Ronan’s POVHow…I stood there staring at it, my breath stuck halfway in my chest. The damn house hadn’t been there a second ago. Empty street, shuttered shops, not even a cat around. And then—just like that—it was sitting there like it had always been part of the block.I rubbed my eyes once, twice. Didn’t change. Same crooked shutters. Same slanted roof. Same warped sign with its peeling paint. I didn’t even need to compare it to Lisa’s picture—I knew. This was the place.My instincts screamed to back away. To turn around, pretend I hadn’t seen it, and run straight home. Every hair on my arms was standing. My wolf was pacing inside me, unsettled. But curiosity, yeah, that old poison—it pulled me forward.I crept closer, slow steps, like if I moved too fast the whole thing would vanish again. The street was too quiet. No wind. No sound. Even my footsteps felt like they didn’t belong.The cracked front door was half open, tilted on its rusty hinges. It creaked once as if breathing. My
{Ronan's POV}Breakfast was usually a solo affair in the villa. I’d grab mine early or eat with Lisa before leaving.That meant only Heri and Lisa got to eat when I was out. Which is why this morning caught my attention.All three of us were at the table at the same time, steam curling off plates, the smell of coffee mixing with toasted bread. It almost felt like a normal family scene, if you ignored the fact that two-thirds of us didn’t trust the other third.“This is new,” I said, pouring coffee into my mug. “All of us, at the same time. Should I make a toast? Something like ‘to rare occasions’?”Lisa gave me a look over her cup. “Try chewing before you start talking.”Heri was more subtle, lifting one eyebrow before stabbing a piece of fruit with her fork.“You two wound me, I’m only stating facts.”Lisa smirked. “If by facts you mean unnecessary commentary, mission accomplished.”“Careful now, you know how much I love to hear your voice.”She choked slightly on her coffee. Heri di
{Lisa’s POV}By the time the clock struck twelve I was already dressed in some dark jeans and a fitted jacket, hair tied back to keep it out of my face. My pulse was steady, though I could feel the fine tension humming through my limbs. “Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.” I repeated like a mantra.I checked her room and she was gone, just in time too.I waited five full minutes, eyes flicking between the clock and the darkness beyond her window. Then I slipped outside her room into the hall, and out the front door.Hopefully this ensures she doesn't suspect anything.The cool air hit my face as soon as I stepped outside, carrying the faint scent of plants and some other notes I couldn’t tell apart. But I couldn’t focus on those now, Heritage already half a block ahead.I kept my pace slow enough to stay invisible but quick enough to hold her in sight. And even when I lost her, I could rely on the tracker to keep me updated.The town was quiet at this hour, yet it seemed just as busy. I hadn
{Lisa’s POV}I could not get the picture of Heri’s bed out of my head. Since the first day I saw it, no matter how many times I told myself to drop it, the image was there, taunting me. Smooth sheets, barely touched pillow, not a single wrinkle to suggest someone had slept there.And my suspicion was true the entire time.‘Not sure how much time I have left. I better act fast.’ I took out a small camera, using it to film the room, then I wedged the camera high in the corner where it had a good angle of both the bed and the window. The red light blinked back at me, battery full. On my way out, I closed the door without a sound.Back in my own bed, I stared at the ceiling until my eyes ached. I listened for footsteps, the shift of weight on floorboards, anything. The only sound was the distant hum of the refrigerator and the sound of nature outside.‘I wonder what she's up to.’ I thought before letting the fatigue from the previous days take me.By morning, I was fully rested. Ready fo
{Ronan's POV}“I want you to find out about Heri,” Ronan said.I blinked, sure I’d misheard. “What?”He replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s the only way. We know almost nothing about her. She doesn’t talk much. If she’s hiding something, it’s going to come out when she’s comfortable.”I tilted my head. “...And how exactly am I supposed to make her ‘comfortable’? She barely talks to me either.”“She will. It's you, come on. Heritage will open up to you. You just need to be around her, spend time with her… see what she says. Or does. Get as much information as you can.”I crossed my arms. “So… you want me to interrogate a kid?”He corrected. “Not interrogate… observe. Plus, you can do it all from home. No danger, no going out. Just… be you.”I groaned but nodded. “Fine. I’ll do what I can.”A smirk tugged at his mouth. “That’s my girl.”Before I could react to that little claim, his hands shot forward and tickled my sides. I yelped and squirmed, pushing at
{Ronan's POV}Lisa didn’t blink. She sat there like she’d been nailed to the couch, eyes fixed on me, waiting for me to continue.I leaned back, my arm stretched along the couch’s top edge.I sighed “This morning I didn’t head for the usual routes. I went into town proper.”She tilted her head, curious.Haven’s town proper wasn’t like the markets Lisa had seen in the human world. This was larger, louder, and everything was normal… well, to a wolf like myself. To a human, it would be like a Circus freakshow.All around me, traders were present. Those selling skins, information, tools and the like, the children moved between stalls, and the air smelled like grilled meat, leather, and rain-soaked stone.It was the kind of place where you could lose yourself or be found if someone knew where to look.I kept my hood low, blending into the flow. My goal wasn’t the stalls. It was a tavern tucked between two tall, narrow brick buildings: The Pelt.The owner, Garron, had been in the business o