Celeste made it back to her room, feeling drained from the eventful day. She plopped down on her bed and took a deep breath, trying to have a moment of peace. She looked around the room. Jeremy was not here.
He did not return with her.
Celeste closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to their encounter in the forest, where he had stopped her from leaving. She shook her head and tried to push the memory aside.
After Jeremy left, Celeste ran into Howard again. She expected Howard to ask questions about their relationship, or at least arch a curious eyebrow at her. But the man acted as if he hadn't noticed the way they interacted with each other at all. Whatever Howard thought about them, Celeste was glad that the man kept it to himself instead of bringing it up. She didn't have the energy to explain things.
As night fell, the werewolves gathered together to prepare for their mission. And to her surprise, Nancy was among them.
Celeste couldn't help but wonder if Nancy had to persuade Jeremy to let her come along. Goddess! She snorted at her own thoughts and joined the wolves.
Despite her initial dislike of Nancy, Celeste couldn't deny that Nancy seemed to be more mature than she remembered. During the meeting, Nancy had clearly impressed everyone with whatever she had. And now she was busy informing everyone on what to expect and what their mission was.
Celeste was grateful for Nancy's briefing, considering that she had left the discussion earlier. But when Nancy mentioned that there was a small change to the previous plan and they would go to Jeremy and Celeste's house, Celeste went still.
So Nancy knew there they were going to the house. Did Jeremy tell her? Jeremy did not return to their room. So, did he go to Nancy to share his plan with her? Was he in Nancy's room the whole time?
Celeste was suddenly hit by a pang of jealousy, despite her efforts to suppress it. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand.
But she still couldn't get rid of the bitter taste in her mouth. The logical part of her brain told her that of course Jeremy would have to go to Nancy and tell her about it so everyone could get informed. But her heart felt heavy, and her wolf was restless. Her crossed arms were a clear indication of her discomfort, yet she refused to release them, holding on tight to her inner turmoil.
The wolf inside her whined again, but Celeste pushed the feelings aside. She took a deep breath and listened to Nancy's entire report, familiarizing herself with what was to come.
When everyone was ready, the wolves headed out and got into the car. The wolf pack didn't talk much. Everyone stayed alert.
Celeste chose the back seat, gazing out the window as they drove towards Byron's place first. The dark surroundings outside were haunting, reminding her of the dangers that lay ahead.
Nancy took the seat in front of her.
Given their seamless cooperation, Celeste thought Jeremy would choose to sit with Nancy. But the man sat next to Celeste instead, which made her feel a little better. But the next second, Celeste found her reaction embarrassingly childish. Come on! It was not that they were a bunch of school kids on a field trip. Who sat with whom didn't matter, and it didn't mean anything.
Jeremy and Celeste remained quiet throughout the journey. Celeste's eyes were fixed on the window as if the darkness out of the glass had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world.
They didn't get ambushed by any hunters all the way along. And soon they would reach Byron's place. But the wolves didn't let their guard down, wary that the cunning hunter might emerge from out of nowhere. But the town was quiet at night. They hardly encountered any vehicles on the way.
Despite that, they decided to stop the car at a distance from Byron's house, just to be safe. After making sure there was no danger, the wolves got out of the car and headed to Byron's place. His wooden cabin was dark, with no lights coming from inside, indicating that the owner was probably not in there. After a careful search, the werewolves found no trace of Byron, no signs of a struggle, nor any trace of hunters.
So where could Byron have gone? Considering that both Sarah and Byron had not returned to the secret base, they could have been together.
After a brief gathering, the wolf pack headed toward Sarah's place. It was not too far from here, so the werewolves didn't go back to the car but went there on foot.
The moon was out overhead, not full, but enough to light their way. The werewolves didn't speak, and even Nancy was quiet, whether from nervousness or because she sensed the tension in the air.
The group walked quietly on the road, and their footsteps made a rustling sound on the ground. The leaves overhead occasionally rustled with the wind, and everything was so peaceful and serene.
For a moment, Celeste even forgot about the existence of hunters, as if their lives had returned to their original tranquility, with no worries or troubles, and everyone in the pack was worry-free in harmony.
If only her wishful thinking could be a reality, but unfortunately, it wasn't.
In the monotonous footsteps and rustling sounds, they arrived at Sarah's place.
As they approached, Celeste caught a whiff of a faint but unmistakable scent of blood in the air, wafting in from the yard.