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

Hayley’s POV

As Aiden and I closed the gap between us, the forest folded over me in a thick blanket that threatened to suffocate me. Clara’s confessions lingered in my thoughts, and I took his hand even tighter than before for comfort. The path meandered, a narrow one with the entire canopy overhead, allowing occasional streaks of sun to plummet in eerie, dappled shadows through dancing curtains of slow motion mist.

For awhile, we just walked in silence, losing ourselves in our own thoughts. At the end, I spoke, and my voice wavered a little.

“Aiden, you think we are right? By going back to the pack and facing Rachel?

When we were sitting, he grabbed my hand and squeezed it firmly. “We have to, Hayley. We have questions, and Rachel is wondering how we plan on finding out everything about your parents and the cult.”

I nodded, feeling giddy from watching his assurance. How could we possibly be fully prepared for this if we were to find whatever it was she had been after?

We walked on, through the forest that was becoming less dense, and we could see our car gleaming in amongst trees. We were just about to get there when the sound of someone shuffling caught my attention. I spun around to find an elderly lady come out of the bushes; her body hunched over with age, but she had a pair of keen and watchful eyes.

Her eyes flickered from one of us to another, a blend of confusion and panic. “Pardon me, little ones,” she cries out, and her tone is the oddest thing of all. “I need your help.”

Aiden and I gave each other a quick look, both wary yet curious. “What’s wrong?” I replied, moving up to her.

The old woman reached out as one hand began to tremble slightly. “I have lost something in the forest-a treasure. It’s a small, silver locket. Could you help me find it?”

So I felt a ping of empathy and just nodded. “Of course. We’ll help you.”

Aiden had a look that he wasn’t completely sure about it, but he did not disagree. We kept a pace behind the old woman as she led us deeper and further through the woods, our original destination momentarily vanishing from our minds. The old woman kept looking at me as we searched, her eyes shrouded in some sort of inscrutable secret.

But after what seemed like an eternity, I saw a flash of silver in the foliage. “Here it is!” I picked up the locket and offered it to her.

“The locket…” The woman said, her eyes glistening in gratitude. “Thank you, dear. This means the world to me; you don’t understand.”

I smiled, warmth flooding throughout me. “I’m glad we could help.”

The old lady took me in for a moment and spoke, “You have dormant magical ability, Hayley. It may not be open to you now, but eventually it will become clear. All the solutions to your problems will be found very soon.”

She virtually sent a shiver down my back. “How do you know my name? And hidden power-what do you mean?”

She smiled enigmatically. “All in good time, my dear. All in good time.”

Even before I thought to ask any more, she turned and walked away. We both just stood there, watching her leave and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. As she was about to vanish between the trees, I shouted.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Wait!”

Then I turned around, and she had already left. It was like she disappeared.

Aiden squeezed my hand tightly. “That was strange. You reckon she was not telling you anything valid?”

I shrugged, sensing a touch of surprise mingling with my confusion. “I don’t know. Her words sounded so significant.”

He nodded in seriousness. “Let’s get back to the car. We have a long drive ahead of us.

Before I was even close to the car, Aiden wrapped me in a tight hug, and his eyes turned soft as he gazed down at me. You know, “Everything will be fine, Hayley. Together, we will survive this.”

He offered me a soft peck on my cheek, and with its oozing comfort, I melted. “Thank you, Aiden. I have no idea what I would do without you.”

We got into the car and drove back to the Moonlight Howl pack house. It was a long, quiet ride, and each one of us was alone in our thoughts. The inscrutable words of the old woman had remained always on my mind. What power did I have, and who the hell was she?

When we finally reached the pack house, that was a relief, too; it felt so safe and homey inside for such a large sprawling complex in the middle of nowhere. We got out of the car, and I inhaled a deep breath, knowing what was to follow.

Aiden captured my hand; the weight of his grasp was both grounding and stabilizing.

“Ready?”

Really, all I could do was nod, fear and determination warring in my stomach. “Let’s do this.”

We went up to the door and knocked.

Soon, Rachel tore the envelope open, and her eyes first went wide before they slitted in suspicion. “Hayley, Aiden. What are you doing here?”

I inhaled deeply, the quaver of my voice imperceptible. “We know everything, Rachel. We had learnt from Clara of a cult, the Order of the Crescent Moon. It seems like we know you are in on it.”

Rachel turned white, but her gaze quickly resumed a steely look. “Clara is lying. She has never liked me. You can’t trust her.”

Aiden stepped ahead, his face hard. “We don’t mean to accuse you of anything, Rachel. We just want the truth. We should know what happened to Hayley’s parents.”

A series of emotions crossed Rachel’s eyes-fear, anger, and something else I couldn’t identify. “There’s nothing to say. Hayley, Clara is playing you. Don’t let her.”

