alright. Let’s keep going, then. Time to figure out how we come to Aiden and get some goddamn’A’siacs.

I turned back to Aiden and the girl, bracing myself for whatever was about to happen. All the threads in my life were coming undone faster than I could weave them back together, but it had to be done, whatever that meant.

We watched Aiden and the girl in the cafe. They spoke very quietly, leaned toward each other a little too much, and had an air of intimacy that made my stomach turn. Such emotions stabbed daggers with every pat and grin they shared.

Should we try to go up there now? Ryan asked, his voice low.

The thought crossed my mind; possibilities of what-ifs flashed like a racing train. ” No, not yet. We will have to see if their chat has anything we can glean from it. But first, we have to get some more information before getting into a confrontation with them.

Ryan nodded, his gaze unwavering on the two of them. “Agreed. But we can’t wait too long. They are slowly becoming more likely to notice us the longer we sit here.

As we observed Aiden and the girl, time seemed to drag on endlessly. Their carefree conversation and laughter appeared indifferent towards their surroundings. The pain of betrayal weighed heavily upon my heart, yet determinedly I disregarded it as I concentrated solely on our current mission.

In the end, the girl rose to her feet, and Aiden mimicked her actions. Together, they made their way toward the exit, presenting an opportunity for us. “It’s time,” I murmured quietly to Ryan.

We paid our bill without delay and trailed behind them into the dark. After a brief walk, they halted outside of an unassuming housing complex. Aiden engaged in conversation with his companion for a while before she leaned forward to peck him on the cheek. The gesture panged at my heartstrings, yet I reigned myself back in and stayed attentive.

Observing from a distance, I witnessed the girl vanish into the apartment complex while Aiden stood solitary beneath the dimly lit streetlight. Ryan and I remained concealed as we scrutinized his every action. Detecting our presence, Aiden glanced around before hastily walking towards his parked vehicle, meters away, without acknowledging us. He rapidly drove off under the cover of darkness without once turning back to look in our direction.

Ryan’s voice filled with frustration as he murmured, “Where is he off to?”

“Later, we’ll have to figure it out,” I said, my mind still reeling from the night’s revelations. “We should return to the hostel and regroup and strategize our next moves.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The frigid evening air grew ominous as we prepared to depart. Subsequently, a figure darted swiftly behind Ryan just as an unsettling stillness crept in. Despite my attempts at warning him, the attacker, whose eyes glimmered with an eerie yellow hue, pounced mercilessly on us from the darkness, plunging its claws deep into Ryan’s back, causing him excruciating pain and ultimately collapsing onto the ground while letting out a guttural cry of agony.

My voice was torn between fear and rage as I screamed, “Ryan!”

In an incomplete transformation, the attacker revealed its werewolf form and snarled at me while baring fangs. Its eyes held a murderous intent that made my heart race as I searched for any means of escape. With Ryan’s blood dripping from its claws, the creature took a threatening step closer to me.

Despite my lack of weapons and inability to fight a werewolf in its current state, I shouted firmly while trembling, “Stay back!”

Crouched to pounce, the werewolf emitted a ferocious growl. My body filled with desperation as I pivoted and fled, my legs straining to move faster than ever before. The thunderous footsteps of the creature were hot on my heels, rapidly gaining ground in pursuit.

Frantically, I weaved through tight pathways, trying to lose the person pursuing me. My breaths were shallow and quick as my mind filled with concerns about Ryan’s safety-was he still unharmed or had the monster already claimed his life?

After searching frantically, I came across a deserted shed. Hastily making my way inside, I forcefully shut the door and leaned against it in exhaustion. Gasping for air, the only sound that filled the emptiness was my own racing heartbeat.

I advanced cautiously deeper into the warehouse, seeking refuge. My eyes scanned the area till I came across a heap of weathered crates. Crouching behind them, my body shuddered with fear and fatigue. Though sounds from afar drifted to me, indicating bustling city activity outside, within these walls, silence reigned ominously supreme.

Ryan was constantly on my mind, and the thought of him possibly being deceased because of me was unbearable. My top priority now is finding a way to assist Ryan, but I must stay alive this evening in order to do so.

As I started to believe the werewolf had slipped away, a creaking noise signaled the opening of the warehouse door. With bated breath, I peered through a crevice between crates and saw its entrance-the beast with twitchy nostrils sniffing around in search of prey. The silhouette was visible enough amid dimly lit surroundings-an amalgamation of humans and wolves that looked monstrous as it made movements amidst shadows.

“Little girl, come out,” it growled in a guttural voice. “Your hiding won’t last long.”

Though panic coursed through me, I compelled myself to be motionless and mute. The beast stalked about the warehouse with its talons grinding against the concrete surface. It was inevitable that it would discover my whereabouts soon enough.

I remained hidden, pondering Aiden. We were soulmates, entwined by a bond more profound than any other I had experienced. How could he have turned on me? And why am I now the target of those pursuing me? These inquiries circled in my head with no resolution except for trepidation and ambiguity.

As the werewolf approached, its menacing growls intensified. I realized that I had to act fast and devise an escape plan. Scanning my surroundings swiftly, I searched for a potential weapon or exit route desperately. Suddenly, my eyes fell upon a glimmer of hope-there was a petite window located at the top, which seemed feasible for me to sneak out through it in time!

Summoning all the bravery I possessed, I bided my time for an opportune moment. The werewolf’s attention diverted elsewhere, so resolutely taking advantage of the situation, I hastily made a beeline towards the window. In retaliation and frustration at its prey escaping from sight, it let out an angry roar and violently flailed its nails through space in pursuit of me.

Arriving at the window, I clawed my way up but struggled to grip onto the gritty sill. In a last-ditch effort, I heaved myself over and touched down on the opposite end, battered yet breathing. Hastily sprinting forth, I didn’t cease until I was certain that distance lay between us.

As soon as I came to a stop, my body gave out, and I slumped against the nearest wall, desperately trying to catch my breath. Anxiety for Ryan consumed me-did he make it through that assault? Knowing his fate became imperative; however, before making any decisions or actions, further planning was crucial.