Stuck with the enemy

Chapter 25: Where is My Sister?

As we stepped out of Tommy's room, Jacob turned to me, clearly sensing something was wrong. My heart was pounding; every second we wasted talking felt like time slipping away from finding Deniz. Guilt washed over me for keeping everything hidden until now, and fear tightened in my chest.

"Jacob," I started, my voice barely holding steady, "I... I have to tell you something important." I hesitated, swallowing hard. "Something bad... really bad... might be happening to Deniz. Or it could have already happened." The words left me breathless with fear and guilt.

Jacob's face grew instantly serious. The warmth in his eyes darkened, replaced by concern, then a fierceness I hadn't seen before. "Alya, what are you saying? Tell me everything. Now," he urged, his voice low but firm, and somehow frighteningly calm.

I took a shaky breath, struggling to organize my thoughts. "I don't even know where to start." I wrung my hands, feeling the panic rise again. "Deniz... she's been getting these weird messages. You saw one of them-she laughed it off, remember? But there were more, and they were getting worse. They were... threats."

"Threats?" Jacob's brow furrowed, his fists clenching at his sides. I could feel the anger building in him.

"Yes," I said, barely able to look at him. "She thought she could handle it, or that maybe it was nothing serious. But it was. The threats kept coming. It's about her past... and Alpha Derek."

"Alpha Derek? What's he got to do with any of this?" Jacob's voice was tense now, jaw clenched as his hands curled into fists. The mention of Derek had him on edge.

"Jacob, he's... he's her mate. But he rejected her. And that night at the hospital-when his dad was in surgery-Deniz went to speak to him. The one who's been sending her the messages saw her with him. He send her a massage again. Then she realized he's been watching her."

Jacob cursed under his breath, his frustration clear. "And today?" he pressed. "What happened today?"

"She came to the cafe to set a trap. She didn't tell me anything until she was already leaving to follow him." I pulled the notes from my pocket, hands trembling as I handed them over. "She left me these. Said if I didn't hear from her, I should look here. That's all I have."

Jacob snatched the notes from my hands, eyes narrowing as he scanned the handwriting, his expression darkening with each line.

"She said she'd be back here," I added, my voice breaking. "She said she'd come home, but it's getting late, and she hasn't shown up." The panic bubbling in my chest spilled over, and I couldn't hold back the tears. "What if... what if something happened to her?" I choked out, barely able to get the words through the sobs.

Jacob's face softened, and he stepped closer, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me into a reassuring hug. He held me tightly, his hand moving gently over my hair. "Alya," he whispered, voice a little calmer. "We'll find her. I promise you. But we have to stay calm, okay?" He pulled back to look me in the eyes, holding my shoulders as if grounding me. "We have to call Aras. But how?. Now, think-where do you think she might have gone?"

I shook my head, trying to pull myself together, but before I could answer, we heard a sound-a jingle of keys from the other side of the door.

Both of us froze, our hearts caught in our throats. Deniz?

Aras's Story.

I unlocked the door, feeling an unusual sense of relief to finally be back home. I'd been picturing Deniz, Jacob, and Tommy all curled up on the couch, watching that movie marathon Tommy had been begging for, popcorn bowls scattered around, and laughter filling the room. But the second I stepped inside, that hopeful image shattered into a waking nightmare.

Right in front of me stood Alya and Jacob, both frozen, faces pale with dread. Alya's eyes were red and puffy, and Jacob had that dark, stormy look I'd only seen once before. They looked at me with such raw worry and desperation that my stomach dropped.

My heart seized with panic. "Tommy?" I blurted out, terror sharpening my voice. "What happened? Is he okay? Why are you looking at me like that?" I could feel my pulse thundering, the panic rising.

"No, Tommy's alright," Jacob said, stepping forward with a steadying hand. He didn't finish his thought, and the silence that followed made everything worse. He just stood there, his gaze flickering with something unspeakable.

And then it hit me like a fist to the chest. "Where's Deniz?"

Neither of them answered. Instead, they just exchanged a glance, a heavy silence weighing down the room, thick with something they didn't want to say.

I felt my heart pound faster, a cold fear filling my veins. "Jacob," I said, my voice rough with anger and desperation, "I'll ask one more time. Where is my sister?" My fists gripped his collar before I even realized what I was doing. "Tell me!"

Alya reached for my arm, her hands shaking. "Aras, please calm down," she stammered, trying to hold herself together through her own tears. "We... we don't know where Deniz is." Her words were barely a whisper, and yet they slammed into me with the force of a hammer.

I felt my chest tighten, my entire world spinning as if the ground was pulled from beneath me. "What do you mean you don't know where she is?" I barely recognized my own voice, cracked with fear. My mind refused to accept it. "What do you mean you don't know?" This time, the question came out as a roar, helpless roar.

Jacob looked away for a second, as if bracing himself, then met my gaze, his voice steady but laced with worry. "Aras... there's been someone following Deniz. She's been getting messages. Threats. I've found out just now."

"Threats?!" I could feel the rage build, like a storm barely held back. "Why didn't she tell me? And where is she now?"

Alya swallowed hard, her hand still resting on my arm. "Deniz left me a note earlier today... She said she was going to find out who was stalking her." Her voice cracked as she continued. "She set a trap at the cafe to lure him out. I didn't know what she was planning until it was too late, and now we... we can't reach her. She hasn't come home."

The room seemed to shrink around me, and a rush of dread twisted in my gut. "So you just... let her go alone?"

"I didn't know any of this!" Jacob cut in, frustration and guilt flashing in his eyes. "She didn't tell her what she was planning. Alya found her note after she left."

I took a step back, the reality of the situation crashing down. Deniz was out there somewhere, alone, and if she'd gone after a stalker...

"Give me everything," I commanded, fighting to keep my voice level. "Every message, every clue. Now."

Jacob nodded solemnly. "We've got a recording from the café's security footage. We saw her follow him out. Alya's got it all."

Alya's eyes shimmered with worry, but she was already pulling out her phone and reaching for the flash drive. "I'll show you everything we have. We're going to find her, Aras. We're not stopping until we do."

"I know we will," I said, my voice low and resolute. "And when we do, whoever's behind this... they'll regret ever thinking they could touch my sister."