The door creaks open almost immediately and Marisol is not surprised to see Caleb walk in. His eyes ever so suspicious as he takes in the sight Marisol sits admists.
"What are you doing, Marisol? Why the sudden interest in the pack's layout?"
"Morning to you too, Caleb, Alpha of Redwood." She answers, looking up from her book.
Caleb sighs tiredly, running a hand through his hair. "What are you up to this time around, Marisol? You accosted my mate in the kitchen with weird questions too. What is all this about?"
With an air of nonchalance, Marisol chuckles and counters with a question of her own. "I remember asking you that exact same question, Caleb. What is all this about? Why did you bring me here? What's the real reason behind all of this? What do you hope to achieve by keeping me here?"
Ignoring her queries, Caleb huffs "Whatever it is you think you're doing. Stop it. It's not worth it. You'll only get yourself in more trouble."
Marisol bats her lashes, feigning innocence. "Oh come on, why do you always assume that I'm up to no good? I'm just doing a bit of reading, Caleb. You know, exploring the vast knowledge hidden in these books." She gestures at the wide expanse littered with books.
Caleb, still not buying the act, only narrows his eyes. "And your questions about the building renovation plans?" He presses, his curiosity evident.
Marisol met his gaze with a playful twitch of her lips, "Like I said... just curious about how things work around here. It's quite fascinating, you know? Redwood."
"Stop poking around, Marisol. None of the things you're curious about would do you any good. You might get hurt if you keep pushing."
Undeterred, Marisol maintains her composure. "Trouble seems to be a common theme in Redwood. Maybe it's time for some clarity, don't you think?" she retorts, challenging.
Caleb shuts his eyes with an annoyed tick of his jaw. "You're not listening, are you?"
"Neither are you!" Marisol snaps, "You brought me here and refuse to tell me anything. I fought until I lost the strength to, and now I'm just trying to get by, yet here you are, threatening me!"
Caleb pauses, no doubt sensing the anger churning within Marisol. Her wolf was growing irked, and he could feel the dominance rolling out from it. That was new.
Marisol didn't exhibit this type of dominance ever. On the contrary, she'd been pretty much docile except for a few outbursts here and there.
He clamps his lips shut and with no more than a nod, he walks off.
Marisol leaves the library armed with two maps and, fueled by the day's success, she decides to try another shot at her exploration of the Redwood Pack, a conscious decision to also steer her focus from thoughts of the haunting place in her dreams.
As she strolls through the pack grounds, a sense of being watched urges her to maintain a facade of calm, at least until she senses the tension has eased. However, a disconcerting scent soon reaches her nostrils, a potent mix of stale blood that no doubt spelled death and suffering. It assaulted her senses, threatening to overwhelm her with every step she took further.
As Marisol walks toward the unpleasant stench, whispers from the pack members reach her ears. Muffled conversations about the escalating situation buzz in the air, still, in her confusion, the palpable distress in their voices does not go unnoticed.
"It's getting worse," she hears one of the voices say, heavy with concern.
"I can't take it anymore; we should leave," another one suggests, expressing a desire to escape the tumult within the area, or could it be the pack as a whole?
"Our homes are ruined, and the attacks never stop. What exactly is the Alpha doing about it?" A third voice adds this time.
The last sentiment strikes Marisol deeply, and empathy swells within her. Redwood was suffering, but how? What was going on?
Upon reaching the source of the disturbing scent, Marisol finds herself standing before an infirmary. On further inspection, a more gruesome scene only looks to unfold before her eyes.
As far as her eyes could see, there was a stream of wounded people, the air carrying their moans and cries of pain as the walls echoed the collective struggle of everyone present therein. The stream of individuals who trooped in and out of the infirmary, bringing more wounded people to be treated, seemed constant too.
Amidst the turmoil, Marisol couldn't help but overhear snippets of dialogue.
"We can't withstand this anymore. The attacks are relentless," a pack member all but cries, exchanging concerned glances with another.
"What is Alpha Caleb waiting for? We need a solution already," someone implores, their frustration echoing the sentiments of many.
Marisol's heart ached for the pack, witnessing the toll of their suffering. Redwood was teetering on the brink of complete chaos, and she grew deeply concerned, only now realizing just how shielded she'd been from their struggles.
As the weight of reality presses upon her, Marisol feels compelled to uncover the truth behind Redwood's suffering. And she was sure that it started with whatever was hiding behind the pristine walls of the pack house.
Later that night, Marisol decides to go searching for the mysterious wing she was sure was a key factor in unraveling the secrets that lay within. However, just as she steps outside her room, Marisol senses the presence of someone. Because whoever it was had cloaked their scent, she couldn't pinpoint who this intruder was.
Knowing this, she stubbornly presses on. Purposely walked out of the pack house in slow steps before taking a long, aimless walk around the pack grounds, wanting to shake off the unwanted guest, but they proved to be just as stubborn, remaining on her trail the whole time, and she figured they had to be a pack member as they seemed to know well enough about the pack to make use of shortcuts and find her again before she could ever celebrate shaking them off.
As a final resort, she turns towards the forest, but before she can make a leap for it, she hears a hushed call of her name, causing her to turn around, wide-eyed.