CHAPTER 38

Isla's POV

I was on my way to the hospital when I passed by a flower shop. I looked outside and felt like getting a bouquet for Lucas. With this, my visit would look a little less selfish. As soon as I stepped inside, I spotted a familiar figure near the back of the store. Chloe moved gracefully through the shop. But before I could call out to her, she moved upstairs.

"Chlo…" I was about to follow when the shop owner appeared beside me with a warm smile.

“The lovely young lady looking for something special today?" she asked, a little too generously. I wasn't used to being addressed like that.

I hesitated, glancing toward the staircase where Chloe had vanished. “Just a bouquet of... carnations?" I replied, still distracted. “That was Chloe right? Does she live here? I saw her go upstairs."

The shopkeeper’s smile widened, her eyes radiating with warmth and love. "Oh, yes. Chloe is my daughter."

"We are classmates," I explained, though it felt odd saying that when I realized how little I actually knew about her.

"Dear, are you her friend?" Her eyes lit up affectionately. "Should I call her down? She never had friends visiting her, you know?" She almost rushed, but then something stopped her, worry reflecting in her eyes. "She has been a shy, introverted child, always holed up in her room no matter how much effort we put into her since we adopted her. She doesn't really speak up! But I guess, things are changing finally. She has a friend now."

"Adopted!" My eyes widened, and the word left my mouth before I could stop it. It was insensitive, but I was shocked. I hadn’t known that. Chloe had always seemed so mysterious, keeping her life tightly guarded.

"Hmm... She has lived with me since she was a child. And you are the first person to ask about her. Dear, are you a good friend of hers?" She asked, putting some invisible pressure on me.

"Let me call her!"

"I will talk to her in class. I am in a rush now." I brushed off her request, knowing I would be delayed.

"Oh!"

Before she could pressure me more, I rushed to buy a bouquet of carnations and left, my mind still buzzing. As soon as I stepped out, something about the place felt... off. I swear I saw something purplish, wilted and dry, sitting in a corner. Perhaps, there was even a weird smell. But I didn't want to return to check just in case Chloe's mother would stop me again.

When I arrived at the hospital, Lucas’ face lit up the moment he saw me. He looked better after proper treatment. His smile, though, was strained with worry.

"I am glad you are safe, Isla. I was so worried." his eyes searched, looking for visible injuries. When he couldn't find any, he sighed with relief. "Thanks for coming," he said, a little more relaxed.

"I am glad, you are okay, too!"

"I wanted to explain what happened last night." He said, his voice full of worry and tension.

I sat beside his bed and sighed. "Glad, you didn't waste time on formalities," I chuckled, putting the carnations on the side table.

Lucas shifted, wincing slightly from his injuries as he adjusted his position to sit. "Last night, after I received your message, I was on my way to your house. But before I got there, I saw you chasing a shadow toward the woods. I knew something was off, so I followed." He paused, his brow furrowing as he recalled the events. "When I caught up, you were ambushed... and you know the rest."

I nodded, remembering it all too well. "Did you see anything else? Anything unusual?"

Lucas sighed and glanced out the window. "There was something else. While chasing after the shadow, I picked up a strange smell."

"Nightspire bloom," I whispered, cutting him off.

His eyes widened in shock that I had recognized the essence. "How do you even know about it? It’s rare, and native to West Fall Pack. It grows on steep cliffs. It is known for its calming, sleep-inducing properties."

"Sleep inducing?" I frowned. "Why would Elara come into contact with something like that? I found traces of it inher belongings."

He shook his head. "If used in large doses, it could do more than just calm someone. It could force a werewolf’s wolf to remain asleep indefinitely. The wolf inside... it would never wake up again."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. "Elara," I whispered, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation. "What was she involved in? I can't understand why she would need something like that!"

“I don’t know why your sister would have come into contact with it,” he finally said, his tone cautious. “But nightspire bloom isn’t easy to find, and it’s only native to West Fall Pack. Whoever used it must have had access to the pack’s lands and a deep understanding of how dangerous the herb can be.”

My heart skipped a beat. "What about mandrake?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas froze, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "How do you know about that?"

"I had found traces of mandrake," I explained, my mind racing. "At the scene of my sister’s death... and you know it was also there near Betty."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, his frown deepening. “Isla, nightspire bloom, and mandrake together is a deadly combination. They can cause powerful hallucinations, distort reality... and in high concentrations, they can be used to completely control someone’s mind. That kind of knowledge isn’t just out there—it’s only known to a select few in the West Fall Pack.”

"The West Fall Pack again?" I repeated, dread rising in my chest. “But who would know how to use them together?”

Lucas nodded grimly with worry and frustration. "If someone from that pack is involved, it is more dangerous than we think. You must inform them about this to the alpha."

I clenched my fists, frustration, and fear rippling within me.