Chapter 8: False Alarms
1227 Words
Sarah collapsed on the kitchen floor, blood streaking her face. Deep claw marks. Too deep.
I dropped to my knees beside her. My hands hovered over her, unsure where to touch. She looked up, eyes wild.
“Shadow wolves,” she rasped. “They came out of nowhere. Elena tried to fight, but—there were too many. They dragged her into the forest.”
Kai was already moving, his body half-shifting, his voice sharp. “How many? Which direction?”
“Six... maybe seven. North. Toward the old logging road.” Her fingers dug into my arm. “Maya... they knew your name. They were asking for you.”
I froze.
“They were looking for me?”
“Elena told them you weren’t here. Tried to draw them away.” Her voice cracked. “They took her... because of me. I couldn’t stop them.”
Guilt hit hard. Elena had tried to protect me—and now she was gone.
“We have to go,” I said, standing up fast.
“Maya, wait.” Kai caught my wrist, his eyes fierce. “This could be a trap.”
“She saved my life. I’m not standing around while she—”
“I’m not losing you.” His words came too fast. Then he stopped, jaw tight.
“To save someone who what?” I asked, my voice sharper than I meant. “Who’s not your mate?”
His expression shifted, something darker rising. “Someone who would use your guilt to lure you right into this.”
I blinked. “What are you saying?”
“Think about it,” he said quietly. “Shadow wolves show up. Elena and Sarah just happen to be alone. Sarah makes it out, Elena doesn’t. Sarah’s covered in blood, but she’s walking and talking.”
“You think she’s lying?”
“I think... it doesn’t add up.”
“I’m right here,” Sarah said, voice quiet but steady. “And I’m telling the truth. But if you doubt me—go look. You’ll find blood on the trees. About half a mile north.”
The words hung between us, heavy. Either she was telling the truth… or she was a damn good liar.
Kai didn’t look away. “We’ll check. But we go smart—no one runs off alone.”
---
Twenty minutes later, we were deep in the woods with Kai, Danny, Marcus, and three others. The night was still, but my skin prickled. Something felt off.
“There,” Danny whispered, pointing at a thick oak.
I stepped closer. The bark was shredded in long, even gouges. Blood stained the trunk—dark, wet, unmistakable.
“Elena,” I whispered, pressing my fingers to one of the marks.
But something felt... too clean.
“Kai,” I said. “Look at this.”
He crouched beside me, frowning. “What?”
“The claw marks. Same angle, same depth. Like someone stood in one place and raked the tree. Not like a fight.”
He nodded slowly. “You’re right. And the blood—it’s all in one spot. If she fought them, there’d be more. Spread out. This… this is staged.”
A soft laugh echoed through the trees.
Elena stepped into the moonlight. Not a scratch on her.
My whole body went cold.
“Very good,” she said, clapping slowly. “I wondered how long it’d take you to figure it out.”
“You’re okay,” I breathed.
“Of course I’m okay, darling. I was never in danger.”
“What the hell is this?” Kai growled, stepping forward.
“A test,” she said simply, brushing pine needles from her sleeve. “I needed to see how Maya would respond. If she'd act on instinct. If she'd risk herself for someone else.”
I stared at her. “You faked your own kidnapping... to test me?”
Elena smiled like this was all very reasonable. “You’re the most powerful supernatural in generations. Every move you make matters. This wasn’t about danger—it was about clarity.”
“No. It was about control.” I felt the heat in my hands before I saw it. Silver light rising. “You wanted to prove I can’t rely on this pack.”
“That’s not fair—”
“Isn’t it?” I snapped. “You made me think you were dead. Let Sarah get hurt—”
“Elena said I could back out,” Sarah said softly, stepping into the clearing behind her. “I agreed. She told me what it was for.”
I turned to her, shocked. “You volunteered?”
“She needed to know how far you'd go. I wanted to help.”
“You used wolfsbane,” Kai growled, moving between me and them both. “You poisoned yourself.”
“Minor cuts. I’ll heal,” Sarah said, her voice strained. “It wasn’t that bad.”
Kai didn’t answer. His rage said enough.
I looked back at Elena. “Get out.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. Off Kai’s land. Now.”
“Maya, you’re overreacting.”
“No,” I said, voice rising. “You played with people’s lives. Manipulated us. You think this proves something about leadership? It only proves I can’t trust you.”
Elena’s perfect smile cracked for just a second. “I was trying to help you see the bigger picture.”
“No,” I said. “You were trying to make me doubt them. Doubt myself. So I’d run to you instead.”
Elena didn’t deny it. Just stared. Cold. Calculating.
“If you ever pull something like this again,” I said, stepping closer, my power pulsing, “I won’t just ask you to leave.”
Elena’s smile returned. Hollow. “When you realize instincts aren’t enough to keep you alive, remember that I offered you something better.”
She turned and walked into the woods, her heels clicking like this was just another day at court.
---
The moment she was gone, I slumped against Kai. Every part of me felt shaky and brittle.
“I’m an i***t,” I mumbled into his chest.
“No,” he said, arms wrapping around me. “You’re someone who cares too much. Elena counted on that.”
I pulled back, meeting his eyes. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t. But it didn’t smell right. Sarah had adrenaline, but no fear. And Elena? She’s not the type to go down without taking someone with her.”
I nodded slowly. “So what now?”
“She’ll try again. Probably softer next time.”
I sighed. “Great.”
“But this time,” Kai said, brushing his fingers down my cheek, “you saw her clearly. You didn’t let her twist things. That’s not nothing.”
I didn’t feel like a Luna. Not yet.
But maybe… I wasn’t entirely lost either.
He took my hand. “Come on. Let’s check on Sarah. Make sure she’s really okay.”
As we walked back through the trees, something settled inside me. Elena’s test hadn’t broken me. It had shown me who I could trust.
And that? That felt like a beginning.
- Writer
