Jane flipped the book over and over, her mind refusing to settle.
Jenny was pregnant.
The words echoed through her mind.
Did the police know already?
Was it Harry? Ethan had mentioned he was abusing Jenny.
Then why had Ethan been arrested?
Nothing made sense.
She dragged her fingers through her hair in frustration, hard enough to sting. She made a low, angry grunt. Frustration and confusion were overwhelming her.
Jane stood abruptly and opened the dresser drawer with trembling hands. She slipped the diary inside and locked it, hoping it would also seal away the weight of the secret.
But it didn't. The thoughts kept circling in her mind.
She shuffled toward her bed; her entire body was heavy with exhaustion.
She didn't bother turning off the lights or slipping beneath the duvet. She simply collapsed onto the mattress.
Within minutes, Jane was asleep.
*****
"Where are we going?" She whispered, excitement trembling beneath her voice as she hurried to keep up with the tall, broad-shouldered boy pulling her by hand. He led her across the broken section of the farm fence and into the moonlit woods behind the Ketles' land.
The boy finally stopped, the crushed leaves crackling under his boots. He turned back to her with a mischievous grin.
"Relax, Jane," he murmured as he gently lifted her chin.
"My dad will kill me if he finds out I snuck out with you again," She whispered, worried and breathless.
Ethan stepped closer and kissed her, slow and warm. When he pulled back, his lips brushed hers again as he whispered, "I'll fight him."
They both laughed.
"Yeah, right. Nineteen-year-old Ethan Walker, fighting a grown man," she teased.
He gave her a quick peck. "Come on, I need to show you something.
"He tugged her forward, this time running, their footsteps crunching over dried leaves and branches.
They burst into an area that felt pulled straight out of a fairytale, a clearing where the red moon filtered through the trees, casting a crimson glow over a bed of moon-flower buds.
"Oh my God, Ethan," Jane gasped in wonder. "How did you find these?"
"I heard a rumour about in town," he said proudly. "So I came searching yesterday and found the place. Didn't think it would be this far from the Ketles farm, though."
He pointed toward the darker end of the woods. "If you squint hard enough, you can see lights from the Narrole estate."
Jane stretched her neck, squinting dramatically, even jumping to get a better angle. "I don't think —"
"Hey," Ethan said, stopping her with a soft laugh.
She turned to him, smiling.
"What do you think about my surprise?" he whispered against her ear.
Instead of answering, she jumped into his arms. He caught her easily, his hands gripping her waist while her legs wrapped tightly around him.
"I love it," She whispered.
Then she kissed him, deeply, hungrily.
She pulled away for a few seconds to tug off her black-and-white striped top. Her headband slipped off with it, releasing her shoulder-length auburn hair. The red moonlight washed over her fair skin, making the warm undertone in her hair gleam as it brushed over her bare chest.
Ethan's breath hitched. He brushed her hair away from her breasts and kissed her neck, soft and slow. Then he paused, forehead resting against hers.
"Are you sure?" He asked, breathing heavily. Jane smiled, heart racing. "I'm a big girl now. I'm ready."
He squatted slowly, lowering her gently onto the soft patch of grass beside the flowers. Kneeling between her legs, Ethan kissed down her neck, then between her breasts, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
He lifted himself slightly and began to unbutton his shirt, revealing his toned chest. He gazed over her glowing skin, the curve of her perfectly rounded breast, her pinkish, erect nipples, the rise and fall of her breath, and felt his bulge grow harder.
He kissed her again, deeper, hotter, passionately. His fingers unbuttoned her jeans, sliding the zipper down. Adrenaline rushing through them.
Suddenly.
Crackle.
They froze. Jane clutched her shirt to her chest.
"Who's there?" Ethan snapped, turning sharply.
The clearing around them was bright from the red moon, but the wood beyond was black and dense.
Crackle.
They jumped to their feet. Jane wrestled her top back on, buttoning her jeans with shaking fingers.
They looked frantically in all directions.
"Hello?" Jane called out shakily.
A low, heavy growl came from the darkness.
Then they saw it.
A massive shadow moved between the trees, black as night but illuminated faintly by the blood moon. Its eyes glowed gold. Alive.
It carried something, caught in its jaws.
It was—a girl.
Jane screamed.
The creature spun and bolted into the darkness, vanishing into the trees.
*****
Jane jolted upright in her bed, gasping. Beads of cold sweat streamed down her face, dripping on the duvet tangled around her legs. Her heart hammered fast, and her chest heaved as she breathed.
Without thinking, she stumbled out of the room and down the stairs.
She yanked open the refrigerator, grabbed a chilled bottle of water, and gulped it down in aggressive, heavy swallows. She pulled the bottle from her lips, breathing heavily as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hands.
