POV: SAINT
I woke up early this morning, having spent yesterday in bed due to a relentless headache that left me feeling drained. I decided it was best to take it easy. When I glanced at the clock, it was already past 6 AM. I could hear some commotion downstairs, likely Aunt Cee and Bethany bustling about.
After some thinking, I decided to tell Jackson that I wanted to take care of Tom in the mornings—bathing and feeding him. Not only would it allow us to bond, but Tom was quite the talkative person, which would help distract me from my worries.
I had stopped training with the warriors; Jackson insisted it was for my own safety, at least until things settled down. Since I was awake, I switched on the small lamp beside my bed to illuminate the room. I gazed at the ceiling, attempting to count—
Saint~~
I halted my thoughts at the sound of a soft whisper.
Saint~~
The voice came again. Sitting up, I flicked on the overhead light and scanned my room. Everything appeared unchanged, and I was utterly alone. Was it all in my imagination? Maybe my headache was still affecting me.
Saint, can you do something for me~~
The whisper confirmed I wasn't merely imagining things. A chill ran through me as I got out of bed. I looked around the room once more; it was just me, all by myself.
Listen to me, Saint. Come out of your room~~
The voice urged, and before I realized what was happening, my feet were moving, leading me outside my room.
Good. I want you to go to Jackson's room and—
"Uncle saint?" A voice came from behind me, pulling me out of the trance.
I turned to see Tom in his uniform, his mismatched black and blonde hair combed and styled as he looked at me intently.
"W-What?" I stammered, still disoriented, glancing around. How did I end up here? Wasn't I just in my room?
"Are you heading to Daddy's room?" he asked, his gaze fixed on me.
"No, I was—" I hesitated, "did you meet me here?"
He nodded. "I did. Are you going to see Daddy? Let's go together."
I shook my head. "No, I wasn't. Uh, I just stepped outside to check on something."
He nodded again and walked past me toward Jackson's room. My heart raced as I rushed back to my own room, trying to piece together how I got outside in the first place.
The only thing I could recall was that voice—a soft, childlike whisper echoing in my mind.
«»«»«»«»«»«»
Mateo and I were on our way to the pack hospital to visit Marcus. We had planned to go yesterday, but my headache put that on hold. I chose to set aside the events of this morning, convincing myself it was all just a figment of my imagination, likely a side effect of my headache.
As we strolled along, I caught various pack members glancing, pointing, and murmuring about me. I concentrated on the snippets of conversation that floated by as we passed.
"I heard he just came from the annual mission. My father was right; he brought trouble with him."
"I didn't think the Alpha would accept him in after Luna Anto."
"Isn't he the one those crazies are after? Maybe he did something to provoke them."
"At least he's good-looking. But who's that next to him?"
"Why didn't the Alpha mention he has a new mate? Wait, didn't I see him training? Are lunas supposed to train?"
"The Alpha's second mate is a guy?"
"Have you heard that a witch gets into their minds and they start hearing a child's voice? That's terrifying."
These whispers reached me from all directions, echoing in my ears.
"Just ignore it. We're almost there," Mateo urged. I nodded, trying to convince myself that this was a typical reaction to everything happening. Naturally, the pack would be buzzing with talk.
When we arrived, a couple of guards stood at the entrance. Mateo guided me to Marcus' room, where more guards were stationed outside. I found him lying on the bed, his eyes closed, but his chest gently rising and falling.
"The doctor mentioned that his witch friend will be here tomorrow," Mateo informed me.
"I really hope he has an answer. I just want him to be all right."
"I hope you don't blame yourself, Saint. Anyone in your position would have done the same," he said, looking me in the eye.
"I know, it's just…" I glanced around the room to ensure we were alone. Then, I began to share what Marcus had told me. I kept my voice low, uncertain if the walls were thin and if the guards stationed outside could hear us.
"I'm not really shocked. Her palns seem to work flawlessly; it would be odd if she wasn't getting assistance from someone in the pack," he replied.
"Who could it be, though? Jackson doesn't seem to suspect anyone," I wondered aloud.
Mateo fell silent, lost in thought before finally speaking up. "You know, I noticed something odd, but I chose not to mention it when everyone was here. I wanted to tell you first." His demeanor piqued my interest.
"When Chris mentioned that the alpha told Sam to stay in the cell in case Ava showed up, I was surprised," he said.
"Why's that?" I asked, intrigued.
"After the rogue attack began, I came looking for you. When I arrived at the Alpha's place and didn't find you, I assumed you had gone to see Marcus. But when I reached the cell, the guards were acting strangely. It took them a few minutes to gather their thoughts. Once they did, they explained what had occurred: Ava had broken into the cell and vanished with Marcus and you."
"Okay, but what's so strange about that?" I asked, still puzzled.
"They never mentioned Sam. When the guards recounted the events, they didn't say he had come here," Marcus responded.
As I reflected on his words, I began to understand why he found it strange. Chris was convinced he had instructed Sam to remain at the cell, yet according to Mateo, Sam never showed up at all. Why didn't he listen to Chris? Or am I just viewing it this way because of what Marcus mentioned?
"I know what you're thinking, and I've pondered the same thing. Let's consider the possibility that the guards simply forgot due to Ava's spell. But wouldn't that imply Sam should have informed Alpha that Ava broke in and you went missing? I was the one who notified Jackson about your disappearance that day."
He had a point. The rogue attack started after I vanished. If Sam had indeed arrived, wouldn't he have relayed what happened to Jackson?
"Hold on, I think we've overlooked something. Sam arrived that day with you and the warriors, right? Maybe he chose not to tell Jackson about it because of the attack," I suggested, hoping to highlight the pieces we might be missing in this. I wanted to avoid jumping to conclusions about him without careful consideration.
"That's the odd part, Saint," Mateo replied. "That day, I left with Jackson before the warriors could reorganize and join us. When we reached the location where you were, I spotted Sam, in his wolf form, lurking behind the trees."
A wave of realization washed over me, my eyes widening. That means....
"I think Sam stood by and witnessed Ava's attack on you and Marcus, and he did nothing about it."