POV: SAINT
"This is going to be so awkward. Why did you have to kiss him, Saint?" I thought to myself, standing nervously at the door and gripping the handle tightly.
Last night was a sleepless one for me. My thoughts were consumed by that kiss and the sensation of his lips against mine. I got so lost in his intoxicating scent and undeniable charm that I couldn't help myself.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on his door, but there was no response. After a few attempts, I figured he wasn't in his room. So, I headed downstairs to the kitchen.
There, I found him and Chris deep in conversation. "Hey, Saint. How are you feeling?" Chris greeted me with a friendly smile.
"Good morning, Chris. I'm feeling better now," I replied, then turned to Jackson. "Good morning," I mumbled, my gaze dropping to the floor.
He gave a soft hum. "Are you heading out somewhere?" he asked.
He must have noticed my outfit. "Yes, I'm meeting Mateo today. I want him to come with me to see Marcus."
His expression darkened. "We can't trust him, Saint."
"I-I know that, which is why I want to see if he's involved in this. I plan to ask him a few questions. I'm not going alone—Mateo is coming with me," I reassured him.
"Alright, Chris and I are heading to check on the borders anyway. Marcus's house is nearby," he remarked, and Chris nodded in agreement.
"Sure. Um, I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up.
He glanced at Chris, who then shifted his gaze back to Jackson. "It's all good," Jackson replied with a sigh.
I nodded, "I'll be back later," I said before stepping outside. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that in front of Chris.
As I walked towards the apartment complex, I couldn't shake the thought of whether Marcus was somehow involved in this. We had just met yesterday, but so had all those people who attacked me. I had never encountered them before. It felt strange that I was ambushed right behind his house, just moments into a run he had suggested.
Eventually, I arrived at the apartment and met up with Mateo, then we headed to Marcus's place. "Are you sure he'll let me in? Jackson locked him up because of me," I expressed, feeling a wave of uncertainty.
"I spoke with him yesterday; he's not upset. He said he understands," Mateo reassured me.
"He understands? Does he know that Jackson is my mate? Did you tell him?" I asked, panic rising in my voice.
"Of course not! I doubt he knows Jackson is your mate. I think he just feels guilty since you got hurt in his backyard," Mateo explained.
"Oh... but do you trust him? Jackson certainly doesn't," I questioned.
"To be honest, I don't. It just seems too coincidental that a wolf would attack you during a run he suggested. He was insistent about us going for a run yesterday. I didn't think much of it at the time, but after your attack, I couldn't help but start to suspect him."
"You're right, but what if it's simply a coincidence? I was attacked before I even knew him."
"Well, we're about to find out," Mateo replied as we approached Marcus's door.
We exchanged a glance and nodded before he knocked. Marcus opened the door without delay. He glanced between us, concern quickly etching itself onto his face. "Saint, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's already healed."
He nodded and stepped aside. "Come in." We both entered and took a seat on the couch. I couldn't shake the feeling that the atmosphere had shifted—it felt heavy and negative, a stark contrast to the cheerful vibe from yesterday.
"I thought you might not want to speak with me. I'm really sorry about yesterday," he said, his brow furrowed and his forehead wrinkled.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I shouldn't have suggested we go for a run; it's just..." He trailed off, letting out a sigh. "I'm really sorry that you got hurt, but please believe me, I'm not involved in this. I know they locked me up because they're suspicious, but truly, I had nothing to do with it." His tone was almost desperate.
Mateo and I exchanged glances. "It's okay. I completely trust you. Besides, we only met yesterday, right?" I lied.
He let out a long breath. "Thank you."
I nodded, my gaze wandering around the living room. The walls still intrigued me like they did the day before. "What language are these written in?" I asked.
He followed my gaze and said, "I'm not sure. When my parents passed away, my sister and I relocated here. They weren't on the wall when we first arrived; we only noticed them a few days later. We figured we must have just missed them."
"Have you ever tried to discover what language those are in?" I inquired.
He shook his head. "Not really. I thought they gave the room a cool vibe, so I didn't bother repainting."
He had a point—his room did have a unique charm to it.
"You mentioned your sister; what's her name? Does she still live here?" Mateo asked.
For a moment, Marcus wore an unreadable expression before it faded into a blank look. "Ava moved out."
