The Luna Chronicles : Shadows of the Past

Chapter 3

With that, Officer Jacob took us downtown to the police station. The ride passed in somber silence. I rested my head in Zeus’s lap, tears flowing endlessly down my cheeks. Absentmindedly, my brother played with my hair, trying to comfort me the same way Mom used to whenever I was upset or sick. Instead of soothing me, though, it only deepened my grief. I couldn’t stop replaying the horrifying image of my mother’s torn body—or the wolf that had nearly killed me before the police arrived.

Overwhelmed by the chaos of emotions, I closed my eyes and tried to escape into sleep. The drive felt endless, especially with the heavy traffic. Every passing minute made the weight of the day crash down harder, leaving me drowning in sorrow and shock.

The car rumbled on as time crawled by. Suddenly, we jolted to a stop. I assumed we had finally reached the station, but when I sat up and looked outside, terror shot through me.

It wasn’t the police station.

It was the wolf.

Its haunting white eyes locked onto mine—the same creature that had viciously attacked my mother. Instinctively, I grabbed Zeus’s arm so tightly that my nails drew blood. Zeus immediately turned toward me, concern written across his face.

“Squirt, what’s wrong?” he asked.

Stammering, I pointed toward the window. “Zeus… that’s the wolf that attacked Mom. It tried to attack me too.”

Zeus straightened instantly, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest. Confusion twisted inside me. Why was he growling? First Genius, and now Zeus? The strange behavior was becoming impossible to ignore.

Before I could process anything else, the wolf vanished into the shadows. Officer Jacob, strangely unfazed, simply shook his head and continued driving. Meanwhile, I sat frozen, struggling to understand the terrifying collision between reality and the impossible.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the police station and were escorted into Officer Jacob’s office. Zeus and I sat in the chairs across from his desk while the officer settled into his seat.

“Artemis,” he said gently, “could you please explain what happened? I know this is difficult, but I need as many details as possible.”

I stared at the floor, wishing I could disappear into the tiles beneath my feet. Then I felt Zeus squeeze my hand. Startled, I looked up to find him giving me a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay, Squirt,” he said softly. “Just tell them what you remember so we can get to the hotel tonight.”

I nodded, surprised by how kind he was being. Zeus usually ignored me, so his sudden protectiveness felt unfamiliar. Taking a shaky breath, I turned toward Officer Jacob.

“I woke up around four-thirty to screaming,” I began quietly. “At first, I thought it was coming from outside, but after the second scream, I realized it was Mom.”

Tears spilled down my face, but I forced myself to continue. Zeus deserved to know the truth too.

“I jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to her room. When I opened the door, there was blood everywhere.” My voice cracked. “Mom’s body was lying in the corner.”

I swallowed hard before continuing.

“When I tried to scream, I heard growling coming from the closet. Then this huge wolf with glowing white eyes stepped out. I backed away until I hit the doorway.”

As soon as I mentioned the wolf again, Zeus seemed even more agitated, though I didn’t understand why.

“I ran back to my room,” I continued. “I shoved everything I could against the door, hoping it would keep the wolf out. It was almost through when the police arrived. But as soon as it heard the sirens, it disappeared.”

Officer Jacob raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “So you’re telling me a wolf attacked your mother, chased you, and then vanished when we arrived?”

I nodded.

He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought, before typing something into his computer. After a moment, he turned toward Zeus.

“Zeus, may I speak with you privately? Child Protective Services would also like to talk with you.”

Then he looked back at me.

“Artemis, you can wait here in my office while we talk. The wildlife officer would also like to ask you some questions about the wolf, if that’s okay.”

Before I could respond, Zeus stood.

“I’ll speak with you and CPS,” he said firmly, “but my sister isn’t talking to anyone else tonight. She’s been through enough already, and I just want to get her somewhere safe.”

Officer Jacob looked surprised. After all, a police station was supposed to be a safe place. Still, he nodded and led Zeus out of the office toward another room, where CPS was waiting.

Alone, I sat quietly, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

Then an unexpected voice shattered the silence.

“Princess, are you okay? I heard what happened.”

My head snapped up.

Genius.

An officer escorted him into the office before quietly leaving us alone. Instantly, I stood and backed away from him. Genius thanked the officer before turning his full attention toward me.

“Princess,” he said softly, “I’m sorry about what happened at school. I shouldn’t have acted like that.”

The tension in the room thickened. My emotions twisted together into fear, confusion, and frustration.

Keeping my distance, I finally found my voice.

“Genius, what are you doing here? I didn’t call you. How did you even know where I was? And why were you growling at school? What’s going on?”

He lowered his head, guilt flashing across his face.

“Princess, there’s a lot you don’t know yet,” he admitted quietly. “You won’t understand until your birthday. But I never meant to scare you.”

His words only deepened my confusion. Then it hit me—it was my sixteenth birthday. In the middle of all the chaos, I had completely forgotten.

I still didn’t understand the strange hints he kept dropping.

As Genius stepped closer, I instinctively backed away until the desk stopped me. At that exact moment, Zeus stormed back into the office. His eyes immediately darted between Genius and me, noticing how cornered I looked.

Rage darkened his expression.

“What are you doing here?” Zeus demanded. “Nobody called you. Why is my sister backing away from you? What did you do?”

Genius gave a mocking laugh before casually walking out of the office, leaving behind only more confusion and anger.

I stood there trembling, completely overwhelmed.

Zeus immediately crossed the room and pulled me into his arms.

“Are you okay, Squirt?” he asked, genuine concern filling his voice. “Did he do something to you?”

I shook my head, unable to speak. Fear still clung to me after the encounter.

Zeus held me tighter, his voice heavy with guilt.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you and Mom,” he whispered. “But I won’t make that mistake again. Let’s get you to the hotel.”