Alexandra sat cross-legged on the floor of her small room, the faint scent of dust and old paper filling her nose. Spread out before her were the remnants of her parents’ life—the only things Nana Lea had saved after the massacre. A tattered leather journal, a yellowed map with torn edges, and a stack of faded photographs stared back at her. Each item felt like a piece of a puzzle she was desperate to solve, even though the edges refused to fit.
Her fingers brushed over the leather journal. “What are you hiding in here?” she whispered to herself as she opened the first page.
The handwriting was her father’s—bold, sharp, and filled with authority. The first entry described the Blue Moon Pack’s strength and unity, how they dreamed of creating peace among the packs. But as she read further, the tone darkened. Mentions of betrayal, suspicion, and the looming threat of her uncle, Alpha Raven, became more frequent.
She swallowed hard as her father’s words blurred on the page:
“Raven grows restless. His ambition blinds him. If he ever turns on us, Alexandra’s safety must come first. She is the key to everything.”
Alexandra closed the journal, her hands trembling. The key to everything?
Shoving the journal aside, she picked up a photograph from the pile. The edges were frayed, and the image had faded with time, but it still made her breath catch.
Her parents stood side by side, their smiles warm and genuine. Beside her father was Alpha Raven, his arm slung casually around a woman with dark hair. The woman held a baby in her arms—a baby no older than Alexandra would have been at the time.
Her heart raced as she studied the photo. “Who’s the baby?” she murmured, tracing the child’s tiny face. The baby had chubby cheeks and eyes that seemed eerily familiar.
Alexandra froze. The baby looked her age.
“Who is this?” Alexandra demanded, storming into the kitchen where Nana Lea was sitting with a cup of tea. She shoved the photograph onto the table, her hands shaking.
Nana Lea squinted at the photo, her frail fingers trembling as she picked it up. “Where did you find this, child?”
“In the things you’ve been hiding from me,” Alexandra shot back, her voice sharp. “You said you saved everything from my parents’ home, but you never told me there was a baby. Who is this woman? Who is this child?”
Nana sighed deeply, setting the photo down with care. “I don’t know, dear,” she said softly. “My ancient mind won’t let me remember. It could just be the maid and her child. We had so many people around the estate back then. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” Alexandra’s voice rose. “That’s my uncle standing there, and he looks way too comfortable! If this child is just a maid’s baby, then why does he look like he belongs?”
“I’m sorry, Alexandra,” Nana said, her voice laced with sadness. “I wish I could help, but I cannot remember. There were too many faces back then, and my mind is not as sharp as it once was.”
Alexandra clenched her fists, frustration boiling inside her. “You’re hiding something. You’ve always hidden things from me. If you won’t tell me the truth, I’ll find it myself.”
“Alexandra—” Nana began, but she was already out the door, the photograph clutched tightly in her hand.
The next few days passed in a haze of doubt and paranoia. Alexandra couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone around her was hiding something. Liam’s reassuring smile felt too perfect, too convenient. Agor’s cryptic warnings replayed in her mind, and her anger toward him only grew.
Liam was the only one she could trust. He had to be.
That night, she sat beside him on the couch in his apartment, her hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea. “I feel like I’m losing my mind,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Everywhere I turn, there’s another secret, another lie. I don’t even know what’s real anymore.”
“You have me,” Liam said, his voice steady. He placed his hand over hers, his hazel eyes filled with warmth. “Whatever you’re going through, we’ll figure it out together.”
Alexandra nodded, her chest tightening. “Thanks, Liam. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
But the next day, as she walked across campus, Agor found her again.
“Alexandra,” he called out, his voice low and urgent.
She stopped, her heart pounding. “What do you want?” she snapped.
Agor approached slowly, his silver eyes cautious. He looked different—tired, almost vulnerable. “I need to talk to you,” he said.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Alexandra said coldly.
“You don’t understand what’s happening around you,” Agor insisted, his voice rough with frustration. “I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me?” Alexandra laughed bitterly. “You’re the last person I want help from. You lied to me, Agor. You’re just like my uncle!”
Agor flinched at her words, but his jaw tightened. “I’m nothing like him.”
“Then explain the shirt,” she snapped, her voice shaking. “Explain why you’re working for him. Explain why I shouldn’t hate you!”
Agor took a step closer, his expression pained. “Alexandra, I—”
“Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice cracking. “Don’t say anything. Just stay away from me.”