Chapter 18 Strangeness

RILEY

“Wait, are you seriously telling me that he was wandering around the forest half-naked at midnight?” Hannah snorted on the other end of the phone, barely able to suppress her laughter.

I was telling my best friend what I’d seen the other night near the forest.

“He said he was running through the forest because he couldn't sleep,” I explained as I gazed out the window at the trees surrounding the medical center. “He did look sweaty, but I'm not sure what he was really doing out there. The whole thing was bizarre, Hannah.”

“Sounds bizarre,” Hannah agreed with a small sigh. “I wish I were coming this weekend so I could interrogate the weirdo myself, but work has just been so hectic.”

“Dale's not... a weirdo,” I said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, though I sounded uncertain. “He's really good with Domi—”

“He's definitely a weirdo!” Hannah protested without hesitation. “There's no way he was out on a run at midnight. I'm sure he was out there with some girl or something. The moment I saw him, I knew he was that kind of person—”

“I don’t know,” I sighed again, tapping the fingers of my free hand against the windowsill. “But something about it just isn't adding up. I mean, everything here is just so... strange, and I can't wrap my head around it.”

I took a deep breath.

“For example, everyone calls Killian 'Alpha' for some reason—even the medics at the center. And Lisa…the strange receptionist I told you… even though Domi didn't need an extra caregiver, she was assigned to help him anyway. She definitely didn't want to do it, but...”

“But what?” Hannah asked cautiously.

I lowered my voice and glanced around to make sure no one could hear me, even though I was alone in a secluded corner of the suite.

“It's like no one is allowed to say no to Killian,” I murmured. “When he gives an order, everyone just... obeys. I really feel like Lisa is here to keep an eye on me, not Domi. I feel like I'm constantly being watched.”

There was a brief pause, and then Hannah spoke.

“Riles,” she said. “It's not that I don't believe you. It's just... you've been completely exhausted lately. I think you might be overthinking things. Killian may be a little intense, but I don't think he'd assign someone to spy on you.

“And as for the other stuff... maybe his company has ties to the military or something. All those men are tall, built, and ridiculously disciplined. Maybe they have some weird chain of command, and Killian perhaps just... happens to be at the top of it.”

I shifted my weight and then sighed softly.

I wanted to argue my case further, but Hannah did have a point. There was so much that I didn’t really know about Killian and his world. Perhaps he ran a tight ship of disciplined workers, and they were just obeying their superior.

But still…

“Yeah, maybe,” I replied quietly, rubbing my face. “You're probably right. I am tired. I haven't been sleeping well because of the stress, and we both know I'm anxious by nature.”

“Understandable,” Hannah reassured me. “But it’s gonna be okay. You just have to hang in there for now. Now… wasn't there something else you wanted to talk about? You said you had some news, right?”

“Not exactly news,” I replied, leaning back against the window. “More like... something I've been thinking about. I've been doing some research. About a month ago, you mentioned that I only needed two more classes to finish my degree—”

Hannah cut me off with a little gasp.

“Are you really thinking about going back to school?”

“Hold your horses,” I huffed. “Nothing's set in stone yet, but it wouldn't take much to finish my degree. I was just thinking about the future, you know? I can't keep working part-time jobs forever. Once we're through all of this, Domi's going to need a parent who can provide for him. I just... want to do better for him.”

“I think that’s wonderful,” she said. “I have all the faith in the world in you.”

“Thanks,” I said.

After a moment of silence, she let out a small sigh.

“You okay?” I asked, my brows knitting together with concern. “I know I just threw a lot at you...”

“No, no, I'm fine,” she assured me. “I'm just... really tired, that's all.”

Even though she was trying to hide it, her voice sounded dejected.

“I'll be okay, though.”

***

“I’m not your driver,” Lisa complained as she parked the car. “So let’s not make a habit of me taking you places. This is a one-time situation, got it?”

“Got it,” I replied appreciatively. “Thank you for driving me. I’ll be back in about an hour, alright?”

“Whatever,” she mumbled, turning up the radio. “Don’t take too long. I have better things to do than sit around in a parking lot all day.”

“I’ll be back soon,” I assured her before stepping out of the car. A smile tugged at my lips as I closed the door and walked away.

After spending a few days together, I realized Lisa wasn’t nearly as hostile as I’d thought when we first met. Sure, she was grumpy, blunt, and sometimes a little rude, but she wasn’t a bad person. In fact, she was far kinder and more easygoing than most of the people I’d met in the valley. She genuinely seemed to care about Domi, not just out of obligation to Killian.

She was also one of the few people who didn’t stare at me like I was some sort of circus attraction or oddity. I still wasn’t used to the watchful eyes of the small valley community or the judgments they never voiced but somehow made abundantly clear in every interaction.

Today, Dr. Raphael wanted to conduct a more thorough assessment that would take a while, so I’d asked Lisa to drive me into the city so I could take care of a few things on my own.

Namely, I wanted to stop by the admissions office at my old college to get more information about my remaining coursework, and then visit Hannah at work.

There was a coffee shop on the ground floor of her law firm's building, so I thought it would be nice to surprise her with a fresh latte and some lunch. I knew she probably wasn't taking proper care of herself.

Whenever Hannah got buried in casework, she neglected basic things like eating and sleeping, so I wanted to do at least a little something to help.

As I approached the building where Hannah's firm was located, I suddenly heard someone call my name.

“Riley Clarkson, is that you?”

My heart dropped into my stomach, and when I turned around, I met the eyes of the last person I wanted to see on the planet.

Gareth.

My ex-boyfriend.

He was a prestigious lawyer I'd met in college at a campus social event. Handsome, charming, and smooth-talking, we'd dated for months, and I'd genuinely started to picture a future with him.

That was, until I found out he was married.

Gareth and I hadn’t spoken in five years, and I wasn’t about to change that today.

Ignoring him entirely, I continued toward the entrance, but he was undeterred.

“Aw, don’t be like that, beautiful,” he practically purred as he followed after me.

When he caught up, I noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

So, he was doing it again. Just like when I first met Gareth, he would always slip off his ring before seeing me, pretending he was a man with no wife waiting for him at home.

“What are you doing here?” I clipped. “You don’t work here.”

Gareth’s smile turned smug.

“Actually, I just so happen to be an equity partner at this firm now.” He grinned wider, his light brown eyes narrowing. “Let me guess. You're here to see Hannah?”

“It’s none of your business,” I replied, but he remained persistent.  

“I’m just making conversation,” he said with a shrug. Then his expression shifted, his eyes taking on an almost predatory gleam. “Besides… Hannah isn’t here.”