Chapter 3: The black Sedan

Evania's POV 

  I stood in front of the cracked mirror, adjusting my blouse nervously. My heart pounded in my chest as I smoothed the fabric and turned to Prestige with wide eyes. 

  It's been exactly one month since Caleb and Madison humiliated me in front of the pack—one month since Aunt Madison left where we had once called home to this hut in the middle of the woods.

  But in that one month, this place had felt more home than I could have ever imagined, and all thanks to Aunt Prestige.

  As for the black car that I had seen the other day, I haven't seen it again in the last one month, and it was just enough to convince me that I had been imagining things.

  “How do I look?” I asked, as I got dressed for work that morning.

  Aunt Prestige grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Like someone ready to conquer the world.” 

  I laughed, the sound light and free. “You’re exaggerating.” 

  “Not even a little.” She grabbed a small canister of pepper spray, slipping it into my bag. “Just remember to stick to the short path through the woods, avoid the ravine, and for heaven’s sake, don’t run. It attracts attention.” 

  I nodded, her words echoing in my mind. “Got it.” 

  Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug, her voice soft in my ear. “Be careful out there, Evania. And call me when you get there.” 

  “I will.” 

  I may not have grown up to know who my real mother was but every time I looked at Aunt Prestige, and how much she loved me, it really made me not miss my real mother.

 Sometimes, it leaves me wondering if the reason Madison hates me was also because of how much her mother loves me.

 "Now go," She said, pulling away with warmth. "You don't want to be late on your first day at work."

 I felt like crying, but I didn't. 

  I took the lunch pack she had prepared for me and walked towards the door. I was about to start a new life, and all thanks to Aunt Prestige.

  A smile tugged at my lip, and finally, I was able to help her around the house. 

  I held on to my bag tightly and sprinted through the forest, moving quickly, my footsteps light on the forest floor. 

  The path was familiar now, each twist and turn etched into my memory. But as I ran, a strange sensation prickled at the back of my neck, a cold shiver racing down my spine. 

  Someone was watching me. 

  Panic surged, my heart hammering in my chest. I pushed harder, my legs burning as I sprinted toward the edge of the woods. The trees thinned, the road came into view, and finally, I busted out onto the street, gasping for breath. 

  Just then, a cab appeared down the road, and I quickly waved it down.

  A cab pulled up, and I slid into the backseat, giving the driver the destination. Relief flooded my veins as the car pulled away, the forest shrinking in the rearview mirror. 

  But the feeling didn’t fade. 

  My pulse quickened as we sped down the road, the city looming in the distance. Then, out of nowhere, the same black car I had seen the other day in the woods swerved into our lane, turning on its blinding headlights and I swear I could barely see.

  “Hold on!” the driver shouted, yanking the wheel hard. 

  Time slowed. 

  The cab screeched, tires screaming against asphalt. I slammed into the door, my head cracking against the window. Pain exploded behind my eyes.

  The black car veered off at the last second, engine roaring as it disappeared around a bend.

  "What the hell was that?" the driver yelled, his hands gripping the wheel. "You know that guy?"

  I couldn't speak. My chest heaved. My vision swam.

  "No," I finally choked out. "I don't know."

  But I was lying. I knew that car. I'd seen it a month ago, watching me from the trees. I'd convinced myself I imagined it. Stupid. So stupid.

  The driver kept glancing in his rearview mirror. "Crazy drivers. You okay back there?"

  I touched my head. My fingers came away with a smear of blood. "Fine. Just... keep going."

  He drove faster. I slumped against the seat, my heart still racing.

  That car. That same black car. It found me. It knew where I was. It was following me.

  But why? Who was inside?

  My mind raced through possibilities. Caleb? No. He wouldn't bother. He had Madison. He had everything.

  Madison? She'd want to gloat, not run me off the road.

  Rogues? But what would they want with a human reject like me?

  None of it made sense.

  The cab pulled up to a tall glass building. I paid the driver with trembling hands and stumbled out. My legs felt weak. My head throbbed.

  I stood on the sidewalk, scanning the street.

  No black car. Nothing.

  But the fear didn't leave. It coiled in my stomach, cold and heavy.

  I walked into the building, forcing one foot in front of the other. My first day at work. I couldn't afford to mess this up. Aunt Prestige had helped me get this job. I needed it. I needed normal.

  But as I sat through orientation, staring blankly at forms and p

olicies, all I could think about was that car. Those headlights. That moment when I thought I was going to die.

  Who was haunting me? And why?