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

Hayley’s POV

Sunlight slipped through the curtains that morning and gradually filled my room with a gentle light. I just laid there in bed, trying to absorb the chain of revelations and also wondering what else was hiding somewhere.

I was a merry-go-round of thoughts that spun out one after another, each one scarier than the last. Clara’s words repeated within my mind, and despite myself,

I couldn’t shake the sensation that Rachel was perhaps more informed than ever.

I grabbed my phone and called Aiden. His voice, when he answered on the second ring, was like a tonic for my frazzled nerves.

“Hey, beautiful. How are you holding up?” His concerned tone filled me with disgust.

“Hey, Aiden. I’m… okay, I guess. All I can think about is what Clara said. I was perfectly calm and determined. If Rachel suspected something, then I had to know the truth.”

There was a pause on the other end before Aiden said something else. Perhaps you should ask Rachel if she is away. Come on, see if you can find anything that might give us a clue.

I chewed my lip, thinking over his suggestion. “However, Rachel is extremely secretive about her own room. She doesn’t leave her key around.

“Don’t worry about that. Text me when you are at her house or make a FaceTime call, and I will teach you how to unlock with a hairpin. I picked up this trick a while ago,” Aiden said, mischievously.

I felt relieved. “Thank you, Aiden. I love you so much. I have no idea what I would do without you.

“I love you too, Hayley. We are in this together. Just be careful, okay?” He said.

I hung up, and I could hear Rachel moving through the house while I dressed. I wanted to leave my room and found her in the hall, looking more than a little frazzled.

“Hey, Rachel. Everything okay?” I said, attempting to pretend I was keeping this cool.

She sighed-so tired, so exasperated with me. “Have you seen my car keys? I have to be somewhere.

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t. If you cannot find them, feel free to borrow my car. You get your keys when you come back.

Rachel shook her head, running a hand through her long hair. I really need my own car!” “Hayley, thanks, but no. Last night, I swear… I had the keys. It’s got to be around here, somewhere.

We searched every corner of the house together. Finally, in search of her keys, I discovered them hidden behind the TV.

“Got them!” I shouted, brandishing the keys.

Face returning to normal color, Rachel hurried back over. “Thank you! I would seriously be lost without you.

Before she rushed out the door, I felt a sting you could not even imagine. But I knew I had to do this. I had to find out the truth.

After Rachel left, I called Aiden. After a few seconds, his face popped up on my screen, and he immediately answered.

“She’s gone. I whispered, still trying to be quiet. I’m on my way there now.

“Good. Aiden looked into her gray eyes, filled with concern. “Be careful and take your time.”.

I brought the phone up and walked to Rachel’s door, where Aiden could see. “Okay, I’m here. Now what?”

“Just breathe in first,” Aiden commanded. “Next, get a hair pin and bend it into an L shape.

Push the long end into the lock and move it around while pushing it in. You need to be able to

feel the pins through that lock.

I shook a little bit as I complied with his directions. Then, after some tense moments, I heard a soft click. The door swung open.

Understood, I thought to myself with a sigh of relief.

“Great job, Hayley. Now, be quick but thorough. Search for anything that looks off,” Aiden spoke through a static stance.

I walked into Rachel’s room, feeling my heart in the same rhythm as the bass drum. The room was so perfectly organized, but I was not about to be fooled. I began with her desk, looking through drawers and papers. Nothing.

“Aw, crap,” I muttered as a flush of frustration with life entered my tone.

“Keep looking. Check the closet, under the bed, or anywhere she could hide something important,” Aiden urged.

I entered the closet, like I had done before, pushing clothes and shoes to get in. I was about to give up when I saw a small safe in the corner.

‘Aiden, I have to tell you something,’ my voice was almost dizzy with the prospect of a discovery.

“Good. Can you open it?” he asked.

My mind was racing as I looked in the safe. “It has a keypad. I had a thought that I might be able to know what the code was.

I started typing a few combinations quickly, my fingers racing away from the keys. On the fifth attempt, he heard a click and got it open. What I uncovered within was a pile of papers.

I whispered, pulling the papers out of my bag.

Aiden’s eyes lit up with delight. “You did it, Hayley. What do the documents say?”

