Unanswered Questions

“Thought you could escape me now huh?” Miss Ray voice echoes in all over the room julting me up but she was no where around.

“Miss… miss Ray?” I called unsure if I was hallucinating.

“Azirah!” She called. The name sharp and evil like. Making me to shake with dear.

“I found you, picked you and raised you and all you could do is to keep running?”

“What do you want from me?” I asked as sweet drips from my head.

Laughter echoes what seemed like cave. “What can I possibly want from you? Until this!”

Miss Ray appeared but had a different face, it appeared young and prettier she bent over to were I sat on my knees and makes to touch the neckless that sat on my neck for as long as i had known.

Just as her hand tries to make contact it darken and like a force, it blew her out throwing her to the end of the room. I shierk backwards equally scared.

Miss Ray didn't seem happy as she raises up slowly with her back facing me. “You!” she snapped as she faced me. Her eyes red and her old features back.

“You deceived me. I'll get you!” She cried out as she runs towards me. I screamed as she limps toward me.

“You're finally awake!” a voice said to me as soon as my eyes flutter open.

A lady dressed in a yellow gown that hangs freely on her reached out to me, “I was beginning to think you'll never wake again.”

“Where am I?”I asked as she checks on me.

She looked at me and smiled, “You are save here, don't worry.” She assured.

Just then, a tall figure walked into the room, and the woman rushed toward him. They exchanged words in a language that was unfamiliar to my ears. I tried to move but let out a small cry as my head spun.

“Careful there,” the man said, his voice calm as he approached me. The woman left the room quietly, glancing back once before disappearing.

I looked into his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, the images of the beast from that night flashed in my mind. My heart pounded. “Do I know you?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He chuckled nonchalantly, ignoring my question. “How do you feel?”

The question seemed polite, but his tone carried an edge that made me uneasy. I found his dismissiveness rude, but I swallowed my irritation.

I was about to ask something else when I noticed his gaze was fixed on something. Following his eyes, I realized he was staring at my necklace. My hand instinctively flew to it, clutching the pendant tightly.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, his voice low and sharp.

“I didn’t. It’s been around my neck for as long as I can remember,” I replied, my tone defensive.

His expression hardened for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but he held back. “Tell me about where you came from,” he said, changing the subject.

I shrank back into the bed, my chest tightening as memories of the orphanage came flooding back. “The orphanage,” I whispered, swallowing hard. “I don’t want to go back there.”

“What orphanage?” he pressed, curiosity flickering in his dark eyes.

“The Duskhallow Orphanage. I escaped from there,” I admitted.

“You’re not telling me everything,” he said, his gaze narrowing as he stepped closer. His presence was overwhelming, and his intense eyes seemed to see through me.

I hesitated, wondering if I could trust him.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a younger man, shorter but with the same air of authority, rushed in.

“Alpha, we need to leave. She’s here, and she isn’t alone!”

“How could they have found us?” the tall man asked sharply, his gaze snapping to me.

The younger man hesitated before muttering, “Unless…”

The tall man’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned to me, his expression cold and accusing. “Unless you led them here.”

“No! No, please don’t!” I cried, holding up my hands in desperation as he advanced toward me. “I’ll tell you everything, just don’t let her take me.”

He stopped, one brow raised, his expression both skeptical and intrigued. “You’d better start talking.”

I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “I’m one of the orphans from Duskhallow. It’s a horrible place, run by Old Miss Ray. She’s everywhere a crime is committed, and no one ever questions her. I’ve tried to escape before, but this time…this time, I got further. A strange creature saved me.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Go on.”

“It wasn’t human,” I continued, my voice trembling. “It towered over me. I saw it use its claws to kill the wolf that attacked me. It saved me…”

He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he reached for my wrist, pulling off the band I’d worn for years.

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.

“This,” he said, holding up the band, “is how she’s been tracking you.” He walked to a candle burning on the far end of the room and tossed the band into the flame. It crackled and burned to ash.

A loud howl echoed in the distance, making me jolt. “What was that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Neither man answered. The younger one bowed slightly and left the room.

“Whatever you do,” the tall man said firmly, “don’t leave this room.”

I nodded, but my mind raced with questions. Who was this man? Why did he care about Miss Ray or the orphanage?

The room grew quiet, but the eerie howls in the distance grew louder, closer. I couldn’t stay put. Curiosity burned in me.

I moved toward the window, peering out cautiously. The forest surrounding the house was dense, shadows stretching between the trees. Then, I saw her.

Miss Ray.

She was standing at the edge of the forest, her figure illuminated faintly by the moonlight. My stomach twisted as she tilted her head, as if sensing me watching her. I quickly ducked out of sight, my heart pounding.

I leaned back against the wall, trying to calm myself, but a question lingered in my mind: Who is the man protecting me?

I needed answers.

Quietly, I moved toward the door and pressed my ear against it, straining to hear. Faint voices filtered through, but their words were unclear. The urgency in their tones made me even more determined.

Whoever this man was, he wasn’t ordinary. And whatever Miss Ray wanted, it had something to do with me.

I decided then and there—I would find out the truth.