34.Shadows of the past

Mia Miller

I only had two decisions to make. The first: ignore Charlotte’s message and move on with my life. The second: go meet her to find out what she was going to reveal. And guess which one I chose?

I quickly put on a jacket and checked to make sure Lorenzo was asleep. His eyes were closed, and he was almost dozing off in his crib. I couldn’t leave him alone, so the only option was to ask Ethan’s brother to look after him.

I quietly walked over to where Esther was sleeping. She was reading a book, something about mystery, I think.

“Mia?” She looked up, surprised by my late-night visit. “Is Lorenzo okay?”

“Hi Esther, sorry to bother you. But could you watch Lorenzo for just an hour? An old friend I haven’t seen in a long time is here, and I’d really like to see her.”

“Of course, it will be a pleasure to take care of my nephew, Mia. Don’t hesitate to ask.”

I smiled in response. Esther was so kind, so different from her brother. I often wondered how two people so different could come from the same parents.

“Please, don’t mention it to Ethan...”

“Don’t worry, Mia. I know how my brother can be sometimes.”

“Or always,” I whispered.

I gave Esther a quick, silent nod before leaving the house. The cold night air wrapped around me as soon as I stepped outside, and I adjusted the jacket around my body. The full moon hung high in the sky, partially illuminating the path leading to the edge of the reserve. The silence of the forest felt strange. The sound of the pine trees swaying and the distant echo of howls constantly reminded me of where I was—surrounded by wolves.

I walked quickly, keeping my head down. Charlotte had said she was nearby, but how did she know where to find me? That only added to the mystery and my sense of unease.

With every step I took, the cold seemed to intensify, but the worst was the feeling that something was wrong. The forest reserve, with its enigmatic aura and the invisible presence of wolves, felt alive, as if it were watching me. I kept glancing behind me, feeling suspicious with every step.

In the distance, I saw a lone figure leaning against a tree, facing away from me. My heart raced—it was her. Charlotte.

She slowly turned when she noticed my approach, her eyes glowing in the dim light of the moon. Charlotte looked tense, different from the friend I knew. There was something dark in the way she looked at me, something that made me hesitate for a moment.

“Mia,” she said, her voice low and urgent. “We need to talk now.”

I approached, keeping a safe distance, the sense of strangeness between us palpable.

“Charlotte... where have you been all this time? And how did you know where to find me?” I couldn’t hide the distrust in my voice.

She sighed and glanced around as if afraid of being watched. “I know this sounds strange, Mia, but I’ve been running… and there are things you don’t know, things about you and everything.”

My stomach twisted. “What do you mean by that? What’s going on?”

She motioned for me to sit on a small bench nearby under the tree.

“I know I disappeared.”

“You basically abandoned me, even knowing my son was kidnapped and my father had died.”

“It was for my safety, Mia.”

“What are you talking about?” I crossed my arms. “Just say it already, please.”

“I… I believe that if you’re here in this place, then he’s already told you everything. I’m a wolf, Mia.”

Those words hit me like a punch to the stomach. “What? A… wolf?” It couldn’t be true.

She nodded, her eyes watery, as if the revelation was weighing on her too. “I’ve been away from my pack for a long time, trying to escape all of this. But after they found out I was studying with you at college, a man showed up. He threatened me, Mia. He said that either I got close to you, or he would kill my entire family.”

The shock that hit my body was instant. “What? Charlotte, who did this to you? And why?”

She lowered her head, unable to look at me. “It was at your father’s orders… your real father.”

My heart stopped. “My… father? What do you mean? I know who my father is, he’s dead! What are you talking about?”

Charlotte shook her head, biting her lip. “I don’t know much, Mia. He never showed himself to me, but believe me, he’s powerful. And ever since college, I was sent to watch you.”

I felt betrayed on a level I couldn’t even describe. Tears threatened to escape my eyes. “You were with me all this time… during Collin’s betrayal, my father’s death... and it was all a lie?”

She quickly raised her hands, desperate. “No! At first, yes, I was sent to watch you. But later, Mia, I swear... the friendship was real. I truly care about you. Everything changed for me, I never wanted to deceive you. You became one of the most important people in my life.” She reached for my hand, but I quickly pulled it away.

“You didn’t have the right…” I glared at her. “You knew he was a wolf, didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t want me to get involved with him at that bar.”

“I knew. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t do anything about it. He was the Alpha, I could smell it on him.”

“And he never figured out you were one of them?”

“No. I used a kind of camouflage so they wouldn’t smell me. It was ordered by the same man who told me to watch you.”

“Who is my father?” I asked, and she fell silent.

“Answer me, damn it!” I shouted.

“I don’t know, Mia. I’ve never met him.”

My mind was shattered. Her words echoed and made no sense. How could everything I knew about my life be wrong? How could one of the people I trusted most have been a pawn in something so much bigger than me?

“And now?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper, unable to hide the pain. “What happens now?”

Charlotte took a deep breath, her eyes full of tears. “I don’t know, Mia. But he’s still watching you. He’s always been.”

My world seemed to crumble. I ran out of there, not even looking back. I didn’t know who I could trust anymore.