The sudden, shrill ringing of the phone echoed through the quiet basement, almost making both Celeste and Jeremy jump in surprise.
"Jesus!" Jeremy exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. "You didn't mute your phone when you sneak into someone else's house?!"
Celeste felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as Jeremy's eyes fell on her. It was her first time breaking into someone's house, okay? It was not that she had been informed beforehand to mute her phone.
"Okay, okay! It's not like I'm as experienced as you are. Stop judging me," Celeste retorted and threw her hands in the air.
She retrieved her phone from her pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Her expression changed to concern as she read the name. "It's Byron."
Why did Byron always call when they were together? Celeste wondered, her forehead creasing in confusion.
She looked up and saw the same perplexed expression on Jeremy's face. She hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button and putting the call on the speakerphone.
"Why is nobody answering the phone at your house? Are you with Jeremy? I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up," Byron's voice came through the phone, breathless and urgent.
Jeremy moved closer to Celeste, his expression tense as he listened to Byron's words.
Celeste felt a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. Why did Byron need to know if they were together? Had he discovered their relationship?
"Uh, yeah, I'm with him now. What happened?" Celeste asked, her voice hesitant.
"Okay, good," Byron replied. She was relieved that Byron didn't ask why they were together again. But her relief was short-lived when she heard his following words.
"Listen, you two need to run back to the hideout immediately. The hunters are on the move," he said, his voice carrying a weight of command that left no room for argument.
"What?!" Celeste and Jeremy cried out in unison, their faces turning pale. His words were like a cold slap in the face, jolting them out of their sense of safety.
Based on what they had found in the basement, there was no doubt that the hunters were in town. But the thought of hunters coming after them was terrifying, especially since they had no idea why they were being hunted.
Jeremy stepped forward, his expression tense as he spoke on the phone. "What can we do to protect the pack?"
"I think right now we can only hide. The hunters have wolfsbane. The sons of bitches came prepared," Byron's voice dropped when he mentioned the wolfsbane. The mere mention of it was enough to send shivers down their spines.
Celeste felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered the conversation she had with Raymond in the coffee shop where he showed her the flower.
"Alright, enough talk. You two need to hurry," he urged.
Celeste could hear the fear in his voice and knew that he wasn't exaggerating the danger they were in.
As she was about to hang up, a sudden thought occurred to her. "Wait, did you call our house?" she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"Yeah, but no one answered," Byron replied. His answer only added to Celeste's growing sense of unease.
"Have you called my parents?" she blurted out, her heart pumping loudly in her chest.
"Not yet. Are you guys not at home? Where are–" but before he could finish, Celeste ended the call.
She immediately dialed her mother's number, her hands trembling with fear.
She held her breath as she listened to the long beeps, each one feeling like an eternity. She looked at Jeremy and found the same concern in his eyes.
Finally, the phone call went to voicemail.
She tried again, but there was still no answer.
Jeremy pulled out his phone and called their father, but the phone calls too reached the same result.
It was strange – their parents were home when they left, so why weren't they answering the phone? The fact that their cell phones were also going unanswered only added to their growing worries.
Celeste's face turned pale as she spoke Jeremy's name, her voice shaking when she imagined what could have happened. Her mind raced with countless possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Her heart was now pounding and threatening to burst out. She felt sick.
Jeremy placed his hands on Celeste's shoulders, gently squeezing them in a way that eased some of her tension. The slight pain helped her to calm down a little.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. We'll go back home now," he reassured her.
She stared into Jeremy's eyes, drawing strength and comfort from his steady gaze. With a nod, she followed him as he walked towards the stairs. When they were about to leave, her gaze darted back upon the blood-stained wolf lying on the ground.
Taking a deep breath, she averted her eyes from the gruesome sight and quickened her pace to catch up with Jeremy. They jumped into the car and sped off towards home.
Celeste sat in the passenger seat, her eyes glued to the blur of trees flying past the window. Her hands fidgeted nervously in her lap.
Celeste glanced down at her trembling hands, biting her lip until she tasted blood. She tried to push away the morbid thoughts that raced through her mind, clinging to the hope that her parents were still at home, safe and sound.
The car was silent except for the low hum of the engine and the whistle of the wind outside. The quietness only served to amplify her anxiety, leaving her feeling restless and uneasy.
She wished she could turn back time, to be back in the safety of her own home. But she knew that was impossible. She stared ahead at the endless stretch of road, her heart sinking with every passing second.
Suddenly, Jeremy's hand reached over and covered hers, his warmth spreading through her like a comforting blanket. She looked up at him.
Although his gaze was fixed on the road, he could sense her fear and turned to look at her. He squeezed her hand tightly, his eyes filled with reassuring warmth.
"They will be fine," he said firmly, his voice strong and steady.
Celeste nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope flicker within her. She repeated his words, her voice barely above a whisper, as she held onto his hand tightly.