Chapter Two

Caitlyn's POV

The room became intense as they exchanged hateful stares. I could feel the tension and could hear what sounded like growls erupting from both sides.

“You don't want to do this, Tristan,” Cameron said with a blunt smile.

“I don't. So stay away from the pup,”He warned.

“Remember your place, trash,” Carolyn advanced. I stood in the middle of what felt like a battlefield.

The tension was getting overheated until someone stepped in.

“Ladies, boys,” Mr Franklin disrupted the moment.

“I don't know what secret club this is but I suggest you break it up and head to class,”

“It's cool, Mr F,” Cameroon replied. His smile sent chills through me as he came closer.

“We are just introducing ourselves to the newbie,”

“Just because you are the Mayor's son, doesn't mean you have a free pass to do as you wish,” Mr Franklin said to Cameroon.

“Now all of you, out!”

We left one by one, with I and Tristan as the last ones to leave.

“Not you,” He stopped Tristan.

“Miss Shoor, you can go,”

I hesitated to leave but the cold look he threw at me didn't seem like he needed help.

“Thanks,” I muttered before leaving.

The stares I got when I stepped out showed that I had begun to receive the attention I was trying to avoid. I walked as quickly as I could to my locker but their gazes and whispers followed my every step.

“Don't let it get to you,”. A girl approached me.

“I heard you got cornered. The twins are defensive when it comes to the bloodline. Theirs head the other families,”

“Let me guess, you are one of them,”

“Mira O'Connor, the O'Connor family,” She shook hands with me.

“Don't worry, I'm not like the others. Just want to be a friend,”

“Thanks,” I replied under my breath.

“I have Chemistry,”

“Do you have the mark?” She shot a question before I could leave.

“Tomorow is the first of the three, you might want to hang out with us during this process,”

“What mark ? The three?” I questioned. I was getting confused by all the weird bizarre scenarios.

“I don't understand any of this, the weird and mysterious discussions. Is it the town or just the school because I'm really starting to get confused,”

“Wait, you don't __”

“Miss O'Connor!” Mr Franklin's voice shot from behind her.

“Why don't you girls cut it and get to class?”

Mira turned to him, wearing a fake smile.

“Sure thing. I will see you around, Caitlyn,”

For a moment, Mr Franklin and I locked eyes. It was the second time he was coming to my rescue. I couldn't explain it but something definitely felt off.

*********

I tried not to think about what happened but it was impossible not to. From social media, I could tell just how crazy the twins were. They called themselves the chosen one and worse — their father was the mayor.

I locked myself in my room, reminiscing and going through the scenes again. I couldn't get his face out of my mind. It was horrible because it came with an uncomfortable sensation. I searched every school forum group for Tristan but I couldn't find anything.

I heard the front door open and I stepped out, hoping it was my aunt. I had some files that needed signatures from my legal guardian.

“Did you see any mark?” I could hear them whispering from the room nearby. I leaned carefully to see my Aunt and Joanna.

“I looked everywhere for it, didn't find any,” My aunt responded, her tone was as low as she could get it.

“I don't think she has a mark. So I don't think there's a need to bring her into the life, the life that her father fought to keep her out of,”

“The girl deserves to know. She's still going to have questions because with or without the mark, the blood is in her vein,” Joanna retorted sharply.

I figured I had heard enough and it was clearly a conversation I shouldn't be caught listening to. I backed away slowly but my back bumped into someone.

“Who are you?” A raspy old voice asked. I turned swiftly to see an old lady with a crescent moon tattoo on her hand.

“Is that you Betty?”

“No, I'm Caitlyn,” I grabbed her hand. I felt an instant connection the moment my hand touched her. Somehow, I was able to feel her sadness and confusion. I immediately confirmed who she was.

“I’m your granddaughter, Joe's daughter,”

“Joe,” she chuckled lightly.

“Is my little rascal home? He doesn't check on me anymore,”

“Mum!” Aunt Betty pulled her door open.

“What are you doing out? You haven't stepped out in over six months,”

“I… I felt drawn,” She stuttered as Betty assisted her towards her room.

“Where is Joe? I want to see Joe,”

“Joe sends his love,” Aunt Betty said to her as she helped her into the room.

