Marisol couldn't believe her eyes as she watched Lily move about the pack house with an air of ease and normalcy. It was as if the events of the previous night had never occurred, as if Lily hadn't been thrust into a dangerous situation that could have cost her life. The sight left Marisol feeling utterly bewildered, her mind struggling to reconcile the image before her with the harrowing ordeal Lily had endured.
"You seem surprised to see me." Lily giggled on seeing Marisol's expression.
Marisol shook her head in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Lily could be up and about so easily when even Marisol herself had shut herself away following her first encounter with the beastly wolf.
She'd imagined any other person would, too. "B- but last night......" she stammered, her words tumbling out in a rush. "You were attacked, Lily. You could've been seriously hurt. How are you here?"
Lily's laughter filled the air, a musical sound that echoed off the walls of the pack house. "Oh, Marisol," she said, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "You worry too much."
Marisol did not see what part of their conversation was amusing, her brows pinching as she whisper-yelled with a sense of urgency, "You were attacked, Lily! There's nothing funny about that."
Marisol felt a pang of frustration at Lily's nonchalant attitude, unable to restrain her friend's carefree demeanor with the gravity of the situation. "How can you be so calm about this!?" her voice is tinged with exasperation.
Lily's laughter subsided, replaced with a gentle smile as she reached out, placing a gentle hand on Marisol's shoulder. "Because," she started, meeting Marisol's gaze and holding it confidently as she continued, "I know that Cedric wasn't planning on hurting me. He did what he did to lure you out. It was so obvious."
Marisol's mind reeled at the revelation, struggling to make sense of the conflicting emotions swirling within her.
"Trust me. I'm okay now. Sure, I was scared out of my mind when I thought he was really going to rip my head off, but I thought about it through the night and even discussed it with the gang. I realized that it was a hoax. I was being stubborn, so he knew to step his whole 'interrogation method' up. He wasn't going to actually harm me." She finished, leaving Marisol's jaw slacked as she stared back at her.
"W- What about me?" Marisol finally gets out, a little tentative, "Are you mad at me? For making you a scapegoat? I'm so sorry, if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have targeted you. It's all my fault."
Lily shook her head regarding Marisol with fond eyes, "Oh don't be like that, Marisol, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm not angry at either you or Cedric. Why should I be? I watched you worry about him every other second you spent in hiding, and it looked like he was just the same for you. It's all just really cute if you asked me." She finished with a dismissive wave of her hands, leaving Marisol to nod dazedly, her mind awash with conflicting thoughts and emotions. But despite her lingering doubts, she couldn't deny the truth in Lily's words.
"Now let's talk about something more interesting!" Lily chirped, the amusement returning to her voice, "The pack is abuzz with some interesting information that you should know." Lily exclaimed excitedly.
"What is it?" Marisol asked, her eyes widening slightly in curiosity.
"You've got to follow me to find out," Lily said instead, eyes glinting with mischief.
Intrigued, Marisol followed her.
As she trailed after Lily, Marisol began to notice a subtle shift in the atmosphere, especially with regard to the pack members around them. There was a noticeable tension in the air, a sense of unease that seemed to follow them wherever they went. Marisol couldn't quite understand what had caused this sudden change.
As they walked, Marisol found herself stealing glances at the pack members this time, instead of the other way around. Instead of narrow, accusatory eyes trailing after her, Marisol found them avoiding her gaze entirely, their whispers not even loud enough to be picked up on at a fair distance. It felt as though they suddenly became afraid of her, like she was some kind of dangerous predator lurking in their midst.
Although Marisol was perplexed, she pushed the thought aside, focusing on Lily instead, now that the other had fallen into step beside her.
"So, Marisol," Lily started, her tone relaxed as she looked around, "You noticed anything yet? The change within the pack?" When she looked at Marisol, it was to find her features twisted into a confused frown, so she finally added, "They're terrified of you, Marisol."
Marisol's brows shot up, her voice rising as she repeated, "Terrified of me?" Lily offered her an unsettling smile, "What's going on, Lily?"
Lily broke into a grin at that, clearly enjoying the opportunity to share the latest gossip with her friend. "Because of what happened between you and Cedric," she explained matter-of-factly, the amusement never leaving her voice, "It would seem that your little altercation with Cedric has made quite the impression on the pack."
"How do you mean?" Marisol asked with a tired groan. She was beginning to get an idea of what Lily meant, but she needed confirmation.
"Let's just say that your display of power back there revealed that you are not on their level. They now see you in a different light... you're an Alpha wolf."
There it was. Marisol's fingers go up to massage the space between her brows as she sighs tiredly. She remembers the heated argument with Cedric, the way he'd gotten her so riled up that her self-restraint slipped loose and her wolf surged to the surface. She hadn't meant to reveal her true nature to the pack, but in the heat of the moment, she had lost control.