Mystery Person

Malia

After I ran from the seer's house to the creek, my mind was filled with a whirlwind of emotions. The news I had received from the seer weighed heavily on my heart, leaving me feeling down and sad. I needed some time alone to process everything.

Sitting by the peaceful creek, I let the sound of the running water soothe my troubled thoughts. But eventually, I knew I had to face reality and head back to the house. As I made my way through the dense forest, a familiar figure appeared before me - my best friend, Lily.

Relief washed over me at the sight of her, but I couldn't help but notice that something seemed off. There was tension in the air, and her face had worry written all over it as if she was holding back information. Concerned, I decided to confront her about it.

"Malia! Where have you been?" She asked worriedly. Has she been looking for me?

"Lily, hey." I went for a walk," I greeted her, trying to sound casual. "Is everything okay? You seem a little... distant."

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting away before finally meeting my eyes. "Malia, you won't believe what happened. The wolves on night patrol found someone - a woman. She was hurt, but they brought her back to the Alpha, and he seems to know her."

My heart skipped a beat at her words. Who was this mysterious woman, and why did the Zade have a connection to her? A mix of curiosity and wariness flooded through me, urging me to find out more.

"Did they say anything else? Do you know anything about her?" I asked, my voice filled with a mix of anticipation and concern.

Lily sighed, her expression filled with a mix of reluctance and understanding. "I don't have all the details, Malia. But I think you should head to the house so you can see for yourself."

"You're right, Lily. Thank you so much."I nodded, grateful for her honesty. I hugged her appreciating her constant presence in my life.

Ever since my family and I moved here a year ago, Lily has been my friend. She's the one person I can count on to have my back always. She never changed her character towards me even after finding out that I am cursed. She's like the sister I never had.

"Malia, make sure you tell me everything later, okay? Everything." She repeats and I nod in agreement. I know she's referring to where I disappeared to earlier.

I give her a small smile and nod, silently promising her. "I will." With a renewed sense of purpose, I start running towards the pack house, my mind racing with questions and possibilities. The promise of finding answers awaited me.

My mind raced with questions, but I knew I had to see for myself. Without wasting another moment, I sprinted into the house and up the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. As I reached the guest room, I pushed the door open and found the pack doctor standing and Zade sitting by the bed. There she was, a fiery red-haired woman with closed eyes and dirt-streaked clothes.

The doctor turned to me, his face lined with worry. "Luna, I'm glad you're here. The night patrol team found her injured in the woods."

Zade's gaze met mine, his eyes reflecting the same concern. "Malia,"

I approached the bed, studying the woman's face. There was a sense of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place it. "Who is she? How did she end up like this?"

The doctor sighed, his voice filled with compassion. "We're not sure yet, Luna. But we'll find out. Right now, she needs rest and healing."

"Can I speak to you outside?" Zade says before getting up from the chair.

My chest tightens with guilt from earlier. I shouldn't have run off like that and I know that's what he's about to talk about. Zade has been nothing but kind and caring to me since I found out about my curse. He has made sure to show me that he's here for me.

We step outside and I notice the way he rakes his hand through his hair and pulls it a little. It's an action he does when he's either stressed or worried.

He starts walking back and forth and I place my hand on his shoulder. "Zade calm down. And before you say anything I just-

Zade stares at me. "Malia, that woman in there is, Victoria. She's my ex-girlfriend."

We both say at the same time.

"W-what?" My eyes widen and my voice breaks, my guilt from earlier completely dissipated. "Your ex-girlfriend?"

"Yeah." He mutters lowly.

It finally dawns on me and I remember where I recognized her from. It was when Zade and I started talking, I remember seeing a small Polaroid picture of a red-haired woman in his car. I remember deciding not to question it because it was none of my business and we were just friends.

I asked Lily about it too and she said she had no idea who the woman was. But I remember telling myself that whoever that woman is she must be really important for him to carry her picture everywhere with him.

I gulped, pushing down any inconvenient thoughts. "How come?" I ask.

"I have no idea. All these while I thought she was dead. The last time I saw her was during a raid we went to years ago, that was the day she went missing. I sent a search team to look for her every day for weeks, but they found nothing. And now, she's just.... here. Just like that."

Why now? My mind begins to fill with all sorts of thoughts, feeding into my insecurities. "Did the patrol team mention seeing anything at the border? Anything that can help us figure out her sudden reappearance?"

"No. But, Malia if she's back now it means she's been alive all this time." I study Zade's expression and I can see a flicker of what looks like hope, or maybe I'm overreacting.

But for some reason unknown my heart hurts.

Don't overthink, Malia. She's been gone for over a year and you've been here all this time. I mentally reassure myself.

I smile reassuringly, "We'll figure this out together, Zade. Like always." Zade smiles back at me and all my worries seem to melt away almost instantly

Yeah, we'll definitely figure this out.

"I have to go back inside, Malia. But thank you so much for understanding." I nod in agreement and move closer to wrap my hands around him in a hug, but he has already turned on his heels making his way back to the doctor and his ex-girlfriend.