Echoes Of An Alpha

Chapter 11: Bound by Flames

After breakfast, I retreated to my room. The tension in the house was thick, and my chest felt tight. It wasn't just because of the fire, but because of everything else too-living here with a family that wasn't really mine. Well, not fully.

Mrs. Henderson-my mother-tried her best to act like things were normal, like she hadn't abandoned me all those years ago. But I couldn't forget. Every time I saw her, I felt a stab of bitterness, a reminder that she chose a life without me, and now, I was just supposed to fit into this perfect little family she built with Mr. Henderson, Selene, Zain, and Zoë.

I pulled out my phone and texted Roshni, filling her in on the news about the fire. I hadn't seen her much since this morning, and with the way rumors were spreading around school, I needed to make sure we were on the same page about keeping everything a secret.

Zara: Fire's all over the news. People are saying it was unnatural. Keep quiet.

Her response came quickly:

Roshni: Got it. I haven't said a word to anyone. We need to stay on top of this.

Zara: I know. Zade's been asking questions.

I paused, considering what else to say.

Zara: Kristen's been missing too. Something's up.

The thought of Kristen sent a chill down my spine. She had been hovering over me for weeks, pretending to be this perfect girl while secretly playing her own twisted game. But now she was gone, and that could only mean one thing: she was planning something bigger. Something worse.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see Selene standing there, her expression hard to read.

"Can we talk?" she asked, stepping inside without waiting for an answer. Typical Selene-confident, always in control. Even when she wasn't.

I sighed, pushing my phone aside. "What's up?"

She closed the door behind her and crossed her arms. "We need to make sure no one finds out about the fire."

"No kidding," I replied, leaning back against the pillows. "Roshni and I already agreed to keep quiet."

"I mean it, Zara," Selene said, her voice lowering. "No one can know what really happened. Not Zade, not anyone."

I frowned, watching her closely. There was something in her tone-an urgency that made my skin prickle. "What aren't you telling me?"

She hesitated, looking away for a second before meeting my gaze again. "There's more to that fire than just Kristen. I felt... something. Something dark."

I sat up straighter, my pulse quickening. "What do you mean? You think it wasn't just Kristen?"

"I don't know," Selene admitted, her jaw tight. "But I'm not taking any chances. Whatever it was, it's dangerous, and we need to be careful."

Before I could respond, a soft knock came at the door again, this time accompanied by Mr. Henderson's voice. "Girls, I'm heading out. If either of you need anything, call me."

Selene opened the door slightly, peeking out. "We're fine, Dad. Thanks."

He nodded at her before turning to leave. The house felt strangely quiet after he was gone, the tension between me and Selene hanging in the air.

"We'll figure this out," Selene said after a moment, her voice softer. "But we need to stick together."

I nodded, even though part of me wasn't sure if I could trust her completely. She was my stepsister, sure, but that didn't mean we were on the same side. Not really.

---

Later that day, the school hallways buzzed with chatter about the fire. People were glued to their phones, sharing theories about what could've caused it. I heard a group of students talking about the strange way it spread, how firefighters couldn't explain why certain parts of the forest were untouched.

Roshni met me at my locker, her eyes scanning the crowd. "We need to stay ahead of this," she said quietly, leaning in close.

"I know," I replied. "But Zade's been asking questions."

Roshni frowned. "Of course he has. He's not going to stop, you know."

I glanced down the hallway where Zade stood talking to a group of friends. He hadn't noticed me yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he came over, pressing for answers.

"I'll deal with it," I muttered. "We just need to be careful."

Before Roshni could respond, Zade spotted us and made his way over, a determined look on his face. Great.

"Zara, hey," he said, flashing a quick smile. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Sure. What's up?"

He glanced at Roshni, then back at me. "Alone, if that's okay?"

Roshni gave me a look but stepped away, pretending to scroll through her phone as she walked down the hall.

Zade waited until she was out of earshot before speaking again. "Look, I know something's going on with you and Selene. You two have been... weird since the fire."

My heart raced. "Weird? How?"

"You're both acting like you know more than you're saying," he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And the way you both reacted when we talked about the fire... it doesn't add up."

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. "Zade, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, Zara," he said, stepping closer, his voice lowering. "You don't have to lie to me. I know something's going on, and I want to help."

I hesitated. Zade wasn't going to stop pushing until he got answers, but I couldn't tell him the truth. Not yet. Not until I knew what Kristen was planning, and what other forces might be at play.

"I... can't," I finally said, my voice barely a whisper. "It's not that I don't trust you, but I can't explain everything right now. Just trust me, okay?"

Zade looked at me for a long moment before finally nodding, though I could tell he wasn't satisfied with my answer. "Okay. But if you need anything... you know where to find me."

I nodded, grateful for his understanding, even if it wasn't the full truth. As he walked away, I felt the weight of the secret I was holding. If Kristen really was planning something bigger, we were running out of time