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

Aiden’s POVContent protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

For a moment, I just looked at my phone, trying to take in everything that Alessa had told me. Jada was out, and even worse than that, she might be back soon with a vengeance. That was unsettling and menacing, like a storm on the horizon. I had always held this suspicion inside of her, since Jada was a dangerous person, and the idea she could be scheming or something even now chilled me to my core. I quickly threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. I had to get my head straight, and fresh air was the only option. I raced for the door in search of fresh air, still clutching my new phone, which Frank had bought me. It was early, long before the rush. I acknowledged the receptionist and stepped back out into the Australian sunshine. The hotel was close to a small park, so I went there thinking that perhaps nature would inspire me. Hayley stayed on my mind as I walked. Why lie about talking to me? So was she simply in self-preservation mode or something else? I sat down on the bench under a huge oak and took out my cell phone. After a second, I looked at it and called my dad. The third ring, and he answered the phone. “Aiden, are you okay? W-what… are those?” he asked, concerned. That moment where the only way you can start your sentence is “Dad, we need to talk about Jada. I spoke with Alessa and she told me there was a body on the streets… where she used to work.” There was a pause. ‘I became aware of that, yes,” he responded slowly. ‘Now, what does that have to do with you?’ ‘She thinks Jada is up to something huge, and I agree with her,” I responded. “You know how smart Jada is. If she leaves bodies, it is not a mistake. It’s a message.” My dad sighed. ‘Aiden, I understand you’re concerned, but that’s for the authorities to deal with. There is nothing you can do from there’. “Well, I can at least keep track of the news, right? If that crazy bitch is still out there, do you really think she’s going to let this end here?” He was silent for a moment. “Alright,” he said finally. “I’ll keep you updated. Promise me you will not interfere in this, Aiden. You’ve done enough.” I nodded, as he could not see me. “I promise, Dad.” We said our good nights, and I ended the call. Sitting back on the bench, I felt more calm. Well, my dad at least keeps me informed. However, Hayley was the issue. I had to know why she told her a lie. I was going to give Alessa a little time before calling her. She needed time to think everything over. I decided to look in the phone book, and I called Kieran. He was always able to read people, and maybe he could help me out with what was going on in Hayley’s head. It rang a few times before he answered the phone. ‘It is good to hear from you, Aiden.’ His voice was warm and friendly on the other end of the line. “Yeah, it’s been a bit of time,” I confessed. “Well, I need your help with something.” “Sure, what’s up?” he asked. I gave a rundown of the Hayley thing (as in, how she lied about talking to me). Kieran was a fabulous listener, and he let me go all the way through before saying anything. “Huh, that’s odd,” he said. ‘But it could mean anything. Perhaps she is trying to move on and does not want her friends to stress about it. Or maybe she is, like you said, responsible and wants to protect you’. “Protect me?” I echoed, puzzled. “Yeah,” he said. “Think about it. Hayley: Just in case Jada is up to something, Hayley may just be trying to protect you. It looks to me like she might be concerned that if you found out she was having trouble, you would return and put yourself at risk’. That kind of made twisted sense. But Hayley was my ally; she did not need to shield me. But it was still very hard to swallow. I licked my lips, plainly baffled: “So that must be it. But I still don’t like it.” “No, of course you don’t.” Kieran laughed. ‘Aiden, you control freak. You are frustrated by not knowing what is happening.’ I couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess you’re right.” ‘Just give her some space’, he said. ‘If she needs you, she will let you know. In the meantime, here’s to watching what Jada does and listening closely. You are going to need your game if she makes a move.’ “Thanks, Kieran,” I said. “I appreciate it.” “Anytime,” he said. ‘Look after yourself, Aiden.’ We said our goodbyes, and I felt a little reassured. Kieran was right. I had to back off and allow for the space, so long as Hayley was well enough anchored to still come to me if she needed help. I had to keep an eye out for Jada. It was time to change the lens and buckle up for whatever that may look like next. I rose from the bench and breathed in a little more of the fresh air before finally heading back to my hotel. I thought about what Kieran said while I walked. Well, if she did have something in mind, I wanted to be prepared. Hayley and anyone else who might be caught unaware. I decided to look it up when I got back in my room. She had left in her place a body, and it was unfortunate that this man died at the same time. I wanted to hear about her last few things and perhaps something she still had going on. I then opened my laptop and began reading the news and forums of all kinds of people who left their mark there. After what felt like hours, fragments of information started to connect. Rumors swirled of mysterious figures spotted at some run-down Circle locations, and a couple stories reported people going missing who weren’t directly linked to Jada yet, with the same strange similarities as those taken in her previous abductions. This made me very nervous, considering that while it was not a full picture yet, the information began to weave in ways already. When I heard my phone buzz, it was Alessa. “Hi, just to let you know Hayley is good. We were hanging out with some friends today, and she was in a good mood. I guess this way I can keep an eye on her like you wanted.” Relief washed through me. It felt better than her having been the one to break away without contacting me, but it was still a lie; I had spoken only with my father. I tapped my phone, made a quick Thank you, and put it to the side.