I was so frustrated and desperate. “I don’t believe you, Rachel. I sense something deeper here. For god’s sake, just tell the truth.”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped back. “Hayley, you are getting it all wrong. There’s nothing more to say.”

Before I could even answer, she slammed the door in our faces, and we stood on her doorstep, shocked and dumbfounded.

Aiden slung an arm across my shoulders, tugging me closer. “We’ll figure something out, Hayley. Don’t lose hope.”

He gave me a gentle embrace as I pressed against him, the events of day one bearing down on my chest. “I won’t. We shall get to the bottom of it, cost be damned.”

Driving back to the car, an already-crazy mind suddenly raised all kinds of question marks. Was the old woman someone who was aware that my talent was a secret? What did Rachel exactly want to keep us from knowing? And what dark secrets did the Order of the Crescent Moon keep?

They were so close to solving the riddle of old, and I knew one thing for sure-that option was off the table. No matter what it took.

It was the most silent drive back to the pack house ever. Aiden and I were both just lost in our own thoughts. For the first time, I saw our own hidden landscape: relief and a twinkle of doubt combined. Getting home was simply one leg of an even longer journey.

Aiden pulled up to the driveway and turned off his car. He made eye contact with me, his gaze full of concern and resolve. “It will be alright, Hayley. Together.”

I agreed and almost cried, grateful that I have my biggest supporter in all of this. “I know. Thank you, Aiden.”

We parked and walked in. The pack house was abuzz with kinetic energy, but all I could think of were the queries swirling inside my own head. I wanted some answers, and I was not going to sleep until I got them.

Aiden took my hand as we passed through the hallways, and I found that comforting. “Let’s talk to Alpha Marcus. Perhaps he can assist us in planning our next moves.”

I nodded, thankful for his direction. “Good idea. The Order of the Crescent Moon-he may even know something about them.”

Alpha Marcus office, and we knocked on the door. A second later, it flung wide, filled with the imposing presence of their Alpha.

“Hey, Hayley and Aiden.” He greeted us rather curtly, yet in a worrisome tone of voice. “What brings you here?”

I took a deep breath, and that hit me with a wave of resolve. “We need your help, Alpha. It turns out some very unsettling things are true with my parents and a cult called the Order of the Crescent Moon.”

His eyes dulled, and he beckoned for us to take a seat. “Tell me everything.”

Alpha Marcus listened, his face growing grave as we recapped the day. It ended with him sitting back in his chair, pensive.

“By the wheezing gods, this does not bode well,” he eventually said. “The Crescent Moon is one badass group. We have to get the truth out of them if your parents had something to do with it.”

I nodded, relieved and yet filled with anxiety.

“What should we do?

Alpha Marcus’s resolved gaze sharpened. To begin, we will research. I will call some of my friends and try to find out about the order and how it works. For now, just be careful and trust no one but our own pack.

Aiden clasped my hand, and I drew strength from him. “Alpha, we will do all that is necessary.

Exiting Alpha Marcus’s chamber only served to energize me further. I had a plan, and I was going to make it happen. I took comfort in the unknown road ahead and knew with all my heart that we’d be able to march through any obstacles hand in hand.

That evening, when we got to our room, Aiden slid his arms around me and pulled me close. What a fabulous job you did today, Hayley. I’m so proud of you.”

I pressed my cheek against his chest, absorbing the heat of his love and support. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it with you, Aiden. You’re my rock.”

He pressed a slow kiss on my lips and caused fresh desire to flush through me. We are going to emerge from this stronger, sweetheart. No matter what.”

I collapsed into his arms, feeling the heat of our union ignite the fears to ash. And it slid us into the warmth; the outside just disappeared, and together we looked as though nothing in this world could break apart our worlds.

At that moment, I was completely sure we could confront any challenges that came our way. With Aiden by my side, I knew that we would face whatever the future brought.

Throughout the night, we fell asleep intertwined, and every breath was taken in sync. The future was unknown and intimidating, yet there was one thing of which I remained sure: together with Aiden by my side, we could make it through anything.

Our connection was fierce, and the worries of my day began to disappear as we kissed. The world was closing in around us, but when we crashed together, our screams and laughter shimmered like a single ecstatic hum that drowned out the universe.

But I realized that then we would fight the world hand in glove. I was, I guess, content, finally securing that whatever the future held for me, I had Aiden by my side.

We spent the night entangled with each other, our heartbeats finding rhythm together. The road ahead was uncertain, but I had one thing figured out: with Aiden by my arm, we could take on anything.

So, as we sat in the moonlit room, shadows licking across our faces, I promised myself that one day soon enough I would find out what really happened to my parents, who this cult was, and more importantly, why me?