"Marisol! Are you crazy?" The voice belonged to none other than Sophia.
"What are you doing here?" Sophia continued, her tone laced with suspicion.
Marisol meets her gaze with a raised brow, shoulders squared. "Is it a crime to walk around the pack now?" she retorts haughtily and Sophia scoffs, unimpressed.
"You know exactly what I mean. What's your mission here?"
Marisol sighs heavily, growing tired of the constant scrutiny and suspicion. "I don't have a mission, Sophia. I was just stretching my legs and trying to understand why in the Goddess's name you're following me around."
Sophia's eyes shrunk into even smaller slits, suspicion etched boldly across her features. "Don't play innocent, Marisol, and stop with this crazy act. Why the sudden interest in walking into the forest this late? I'm sure Caleb must've already warned you just how dangerous it could get!"
"What danger?!" She shoots back, "And if anyone here is putting on a 'crazy act', it's you! Can I not even do so much as take a walk? If you'd rather I remain indoors all day, maybe try cuffing me to my bed. I wouldn't put that past you anyway."
The tension simmers beneath their exchange, waiting to boil over.
Sophia scoffed loudly with a roll of her eyes, making it clear she wasn't buying into Marisol's nonchalant demeanor. The two locked eyes, an unspoken rivalry lingering in the air.
"What exactly is your problem with me?" Marisol questions, pushing at the almost visible strings of tension.
"Because you're sly. My wolf hates you because you still carry around the scent of our mate. And you're pulling Caleb in all directions. It's as if he's always at your beck and call."
Marisol snorts at that, she doesn't miss Sophia's brows twitching in annoyance.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you? Making Caleb run to you like he's yours to toss around. You know I know your scent is all over him. You're using that against me." she accused, voice tight, and it was now Marisol's turn to roll her eyes.
"I get it. You're jealous and everything is now my fault. But did you stop to think, even for a moment, that none of this would have been happening if you hadn't tricked me into coming here in the first place?"
"Watch your mouth!" Sophia snaps. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't even be here. But we need you, even if I think it's a terrible idea."
Marisol snickered, "Fine by me, I'm sure you could convince your mate to let me go then."
"Don't get smart with me. Your presence stirs trouble, and I can't stand the fact that we need you. Don't make me do something we'll both regret."
Marisol sighs and shakes her head. "We both agree on one thing, then. This was a bad idea. So let me go!"
Sophia shoots her a venomous look, a frown etched onto her features. "It's too late now. Freedom isn't an option. We will go ahead with the plan. But mark my words- it won't end well for you if you don't keep your distance from my mate."
Marisol raised an eyebrow at the threat, holding back an unamused laughter. "Oh, believe me, I have no interest in your mate, you can keep him. Now, if you're not here to let me in on what exactly this whole thing is about, I'd prefer to be left alone."
With a dismissive scoff, Sophia turns around and leaves, leaving Marisol standing alone under the moonlit sky.
As soon as Sophia completely disappears from sight, Marisol returns to the pack house. It was time to find the hidden wing and most importantly the tunnel that should lead out of Redwood. She was sure that that tunnel couldn't have been affected by whatever spell was keeping her trapped in Redwood. She just had to find it first.
She fishes out the map she'd hidden beneath the layers of her dress. Earlier, she'd constructed her own map that interlapped the old and new structural layout and returned the original to the Library so as not to rouse any further suspicion from the distrustful couple.
She follows the passageways carefully, with full-on hope that it will lead her to the right place.
Despite a series of wrong turns, Marisol's persistence eventually pays off. She found herself in a hallway that looked eerily like it led to the wing she'd sleepwalked into. It was so obscure, that it was obviously being kept hidden. A surge of disbelief and pride fills her as she stands before the entrance, ready to unveil whatever mysteries lay within.
The mysterious wing loomed before Marisol, its atmosphere heavy with secrets and the weight of the unknown.
As she takes a heavy step inside, the atmosphere seems to shift dramatically. The desolation of the place hitting her in waves emphasizes the stark contrast between this hidden wing and the rest of the pack house. The air was thick with an unsettling stillness, and the faint odor of mustiness lingered in the shadows.
She pauses for what was no more than a few seconds, but feels like way more as she listens for another being or the noises she heard the last time. Anxiety creeps into Marisol's mind, but her determination spurs her forward after she'd confirmed that she was alone.
Marisol explores the dimly lit corridors. The dull beam of light from the moon revealed a series of closed doors, hinting at concealed chambers that held secrets she was itching to discover.
Marisol tries to read the map to regain a sense of direction, but the dimming moonlight renders it almost illegible. Marisol, praising her own preparedness, retrieves a small flashlight from her pocket. Its feeble glow provided just enough illumination for her to discern the details of the map.
Bolstered by her determination, she cautiously ventures deeper, mapping her surroundings with the faint light provided by the torchlight.
Dust motes danced in the air as Marisol navigated the labyrinthine corridors, following her map in pursuit of answers she could no longer withstand the ambiguity of.
As she surges forward, her senses heighten in succession, acutely aware that every step brought her closer to unraveling the enigma shrouded in the secrecy of the pack's hidden wing.
The dim light casts eerie shadows, emphasizing the neglect the wing had endured. Marisol could feel the silence, a profound stillness broken only by the faint echoes of her footsteps. The oppressive air clinging to her skin, and the musky scent of abandonment permeated the space.
Her focus now shifted to finding the elusive tunnel, a potential means of escape from Redwood. The journey through the darkened corridors felt surreal, and every creak and echo amplified the ominous atmosphere.