Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

AIDEN’S POV

So, I was able to see the built-up tension between Hayley and Rachel come crashing down. There was a brief silence between them, as if Hayley had demanded an argument from the very departure of her claims. Rachel looked dejected and resigned, slumping over with the blow of Hayley’s words. Rachel eventually broke the silence with a voice freighted with barely controlled emotion.

”Hayley, you are making a mistake. From now on, I’m not responsible for anything that happens to you”. They knifed the air with her words. Spinning on her heel, she stomped through the house to be met with a resounding thud as the door slammed behind her.

The moment Rachel left; Hayley seemed to break. She collapsed into the closest chair and buried her face in her hands as she gave way to more sobs. In that moment of standing helpless, I wanted to do something-anything-to take away her pain.

Ryan, who had been silent throughout all this, stepped forward. He spoke so softly but with authority. Aiden, she will need you more than ever. Be there for her.”

I pushed my way through and kneeled by Hayley in her chair. Reaching forward, I touched her face and gently pulled away the hands with a tear-streaked face. I whispered in hushed tones, my voice lulling and soft, Hayley, everything is going to be okay.”

Her red-streaked eyes turned up to me. “How can you say that Aiden? Everything is falling apart. I don’t know what to do.”

Taking her face in my hands, I caressed the tears away with my thumbs. We will work that out together. You’re not alone in this. I promise.”

Hayley softened into my hand, the heaving gasps eventually quieting to mere sniffles. “I’m scared, Aiden. I do not think I can take any more of this.

With a soft kiss on her cheek, my lips lay there for just the briefest moment. “You can handle it, Hayley. You are braver than you imagine. And you know what? I’m here with you.

There was a pause when she drew in heavily for air, turning her eyes to mine, and I saw that look of fear mixed with resolve.

I shook my head, continuing to stare directly ahead. “You’re not making a mistake. You are choosing for yourself, and that is amazing. We cannot sit at home all our lives and worry about terrible things. Things we have to deal with up front as a society.

Ryan, who had been standing silently beside them, extended his hand and stepped closer. “Hayley, Aiden’s right. You’ve made a brave choice. And you have us to help. Now we are a team, and that means dealing with whatever happens when it is put in front of us.”

Hayley bobbed her head rigidly, squeezing my hands harder. “Thank you, both of you. I do not know what I would do without you.”

I smiled at her, feeling an outpouring of love and protectiveness. You are not going to find out because we’re staying.

The rest of our time, we sat in a soothing silence, the toll from her initial challenge slowly diminishing. It wasn’t until I heard Hayley’s own breathing steady itself that it felt like she got stronger from our warmth, not just us warming her.

And finally: her voice, shaking and desperate. “So, what do we do now? How do we get ready for what’s coming?

I looked over at Ryan, who also acknowledged that it was okay! We need to start with a bit of data gathering first. Well, the threats are evident, and we must learn to protect ourselves.

Hayley nodded with determination in her sparkly eyes. “Okay. Where do we start?”

Now Ryan stepped towards me, his face urgent. I may have a few connections that can be of assistance.

We need to get a hold of them and see what they know. We also need to be cautious, always looking for any kind of suspiciousness.

I gave Hayley’s hand a squeeze and smiled reassuringly at her. You and me together, Hayley. Together.”

She nodded firmly, taking a deep breath. “Together.”

He yanked his phone from his pocket, beginning to dial. I’ll get on the phone. We need to move quickly.”

Ryan made his way across the room, leaving Hayley behind, looking deeply into my eyes. “Aiden, thank you. For everything.”

I moved in closer to kiss her forehead sweetly. Hailey, you don’t need to thank me; I’m here because I love you. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you.

A small bit of hope returned to her face as she smiled. “I love you too, Aiden. I just pray we make the right decisions.

He nodded, and my determination hardened. “We are. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.

Ryan came back in, and he still had his phone. I know someone who can lead me to a promising source of knowledge. We have to do it tomorrow. But it is… its kind of a hail-drifty thing at this point.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Just as Ryan was texting Margaret back, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and excused himself from the conversation to answer it. I focused my whole attention back on Hayley, who looked less upset but more determined. My heart broke to see her like this, so I touched her hand.

Hayley, I swear to you, we will get to the bottom of this,” I assured her. Surely you must know more about them.

Guessing,” she said, “a plot point or secret we need to understand now?

She shook her head, looking torn. “Fah…” I didn’t even get a chance to finish my profound sentence before he hung up on me. Well, after that bite from the Alpha in Australia, you need time to heal. You had been through so much already.

I tightened my fingers around her hand, stating it more forcefully. “No, Hayley. This is important. I’ll be strong enough soon. There is no way around it. This cannot happen to me, not even in one hundred years I was going to be witness of that agent Smith. We have questions that need to be answered, and I want to help you find those answers.”

Molly’s eyes did soften, but her expression remained fraught. Aiden, I just don’t want you to go overboard. You’ve barely recovered.”

I had faked a smile, hoping to comfort her. Oh yeah, I’m tougher than you think. Hale, this isn’t even really about you. It’s about us. We are in the same boat, and I will not let you drown.

Hayley attempted to respond before Ryan came back, looking somber. I still have some business to take care of down in Australia. There is something I need to attend to right now.

Hayley looked at me, eyes wide. “Ryan, is everything okay?”

Ryan nodded, his expression edged in concern. ‘Nothing for you to be worrying about at the moment. But I have to leave tonight. I will return as quickly as possible.”

I looked at Hayley, then at Ryan. You mean you can do okay by yourself?

Ryan smirked a little more confidently now. “I’ve dealt with worse. Just look after Hayley and work this out.”

