Shadow Alpha

Chapter 8 🌙

They've checked all the cameras, and Jacklyn appeared to return to her dorm alone. Ferir is not seen on the security footage walking side by side with her. So now there is another issue. The Lupines of Gallow University are starting to believe the grounds are haunted. Or cursed. Superstition was back and here to stay.

The only person smiling about it seemed to be Ferir.

Of course, he didn't smile with his teeth – but I could see it in his eyes as he pretended to be a quiet uninterested Alpha in the background.

With the shock of her death, a day to grieve and mourning has been implemented, and now we all march – outside the university grounds, to the Ylva National Park. It had many Lupine hiking trails. We didn't go as wolves, as that would be a bit too mangy and hard to navigate with nudity and the transportation of clothes. So walking is how we pay our respects.

Lupines didn't live in forests anymore, nor hunt like savages, but this type of landscape, I mean, the wild, was still where we came to grieve and connect with our own.

This is unprecedented, however, because the amount of people who have come to walk, is in the hundreds. It's everyone who felt the need to pay their respects to a young life lost. Poor Jacklyn, I just hope she is okay in Wraithdom.

Now, our friendship circle finds a spot to rest at the end of the first trail, in an open camping ground, where we all sit in a circle.

"We should come here every weekend," it's Jeremy's idea, as he speaks up first, "I hope they catch that sick fuck, whoever killed her needs to pay."

"I agree," Juan and the other boys all chime in, but I notice Angel is about to cry and Amy is also right onto it.

"Let's go for a walk to some of the hidden relics," Amy suggests to Angela and I, "Want to go, girls?"

"I'm sorry if I..." Jeremy tries to apologise, thinking he said something wrong or inappropriate. But he didn't. It was fine. We reassure him and the guys that we'll be okay, as we stand up to go.

I do notice however, that a few paces into our girls-only walk, another member wants to join.

Surprise, surprise.

Ferir has risen and starts to follow us from a bit behind.

Amy and Angel notice and seem happy about it, but I just don't react.

We go for a short walk to some old cut stones piled on top of each other in the middle of the trees. It's covered in moss. It looks like... well... a bunch of rocks.

But apparently this was sacred to Lupines, once upon a time.

"The Tower of Ylva," Angel runs her fingers along it, while Ferir pops out of the trail and leans back on a tree, just observing from the side.

"The plaque says it's 800 years old, and it used to be a stair case to... Wraithdom," Amy reads it out. A good distraction. I stand back with my arms crossed.

But as Angel turns to me and glances at my arms, her eyes suddenly widen in alarm.

"Evelyn... your veins..." she whispers.

I quickly glance down, to see what she sees.

"They're black," I'm confuse and stunned, "...um..."

"You must be poisoned –!" Angel starts to panic.

"But I feel fine," I quickly snap, "This is something else!"

"Oh my god," Amy freaks out next, and at the general mention of 'god', Ferir finally cracks his code of silence, and interrupts with his deep travelling voice.