The next morning, Marisol wakes up feeling surprisingly light, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The events of the previous day seemed distant now, replaced by a sense of clarity and determination. She decides to start the day fresh and have breakfast in the pack house, something she hadn't done in a long while.
After freshening up, Marisol makes her way to the kitchen, her footsteps light with newfound optimism. But before she could reach her destination, she was intercepted by Lily, who looked to be on her way to find Marisol, a tray of food in her hands.
"Hey, Marisol," Lily greeted, with a wane smile. "I was just coming to find you."
"Oh really?" Marisol questions, returning a smile of her own as she lets her eyes roam over the contents of the tray, "Breakfast in bed? When was the last time that happened?" she says lightheartedly, but Lily gave her a solemn look, her lips drawn into a thin line.
"We need to talk, Marisol."
Marisol paused a brow, raising at the urgency of the other's voice. "What's up?"
"Let's get this to your room first," Lily says instead, and Marisol feels a prickle of unease at Lily's serious tone and demeanor.
She ends up nodding, turning around, and leading Lily back to her room. Once inside, Lily wasted no time getting straight to the point, setting the tray down on a table.
"Sophia's been spreading more lies about you." Lily starts, growing more unsettled than serious now as she begins pacing the length of the room.
Marisol couldn't help but roll her eyes at the information. Does Sophia really not know when to stop? "I couldn't care less about what Sophia says," she resorts to saying, her tone impassive, and Lily swirls around so fast that Marisol worries about her wellbeing.
"It's not just idle gossip, Marisol," Lily adds, brows pinched. "Sophia's convinced Caleb that you attacked her."
Marisol resisted the urge to groan loudly and facepalms instead. "And here I was thinking she couldn't get any more ridiculous. Could she atleast get a little more creative with her lies?" Lily could see that Marisol wasn't taking this as seriously as she should. This shouldn't be taken as lightly as Marisol is currently doing.
"Sophia's got bruises and wounds to show for it, Marisol." Her expression was grim, and her words finally seemed to attract Marisol's attention. She sees her eyes widen as she adds, "And Caleb's bought into her story."
"Excuse me?" Marisol exclaims, open-mouthed, "This is insane!."
"It's confusing," Lily said.
Marisol felt her hackles rise, and now she was the one pacing, "I can't believe this! I need to go find Caleb. I need to talk to him and set things straight."
Lily shakes her head at the end of Marisol's words, "It's not safe for you to confront them right now. Sophia's got him convinced that you're out of control. He's very angry at the fact that you would attack his mate, and," Lily leans in closer, her next words whispered, "I think they're planning on putting you under a spell, or some kind of drug to put you to sleep."
Marisol wouldn't say she was entirely shocked, but her words are laced with disbelief as she mutters in realization, "Like they did when I first got here."
Lily nods, solemn.
Marisol's fingers ran through her hair, and she lets out a heavy breath. She really could never catch a break in this place. She is stumped at the fact that Caleb could be so gullible. Was he really going to make such a decision whilst letting his emotions get the best of him?
Does he not know what drugging her would do? She'd stayed away from the hidden castle and Cedric's Wolf the night before, both out of spite of the people of Redwood and her own building anger, but under the influence of a spell, she would be out of it and away from the wolf for even more nights. Was it really worth it to put his entire pack at risk to appease his insecure mate?
"Did Cedric go on a rampage last night?" Marisol asked, tentative and almost breathed out in relief when Lily shook her head.
"No."
"I can not be put down again," Marisol said urgently. "I need to talk to Caleb."
"No. You should keep your distance for now. Instead, leave the pack house for now, " she suggests in a rush, "Spend the day with my friends until things cool down a bit. Maya, Jake, and Ryan would be happy to be with you."
Marisol groaned, thinking how absurd it was that she would be the one running when she'd done nothing wrong. It was unfair, but Lily was right.
"Alright," Marisol agreed reluctantly, her shoulders slumping with resignation. "I'll go."
Lily's smile reached her eyes for the first time that morning. "Thank you. You need to leave now. They'll meet you halfway. I already informed them of your coming."
"And you? Aren't you bound by an oath? How will you hide this from them without breaking your oath?"
Lily hums, "You're right, but I'm not spending the weekend here. My shift ends in a few hours. I just have to avoid everyone until it's over, and then I'll meet you guys. I'll be away from here until it blows over."
"Okay," Marisol nods, "Let's do this."
Marisol follows Lily as she stealthily leads her out of the pack house, grateful for her quick thinking. Just as Lily had promised, her friends were waiting for her a short distance away, their smiles warm and welcoming.
Without asking, they begin walking away leisurely with Marisol in tow, each person seemingly comfortable and relaxed. It helped Marisol feel a little at ease and less like a fugitive who's being taken to a safe space. Maya and Jake chat eagerly as they walk, their discussion centered on their latest training techniques while Ryan listens quietly, his eyes scanning their surroundings with a thoughtful expression.
"So, Marisol, how have you been?" Maya finally asked, falling into step beside her. "It feels like ages since we last saw you."