Celeste's heart was pounding very fast in her chest. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to recall every detail of the wolves lying on the floor.
Maybe... Maybe her parents were still alive! Maybe the hunters had kept them alive! The idea gave her a sudden surge of hope. The weight on her shoulders seemed to have lifted a little. For the first time in what felt like so long, she could breathe a little easier.
Celeste paced back and forth under the tree. She could hear the sound of her own heart racing in her ears. Her wolf, too, seemed to be energized by the possibility that her parents might still be alive. She could feel the wolf's presence in her, pacing back and forth.
She lost track of time under the tree, lost in thought. When she finally looked up, she realized that the birds that had been perched on the tree had flown away.
Taking a deep breath, Celeste turned her gaze towards the path that she and Jeremy had taken to get here. The path looked so peaceful and serene, beckoning her to come closer.
She felt a strong urge to go back and see for herself if her parents were still there, but her rational side told her that it was too late. Hours had already passed since she and Jeremy had faced the hunter head-on, and it was getting dark now. The hunter was probably long gone by now.
Celeste stood there.
Stupid.
She was too stupid to remember checking first. Why hadn't she checked to make sure that her parents were still drawing breath before she and Jeremy ran away? Why didn't they bring both wolves with them? She felt a deep sense of guilt and regret, even though she knew that she and Jeremy hadn't had time for that back then.
She didn't know what was driving her, but she took a few more steps forward, wanting to walk deeper into the path that led to her home and her parents.
After all, she couldn't do anything here, could she? She tasted bitter in her mouth.
"Where are you going?" A sudden voice called out to her, startling Celeste to a halt. The voice sounded both unfamiliar and familiar. Celeste turned her head. Her gaze first landed on the empty left sleeve of a shirt.
Howard. Why was he here? Wasn't he supposed to be in the meeting room?
"The meeting's over. I'm on duty here," Howard explained as if he had heard the question in Celeste's mind. "It's not safe out there, kiddo. Just get back inside."
The man looked honest and simple-minded. His words seemed sincere, and his warm smile could easily disarm her defenses. But Celeste couldn't help but feel like there was something off about the man. It was as if he was hiding something, a secret that he hadn't revealed to anyone else.
"Why are you here, Howard?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of suspicion and caution.
"I already told you, I'm on duty here. To keep those damn hunters at bay," he paused to eye the cautious look on her face and added, "And to make sure young wolves like you don't get yourselves in harm's way."
"No, I mean…" Celeste huffed and prodded further. "Why did you suddenly appear at this place? Last time when the rogues attacked the pack, I didn't recall you coming here."
Howard was considered a member of the wolf pack, but he was a solitary figure who lived in isolation, far away from the pack's activities. The wolves always assumed he preferred his own company. He wasn't even here when the rogues were after them. And now, all of a sudden, Howard was here. That raised some questions.
Howard seemed to stiffen a bit as he heard Celeste's questioning and suspicion, but he quickly shrugged it off as if nothing had happened. "Well, Byron sent me over," he said nonchalantly.
But wait, didn't she hear that he and Byron had a falling out? Celeste stared at him, but Howard showed no intention of further explanation. He
Celeste sighed, deciding to step back and change the subject. "So how did you know that Jeremy was an Alpha?"
"I mean... it's obvious, isn't it?" Howard shrugged his shoulders as if it were a fact. But his eyes twitched slightly when he said this, revealing his uneasiness.
This "obvious" fact was only noticed by Howard among the entire wolf pack, which was highly suspicious. Furthermore, Celeste was sure that Howard had little interaction with Jeremy, at least not after Jeremy turned into a wolf. So, it was very fishy that Howard easily recognized Jeremy as an Alpha with just a glance.
But apparently, Howard had prepared for this question in advance. He seemed to know Celeste would ask him that question eventually. Howard looked reliable and sincere, but Celeste knew she wouldn't be able to get any information out of him. Well, she had just wasted some more time.
She turned to walk into the forest.
"You better go back, kiddo. Don't you know it's dangerous outside? The hunters are around here." Howard's voice echoed behind Celeste.
But she ignored his voice and waved him off, not even looking back at him.
"Where are you going, anyway?" Howard asked again.
But Celeste didn't answer. She stubbornly walked deeper into the path.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard footsteps behind her. But these footsteps sounded a little too familiar. The steps were crisp and agile, showing that the one making those footsteps had sharp control over his muscles.
Celeste hadn't expected Howard's footsteps to sound like this. She thought they would be heavy and sluggish considering his size. But she didn't look back.
The footsteps became faster and closer. Was he trying to forcefully drag her back?
Celeste wondered whether or not to speed up and shake off Howard. But then a hand grabbed her wrist tightly, snapping her around.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" The familiar voice growled in her ears.