Strangeness In Her Closeness

MARTEN HOLLAND

“She fainted.”

Jerry’s voice cut through the silence as he crouched beside the unconscious woman, studying her like she was some strange object dropped into our territory.

I stood a few steps away, my arms folded, my gaze fixed on her still body. Something about her presence didn’t sit right with me, and I had learned long ago never to ignore instincts like that.

“What do you think happened?” Jerry continued, glancing up at me briefly before returning his attention to her. “And look at her… she doesn’t look like she’s from around here. She’s definitely from another pack. Or maybe not even a pack at all.”

Tom moved closer, crouching on her other side, his eyes scanning her carefully as if he could pull answers out of her skin. “Since she was running before she collapsed here,” he said thoughtfully, “there are only a few possibilities. She was either attacked or robbed. Maybe she escaped something.”

I let out a quiet scoff, and both of them paused immediately, their attention shifting to me. I didn’t need to say much for them to know I disagreed.

“You don’t think so?” Jerry asked, standing up slowly, brushing dirt off his hands.

I took a step forward, my eyes still locked on her face. Even unconscious, there was something about her that felt… off. Not weak. Not helpless. Just wrong.

“I think this is a trap,” I said calmly.

The words settled heavily between us.

Tom frowned slightly. “A trap?”

“Yes,” I replied, finally tearing my gaze away from her to look at both of them. “A setup. And not a careless one. Someone sent her here.”

Jerry and Tom exchanged a quick glance, uncertainty flickering across their faces.

“It could be a coincidence,” Jerry said carefully. “We’ve seen wanderers before.”

“Not like this,” I cut in. “Not at our borders. Not injured, not running, not collapsing exactly where we would find her.” I shook my head slowly. “No. This is calculated.”

Silence followed.

I could see the doubt creeping into them now, the shift from sympathy to suspicion. Good. That was where they needed to be.

“So what do we do?” Tom asked after a moment.

Jerry answered before I could. “We take her in. When she wakes up, we question her. Push her until she talks. If she’s from a rival pack, she’ll slip eventually.”

Tom nodded in agreement. “And until then, we keep her locked up. No chances.” They both looked at me, waiting. Expecting me to agree. Instead, I made my decision.

“We kill her.”

The words came out flat, final. Jerry blinked. Tom stiffened. “What?” Jerry asked, clearly caught off guard.

“I said we kill her,” I repeated, my tone unchanged. “Immediately.”

“That’s… extreme,” Tom said slowly. “We don’t even know who she is.”

“I don’t need to,” I replied. “I can feel it. She’s not just a random stranger. She’s connected to something bigger.” I paused, my jaw tightening slightly. “She’s from Oakwood.”

That did it. Both of them went silent, their shock obvious now. Oakwood Pack wasn’t just another rival. They were dangerous.  If they were involved, then this wasn’t something to take lightly.

“You’re sure?” Jerry asked quietly.

“I don’t deal in guesses,” I said.

They exchanged another look, but this time, neither of them argued.

“Take her,” I ordered, already turning away. “Lock her up for now. We end this at sunrise.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I didn’t need one.

By evening, I had already pushed the incident to the back of my mind. Not because it wasn’t important, but because I had already decided how it would end.

Then the knock came.

“She’s awake.”

I didn’t respond immediately. I simply stood up and made my way to the room where she was being held. The guards stepped aside as I approached, opening the door without a word.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw her.

She was sitting up now, her back pressed against the wall, her eyes wide with fear as they locked onto mine. She looked weak, fragile even, but I didn’t let that distract me.

Appearances meant nothing.

I walked further into the room, letting the silence stretch just enough to make her uncomfortable.

“You’re awake,” I said. She didn’t respond. Her breathing quickened instead.

Good.

“Do you know where you are?” I asked, my voice calm but cold. She shook her head slightly.

“That doesn’t matter,” I continued. “You won’t be here long enough for it to mean anything.” Her lips parted, panic flashing across her face. “Please… I didn’t do anything. I don’t even know how I got here—”

“You’re lying,” I cut in.

“I’m not!” she insisted quickly, her voice breaking. “I swear, I’m not, please, just listen to me—”

“You have a few hours to live,” I said flatly.

That shut her up. Fear flooded her expression completely now, her hands trembling as she stared at me.

“Please…” she whispered. “Don’t kill me…”

I didn’t react. I had heard that plea too many times before for it to mean anything.

“You think I don’t know what this is?” I continued, stepping closer. “You think I don’t see through it? Oakwood sends you here, beaten, broken, pretending to be helpless, hoping we take you in.”

Her head shook rapidly. “No! I don’t know anything about that… I swear—”

Before she could continue, the deep, echoing sound of the full moon bell rang through the air. Everything froze.

The guards outside shifted immediately. I could feel it. And then I felt it too. Or at least… I was supposed to. Every full moon, my wolf tore through me like a storm. Violent. Uncontrollable. Relentless.

But this time,nothing. No rage. No pressure. No fight for control.

Just… calm. My brows furrowed slightly. That had never happened before.

Behind me, she was still pleading, her voice shaky, desperate, but it sounded distant now. My focus had shifted completely.

Something was wrong. Or maybe…

Something had changed.

I clenched my jaw, trying to force the familiar sensation, but it didn’t come. My wolf wasn’t fighting me..It was quiet.

Still. Watching.

“What did you do?” I asked suddenly, my voice lower now.

She froze. “What?”

Before she could say anything else, the force of the moon hit.

And everything went black. When I opened my eyes, I was on the floor. For a moment, I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t think. Then reality hit.

I sat up abruptly, my eyes scanning the room. No blood. No destruction. No bodies. My chest tightened. That wasn’t possible.

Slowly, my gaze shifted to her,she was still there.

Alive and unharmed.

Staring at me like I was the monster I knew I was supposed to be. But something was wrong.

I pushed myself to my feet, my eyes never leaving her.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice sharp.

She flinched. “I asked you a question.”

“I… I’m Leah,” she said hesitantly. “Leah Decker.”

The name meant nothing. “Explain,” I demanded.

And she did.

She told me everything.

The betrayal. The rejection. The exile. The beating. The way she had been chased into the woods and left to die.

I listened. Really listened.

And when she finished, the room fell silent again. I ran a hand through my hair, pacing slowly as her words replayed in my mind.

Then I stopped.

Turned.

Looked at her differently this time.

“I don’t know what you are,” I said slowly. “Or how you did it.”

She frowned slightly, confused.

“But for the first time in my life,” I continued, my voice quieter now, “I didn’t lose control.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “You stopped it,” I said.

“I didn’t do anything—”

“You did,” I cut in. “Your presence did.” Silence stretched between us. Then I stepped closer. “You want to live?” I asked.

She nodded immediately.

“Then you stay,” I said. “You don’t leave this pack. You don’t run. You don’t lie to me.”

Her breathing quickened. “And in return?” she asked cautiously. I held her gaze.

“I let you live.” The deal hung between us.