"Oh, did she find her mate?"
"No, she left the pack," he replied, his jaw tightening.
Mateo and I fell quiet. The question 'why' lingered on my lips, but I held back from asking.
"Have you figured out why that wolf wanted to kill you?" Mateo asked, shifting the topic.
"Not really, I don't know much about the people around here," I answered.
He appeared deep in thought. "But why would Leo want to kill you?"
"Leo?"
"Yes, that's the wolf's name."
"You know him?" Mateo chimed in.
"Yes, I do. He was a warrior. Leo and I weren't friends, but I was close with his twin brother before he passed away."
"A twin?"
"Yeah. His twin, Leon, was killed last month during a rogue attack at the borders. Ever since Leon died, Leo hasn't been himself. He neglects his well-being and has stopped socializing with other pack members."
That explains why his wolf was dirty brown. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Leo. Losing anyone to a rogue attack is devastating, but the loss of a twin would be even more traumatic. Still, I couldn't grasp my role in all of this. Why would he want me dead?
"I was genuinely taken aback when I discovered he was the one. Before his twin's death, he was so warm and friendly. I never would have imagined he had it in him to kill someone."
«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«
Mateo and I departed from Marcus's house about an hour ago, having promised to stay in touch. He also assured us he would update us if he learned anything new regarding Leo.
As I stepped into Jackson's house, my mind replayed Marcus's words. The twins, the deranged woman at the apartment—everything made me wonder what tied it all together.
Tom's laughter pulled me from my reverie. He was in the living room with Samantha, both of them chuckling over whatever was on TV.
"Uncle Saintyyy!" Tom shouted, rushing toward me.
I bent down and tousled his hair. "Hey there, Tommy."
"Is your neck all better now?" he asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.
"Yep," I turned so he could see. "I'm all good now."
He nodded and eagerly tugged me toward the couch. "Aunt and I are watching this cartoon, and it's super funny!"
I settled down and greeted Samantha, who acknowledged me with a nod before glancing toward the door. "I thought Jackson was with you?"
"Nope, I came alone," I replied.
She let out a deep sigh. "I asked him to update me on what's happening so I can assist, but he refuses to share."
"Maybe he's just trying to protect you."
"True, but I'm his older sister. It's my duty to support him with pack affairs in any way I can. Besides, he often neglects his own well-being."
"I'll.....look after him from now on."
Her face lit up with a bright smile, "Please do. I'm really happy he has another mate to lean on."
"What are you two talking about?" We both turned to see Jackson. Tom dashed over to him, arms outstretched, and Jackson scooped him up.
"I need to head out now," Samantha said, getting to her feet and making her way to Jackson. She playfully tousled Tom's hair and did the same to Jackson.
"Stop that, I'm not a kid anymore!" he protested, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
"You'll always be my little brother, Mr. Big Bad Alpha," she teased, laughing at the annoyed expression on Jackson's face.
"I'll catch you both tomorrow." With that, she took her leave.
Jackson shifted his attention to me, "How did it go? Did anything happen?"
I shook my head, "Nothing happened; I'm fine." He set Tom down, who plopped onto the couch to continue watching his show.
"Let's talk in the kitchen," he suggested, gesturing in that direction. I followed him.
"Did you get anything?"
I shared the details about the mysterious inked writing on the wall. Jackson nodded thoughtfully. "I'll need to see it for myself. I don't think there's a language in this town that I'm not familiar with."
Then I filled him in on Leo and his twin. "I've been trying to figure out why he would want to harm me," I admitted.
"I heard that the woman who attacked you recently lost her child," he said, pausing to gather his thoughts before continuing. "She also mentioned hearing voices. I'm beginning to suspect that magic might be at play here."
I had dismissed the idea of magic, but he raised a valid point. After all, what could possibly explain these strange attacks from complete strangers?
"It seems like whoever is behind this is targeting those who have suffered a loss," he added.
"Do you still believe Marcus is involved?" I inquired.
"I'm not entirely sure, but one thing is clear: he couldn't have acted alone. There's definitely someone else in the mix, and that person has knowledge of magic."
"Witches?" I asked, intrigued.
Jackson nodded in agreement. "I think it's time I invite Cora."