Chapter 9

Aritzea’s POV

The moon hung high above the villa, casting an eerie silver glow over everything, making the shadows seem deeper, more threatening. My heart pounded against my ribs, my mind turning blank as I stood, frozen.

The mutilated body at my feet was unrecognizable, a horrifying pile of flesh and bone, twisted in ways no living thing could ever be. The blood soaked the stone steps, dark and slick, seeping into the cracks like it had always belonged there.

Then, the scent hit me hard— blood and death— and along with it, a horrifying thought.

My sister!

Without a second thought, I bolted past Thorne and into the house, the door slamming behind me with a loud bang.

"Laura!"

I took the stairs three at a time, heart racing, my mind filled with fear.

Not her. Please, not my sister.

"Laura!" I screamed again, louder, my voice cracking as panic clawed anxiously at my throat.

I could hardly breathe as I ran through the dark hallway to Laura's room, my body moving on pure instinct. Laura was so weak, so fragile. She could hardly defend herself.

Please... not her...

Laura's door came into sight and the door swung open just as I reached out. I braked abruptly, holding the wall to steady myself as I stared at the person in front of me.

"Ari? What's going on?" Laura's voice sounded thick with confusion as she blinked sleepily. "Ari?"

My breath hitched, relief flooding in as I pulled my sister into my arms without speaking, gripping her as tightly as I could. I could feel the steady thrum of Laura's heart against my own frantic heartbeat as the faint scent that belonged to her filtered into my nose.

"...What's wrong? Are you okay?" Laura asked, muffled against my shoulder.

I didn't answer right away, trembling as the fear and panic slowly drained out of me. As soon as the panic cleared, I came to a realization—the corpse outside wasn't my sister. It didn't smell like her.

She was okay. She was safe.

Laura pulled back slightly, looking up at me in concern. "Ari, you're shaking? What's wrong?"

I forced a weak smile, gently brushing Laura's hair back. "It's nothing. I just—I just wanted to see you. Go back to bed, okay?"

I couldn't let Laura notice anything. She shouldn't see the corpse outside.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, go back to sleep, Laura."

She didn't look so convinced, but she gave me one last worried look before going back in and closing the door softly behind her. I stood there for a while, staring at the closed door, listening to her footsteps fade as she returned to her bed.

When I made sure she was back in bed, I turned, storming towards the stairs.

Thorne!

He was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs, his face set in a grim expression. He didn’t say anything. Because he didn't have to.

I saw it all.

And the blood on his hands and clothes told me he had too. His expression was ugly and filled with unspoken guilt and frustration. But at this moment, I was too angry to care if he was feeling guilty.

That corpse was a dead werewolf! They were tortured and killed! And he didn't seem so surprised by it. He knew about this! And he didn't think to tell me?!

I stalked past him, fists clenched so tightly I could feel my nails digging into the flesh of my palms.

He followed behind me, the both of us heading towards his study. Neither of us spoke as we settled down, the tension hanging thick in the air.

Finally, I broke the silence. "Who was it?"

"I don't know, Aritzea." Thorne said quietly, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. He rubbed a hand over his face, clearly drained. "But I think it's Jonas. He's not been back to the estate for a while."

Jonas.

My stomach twisted. Jonas was one of the many werewolves that lived in the estate. And he was killed. So brutally.

I clenched my fist tighter. "This isn't the first, is it?"

He hesitated and that hesitation told me everything I needed to know.

"Thorne, I'm talking to you! That was the reason for the banquet today, wasn't it? Was it the vampires?!"

"It wasn't! It wasn't the vampires, Aritzea." He answered through gritted teeth "There have been others—vampires and werewolves, both. We're being hunted."

My heart skipped a beat at his words. "How?"

"We don't know." Thorne began, "At first it was small—a vampire here, a werewolf there. We both thought it was the other side. But... it's not, and it's getting worse. There's someone—some group—out there targeting us."

My brows furrowed. Targeting us? But why?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. For as long as I could remember, vampires and werewolves had blended into human society almost seamlessly, trying their best to integrate. The wars ended centuries ago and along with them, the hunting. Hunters were a thing of the past—legends. Or so we thought, since this was happening.

I turned to him. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

If this hadn't happened he'd keep this from me. Did he think I didn't have the right to know something so important?!

Thorne sighed audibly.

"You're my baby sister, Aritzea. I didn't want you to worry." His voice was soft, almost pleading and suddenly I couldn't be angry at him anymore.

Fuck!

I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my cool. "Well, now I know. I have to—"

Before I could finish my words, he cut me off instantly. "You have to do nothing. I'll deal with this, Aritzea. I'm the leader of the clan."

I paused. Was he being serious right now? His expression told me he was.

"Okay." I stood up from her seat abruptly. "Fine. You can handle it yourself Thorne. I'm leaving."

"Ari—"

Not waiting to see his expression, I walked out of the study, slamming the door behind me angrily.

Fuck him!

I would never sit idly by and let fellow werewolves be killed.

I had to find Elma. She'd know what to do.