Back at the villa nestled deep within the forest on the outskirts of Central City, the atmosphere was unusually tense. Alaric stood near the entrance, his expression calm but firm, as he watched the young girl pacing restlessly across the living room.
Wendy.
His younger cousin had arrived unannounced that morning, showing up at the edge of pack territory after running away from home. She had come from another city, clearly upset, her emotions still raw from whatever argument had driven her to leave. His parents had contacted him almost immediately, asking him to keep an eye on her until they could arrange for her to return safely.
But Wendy had other plans.
"I already told you," she said, crossing her arms as she turned to face him. "I'm not going back today."
Alaric exhaled slowly, his patience thinning just slightly. "You ran away from home without telling anyone," he said evenly. "Do you have any idea how worried they are right now?"
"I don't care," Wendy shot back, though her voice wavered just enough to betray her frustration. "I just need a few days. I don't want to see them."
Alaric's gaze hardened slightly, though his tone remained controlled. "That's not how this works," he replied. "You don't get to disappear and expect everyone else to just wait for you to calm down."
Wendy looked away, clearly unwilling to back down.
Alaric stepped closer, his presence steady but authoritative. "Call your parents," he said. "Tell them where you are so they can come get you."
"No," she said immediately, shaking her head. "I said I don't want to talk to them."
A brief silence followed, the tension thickening between them.
Alaric's voice dropped slightly, firmer now. "Then I'll call them myself."
Wendy's eyes widened slightly as she turned back to him. She knew that tone. It was not a threat. It was a decision.
Reluctantly, she held out her hand. "Fine," she muttered. "Give me your phone."
Alaric studied her for a moment before handing it over, watching closely as she took it and turned away, heading toward one of the rooms for privacy.
Inside, Wendy closed the door behind her, leaning back against it as she looked down at the phone in her hand. For a brief moment, she considered actually making the call.
Then the screen lit up.
An incoming call.
The name displayed clearly.
Anya.
Wendy's eyes flickered with curiosity, a mischievous thought forming almost instantly. A slow smile crept onto her lips as she stared at the name.
"So this is her," she murmured softly.
Without hesitation, she answered the call.
"Hello?" she said, her tone deliberately casual, almost playful.
There was a pause on the other end before a soft voice replied, asking for Alaric.
Wendy's smile deepened slightly as she leaned back, her gaze drifting lazily around the room. "He's in the shower," she replied, her tone light, carrying a subtle edge of amusement.
She could almost feel the reaction through the silence that followed.
"Do you want him to call you back?" she added, her voice deliberately gentle, though the intent behind it was anything but.
When the call ended, Wendy stared at the screen for a moment, clearly entertained.
Her gaze shifted briefly to the room around her, and then back to the phone.
A thought crossed her mind.
Before she could reconsider, she moved quickly, snapping a photo of herself wrapped loosely in a blanket on the bed, her hair falling freely around her shoulders. It was suggestive enough to create misunderstanding, but not enough to be explicit.
She sent it.
And almost immediately after the image was seen, sh deleted it.
Her smile lingered as she placed the phone down, satisfied with her small act of mischief.
A moment later, Alaric's voice called from outside. "Wendy, are you done?"
She straightened, smoothing her expression before opening the door and stepping out.
"I'll go back tomorrow," she said, her tone suddenly much calmer.
Alaric studied her briefly, noticing the shift but not questioning it further. "Good," he replied. "I'll arrange for someone to take you back."
With that settled, he grabbed his keys, his focus already shifting back to his responsibilities.
"I have things to handle," he said. "Stay here. Don't leave the villa."
Wendy nodded, though there was a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes as she watched him leave.
Alaric stepped out and got into his car, the engine starting smoothly as he drove away from the forest.
For a while, everything felt normal.
Until it didn't.
Without warning, his chest tightened.
It was not physical pain, but something deeper, sharper, as if something inside him had been pulled suddenly out of place.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
The feeling was unfamiliar. It wasn't his and the realization came quickly.
Anya.
Alaric's expression darkened as he slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. The bond between them stirred uneasily, carrying traces of something he could not immediately identify, something heavy and unsettled.
