Triple Alpha's Threat

(GN) Ch. 113 - Rebuilding

Kiera POV

"Are you sure about this?" Maggie questioned me for the hundredth time this morning.

"Yes! Lupa isn't a threat. Stop worrying so much," I exclaimed, wrapping Ruby in a blanket.

"She's a ghost! How is that not a threat?" Maggie pressed, her concern evident in her tone.

"She isn't a real ghost," I said awkwardly, knowing my explanation might not make much sense. "Her soul was trapped by her ex-brother-in-law or something. She has never harmed anyone. Now let's go," I urged, gesturing for Maggie and Elizabeth to each grab a baby and follow me outside.

"The Alphas said she drove the men crazy, forcing them to kill themselves," Elizabeth quietly added, her voice filled with apprehension.

"Those men were there for... bad reasons. That's why she harmed them," I retorted, trying to reassure them as we walked towards the rainforest, which would lead us to the old pack house.

As we approached the dilapidated mansion, an unsettling chill swept through the air, causing goosebumps to rise on my arms. Maggie's grip tightened around the baby she held, her eyes scanning the eerie surroundings with apprehension.

"It doesn't look safe, especially for babies," she voiced her concerns, her tone laced with worry.

"It's just old," I reassured her, attempting to dismiss the ominous atmosphere that hung over the decrepit building.

"It's just haunted, you mean," Elizabeth muttered under her breath, her words barely audible over the rustling of the wind.

I couldn't deny the unease that settled in the pit of my stomach as we approached the haunted mansion. Despite my attempts to quell our fears, the sinister aura of the place cast a shadow of doubt over our mission. But I refused to let fear dictate our actions. We had come here with a purpose, and I was determined to see it through to the end.

"You've returned, and with my daughters," Lupa appeared before us, her long blond hair cascading down to her waist and her eyes glowing with an otherworldly blue hue.

"Your daughters?" Maggie's voice trembled as she took cautious steps backward, her eyes fixed on the ethereal figure before us.

"Don't be afraid," Lupa reassured us, her form vanishing momentarily before reappearing behind Maggie, her hands gently urging her to enter the grounds. "Come, come. I must get a good look at them," she insisted.

"This isn't creepy at all," Elizabeth remarked sarcastically. I couldn't deny that this version of Lupa seemed far more unhinged than the serene figure I had encountered in my dreams.

"Just trust me, okay? She has answers," I insisted.

We both hesitantly took half a step over the threshold of the iron-gated house, but before we could fully enter, Lupa rushed towards us, causing us to jump back with a yelp of fright.

"Stop being so squeamish," Lupa scolded us, her gaze fixed on Ruby as she approached. With a solemn expression, she looked over the baby, emitting a low hum as her fingers hovered over Ruby's forehead. But no contact could be made; Lupa wasn't whole here.

"The forest claimed them, filled them with darkness. Can you help me save them?" I pleaded, desperation seeping into my voice.

"Me?" Lupa laughed incredulously as if I were a fool for even asking. "No, I can't help, Kiera," she declared bluntly, dismissing my request without a second thought. With a sense of resignation, she moved on from Ruby and turned her attention to the other two children.

Sorrow weighed heavily on every bone in my body, disappointment gnawing at my resolve. I had been so certain that seeking out Lupa was the right course of action.