She walked into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, the half-empty bottle still clutched in her hand. Gradually, her breathing steadied.
After all these years, she thought she'd outgrown that memory.
But it hit her now with the same recurring force it did when she was sixteen.
She remembered running back to the farm, then home. She remembered wanting to tell someone. Anyone. But Ethan stopped her.
He'd said it would get them both in trouble with their parents, that nobody would believe two teenagers who snuck into the woods to have sex, or almost did, and then saw a werewolf carrying a girl in its jaws. It would sound insane. Reckless. Shameful.
So they made a promise in fear to keep that night a secret.
They never spoke about it again.
Not to each other. Not to anyone.
Jane rubbed her forehead, staring at the window beside the couch. Dust motes floated lazily through the morning sunlight.
Maybe it was the same hair in Jenny's diary?
Maybe she had dwelled on it too much last night, and it dragged the nightmare back from the place she buried it.
No.
This wasn't just a coincidence. Her instincts, the same ones that made her a good journalist, told her there were answers to find.
She capped the bottle and stood.
She had to pay Ethan a jail visit.
*****
Darvin stood bare-chested on the balcony of his room, the evening light brushing over the hard lines of his shoulders. His fingers traced the scar across his abdomen as he dwelt on the things his father had said.
Below, he noticed the familiar sleek black car circling the fountain before parking neatly in the driveway.
Sophia stepped out with shopping bags dangling from both arms, which she handed over to Regal. He took all of them effortlessly, bowing his head with the usual obedience.
Sophia looked up, spotted Darvin on the balcony, and waved dramatically with a wide grin on her face and something stuffed in her mouth. The scent drifted up to him. Sweet. Familiar.
He rolled his and shook his head slightly.
Jelly buns.
Of course.
Despite being one of the strongest wolves in their pack, Sophia was still a child at heart. Overly lively. Always smiling. Darvin admired that about her, though he feared she might have picked up the cheery attitude after their mother died to hide her own grief.
When they were children, she had been very frail. Her first shift nearly killed her, her small body unable to hold the power of her wolf. Their mother had carried her to the moon altar month after month, praying under the full moon for strength, for life.
Mum died a few years after they left Maplewoods. In exchange for both their lives. Sophia didn't know. It's a secret that she must never know.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on the balcony rail, and the stone cracked beneath his hands.
A soft movement near his room jolted him from his thoughts.
"Brotherrrrr!" Sophia sang as she hopped to his room.
"Go away," He muttered, though even he knew it was half-hearted.
"I have a surprise for you," She chimed.
The scent behind the door was unmistakable. When he didn't respond, she huffed.
"Fine, I'm leaving. I'll have all the jelly buns to myself.
"Jelly bun. His wolf twitched.
Before he could stop himself, Darvin rushed to the door and yanked it open, only to find Sophia still standing there, waiting. He froze, embarrassed at being caught easily.
Sophia burst into belly-deep roaring laughter, marching past him.
"Here you go," she said, pulling a warm jelly bun from her paper bag and stretching it toward him.
He didn't move.
"I'm sorry about earlier," she said, hopping on his bed still, still holding the pastry out like a peace offering. "Come on, don't be dramatic."
He folded his arms across his chest with an unreadable expression.
"What?" she complained, waving the bun in exasperation. "I apologized!"
His eyes followed the jelly bun. He wanted it, but he'd rather die than admit that.
"Why did you come here?" He said, finally.
"If you don't want any, just say so." She lifted the bun to her. Darvin moved fast; he caught her wrist mid-air, took the bun with his free hand, and bit into it.
He closed his eyes for a moment as the warm jelly melted into his mouth.
"It tastes… just like Mum's," he murmured.
Sophia's expression softened. She nodded.
He finished the bun, licking the stray jelly from his fingers.
"Why did you come here?" He asked again.
She rose to her feet and turned to leave.
"I know you, Sophia," he said, his voice gentle. "I can see through you."
She didn't look back."I'm your brother," He continued, stepping closer. "You can rely on me."
He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she aggressively brushed it off.
"Then why did you leave?!" She exploded.
Darvin froze.
"I had to carry the pack because you left," Her voice cracked. "I had to be strong, because you weren't there!"
Tears poured down her cheeks.
"And I almost got married off because you abandoned us!" She cried, backing away from him. "You left me alone, Darvin!"
"Why did you leave me?" she whispered, her voice shaky.
Sophia stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Darvin stood there, his heart aching. Her words cut deeper than claws ever could.
He hadn't realized the extent of his selfish decisions. How much weight she had carried alone.
And how deeply he had hurt the one person who loved him unconditionally.