Chapter 191

Ava

As we returned to the motel, I let out a sigh of relief when I saw our security team gathered around the vehicles, their engines rumbling in the mist. One of them waved as we approached.

“Good news, Alpha Chris, Luna Ava,” he called out. “The mechanic got here faster than expected. All three cars are up and running again.”

Chris grinned. “That’s great. Thanks for handling that. Are we all ready to hit the road?”

I nodded, eager to put some distance between us and this strange town—even though we were supposedly just heading straight toward the epicenter of whatever was going on here. “Definitely. Let’s go.”

We piled into the cars, and soon we were on our way to Moonshine Manor. Despite the persistent fog, visibility had improved enough in the daylight for us to navigate safely.

After a short drive, we arrived at Moonshine Manor. The imposing structure loomed in front of us, perched on top of a hill and almost completely shrouded in mist. It looked like something out of a gothic novel, the towering spires peering down at us through the fog. There was an eerie whistling of the wind around the mansion’s eaves, causing me to shudder slightly as our driver put the car in park.

“Well, this is... atmospheric,” I muttered as we got out of the car, pulling my jacket tighter around my shoulders.

Chris chuckled. “No kidding. It certainly looks like a haunted house.”

We approached the front door, our security team hanging back to give us some privacy. The gravel crunched under our feet, the sound muffled by the thick fog surrounding us. Chris knocked firmly on the massive wooden door and for a moment the only sound was that of his three knocks echoing ominously in the fog-muffled air.

We waited for several long moments, but there was no response.

“That’s odd,” Chris frowned, checking his phone. “I could’ve sworn Fabian responded to my message about our visit. He should have known we were coming today.”

I shrugged. “Maybe the overnight delay threw things off? Or he could be busy with pack business.”

Chris nodded and knocked again, louder this time. To our surprise, the door creaked open slightly at his touch. We exchanged a concerned look and pushed it open a little more.

“Hello?” Chris called out through the crack, his voice echoing in the seemingly empty house. “Alpha Fabian? It’s Chris and Ava from Moonstone Pack.”

Silence greeted us. Shooting me one last wary glance, Chris pushed the door open further with a loud creak, and we cautiously stepped inside the dimly lit mansion.

The foyer was dark and eerily quiet, the air heavy with the sort of musty scent that only comes about from months of windows remaining firmly closed. As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I noticed a thick layer of dust covering every surface—the side tables, the ornate mirror on the wall, even the chandelier hanging over our heads.

“This place looks... abandoned,” I whispered, running a finger along a dusty table and leaving a clean streak behind.

Chris nodded, his brow furrowed. “It’s like there’s no staff around anymore. Fabian never mentioned moving out. Fabian?” he called out again, his voice bouncing off the empty walls. I frowned when there was still no response and wiped my dusty finger on my pants.

We moved deeper into the house, our footsteps causing the floorboards to creak loudly in the empty hallways. The further we went, the more unsettled I felt. The ornate paintings on the walls almost seemed to be watching us as we passed, and more than once I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, only to find that there was nothing there when I turned to look.

Get a grip, Ava, I thought to myself with a shake of my head. Once again, the silly stories about supposed hauntings had gotten to me—and that eerie fortune teller didn’t help any. But ghosts weren’t real, and I kept telling myself that.

Suddenly, a loud crash rang out from somewhere deeper in the manor. I jumped, my heart racing, and instinctively grabbed Chris’s arm.

“Chris—”

Chris turned to me with a teasing glint in his eye despite the tense situation. “What’s this?” he cooed. “The big, bad Luna who doesn’t believe in ghosts, getting spooked by a little noise?”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment and quickly pulled my hands away from his arm, smoothing down the front of my shirt. “Shut up. It just startled me, that’s all. This place is creepy.”

He chuckled softly, but his expression quickly turned serious. “It’s okay to be scared, Ava. This place is creepy as hell. But I’m always with you.” He held his arm out for me. “Shall we?”

Nodding, I took his arm and pressed myself a little closer against his side. The house was creepy, that was all; there was no telling if there could be wild animals or even strange people here.

Definitely not ghosts.

Arm in arm, Chris and I followed the sound to what appeared to be the kitchen. As we approached, we heard muttering and the clinking of glass. Peering around the doorway, we saw Alpha Fabian standing in the middle of the room, scratching his head as he stared down at a broken glass on the floor. I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him.

No ghosts. Just one frazzled-looking Alpha.

Chris cleared his throat, causing Fabian to jerk his head up, clearly startled by our sudden presence. His eyes were wide, and he looked almost... frightened for a moment before recognition dawned on his face.

“Chris? Ava? What are you doing here?” Fabian asked, his voice raspy as if he hadn’t spoken out loud in some time. He looked terrible—his clothes were rumpled, his hair unkempt, and dark circles shadowed his eyes. Considering how formidable he usually looked, it was strange to see him in such a state.

“Sorry. We knocked, but there was no answer,” Chris explained, stepping into the dimly lit kitchen. “The door was open, so we came in to check if everything was alright. Are you okay, Fabian? You look…”

“Like hell?” Fabian finished with a wry smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry, my head has been… elsewhere lately. I didn’t hear you knock.”

I stepped forward, taking in Fabian’s disheveled appearance and the state of the kitchen. Unwashed dishes were piled in the sink, and the trash was overflowing with half-empty takeout containers.

“Alpha Fabian, what’s going on?” I blurted out without even thinking about my manners. “This place seems... empty. Where is everyone?”

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his tangled hair. “They’re gone.”

“Gone?”

Fabian nodded. “All of my staff quit recently—every last one. I can’t say I blame them, though, with everything that’s been going on around this godforsaken place.”

“What do you mean?” Chris asked, glancing over at me. A silent implication passed between the two of us; perhaps Fabian really had been another victim to this ‘haunting’ nonsense. “What’s been going on?”

Fabian shook his head, his eyes darting nervously around the room as if checking for eavesdroppers. “Well, it’s a long story. Too long of a story for me to recount right now. But I’m glad you’re here. It’s been... lonely. And frightening, if I’m being honest.”

I exchanged another worried glance with Chris before turning back to Fabian. “Well, we’re here to help,” I said, offering him a smile. “Could I help you clean up that glass?”

Fabian’s shoulders slumped in relief, although he waved his hand. “Thank you for the offer, but please—make yourselves comfortable. I’ll clean up the glass.”

Chris and I settled at two of the kitchen chairs, watching as Fabian cleaned up the broken glass with a broom and dustpan. As he worked, his hands—appearing uncharacteristically thin—trembled ever so slightly and he kept missing spots where the glass had fallen, indicating that he really was just as frazzled as he looked.

“I’ve been at my wit’s end trying to deal with this alone,” he said, as if reading our thoughts. “But…” he hesitated, glancing at the window where the fog was still pressing right up against the glass as though it was trying to get in. He visibly shuddered.

Then, he turned to us with a grim expression on his face. “I’m glad you came to visit, but you should only stay for the day. You’d best be leaving before nightfall.”

Chris frowned. “Why? We came to see you, Fabian; not to stay for a few hours and leave.”

Fabian’s eyes darted nervously around the room before settling back on us. His voice dropped to a whisper, as if he was afraid of being overheard in the empty house.

“Nightfall is when things start to get really strange…”