Return to the masquerade

POV - Thessara*

I stood before the mirror, in Claire's apartment. Practicing her smile, the one that was soft, the one that was sharp like mine. My reflection looked wrong, it was like wearing someone else's skin.

"You tilt your head when you laugh," Kieran said. From the doorway. His voice was quiet. "Claire always tilted her head."

I tried it. The head tilted. It felt unnatural. Everything about being human felt unnatural.

"Better," he said. But his eyes were cold. Like he was studying me. A puzzle he couldn't solve.

Today was my first day back. At Maplewood General Hospital. Where Claire worked as a nurse. Where everyone would expect me. To be her.

The drive to the hospital was silent. Kieran drove. I watched the trees. Flying past the window. In my real body. I could run faster than this car. Now I was trapped. In metal and glass. Like a caged animal.

The hospital smelled wrong. Too clean. Too sterile. It covered up. The scent of fear. Of death. Of secrets. My enhanced senses. Even in Claire's body. Could smell it all.

"Claire!" A woman rushed toward me. In the lobby. She had red hair. A bright smile. "We missed you so much."

I searched Claire's memories. Fast. This was Jenny. Her best friend. They ate lunch together. Every day.

"Jenny," I said. Trying to sound happy. To see her. "I missed you too."

But I hadn't missed anyone. I didn't even know. Who Jenny was. Until this moment.

"How are you feeling? That accident was so scary." Jenny hugged me. Too tight. Too long. I wanted to push her away. But Claire would hug back.

"Better," I said. "Ready to work."

"Thank god. We've been swamped. Without you here." Jenny linked her arm through mine. "Come on. Let me show you what you've missed."

The elevator ride. To the third floor. Made my skin crawl. Small spaces. Trapped spaces. My wolf wanted out. I wanted to run. To be free.

The nursing station. It was chaos. Phones ringing. People rushing around. Charts scattered everywhere. The noise hurt my ears. Too loud. Too much.

"Claire's back!" Someone called out. More people gathered. Around me. Smiling faces. Familiar strangers. All expecting me. To be someone. I wasn't.

I smiled. Nodded. Said the right things. But inside. I was screaming.

"Your first patient. Is in room 314," Jenny said. She handed me a chart. "Mrs. Patterson. Hip replacement. It should be easy."

I took the chart. The words. Looked like symbols. Human medical terms. I didn't understand. Claire's memories. Gave me pieces. But not enough.

Room 314. It was quiet. The old woman. In the bed. It looked fragile. Breakable. She smiled. When she saw me.

"Claire, dear. You look wonderful." Her voice was weak. "I heard about your accident."

"I'm fine now," I said. I checked her chart. Again. Pretended to understand. The numbers. The codes.

"Could you check my IV? It feels loose."

I looked at the tube. In her arm. In my world. Injuries healed. With time. And moon magic. Humans needed it. These machines. These chemicals. To survive.

I touched the IV. I tried to look. Like I knew. What I was doing. But my hands. Moved wrong. Too careful. Too afraid.

"Is everything okay?" Mrs. Patterson asked.

"Yes," I lied. "Everything's fine."

But it wasn't fine. Nothing was fine. I was a wolf. Pretending to be. A human healer. I didn't belong here.

The morning passed. In a blur. Of fake smiles. And careful words. Every interaction. It was a test. I could fail. At any moment.

During lunch. I sat with Jenny. In the cafeteria. She talked. About hospital gossip. About people. I should remember. But I didn't.

"You're quiet today," she said. "More quiet than usual."

"Just tired," I said. "Still recovering."

"Of course." She squeezed my hand. "Take your time."

But I couldn't take time. Every moment. It was dangerous. Every word. Could expose me.

After lunch. I found Claire's locker. In the staff room. Her combination. It was in her memories. But faint. Like a whisper.

Inside. Were personal things. Pictures of her. And Kieran. Smiling. Happy. Before I stole. Her life.

There was a journal. Hidden behind. Her spare scrubs. I opened it. Read her words.