Hayley glanced uneasily from me to her. “Ryan, be careful. And come back soon. We need you.”

Letting Ryan off the hook was a compassionate disgrace. He nodded; his features relaxing. “I will. And you look out for one another, y’all hear me?”

We both nodded. We exchanged glances once more as Ryan grabbed the door to leave us in silence in the living room.

Hayley sighed, deflating her shoulders. It feels like everything is swirling beyond my grasp.

I embraced her and kept on hugging. “Just keep going, Hayley. One step at a time.”

Her voice was muffled by my chest as she leaned in close. I just miss how things used to be.”

I begged, running one hand through her hair in a useless attempt to soothe her. “I know. But we’ll find a new normal. An easy one-where everything makes sense, and we are safe and happy.

She drew her face back a smidge and looked up at me. “How in hell do you think we are going to learn the real story about my parents?

I gratefully nodded back, clear determination on my face. “Yes, I do. Whatever we discover, we should do it as a team.

Hayley breathed in deeply, trying to calm down. “Alright. Then where do we start?”

I took a moment to think about it and examined our choices.

”First, we need to check on Ryan. Let’s go dig for some data. After that, we may need to go way back and start talking with people who knew your parents.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

That evening was about planning and talking about what we do next. We had planned to text Ryan’s Connect as soon as we woke up. Things started to change as the night wore on, though Hayley had a determination about her.

I looked into her eyes and took her hand in mine before we went to bed last night. “I was dreaming with a broken heart, we always have each other, no matter what happens. That’s our greatest strength.

A real smile, reaching her eyes. “I know, Aiden. I feel lucky for that every day.

We climbed in bed, but sleep was elusive. Thoughts and plans were spinning around in my head. I knew things were going to be difficult from here on out, but I was positive I could handle it. Hayley, for us and the truth hidden by many years.

We awoke the next morning determined. We went over our plan one final time at breakfast. Whatever Hayley had gone through last night, Great Shot was back to business.

As we were leaving, I stopped and reassured her one more time. We will be okay, Hayley. We will get what we need.

She nodded and squeezed my hand. “I believe you, Aiden. Let’s go.”

We spent the morning on phone calls, collecting information everywhere that we could. Ryan’s friend, a man called Marcus, had arranged to meet us at a cafe in a nearby town. He said, in passing, he knew someone who had connections to Hayley’s mom and dad.

The atmosphere seemed taut as we got ready to go. In Hayley’s eyes, I could see the blend of nervousness and determination. She is prepared to meet whatever comes next, but the suspense is undeniable.

“Are you ready for this?” Standing up on the doorway, she asked me to hold her hand.

She banished her nod, clutching my hand in hers. “I have to be. We need to know the truth.”

I smiled to comfort her. “We’ll find it together.”

The ride to the cafe was silent; we were both just lost in thought. As we entered the tiny village, it appeared like quaint streets and old structures were trying too hard! It seemed inconceivable that this serene place could harbour the solutions to such a grim mystery.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

We parked and entered the cafe, both of us looking around for Marcus. Sitting at a corner table was a very serious-looking gentleman of tall stature and greying hair. He glanced up as we approached and gave a curt nod.

“Marcus?” I asked, extending a hand.

He shook it firmly. “Aiden. And you must be Hayley.”

The words were spoken with extreme clarity by a strong female voice, obviously Hayley. Her answer was concise for my questioning eyes, and she nodded in confirmation, nonetheless. For you to come out, yes, thank you for having us.”

Marcus waved for us to take a seat. You have some questions about your parents, right?

Hayley took a deep breath. “Yes. We need to know the truth about them.

Marcus leaned back, looking contemplative. Your parents were powerful members of their pack, but they had many enemies. It was a world where betrayal had been whispered about, secrets half-kept.

Who she asked who would have ratted them out, I asked, leaning in.

Marcus shook his head. “Not exactly. There are others in this town who were on the periphery of their lives and no doubt knew a lot more about it. They never came forward before out of fear, but they may do so now.

My eyes lit with hope at Hayley’s suggestion. “Who are these people? Can we meet them?”

Marcus took a moment, then nodded his head in consent. There’s an old associate of your mom and dad, a lady named Evelyn. She resides a couple of minutes out of town. Her whisper stirs my earlobes as if it where only moments before the events took place: “If anyone knows half of what really happened, it’s her.

We looked at each other and, for a moment, silently concurred. This was the break we needed.

“Can you take us to her?” I asked.

Marcus nodded again. “I can give you directions. It’s best if you go alone. I am just a little shy around strangers.

Hayley accepted the directions, and her hands quivered. “Thank you, Marcus. This means a lot to us.”

He smiled kindly at her. “Be careful.” Sometimes the truth is the most dangerous thing.

We were silent and grim at the realisation of what Marcus had told us as we left the cafe. On our way back to the car, Hayley looked at me big and determinedly.

“We have to do this, Aiden. We need to know the truth.”

I nodded, unlocking the car. “I know. And we will. Let’s go find Evelyn.”

Getting in the car, we took off, knowing that when these stories tell it right, you go to Evelyn’s house. The future was uncertain, but we would stand in the storm together to meet it head-on. We knew that answers were out there, somewhere waiting to be found.

When we left the parking lot and drove into the little outskirts of town, butterflies filled my gut.

This was the beginning of chapter two of our journey-a new quest to find out more about Hayley’s parents and their delicate history.

We were getting closer and closer to finding out the truth that had been kept for years. We drove forward into the mystery, and I felt sure that whatever we discovered there, we would conquer it hand in hand.

——-

We got a tip out of the next town, which led to Hayley’s real parents and set off for the place, bent upon understanding what was really happening and getting prepared for what may come.