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

Hayley’s POV The words Kieran spoke hung in the air, and my heart skipped a beat. His back was still facing us, but his stance seemed to have changed; he had demonstrated a level of alertness that wasn’t there before. When he said it, the weight in his voice sounded heavier than ever, as though even the silence of the woods had whispered allies to him. “There he is?” The words came out as a near whisper, barely over the thundering of my heart. My gaze flicked wildly as I realized he was nowhere to be found. Kieran moved out of the way, and his torch picked through the gloom to illuminate a figure slouched against a tree. As soon as I saw it, my breath caught in my throat. Aiden. It had to be him. I leapt into a run, my feet booming against roots and shrubs, but I kept up the haste, never looking away from that figure. I noticed his clothes were torn and bloodied. His face was pale and layered with dirt. He had closed his eyes, and for a moment, I assumed all sorts of things. “Aiden!” I screamed and knelt beside him. I had to see for myself, so I reached out my trembling hands and touched his shoulder. He felt warm-too warm. Feverish. “Haley. ” My dad appeared over my other shoulder and Aiden’s face in turn, dropping down onto his knees. Relieved, he checked Aiden’s pulse. “He’s alive.” The words were a salve to my exhausted nerves, but barely. It was imperative that we get him out of there fast. Kieran came forward, expressionless, as he did a silent check on Aiden. Low, Kieran said, “He’s not in good condition. He has to move, but it’s got to be done (emphasizing the word) carefully. He may have internal injuries. Alessa grimaced nearby as well. I sighed. As irritated with her as I was before, she did it because she cared about Aiden. I swallowed my jealousy and figured it wasn’t the right time to feel this way. “Can you carry him?” I begged Kieran for the answer he had to know. We have to get him somewhere safe. Kieran nodded. He took Aiden in his arms surprisingly gently. Aiden gave a faint moan but was still out cold. As soon as the attack was over and it seemed there were no further surprises to throw at us, we began making our way back through the woods. It took us an eternity to get back home. The snaps of twigs and rustles from the fallen leaves laid my senses to rest. The silence in the forest felt heavy, dare I say, edging towards a bit oppressive at this point, and it was impossible not to think that we were being watched. Then we arrived at the delapidated mill. Kieran had brought Aiden in, gently placing him on the bed he had made up and keeping him back there. Alessa rushed in and started to bandage him quickly, but nearly methodically, as if it were something she had done many times. For a moment, I looked at her, then turned to Kieran. “What now?” ‘What’, I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. “What do we do next?” Kieran’s face softened somewhat. “We wait,” he said. “Aiden needs time to heal. We’re going to keep our eye on him and make sure he’s nowhere near us, however!! I nodded, but waiting was simply agonizing. I wanted to help in some way. But I knew Kieran was right. We had to be patient. Day turned into night, and again, he was stable; his condition was critical. My dad and Kieran took it in turns to guard outside while Alessa sat by his bed with me. Thus we broke apart, tension sifting between us like dust clouds in the shimmering space, every man alone with his dark fear. All I could think about in those stolen moments was the conversation I’d heard between Kieran and Alessa. But who was the other “he” they had mentioned? As well as the question of why they hadn’t mentioned it before. And I promised myself to ask Kieran whenever opportunity knocked. Kieran didn’t come back until there was the first light of dawn leaching through the holes in windows that’d never been repaired. He looked tired but resolute. Standing up to face him, I said, “We need a talk.” On what you were talking about with Alessaim: Who is this other person?” Kieran turned his gaze to Alessa, who was asleep in a chair next to Aiden’s bed. With a sigh, he indicated that I should follow him to the door. We walked outside into the chilly morning, a light dusting of gold touching every tree in sight. “You have no idea what’s happening here,” Kieran started, his voice low. The one man we located in the woods wasn’t only a thug of Jada’s. A bigger group that he was a part of has been causing problems for quite some time.

“What about Aiden?” I asked. “How does it relate to everything you’re telling me?” Kieran paused before saying anything. “This is something Aiden knew he was interested in but knew he shouldn’t be. When he discovered something that turned out to be too dangerous to know, it was too late to do anything. That’s why he’s gone. They took him because he knew something that no one else should learn.” My blood ran cold. This was worse than I thought. “What did you find?” I asked, barely speaking. Kieran looked around to make sure no one was listening. “He found that Jada’s faction was planning something major. Something big enough that certain people knew they had to stop Aiden from leaking it to anybody.” My heart began to race. Aiden was always eager not to look for trouble in places no one knew about. Maybe… I bit my lip. That was bad. “What do we do now?” I asked, trying to sound as calm as I could. “How do we stop them?” Kieran’s eyes met mine. They were still expressive, but I noticed they were filled with determination this time. ” First, we need to get Aiden back. Then we have to find out who knows what and how to make the truth about Jada’s plans public. But be aware. They know something we can reveal to them. They are ready to say anything to keep them protected.” I nodded, overwhelmed but determined. For what it was worth, we had a plan. But it was something. Fuck, just get yourself back!” My stern voice was deciding. Aiden is my friend, and I can’t let them hurt him. Kieran offered a tiny nod of satisfaction. “Good. It just depends on your resolve. Back in the mill, there was a real air of new hope and bloody anticipation. Aiden was still in bad shape, but Alessa looked like she had managed to improve his condition. We each took a turn to watch over him as the day went by, lost in our own remoteness and fears. Late afternoon, Aiden started to open his eyes to an end. It was Alessa who saw it first, and her sharp intake of breath alerted the rest of us. We were by his side in an instant, grateful as all hell that he had blinked and turned blood-shot eyes on us-not dead. “Hey,” I sighed softly, leaning over to try and catch his eye. “You’re safe now.” Aiden peered towards me, and a soft smile twitched on his lips. He croaked, barely able to talk. “Haley.” “What… what happened?” “They took you,” I said gently but urgently. “But we found you. You’re going to be okay.” He lifted his head a bit and winced when it hurt him. I have so much… I need to share with you,” his voice rugged. They’re up to something-something major.” I nodded, my hand in his as I squeezed it back. We’ll get it done; collaborate together. But you have to rest and recharge first.” ********* For the first few days, Aiden began to improve bit by little. My turn to look after him, we kept as much out of his way as possible and took it in turns to watch him. Seeing him improve alleviated some of the tension between us, but knowing what Jada had planned only heightened it. Well, enough one evening, the sun cast long shadows across the mill to sit up and talk. We circled-serious faces, focused. “Just spill the words, Kieran declared, his voice as if he were narrating a documentary. We need to find out what we are up against. Aiden sighed, looking into all of our eyes in turn. He began.