THE WOLF WHO WASN'T MEANT TO EXIST

THE PHOTOGRAPH

Morning came quietly, but Mara didn't feel rested. She sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her phone, the last message still open on the screen. You're not as hidden as you think. She had barely slept after receiving it. Every time she closed her eyes, the photograph of the little girl returned to her mind, along with the unfamiliar woman standing beside her. Adrian stirred behind her. "You're awake already?" Mara turned around, forcing a small smile. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep." He sat up and looked at her, immediately noticing the phone in her hand. "You're thinking about the message again." Mara nodded. Adrian got out of bed and walked over to her. "You don't have to figure everything out this morning." "I know, but I can't stop thinking about that picture." "The one they sent?" "Yes, Adrian. What if it really is me?" "Then it means there's something about your past you don't remember." Mara looked down. "That's what scares me." Adrian sat beside her. "We'll take it one step at a time." Mara looked at him. "You keep saying we." "Because I mean it." She smiled faintly, resting her head against his shoulder. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Then Adrian's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and his expression changed slightly. "I need to take this." Mara nodded as he stepped away. She watched him answer the call, speaking quietly about something related to work, and for the first time she noticed how easily he switched between the man she knew and the serious businessman everyone else seemed to know. When he ended the call, Mara smiled. "Busy?" "Unfortunately." "You should go." Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" "No," she laughed. "I'm trying to stop you from being late." He walked over and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Mara watched him leave, then looked back at her phone. The photograph was still there. She opened it again and studied it carefully. The little girl couldn't have been more than four or five years old, her dark hair falling around her tiny face, one hand wrapped around the edge of a dress. Mara zoomed in on the woman beside her. There was something strangely familiar about her. Not her face exactly, but something about the way she stood, the way her hand rested protectively on the child's shoulder. Mara frowned. She had never seen this woman before. At least, she didn't think she had. Her phone suddenly vibrated. Mara nearly dropped it. A new message appeared from the same unknown number. Look behind the photograph. She stared at the words. "What does that even mean?" She turned the phone over instinctively, then laughed nervously at herself. Of course there was no physical photograph to turn over. She looked back at the image. Then she noticed something she hadn't seen before. A small mark was visible in the bottom corner of the photograph, almost hidden by the shadow. It looked like a symbol. Mara zoomed in. Her heart began beating faster. She had seen that symbol before. Not in a photograph. On an old pendant. A pendant she had kept for years without knowing where it came from. Mara immediately stood and rushed toward the drawer beside her bed. She pulled it open and searched beneath her things until her fingers touched the small chain. She lifted it out. The pendant rested against her palm. It was old, silver, and slightly worn, with the same strange symbol engraved into its center. Mara stared between the pendant and the photograph. "No way." She turned the pendant over. There was a tiny inscription on the back, one she had never been able to understand because it was so worn. She brought it closer to the light. This time, she could make out two words. Blood remembers. Mara's breath caught. The unknown number sent another message. Now you understand why you were hidden. She stared at the screen, her hands trembling. "What are you talking about?" For several seconds, there was no reply. Then her phone rang. Unknown number. Mara froze. She almost let it ring out, but something inside her told her to answer. She pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Silence. "Who are you?" Nothing. Then a man's voice finally came through, low and calm. "You really don't remember me, do you?" Mara's heart dropped. "Who are you?" The man breathed out slowly. "I promised your mother I would keep you safe." Mara stopped breathing. "My mother?" The line went dead. She stared at the phone in disbelief. For the first time, someone had mentioned the one person she had spent her entire life knowing almost nothing about. Her mother. Mara looked down at the pendant again, then at the childhood photograph. Before she could think, another message appeared. Don't trust anyone who asks about your family. Mara's blood ran cold. She slowly looked toward the bedroom door. Adrian wasn't home. She reminded herself that she wasn't actually alone. Adrian's staff were downstairs, security watched the building, and there were cameras throughout the property. Still, something about the message made her uneasy. She got up and walked toward the living room, intending to check the security desk before doing anything else. As she passed the large glass window, she caught a movement in the reflection. Mara stopped. A man's figure stood behind her. Tall. Dark clothes. Only a few feet away. Her heart slammed against her chest. She spun around. Nobody was there. Mara stared at the empty room, barely breathing. She checked behind the sofa, then the hallway, but there was no one. She quickly pulled out her phone and opened the security camera application. The cameras showed the living room exactly as it should be. Empty. Mara frowned and looked around again. Then something caught her attention. A small decorative box that had been sitting on the coffee table was slightly open. She was certain she had closed it the night before. Mara approached it slowly. Inside were a few pieces of jewelry and some old photographs Adrian had collected over the years. Nothing seemed missing. She closed the box and stepped back. Maybe she had left it open. Maybe the reflection had been nothing more than her imagination. She tried to convince herself of that, but then she noticed something else. The curtains beside the window were moving slightly. The window was closed. Mara's stomach tightened. She immediately called the security desk. "Hello, this is Mara Mauriceson's apartment. Can you check the cameras around my floor?" The security officer answered quickly. "Of course, ma'am. Is there a problem?" "I thought I saw someone inside." There was a short pause. "Inside the apartment?" "Yes, but I'm not sure. I saw a reflection, then there was nobody there." "We'll send someone up immediately." "Thank you." Mara stayed near the living room, keeping her phone in her hand. Less than two minutes later, she heard footsteps approaching the apartment. This time, she knew exactly who they belonged to. A security officer knocked twice. "Ms. Mara?" She opened the door. Two members of Adrian's security team stood outside. "We checked the hallway and the cameras," one of them said. "Nobody entered this floor after Mr. Mauriceson left." Mara swallowed. "I know it sounds strange, but I saw someone." "We believe you." The officer glanced around the apartment. "Everything appears secure." Mara nodded slowly. "Thank you." They remained nearby for a few minutes before leaving. Mara closed the door behind them. She wanted to believe it had all been a misunderstanding. Maybe she was simply exhausted. Maybe the reflection had been caused by the light. Maybe the curtains had moved because of the air conditioning. She returned to the couch and picked up her phone. The photograph was still open. She stared at the little girl again. Then another message appeared. You saw him. Mara's heart stopped. Her fingers trembled as she typed. Who? The reply came almost instantly. The man who was standing behind you. Mara looked toward the window. She didn't type another word. A second message appeared. He wasn't there to hurt you. Mara swallowed hard. Then another message arrived. He wanted to see if you still had the pendant. Her eyes dropped to the silver chain around her neck. She suddenly understood something that made her skin prickle. The person behind the messages hadn't been guessing. They had known exactly what she was doing. They had known about the pendant. They had known someone was behind her. Which meant someone had been watching her. Mara stood slowly. Her phone vibrated again. This time, there was no text. It was another photograph. Mara opened it. Her blood ran cold. The picture showed her standing in the living room only moments earlier, staring at the window. Someone had taken the photograph from inside the apartment. Mara's breathing stopped. She looked around the empty room. The security officers had searched the apartment. The cameras showed nobody had entered. Yet the photograph had been taken from somewhere inside. Her phone vibrated one last time. Now you know I'm not the one you should be afraid of. Mara stared at the words, her heart pounding harder with every second. Then, from somewhere behind her, she heard the faint click of a door unlocking. She slowly turned around. And this time, she wasn't looking at a reflection. She was looking directly at the door.