He reached for his phone without hesitation and called her.
Once and twice but no answer.
His jaw tightened.
He knew her schedule well and knew where she should be.
Without wasting another second, he started the car again and turned it sharply, heading toward the cafe where she worked.
*****.
Anya stood behind the counter, her back facing the entrance as she focused on preparing a series of drink orders. The door opened softly.
Alaric stepped in, his presence immediately noticeable even without him saying a word. His gaze swept across the café in a single glance before settling on her. He could see it instantly, even from a distance. Something was wrong.
Caris, who was at the cashier, noticed him first. Her eyes widened slightly in recognition, and she quickly leaned toward Anya, lowering her voice just enough to keep it discreet.
"Anya," she whispered urgently, "he's here."
Anya paused mid-motion, her hand stilling for a brief second before she slowly turned around.
The moment her eyes landed on him, her expression shifted. Surprise flickered across her face, followed by something more complicated, something she could not quite hide.
Alaric had already begun walking toward her.
As he got closer, the details became clearer. Her eyes were slightly red, her expression strained despite her attempt to remain composed. The sight made something tighten sharply in his chest.
"Can I have a few minutes with you?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable urgency.
Caris did not wait for Anya to respond. She stepped in immediately, offering a reassuring smile. "I'll handle things here," she said, glancing at Anya. "Go."
Anya hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. She removed her apron slowly and placed it aside, then stepped out from behind the counter.
Without another word, she walked out of the cafe with Alaric.
The moment they were outside, the noise of the cafe faded behind them, replaced by the quieter hum of the street. Before Anya could say anything, Alaric reached for her hands, his grip firm but not forceful, grounding her in place.
"Did something happen?" he asked, his gaze searching hers intently.
Anya avoided his eyes for a moment, her fingers tensing slightly in his hold. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice steady but distant. "Why are you here?"
"I came to check on you," he said, his tone softening just slightly. "I felt something earlier."
Anya let out a quiet breath, her gaze drifting away. "I just need some time to process what's happening," she said.
His brows furrowed immediately. "What's happening?"
She hesitated.
For a brief moment, she looked at him as if trying to decide something, then looked away again.
"What happened?" he asked again, more firmly this time. There was no confusion in his tone now, only a growing tension.
Anya felt it and it only made things more complicated.
Did he really not know? Or was he pretending not to?
"Nothing," she said finally, her voice quieter now. "It's your private life. I don't have the right to interfere."
Alaric's expression darkened. "What are you talking about?"
She shook her head slightly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Anya," he said, his voice tightening, frustration slipping through despite his control, "you're driving me crazy right now."
The shift in his tone caught her off guard.
It had been a long time since she had seen him like this.
For a moment, she was reminded of the past, of the version of him that used to lose control so easily.
Without thinking, she reached out and placed her hand gently on his arm, her touch instinctive.
"Calm down," she said softly.
The simple contact grounded him. His shoulders eased slightly, though the tension in his gaze remained.
Anya took a small step back, creating just enough space between them to steady herself.
"I don't think this is a good time to talk about it," she said, her voice gentler now. "Can we talk after my shift ends?"
Alaric studied her, clearly unsatisfied, but he forced himself to stay composed.
"At least tell me one thing," he said, his voice lower now, more controlled. "I really don't understand what's going on. Why are you feeling like this?"
Anya hesitated, then finally looked at him.
"Maybe you should check your phone," she said quietly. "Someone sent me something earlier… and then deleted it."
The words landed heavily between them.
Before he could ask anything further, she stepped back, turning away from him.
"I need to get back to work," she added softly, then walked back into the cafe without looking back.
Alaric stood there for a moment, his brows drawn together in a deep frown as confusion and unease settled in.
He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. His mind moved quickly, retracing his steps.
The last time his phone had been out of his possession—
Wendy.
His expression hardened slightly as he unlocked the screen and opened his chat with Anya.
The last message there was the one he had sent the previous day. Nothing else. But that only confirmed one thing. Something had been sent and then erased.
