Welcome to the Wolf's Den 2
Shaking my head, I stepped out of the car and peered up at the towering structure. It didn’t feel real. It felt like I’d been dropped off into an alternate world where money was as abundant as air.
“Come on,” Khalid urged. “Let’s get you inside. You’re gonna love the view from your room.”
More cars settled on the outside pavement of the house yard. I hadn't seen Ethan since last night. I wondered when we'd get to settle and talk again.It could wait anyway.
I followed Khalid into the mansion and he led me up the marble steps. He seemed quite in a hurry to have me in a room as he rushed ahead but I couldn't shake off my curiosity yet.
I had a feeling the house, despite probably one of many, held more secrets than I could ever imagine. If not secrets then answers to my questions about Ethan and his people and possibly myself.
The mansion continued to overwhelm me. My tired legs protested, but I forced myself to keep going, lost in thought. Before I could take another step, a figure rushed past me, slamming into my shoulder hard enough to make me stumble.
“Hey!” I called after her, frowning as I caught sight of Abigail’s retreating. She didn’t even bother to glance my way, her sharp stride exuding irritation.
Why was she in a hurry? I rubbed my shoulder and muttered under my breath, “What’s her problem?”
A thought crept in, unwelcome but insistent. Was she jealous? Higan's girlfriend was always micro-aggressive like that when she was jealous. Was it because Ethan had slept on the plane with me?
Guilt pricked at me, though I didn’t know why. It wasn’t as if I’d asked for any of this.
But then Abigail suddenly shouted. Her voice cut through the calm air, sending a ripple of tension. “There’s someone new in the house!”
“Caleb! Get to Harlyn now!“ Khalid ordered before jumping straight down to the lower floor.
Everyone stiffened, their casual movements shifting to something sharper, more guarded. I instinctively straightened, the hair on my neck prickling.
“We literally just got here,” the complaint left my mouth before I could register it. I sighed heavily as frustration bubbled inside me.
Before I could fully process what was happening, Caleb appeared in front of me. One moment he wasn’t there, and the next, he was.
“Relax, I'm here,” he said in a low tone so sure I couldn't doubt his words even if I wanted to. His jaw clenched tightly as a terrifying growl tore through his throat, vibrating the air around us.
“R-right,” I stuttered. My eyes widened as his already formidable muscles seemed to grow, becoming denser and more defined. His very presence seemingly doubled, suffocating and primal.
I blinked, struggling to process the strangeness of what I was seeing. Was he like Ethan? An original bloodline? Was that his ability? The sight was unearthly yet I'd seen wolves tear out of the skin of men.
We waited for the chaos and it erupted. A crashing noise broke out from the lower floor, followed by pound grunts and heavy thuds. Caleb turned his head sharply toward the commotion while maintaining the stance of a predator ready to pounce.
“Don't move,” he growled out the order and I frowned. I didn't really like the authoritative tone despite being flattered by his need to protect me.
My desire to know what the hell was going on flared, and despite my better judgment, I moved closer to the cold railing, peering down at the unfolding scene with my heart-thumping aggressively against my chest.
Two figures tumbled out from a hallway, grappling with each other in a blur of motion. One of them was Khalid with a tight expression on his face as he fought to subdue the other.
I observed his opponent with numbed horror. It was a man with platinum white hair and other striking strange features. Tha man’s lips curled up in a sharp smile and he seemed quite playful as he dodged and countered Khalid’s attacks. A chill froze me to my spot.
“Who's that?“ I shrieked right before Caleb grabbed my arm. I gasped at the suddenness of his touch, causing me to spin around so quickly that my hair whipped across my face.
“That's dangerous!“ He exclaimed with a deep crease on his forehead. He didn't look amused and I wasn't feeling amused either.
I turned my focus back on the man as a loud grunt cut through the room. Khalid's cry of pain followed.
He was toying with Khalid rather than taking the fight seriously. It was clear to see. Khalid, on the other hand, seemed genuinely annoyed. His movements became more precise and calculated with the right amount of aggressiveness with each passing second.
I didn't know Khalid long enough but he didn't seem the type to be so easily unnerved.
The tension continued to peek as it suffocated the air. The sounds of their struggle boomed through the house. And then, as if the chaos wasn’t bizarre enough, Abigail strolled into the scene with a sharp clap of her hands.
“False alarm, everyone,” she announced, her tone exasperated, her eyes deeply squinted in disapproval. “It’s just Tyler shapeshifting again.”