Marcus finally awoke, blinking against the morning light streaming through his curtains.
He squinted against it, his mind foggy. As his vision cleared, he saw his mother, Dana, sitting on the edge of his bed, her hand gently caressing his hair, and his father, Hector, standing nearby with a worried expression.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"What happened?" Marcus asked, his voice rough from sleep. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his shoulder made him wince.
"Take it easy," his mom said softly, guiding him back down.
"Be careful. You're not fully healed," Hector warned.
"What?" Marcus exclaimed in surprise as he opened his shirt and saw that the wound on his shoulder was not fully healed. "Why am I not healing quickly?" he said, terrified and confused.
"In fact, what happened to me after Alina brought me home? I can't remember a thing," he said, bewildered.
"Calm down," his mom said reassuringly. "You passed out because of your wound, which is why you can't remember anything. As for your wound, we still don't know why you're not healing as you should. But we'll find out."
"How?" Marcus asked worriedly.
Hector exchanged a glance with Dana before speaking. "We don't know yet, but we've asked Andel to come. He'll have answers."
Dana's gaze hardened. "Why did you take Alina there? That place was supposed to be a secret."
"I just wanted to cheer her up," Marcus replied."She was feeling down."
"Did you recognize the wolves that attacked you?" Hector asked.
"I think it's the same men that attacked me and Alina last time," Marcus replied.
"You mean those rogue wolves that were snooping around the pack quarters?" Hector retorted.
"Yes, but I don't think they are rogue wolves. I think they are from a pack far from here," Marcus said.
Dana leaned in, her eyes searching Marcus's face. "Did they have any distinctive features?"
"For one, they've grown stronger since the last time I fought them," Marcus recounted. "My wolf, AJ, is stronger, but those wolves gave me a tough fight. And I felt like they were also after Alina, though I'm not sure."
"What do you mean by that?" Dana asked, confused.
"Well, It felt thet way. Maybe I'm imagining things. It's just a hunch. Forget that I mentioned it."
"No, no, you might be right," Dana retorted.
Hector's brows furrowed."Please, what would they want with her? I think you guys are wrong. "I think they're just a jealous pack from a neighboring town. They're envious of our strength."
"I don't think so," Marcus retorted. "They were different."
The door creaked open, and Maggie, a maid, stepped in. "Alpha, Andel is here."
"Bring him in," Marcus instructed.
Andel entered the room, his presence commanding yet calm. He exchanged greetings with Dana and Hector, returning their nods with a curt bow.
"I heard you were attacked by some wolves," Andel said, his tone light but his eyes serious.
Marcus pulled back his shirt, revealing the wound on his shoulder that hadn't healed. "I even have scars to show for it," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Andel's eyes widened in shock. "Why isn't this wound healing?"
"Well, that's why you are here," Dana said impatiently.
"Well, let me take a look," Andel said as he asked Marcus to open his shirt again to see the wound.
He examined the wound, took a deep breath, and shook his head.
"Well, why is it not healing?" Dana asked urgently.
"It will heal. He just needs to rest today to regain his strength and give him a lot of meat to eat," Andel said, forcing a smile.
"Uncle Andel, spill it. I know something isn't right," Marcus interjected.
Andel took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, I'm not sure, but if the wolves I think did this, then we are in for a rough fight."
"What do you mean?" Dana asked.
"Well, the only wolves that I know that can inflict this kind of wound are from only one pack.
"Which pack?" Hector asked, his voice tense.
"Knife," Andel replied, his voice low.
Dana's face went pale, her body stiffening. Marcus noticed her reaction and turned to Andel. "Who the hell is Knife?"
Andel's gaze was serious. "Knife is evil, Marcus. He uses dark magic to increase his pack's strength. If he's after our pack, we need to be fully prepared."
Hector snapped his fingers in front of Dana's face, jolting her from her thoughts. "What's wrong?"
Dana shook her head, refocusing on Marcus. "Are you sure the wolves were also after Alina?"
Marcus hesitated. "I'm not too sure, but it felt like it. Is there something wrong? Is Alina okay?"
Dana took a deep breath. "Don't worry, everything will be alright. She'll be safe now that she's going to be staying with us."
"What?" Marcus screamed. "What do you mean Alina is going to be staying with us?" he said, surprised.
"Well, after you've rested, I will tell you the details. But now, you need to rest."
Dana signaled to Andel and her husband to follow her.
"Dad, are you aware? Do you agree to this?" Marcus asked quietly.
"Yes, I'm aware," Hector said quietly. "Get your rest. In due time, you will understand everything."
Marcus was in shock and surprise as he watched them leave his room one by one. "No one tells me anything in this house," he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile in school, Alina was sitting all alone by herself in the class when Lizzy saw her.
"What's the matter, Alina?" Lizzy asked, concerned, noticing how sad her friend looked.
Alina sighed and began to sob.
"What's the matter?" Lizzy asked, concerned as she went to hug and console Alina, "why are you crying?"
"Lizzy," Alina said beneath her tears, "I don't know what to do. I'm so confused."
"Take it easy," Lizzy said gently, patting her friend's back, "whatever it is, I promise to be here for you. I won't leave you alone. So tell me
Lizzy my life is ruined. My dad said he would be traveling to Europe, that his company just transferred him to Norway, and I need to move in with Marcus and his family.
"What the hell, Lizzy!" screamed in surprise. "What do you mean, Marcus's house? How did your dad arrive at that conclusion when you have a best friend in me? I can tell my parents, and they would be glad if you stay with us. You know how much my mom adores you."
"Yes, I do, but my dad has made up his mind. Apparently, my dad and Marcus's mom were friends together with my mom in college, and he is..." she started to cry.
"He is what?"
"Well, he is so sure that Marcus's mom will take care of me. He trusts her, and no matter how I try to convince him, he does not want to change his mind."
"Jeez, this is serious. I bet if your dad found out how much Marcus bullies you at school, he would change his mind. But Alina," Lizzy said quietly, changing her tune positively, "I don't think it's all that bad."
Alina shot her a surprised look. "What do you mean by that?" she said, her voice rising irritated.
"Well, hear me out first before you bite off my head," Lizzy said, gesturing with her hands for her to calm down. "Didn't you say that Marcus's mom was also friends with your mom? Well, Alina, now is your opportunity. Why not give her a chance? Maybe she might be able to tell you about your mom, since you know nothing about her."
Alina smiled and nodded her head. "That true," she said. She would have loved to tell Lizzy the whole truth, but she could not bring herself to tell her she was a werewolf. She didn't even know for sure if she was one.
Just then, Kendra interrupted them. "So, I mistakenly overheard your conversation," she said, her face red with anger, as both Lizzy and Alina turned to see Kendra standing at the door, eyeing them bitterly.