Stranger - Chapter 3

Stella–POV

I opened my eyes to a white ceiling overhead, accompanied by the steady beep of a machine nearby. To my right, Dad was asleep, and on my left, Mom was dozing with her head resting on the edge of my hospital bed.

A throb of pain pulsed through my head. I blinked, trying to take in my surroundings more clearly. I noticed the IV line running from a bag into my vein. "Mom," I whispered. Slowly, she stirred, her eyes lighting up with relief and joy upon seeing me awake.

"Thank God you're awake," Mom exclaimed, gently hugging and kissing me.

"Wake up, Fenrir," she called softly to my dad. Startled, he quickly rose from his chair, approaching my bedside. He tenderly kissed my forehead and stroked my hair.

"You gave us quite a scare," he murmured, his voice heavy with relief. "I'll go get the doctor."

The doctors came in, checking me over and asking about any pain. I mentioned not only my head but also my leg, which was bandaged.

"You're in good condition, but we'll observe you for a day. After that, you can go home and come back for a follow-up in a week," the doctor informed me. He then directed a nurse to remove the IV from my hand. Dad stepped out with the doctors, likely to discuss further details.

"Mom, who brought me to the hospital?" I questioned.

"An unknown man saw your car off the road and brought you here," Mom replied. "I haven't had a chance to meet and thank him personally, but he informed a nurse about the incident, and she relayed it to me."

"How long was I out?" I inquired.

"A week," Mom replied.

"Have the officers found Julie?" I continued.

"No news on her yet. But I need to know, why were you on the same route near the forest where Julie disappeared?" Mom questioned.

"How did you know I was on that route?" I asked.

"Your dad recognized your crashed car while patrolling with the officers, looking for any clues related to Julie," Mom replied. "Why would you risk going there, Stella?"

"I went to see if I could find any trace of Julie. I remembered she mentioned wanting to explore the forest to see if the legends about lycans and wolf shifters were true, just like Grace from our book club did before she vanished," I explained.

"What if you'd been abducted too? Don't ever pull a stunt like that again," Mom warned, her voice filled with concern. Looking at her, I noticed how exhausted she seemed.

"Mom, have you eaten? You look exhausted," I said, now concerned for her health, especially since she was recently diagnosed with

early-stage cancer. Though the prognosis was hopeful, it still weighed heavily on my mind. I held her hand.

"I'll eat later. Right now, you need to eat," mom replied.

"Mom, please eat. I don't want you to get sick. I promise I won't be so reckless again and put you and Dad through that kind of worry," I said. She caressed my cheeks, smiled reassuringly, and left the room to fetch food.

I found myself reflecting on that night in the forest. I couldn't piece together everything that happened. I remember my car skidding off the road due to the snowy conditions and my panicked speeding.

The next day, I was brought home, and resting in bed became my new routine, which I loathed. Eager for some distraction, I opened my laptop. There were pending emails and messages from my employees and the insurance company's board. I responded, letting them know I needed more time to recover from the injuries sustained in the car accident.

However, as I tried to focus on the emails, memories from that night flooded back. I distinctly remembered Julie's voice, filled with desperation, calling out for help. The chilling image of the wolf and the Lycan locked in battle made my skin crawl. Being pursued by the Lycan was terrifying, and I lost control of the car in my panic. But after that, the memories became fuzzy once again.

******

A week later, I felt strong enough to move around and was eager to rejoin my book club. However, my dad, concerned about my well-being, insisted on driving me. The drive to the Bookclub was unusually silent, which was out of character for my dad to keep quiet.

"Dad, are you mad at me?" I ventured to ask.

"No," he replied simply.

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks, Stella. I've been so worried about you," Dad replied, his voice filled with emotion.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much stress," I apologized. Dad nodded and gave me a reassuring smile. "I noticed Mom looked a bit pale today. Is she doing okay?"

"She's just exhausted, Stella. She hasn't had much sleep since your accident," he explained.

"Once I'm back from a book club, I'll cook dinner. Please ask Mom to rest," I suggested, and Dad nodded in agreement.

"Just call me when you're ready to leave. We can do some grocery shopping before heading home," Dad replied. I acknowledged him with a nod, watching him drive away. I then made my way into the book club, eager to find answers. I spotted the group discussing Grace.

"Hey, ladies," I greeted as I approached them. They were engrossed in their books on the other side of the room and looked up at my arrival.

"I'm new in town. My name is Stella, and I'm looking to make some friends. Do you mind if I join you?" I asked with a charming smile. The blonde woman exchanged glances with her two friends.

"I'm Catherine," the blonde introduced herself. "To my right is Natasha, and this is Bianca." I shook hands with each of them as they offered me a seat. Somehow, I found myself opening up about Julie, and their expressions turned to surprise.

"So, there's no news about Julie?" Catherine inquired.

"No news," I replied. That's when Catherine told me about Grace and how her situation mirrored Julie's—their cars were found in the same spot.

"What was the last book Grace read?" I inquired.

"Lost Lycan," Natasha answered. That jogged my memory. I had given that same book to Julie. I'd picked it up from an aisle in the store because its fresh release status and the intriguing blurb had caught my attention.

"Do any of you have a copy of Lost Lycan?" I asked.

"No, that book was pulled from the book club after Julie's disappearance. It was so strange," Bianca noted.

"What do you mean by 'weird'?" I asked.

"The librarian mentioned that the owner didn't want that book available in this store anymore. That's all I got from her," Bianca explained.

After the book club, I phoned my dad for a pickup. We strolled through the grocery store aisles when he arrived, stocking up on essentials. Still, my thoughts frequently veered back to Julie's disappearance and occasionally to Kellan. I paused before the cherry Pop-Tarts, Kellan's favorite snack, and added them to our cart. As I reached out, my hand brushed against another's. I glanced up to find a stranger in a face mask, glasses, a black coat, and a beanie. Though tall and mostly obscured, his light green eyes were unmistakably familiar, reminiscent of Kellan's. I stared, taken aback.

"Stella!" My dad's voice from the next aisle snapped me out of my daze. "I have got the eggs. Have you done with buying snacks?"

"Yes, Dad, I will be there in a minute," I said.

"Oh, sorry. Go ahead, you can take it," I told the stranger, noticing that the cherry pop-tart stock was limited. The man handed me a box, took one for himself, and then walked away. A strange sense of familiarity washed over me. His height, a striking 6 feet, matched Kellan's, and those broad shoulders... they reminded me of him as well.

"Stella, are you okay?" Dad asked as I rejoined him.

I nodded, placing the cherry pop-tart in the cart. As we moved toward the checkout counter, my phone buzzed with a call from my manager. Knowing it was necessary, I handed my credit card to Dad. "Can you handle the checkout? I need to take this call."

I stepped aside, answering, "Hey Stella, how are you doing ?"

"I'm hanging in there, Janette," I replied a hint of sadness in my voice.

"It must be so hard for you right now, Stella," Janette said sympathetically.

I was quiet, not knowing how to respond. My gaze was fixed on a man in a black coat at a distance. I was inexplicably drawn to him, watching intently as he loaded a significant amount of groceries into the trunk of his car. It looked as though he was preparing to feed a large group. As he headed to the driver's seat, he removed his mask. I gasped in disbelief. It couldn't be. Was Kellan alive? I ran toward the car, but it sped away before I could get close.

"Kellan!" I shouted, breathless. The car vanished from sight, leaving me second-guessing myself. Had I seen Kellan, or was my mind playing tricks on me?