Chapter 15: Jaxon Hunter

Lila's POV

I didn't expect to wake up in a state of dread, yet here I was, lying wide-eyed and tense in bed, replaying every moment from last night. The dark forest, the monstrous creature… and that cursed, ancient ruin. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I’d left Ethan standing there to face down whatever that thing was. I’d wanted to stay and help, but he’d given me no choice, pushing me forward until I had no choice but to run.

A gentle knock on my bedroom door interrupted my thoughts, and I sat up, brushing the hair from my face. "Come in," I called, my voice sounding thin and tired.

My sister Olivia stepped in, a concerned frown on her face as she took one look at me. "You look like you’ve been through a blender. Did you even sleep?"

I shrugged, managing a small smile. "You could say that. It was… a rough night."

Olivia settled on the edge of my bed, her soft features tinged with worry. "I can tell. You’ve been different these past few days—distracted, tense." She paused, her gaze meeting mine. "Is everything okay, Lila?"

Her concern was genuine, and for a moment, I considered spilling everything to her—the strange occurrences, the creatures, the ancient symbols, and… Ethan. But I stopped myself. How could I drag her into this mess? The supernatural world had a dangerous pull, and I’d already felt it tugging at me, inching me closer with each passing day.

"Just… work stuff," I finally said, trying to sound convincing. "It’s been hectic at the clinic, and some of the animals we’re treating have been… unusual cases."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Unusual? Like how?"

"Just different symptoms than we’re used to. But it’s nothing I can’t handle."

She seemed to accept that, though her gaze lingered on me, searching for the truth beneath my vague words. "Well, you know I’m here if you need anything," she said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

As she stood to leave, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Lying to Olivia felt wrong; we’d always been close, always shared everything with each other. But this? This was a whole different level of reality. 

Still, something about her expression stayed with me, an odd shadow in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. 

---

The day was mostly quiet at the clinic, but my mind was restless, replaying every detail from the night before. I’d gone over those strange carvings in my mind a hundred times, the ancient ruin, the monstrous creature… all of it felt like a fevered dream.

I was just finishing up with an appointment when Olivia walked in, her face a mix of excitement and confusion. "Lila, you won’t believe who I ran into."

I looked up, my curiosity piqued by her expression. "Who?"

She paused, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. "Jaxon Hunter. Remember him from high school?"

The name was faintly familiar, but I hadn’t thought about him in years. He’d been one of those charismatic types, the kind who blended into the shadows while managing to leave a lasting impression. He was a friend of Olivia and two of them were very close back then in high school. 

"Yeah, vaguely," I replied. "What about him?"

Olivia hesitated, her brows knitting together. "He… approached me at the coffee shop this morning. He said he wanted to catch up. It was a little weird, to be honest."

Weird wasn’t usually a word Olivia used to describe social encounters. She was the social one, the talker, always at ease with anyone. But something about Jaxon had clearly unsettled her.

"What did he say?" I asked, sensing that there was more to the story.

She frowned, looking down at her hands. "He asked a lot of questions about you, actually. It felt like he was fishing for information, like he already knew more than he should."

A cold prickling sensation ran down my spine. "Questions about me? Like what?"

"He wanted to know how you were, what you were doing these days." She paused, lowering her voice. "And then he mentioned… Dominic Kane."

My heart skipped a beat at the name. Dominic Kane—Ethan’s rival, the one whose pack had been stirring trouble around town. But why would someone like Jaxon be connected to Dominic?

"What did he say about Dominic?" I managed, keeping my voice steady.

"He mentioned something about a… connection. I didn’t ask too many questions; honestly, I just wanted to get out of there." Olivia’s expression shifted, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "I’m sorry if this is nothing, but it just didn’t feel right, Lila. It felt… ominous."

I reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You did the right thing telling me, Liv. I… I think there’s more to this whole situation than either of us realized."

She met my gaze, a spark of fear igniting in her eyes. "Are you in danger, Lila?"

I wanted to tell her no, to say it was all fine, that it was just my overactive imagination, but the weight of everything—the strange events, the hidden symbols, and now Jaxon’s sudden appearance—was too heavy to ignore.

"I… don’t know," I replied softly, unable to lie this time. "But I’ll figure it out."

---

After Olivia left, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. I locked the clinic doors a little earlier than usual, feeling a strange urgency to check in with Ethan. Maybe he’d heard something about Dominic’s movements or Jaxon’s sudden reappearance.

I sent him a quick text, and within minutes, he responded, telling me to meet him at the edge of town. The woods there were dense, but I’d been there often enough that finding my way through didn’t feel daunting.

As I stepped into the clearing, Ethan was already there, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. The relief I felt seeing him was stronger than I expected. 

"Ethan," I called, catching his attention.

His eyes softened when he saw me, but he didn’t move from his position. "Lila, what’s going on?"

I walked over, explaining Olivia’s encounter with Jaxon and the mention of Dominic. He listened intently, his jaw tightening as I relayed the details. 

"Dominic’s pack has a reputation for recruiting locals—anyone who might be useful to his cause. Jaxon could be one of his new spies."

A wave of dread washed over me. "But why would he target Olivia? She’s not involved in any of this."

"That’s the thing with Dominic," Ethan replied, his voice laced with bitterness. "He doesn’t care who gets hurt or dragged in, as long as it serves his agenda."

We stood in silence for a moment, the gravity of the situation settling between us. Dominic had been looming on the edges of my life like a shadow, but now, he’d begun to touch those closest to me. I glanced at Ethan, his face unreadable, and a thought surfaced—a nagging question that wouldn’t go away.

"Do you think… there’s more I should know?" I asked, hoping he’d fill in the blanks.

Ethan’s expression darkened, his gaze fixed on the ground. "Yes, but some truths come with consequences, Lila. And not just for you. For everyone around you."

I wanted to press him, to demand answers, but something in his tone stopped me. There was fear there—genuine, unguarded fear. And Ethan wasn’t the type to show fear lightly.

"I get it," I replied softly. "But don’t leave me in the dark, Ethan. Not when it’s about my family."

His jaw clenched, and he reached for my hand, a rare softness entering his eyes. "You’re right. You deserve the truth. But for now, stay close to Olivia. Keep her out of this as much as possible."

I nodded, though the warning only made the knot in my stomach tighten.

---

The next morning, Olivia was waiting for me outside my place, a look of determination on her face. "I couldn’t sleep," she admitted. "I kept thinking about that conversation with Jaxon, and it didn’t sit right with me."

"Me neither," I replied, glancing at her. "Which is why we’re going to be extra careful, okay? Until I can figure out what’s going on."

She nodded, her expression hardening. "I’m not some helpless little sister, Lila. If anything were to happen, I would also be ready."

It was strange seeing this side of her, but I understood. The supernatural world had a way of drawing people in, of transforming them. I did not tell her anything about the supernatural, not yet, I don't want anything happening to her, just as it had happened to me.

Later that day, as we both tried to go about our usual routines, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the danger wasn’t far. Dominic’s threat was no longer abstract—it was real, and it was circling us.

The hairs on my neck prickled as I remembered Ethan’s words about betrayal, about not trusting anyone. It wasn’t a comforting thought, but I knew one thing was certain now. I’d protect Olivia with everything I had, and whatever Dominic’s plans were, I’d be ready.

I just hoped I wasn’t too late.