I tried looking away from Joanna who gave a suspicious look.

“How did you manage to get her out of the room? She hasn't spoken to anyone in half a year,”

“I didn't, she came to me,” I replied softly, staring back at her with a clueless expression.

“The tattoo on her hand, what does it mean?”

My question fazed her, “What tattoo?”

“The Crescent moon — it's on her hand. And someone at school said something about a mark, is that it?” I pressed on. I could see how pressured she was by the conversation.

“I… I believe your aunt — Betty needs me,” She walked past me to my grandmother's room. I attempted to join in but the door was shut almost immediately.

The drama only made me more curious, curious to the point that I was slowly getting obsessed over it. I grabbed my computer and ran a G****e search on it but only one article popped up.

It was written by a lady over two decades back about the protectors of Aurora Town. She claimed that there was a cult in the town, a cult that was made up of the founding families.

The article had a photo, a shadow of something in the woods. I couldn't tell what it was, but the shape only brought only one conclusion — a wolf. There was an address on it and my inquisitive senses wouldn't let me look the other way.

I wrote down the address and got ready to get answers.

********

“Is this it?” I asked the cab driver who dropped me by the driveway of an old building.

“20th Derum Avenue? This is it,” He answered as he handed me my change.

“Are you a tourist or something?”

“No,”

“Then you should know the building is off limits unless you want some bits of crazy. And it's pretty late for a young girl to be walking around at a time like this,” He said softly, almost as if he didn't want someone else to hear him.

“Take me —”

“Sorry kid!” He drove off before I could finish my sentence. I stood at the front of the house, wondering why I was out there in the first place.

I couldn't wait around, it was already nightfall and no one knew I left the mansion. Without thinking it through, I walked to the front porch and knocked.

“Who?” A deep voice rumbled from inside the house.

“I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm looking for Annie,” I responded swiftly.

Footsteps approached the door from inside the house. It creaked open and I was first greeted by a concentrated smell of chemicals.

“What do you want?” The person asked. It took me a while to regain myself from the bad odor and I was surprised to see that it was a lady that had responded earlier.

“I'm looking for Annie, I wanted …”

I paused when I noticed how disoriented and jumpy she was.

“Speak child! The moon would be rising any second,”

“Uh… sorry. I take it that you are Annie, I wanted to ask you concerning the article,” I showed a copy of her article.

“You are asking me about them on a night like this?” She shoved it back to me.

“Go home! Now!”

She didn't give me a chance to say another word before shutting the door. I could hear the number of safelocks she had on the other side. I backed away and headed back home.

The road was lonely, no cars and it was just 8. Back in the city, the night was when the world was truly awake. I replayed everything in my head like a tape, analyzing and wondering. They really did believe in their folklores.

I was almost at the Fang estate when I felt it – a sharp sting at the back of my neck. It spiralled to a point on my back that radiated heat. I could somehow feel a presence, lurking in the woods.

“Who is it?” I asked, clenching my fist. I watched closely, noticing multiple figures. The wind blew by and the scent hit me like a wave. Every nerve in my body screamed one thing ; Run.

I felt stuck to the ground as they slowly came towards me. Huge pairs of red eyes popped up from the darkness with deep growls that made me tremble.

The moon’s glow washed over the woods, and in that pale light, I saw them—massive wolves, lurking closer. Moving by instinct, I ran in the opposite direction.

Fear overwhelmed me when I glanced back to see them chasing me. Their speed was unnatural, just like their sizes. There was no way I could outrun them. My life flashed before my eyes, making me relive the moment I lost my parents because I expected to be joining them soon enough.

I paused, knowing I couldn't outrun them. They surrounded me like a predator to its prey. The tension from standing so close was indescribable. The grey one seemed more interested in me as it was the only one that prowled closer.

“Please,” I muttered.

I squeezed my eyes shut in fear. That was when a fierce snarl echoed.

The rumbling growls went on until I dared open my eyes to see a black wolf tackling the grey. It held the other down with its paws while the others backed away slowly.

The growls faded into the background when our eyes met, a wave of familiarity struck me. It was strange—and only one person could come to mind.

“Tristan?”