My eyes grew wide as I skimmed through the papers. “Oh my God, Aiden. These are logs of trials with werewolves. Rachel has toiled on some research projects. This is… this is huge.”

A serious look crossed Aiden’s face. Fetch those papers here. We will need to get it right. That might just be the proof we are looking for.

I nodded, scooping up the papers and snapping shut the safe. No matter what anyone said, it felt like I was betraying Rachel as I exited her room. How could she have kept such an important thing hidden?

I found Aiden in a remote clearing near the pack house. He wrapped his arms around me, holding on to my body for life. His warmth immediately calmed all of the anxiety and doubt I felt bubbling up inside of me.

“You did amazing, Hayley. I’m proud of you,” he whispered, kissing my forehead.

I collapsed against one, leaning on his strength. It was all thanks to you, Aiden. You’re my rock.”

We sat on the ground, laying out papers across a blanket. Near the end, he was frowning, and his eyes darkened by several shades as he continued to read through more papers.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

His voice was deeper when he spoke and more solemn. “This is even worse than I imagined it would be. Rachel has been undercover with the Order of the Crescent Moon. These tests… They’re after werewolf powers of their own.

A chill ran down my spine. “We have to stop them, Aiden. We cannot afford for them to keep doing this.

We will,” he repeated, looking at me with determination. “But we have to be careful. We can’t let that go, we know. We have to do some more investigation and find out who else is doing this.

This caused a steely resolve in me. “You’re right. We need to be careful.”

Aiden pulled me closer, his lips exploring my own in a delicate kiss. ‘This will pass, Hayley. Together.”

We put our heads together, going over the documents as the sun set. We were burdened by the weight of our discovery, but we understood that once it was out, there was no turning back.

That night, we slept wrapped around each other, and I knew peace. I only had to look at the storm heading our way, but having Aiden by my side, I knew we could handle anything.

Its final words will haunt me forever: “I love you, Aiden.” She said it in a voice full of tears and feeling.

“I love you too, Hayley. Forever, he said, skimming my brow with his mouth.

With our hearts in unison, we fell asleep like that. The future was up in the air, but all we knew was that one way or another-good or bad-it would be, and no matter what… We were going to be brave together.

And the next morning, we awoke with more determination than we had felt in decades. Honestly, Aiden had a plan, and I was ready to follow him anywhere.

Aiden and I were getting ready for the day when he said, “We have to figure out who else is in on this. We could not confront Rachel directly. We need to be subtle.”

I agreed, more determined than ever. “I’ll keep an eye on her. We’ll just watch and see if she makes a mistake or says anything about the lead.

I’ll then start making calls to our friends. We must create a supportive ecosystem. ‘It’s not just us; it’s bigger than that,’ Aiden insisted, with fire in his eyes.

I went about my day feeling that anticipation. The way ahead was fraught with peril; however, I knew we were prepared. We would find the truth together and make these responsible payments.

The evening came, and the sun started setting down, leaving me all by myself in the pack house. Rachel was out again, and so I searched in her room another time.

This time through, I searched every nook and cranny fully. There was a secret place in her wardrobe, at the rear. There were more documents inside, as well as a journal.

That evening, I sat on the edge of my bed and eagerly thumbed through Rachel’s journal. I started stitching together her story from the order and the experiments she had been doing.

I held my breath, preparing myself. This is the proof we were waiting for. I scrambled for it all and caught up with Aiden.

He was waiting for me when I arrived; his eyes were haunted. “Did you find anything?”

I nodded and then passed him the journal and manuscripts. “This is it, Aiden. This is the proof.”

He perused the pages, only to have his face darken with each line. “This is it. We have more than enough to carry them down.

I was euphoric and invigorated. – “What do we do now?”

We call upon our allies, and we prepare for a showdown. I sincerely pray, Yes, Lord, this ends here and now. – Amen.

I started feeling hopeful as we discussed our next steps. Although the road in front of us was unclear, I knew that as long as Aiden stood next to me, we could take on anything.

As we lay there together in bed that night, our hearts beating as one, I felt strangely at peace. We had no idea what the future held, but I knew that so long as Aiden stood beside me, we could face whatever came our way.

I hugged him tight and whispered-all broken inside-that I loved him.

“I love you too, Hayley. Always,” he whispered, his lips touching mine.