Chapter 4
Author's POV:
Eden walked into the coffee shop, scanning the room for Kate. He spotted her sitting in the corner, sipping on a latte. He made his way over to her, exchanging a brief hug before sitting down.
As they chatted and caught up, Kate couldn't help but notice the tension in Eden's body. "So, what's going on?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "You sounded really worked up on the phone."
Eden took a deep breath, launching into the story of Marcel's grave and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Kate listened intently, her expression growing more and more skeptical.
"I don't get it," Kate said, shaking her head. "It's been six years, Eden. Marcel is dead. Someone probably just dug up his body as a prank or something."
Eden frowned, feeling a pang of uncertainty. Kate's argument made sense, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that Marcel was still out there, somewhere.
"But why wouldn't he come back to us?" Kate pressed on. "If Marcel was alive, don't you think he would have reached out to us by now?"
Eden hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Kate's words were logical, but his gut was telling him something different. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a lingering sense of hope, a sense that Marcel might still be out there, watching over them.
"I don't know," Eden admitted finally, feeling a sense of frustration. "I just can't shake off the feeling that Marcel is still alive."
Kate reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Eden's arm. "We'll get to the bottom of this, okay?" she said. "But for now, let's just focus on the fact that Marcel is probably gone, and we need to move on with our lives."
Eden's eyes dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. "I miss him, Kate. I miss him so much. Even with everything I have now, all the things that once belonged to Marcel... I'm still not happy. There's this hole in my heart that I just can't seem to fill."
Kate's expression softened, her eyes filled with compassion. She reached out, taking Eden's hand in hers. "Eden, you can't blame yourself for Marcel's death," she said gently. "It was an accident. We were all caught up in the heat of the moment. We didn't mean for it to happen."
But Eden shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears. "I had a hand in it, Kate. I know I did. And it's eating away at me. I keep thinking about what I could have done differently, what I should have done to prevent it."
Kate's grip on his hand tightened. "Eden, stop. You're torturing yourself over something that's already been done. We can't change the past, no matter how much we want to."
Eden took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. But Kate's words only seemed to stir up more emotions inside him.
"I just wish I could have said goodbye," Eden whispered, his voice cracking. "I wish I could have told him how much he meant to me, how much I loved him."
Kate's expression softened even further. She leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper. "Eden, Marcel knew how much you loved him. He knew how much we both loved him. And he forgave us, Eden. He forgave us before he died."
Eden's eyes snapped up to Kate's, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Really?" he whispered.
Kate nodded. "Yes, really. And I think that's what we need to hold onto, Eden. We need to hold onto the fact that Marcel forgave us, and that he's at peace. We need to find a way to forgive ourselves, too."
“What if I just can't." ...
Marcel's POV
I stood close to the door, watching my wife and daughter sleep peacefully. Ella was still shaken by the strange figure she saw in the woods, and I couldn't blame her. I was on high alert myself, my senses heightened as I scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger.
My mind wandered back to earlier that day, when Ella had told me that Evelyn was missing. I had felt a sharp pain in my heart, a feeling unlike anything I had experienced before. I had run into the woods, following Evelyn's scent, my heart racing with fear.
As I ran, the trees seemed to blur together, and I could feel my senses heightening, my werewolf instincts taking over. I had finally found Evelyn in a small clearing, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Mommy was here!" Evelyn had exclaimed, her face lighting up with a smile. "She told me to follow her!"
I had knelt down beside her, trying to keep my tone calm. "What did Mommy look like?" I had asked, trying to gauge Evelyn's reaction.
Evelyn had thought for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. "She looked like... like Mommy," she had said, her voice full of innocence. "She was smiling and happy. She said she wanted to show me something."
I had felt a pang of unease at Evelyn's words, but I had tried not to show it. I had scooped her up in my arms, holding her close as I scanned the surrounding area for any signs of danger.
But now, as I stood watching Ella and Evelyn sleep, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. That Evelyn's innocent words had been a warning, a sign that something was lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike...
Author's POV:
Victor stepped out of his car and onto the cracked asphalt of the abandoned warehouse's parking lot. He had come to visit Pedro, one of his brother Elijah's closest friends and the notorious leader of the Vipers, a deadly gang that ruled the city's underworld with an iron fist.
As Victor entered the warehouse, he was greeted by Pedro's booming voice and a warm smile. The two men clasped hands, and Pedro led Victor to a makeshift office in the back of the warehouse.
The two men sat down, and Pedro leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "So, Victor, what brings you here today? I'm guessing it's not just a social visit."
Victor smiled, his eyes locked on Pedro's. "You're right, as always. I'm looking to discuss a potential business deal. I think we could work together on something that would benefit both of us."
Pedro's eyes lit up with interest, and the two men spent the next hour discussing the details of the potential deal. But as the conversation drew to a close, Victor's expression turned somber.
"Pedro, can I ask you something?" Victor said, his voice low and serious.
Pedro's expression turned guarded, but he nodded. "Of course, Victor. What is it?"
Victor took a deep breath before speaking. "I was wondering if you knew anything about my brother's death. Elijah was a good man, and I know he was close to you. I just want to know what happened to him."
Pedro's expression turned somber, and he leaned forward, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Victor, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise me you'll keep it to yourself. Can I trust you?"
Victor nodded, his curiosity piqued. "I promise, Pedro. What is it?"
Pedro took a deep breath before speaking. "Elijah didn't die in a gang war like you were told, Victor. He died in a very strange way, a way that can only be done by a powerful being like Marcel."
Victor's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Pedro's expression was grim. "I mean that Elijah's body was found with strange markings on it, markings that can only be made by someone with supernatural strength and power. And the weird thing is, Victor, that Marcel was in a battle with us and a legion of gang leaders with their men and special hunters at the same time Elijah died. But Elijah wasn't with us during that battle. From what I heard, he had gone to capture a lady he was passionate about, a lady named Ella who was involved with Marcel."
Victor's mind was reeling with the new information. He had always suspected that Marcel was involved in his brother's death, but he had never had any concrete evidence.
Pedro's expression turned somber. "But Victor, I need to tell you something else. Marcel is dead. I watched him die myself, in the hands of his sister Kate. She stabbed him with a poisonous blade, and I saw him take his last breath. So how then could he be responsible for Elijah's death?"
Victor's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications. If Marcel was dead, then who or what had killed his brother? And what was the connection between Marcel, Elijah, and Ella?