Alaric's grip tightened around the phone, his jaw setting as the realization settled in.
*****
By the time Alaric reached the villa, the tension that had been building inside him had hardened into something sharp and controlled. The drive back felt longer than it should have, every second stretching as his thoughts replayed the conversation with Anya, her distant tone, the way she avoided his eyes, and the one sentence that lingered above everything else.
Someone sent me something… and then deleted it.
The moment he stepped through the door, the quiet of the villa felt suffocating.
"Wendy," he called, his voice low but carrying an unmistakable edge.
She appeared from the living area a moment later, her earlier confidence gone the instant she saw his expression. The shift in him was immediate and undeniable. His posture was rigid, his gaze sharp, and there was a coldness in his presence that made her instinctively take a step back.
"What happened?" she asked, though her voice lacked its usual bravado.
Alaric did not waste time.
"What did you do with my phone?" he asked, each word measured, controlled, but laced with restrained anger.
Wendy froze.
"I didn't—" she started, but the look in his eyes stopped her from finishing the lie.
"Don't," Alaric cut in, his tone dropping further. "Think carefully before you answer me."
The pressure in the room intensified, his presence pressing down on her in a way that made it impossible to brush off the situation.
Wendy swallowed, her composure cracking under the weight of it.
"I… I got a call," she admitted, her voice smaller now. "When I was about to call Aunt and Uncle."
Alaric's jaw tightened. "And?"
"It was… a girl," she continued hesitantly. "She was looking for you."
His gaze darkened. "What did you tell her?"
Wendy shifted uncomfortably. "I just… wanted to help you a little," she said weakly. "I told her you were showering when she called."
Silence followed.
But it was not the kind that eased tension. It only made it worse.
"And?" Alaric pressed, his voice sharper now.
Wendy hesitated.
"And what?" she tried, though her tone faltered under his stare.
"Finish what you started," Alaric said, his patience slipping. "What else did you do?"
The edge in his voice made her flinch.
"I…" she began, her eyes darting away. "I sent her a picture."
Alaric did not move.
"What picture?" he asked, though the answer had already begun forming in his mind.
"Of me," Wendy admitted quickly. "On the bed… I was wrapped in a blanket, and I just… sent it from your phone."
The words barely left her mouth before the atmosphere in the room shifted completely.
"And then I deleted it right after," she added hurriedly, as if that would somehow lessen the damage.
"Wendy Stone."
Her name came out low, controlled, but the anger beneath it was unmistakable.
Alaric's hand clenched into a fist at his side, the tension in his body visible as he fought to contain himself. His breathing slowed deliberately, each inhale measured as he forced his temper back under control.
Wendy stepped back instinctively, her fear now clear.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't think it would be this serious. I just heard that you two have been moving so slowly, and I thought maybe I could… help speed things up."
"It's none of your business," Alaric snapped, his voice cutting through her explanation.
The sharpness of his tone made her flinch again.
"You don't get to interfere in something you don't understand," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "And you definitely don't get to use my name or my phone to do it."
"I said I'm sorry," Wendy insisted, though her voice trembled slightly now. "I didn't mean to make things worse."
"You already did," Alaric replied coldly.
The weight of his words settled heavily in the room.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Alaric straightened, his expression hardening into something resolute.
"You're going to fix this," he said.
Wendy blinked. "How?"
"That's for you to figure out," he replied. "But you're going to tell her exactly what you did. Every part of it."
Wendy hesitated. "What if she doesn't want to listen?"
"Then you'll keep trying until she does," Alaric said without hesitation.
His gaze sharpened further, leaving no room for argument.
"And if you don't," he added, his voice lowering again, "I will call your parents myself. And you won't be leaving your house for the rest of the month."
Wendy's eyes widened slightly at the threat.
She knew he meant it.
"…Fine," she muttered after a moment, looking away. "I'll fix it."
Alaric did not respond immediately. He simply watched her for a moment longer, as if making sure she understood the seriousness of what she had done.
Then he turned away, running a hand through his hair as the frustration he had been holding back finally surfaced in his expression.