Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

Hayley’s POV

Aiden and I geared up the morning, clear air biting at our skin. It was a terrific burden of what awaited me next, but at the same time, I grabbed and held on to that determination from only God knows where. Our loyalty, however grudging, was essential proof for Ethan, and that mattered far beyond our personal positions in the alliance.

Ethan sent us on an assignment to the hideout of a cult, and he told us to gather information about it. It was a gamble, but one that had to be played if they were ever going to gain the trust of Keith completely and make certain that while the rogues sought revenge against whatever future threat loomed over their heads,

We left at the first light of dawn in a complete fog that clung to trees like dew. We walked the same path we have a hundred times, but in plainclothes, and it felt strange, cheapened by what was on our minds.

‘We have to be careful,’ he said finally, in a subdued tone. “They are waiting for a move from our end, so we need to be careful.

I nodded as I scanned the thick tree line for anything that could be seen indicating danger. “We’ll stick to the plan. Step one: ride in, grab as much of what we can, and jump! We can do this.”

We walked deeper into the forest, and all around us rose tall and silent trees with branches overhead, forming a canopy. All was heightened, and my nerves were on a tightrope; every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs set the hairs up at the back of my neck, but I quashed it all down, choosing to be indifferent as made by way through.

As we neared the entrance to their bluff side cabin, shimmering through sunbaked tree barks further and farther away from city limits, our speed decelerated. And I could feel my heart thumping in fear as the air grew tense. We looked at each other, and Aiden nodded back, which I took as a sign of readiness.

We approached cautiously, low to the ground, and stalked like predators. A clearing surrounded the cabin, and there were leaves everywhere. At the edge, we slowed and searched for motion.

Aiden motioned for me to follow, and we looped the perimeter of the clearing in stealth. The house itself looked empty, but we were wise enough to never take things at face value. The traps of the cult were treacherous and subtle.

We agreed that the back of the cabin was where we had seen a small window, which, although dirty and grimy on the inside, offered us a rare view. I peered through the glass, my breath misting over its surface. Inside was dark, with a makeshift base cluttering the room. On a table, there were papers and maps, and at the sight of those, I felt an acceleration in my pulse.

Aiden carefully opened the window, which made a gentle noise as he did so on its stiff hinges. She pointed me to the inside, but I slipped in quietly as a mouse, and when my feet finally hit wood, Aiden had come along, and he and I went to the table, where we rifled through the papers for important leads.

Whispering, I said, “Look at this,” as my finger grazed over the map covered in names and places marked with symbols. ” Then what are they proposing for the council meeting?

Aiden glanced at it, frowning with concentration. Here are the positions that they will take: If we can get this back in Ethan’s hands, then it will be us with the advantage.”

We moved fast and hacked facts. It was so quiet I could almost hear the tension in the room, and every time one of them moved, it set my nerves on edge when they caused a creak or groan from some part of this old cabin. As we were preparing to leave, a sound outside stopped us dead.

Footsteps were heard approaching fast.

Aiden grabbed my arm, leading me to the window. “We have to go, now.”

As we heard voices screaming, we should break the window and get through it faster. The cult members were back, and they had come closer. Adrenaline came back into our systems, and we all dashed through the open to the woods.

As we approached the edge of camp, a shout came from behind us. “There they are!”

We panicked and pushed faster, ripping through the forest with those sick fucks on our tails. The underbrush clawed at our clothing, branches lashing against our skin. We did not pause. I could hear the cars coming after us, and I knew we would eventually get caught running from both Japanese mafia groups.

A root caught Aiden’s foot, and he stumbled. So faced with the panic, I turned around to get him, and it was too late. The cult members were upon us, their eyes glowing with malevolence.

But they were too much for us, and we fought back with all that we had. There was a searing pain at the back of my head, and around me I saw spinning blackness. Aiden had called out my name, his voice desperate, before everything went dark.

The next thing I remember is waking up with a headache and my hands tied behind me. It was a dark, dank, and cold room. Aiden stirred beside me as he came back to life. I felt a wash of relief in his presence, but what I was discovering overshadowed that emotion. We are trapped. I croaked.

Aiden nodded slowly with an ashen expression, tugging at his cuffs. “Then we need to figure out how the fuck we get out of here.”.

Someone walked up, and the door opened with a creak. The door opened, a dark figure against the light. A man wearing a terrorist as your cult leader, his voice steeped in victory and spite.

We thought that you could do an end-run around the system. He sneered, stepping closer. “Your interference with our plans will come back to haunt you.”

I felt my heart beating with fear and defiance. We were caught, but I would not surrender. It was too late for us-too much at stake-to lose now.

The cult leader looked at him with cold eyes. You’re going to tell us anything you know. And when we are finished, you will lament the day that you ever crossed our paths.

While he talked, an idea took root in my head-a reckless and deadly plan. Our situation was extremely desperate, but I knew that we should not throw in their towels. I just prayed we could get the hell out of there in time to warn everyone else.

I saw Aiden look up, and our eyes met-an unspoken agreement shared between us. In spite of the odds, we were in this together. We will do whatever it takes to rise above.

But as the cult leader laughed on and on, I prepared myself for what was to come. In the belly of the beast, war never took us down.

After him, the door had sunk into darkness again. There was still a ray of hope that glimmered through the darkness. We would somehow manage to reverse the course, keep ourselves safe, and thereby build a future without fear.

This was nowhere near the end of our fight, and we knew that.