*Kieran seems distant lately. Like he's hiding something. Sometimes I catch him. Staring at nothing. His eyes look empty. Almost black.*

Black eyes. Like the creature. From the accident. My blood. It turned cold.

*He says he loves me. But his touch feels wrong. Cold. Like touching ice.*

I closed the journal. Fast. Claire had suspected. Something was wrong. With her husband. Just like I did.

But what?

In the afternoon. Brought strange things. Equipment failing. For no reason. Lights flickering. In empty rooms. Patients complaining. About nightmares.

"It's been happening. Since this morning," Jenny said. She looked worried. "Right after you came back."

The words hit me. Like a blow. The problems started. When I returned. When I brought it. My wolf nature. Into this human place.

Was I causing this? Was my presence. Drawing something dark. To the hospital?

I watched Kieran. From across the hall. He worked. On a patient. His movements. Were precise. Cold. Efficient. Like a machine. Not like a man. Who loved his wife.

His hands. Never shook. His face. Never changed. Even when. A patient screamed. In pain.

That wasn't normal. Even for doctors.

A nurse bumped. Into me. While I watched.

"Sorry, Claire. Didn't see you there."

But I had seen her coming. From across the room. My senses. We were too sharp. For a human.

"No problem," I said.

The day dragged on. Each hour. It felt like years. By five o'clock. I was exhausted. From pretending. To be someone else.

I gathered my things. From Claire's locker. Ready to leave. This suffocating place.

"Leaving already?" Kieran appeared. Beside me. Silent as a shadow. I hadn't heard. Him approach.

"My shift ended," I said.

"How was your first day back?" His eyes. Studied my face. Like he was looking. For something specific.

"Good. Tiring but good."

"I'm sure." He stepped closer. "You did well today, Claire."

I forced a smile. "Thank you."

"But you're not fooling me."

The words. Hit like ice. Through my veins. My heart. Stopped beating. For a moment.

"What do you mean?" I tried to sound. Confused. Innocent.

Kieran's smile. It was sharp. Dangerous. "You think. I don't notice? The way you move. The way you talk. The way you smell."

Smell. He could smell. The difference. But humans. Couldn't smell. Like that.

"I don't understand," I whispered.

"Of course you don't." He leaned closer. His breath. In my ear. "But I do."

My hands. I started shaking. He knew. Somehow. He knew. I wasn't Claire.

"Who are you?" he asked. Soft. Deadly.

I met his eyes. They were black. All black. No iris. No pupil. Just endless. Empty. Dark.

Like the creature. From the accident.

Fear shot. Through my body. This man. This thing. Wasn't human. Either.

"I'm Claire," I said. But my voice. Sounded weak. Even to me.

"No." His hand. Touched my face. Ice cold. "You're not."

I pulled away. From his touch. Stepped back. Against the lockers.

"I have to go," I said.

"Run if you want." His black eyes. Never blinked. "But you can't hide. From what you are. Or what I am."

I turned. And walked away. Fast. Not running. But close. My legs. It felt like water.

Behind me. I heard him. Laughing. Low. Cruel. The sound. Follow me. Down the hall.

In the parking garage. I leaned against it. Claire's car. My whole body. Shook. With fear.

Kieran wasn't human. The creature. From the accident. Had black eyes. Too.

Was he connected? To that thing? Was he? The reason. Claire crashed?

My phone buzzed. A text message. From an unknown number.

*The hunt begins tonight, little wolf. Hope you're ready.*

I dropped the phone. It clattered. On the concrete. The screen. Cracked. But the words. We're still there.

Someone knew. What I was. Someone was hunting. My kind.

And Kieran. With his black eyes. And a cold touch. It was part of it.

I got in the car. Started the engine. My hands. Still shaking. In the rearview mirror. I saw him. Standing in. The hospital entrance.

Watching me. With those. Terrible black eyes.

I drove away. Fast. But I knew. I couldn't run. Forever.

The hunt. It was the beginning. And I was. The prey.

But I was also. A predator. And predators. Don't go down. Without a fight.

Tonight. I would find out. What Kieran really was. And what he wanted. With my pack.

Even if it is. Killed me.