15

DAMIAN;S VIEW

I carefully placed the last pancake on the plates that I had prepared for Alina and myself on the dining table. Just as I was about to check for the third time that I hadn't done anything wrong, the stairs creaked, announcing my companion's arrival. It felt liberating to say that word - if only in my head - and to know that there really was a person I could call that. I smiled lightly.

Yes, it was a really nice feeling. Alina had to turn my sweatpants inside out and my t-shirt was also way too big. Her hair, which seemed to be still a bit wet, she had pinned up in a messy hairstyle so that the wet couldn't soak through the white shirt. She grinned at me and then looked at the table with wide eyes, on which I placed some jam jars and a Nutella jar to decorate the pancakes.

She squeaked once in joy before running towards me, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing my cheek. Still full of energy, she broke away - unfortunately - from me and hopped onto a chair to take the first one.

Just before she could bite, however, the front door slammed open and an angry Celine stormed into the kitchen, followed by Jack and Benjamin. When she saw me, she smiled brightly and took long strides towards me.

"Oh Damian, there you are at last. I've been looking for you everywhere. I've hardly seen you in the last three days," she pouted. When Celine wanted to lean down and kiss my cheek a chair was jerked across the floor. Surprised, Celine let go of me and looked at Alina, who watched her with narrowed eyes and now walked towards me and Celine pushed something away from me. Then she sneered.

"Bloom, it's nice that you're still here. I've really missed you in the last few days. And don't worry, Damian has been with me lately and I've taken good care of him." I looked at her in amazement and had to bite back a laugh.

Someone must have been jealous. Next time we were alone I had to calm her down. Because I had never dated Celine. Never had it either. And if Alina hadn't intervened now, I would have pushed Celine back so she couldn't kiss me on the spot, where I could still feel Alina's soft lips. Celine gasped in disgust.

"Now listen, you human bitch. I can take very good care of my Damian and I definitely don't need you for that. You shouldn't be here at all. This place isn't for a human being."

"We couldn't stop them. Sorry, Alpha," I heard Jack say softly in between. I quickly silenced him with a wave of my hand.

I didn't want to miss any of this exciting entertainment. Alina smiled slightly.

"Apart from the fact that I'm more wanted here than you are, I have to correct you. That's not your Damian. If anything," she took a few steps menacingly towards Celine, "it's mine." Then she grinned at her opponent.

If none of the rest of us were there, Celine would have hit her for it. But she didn't dare. Instead, she decided to poke around a bit more about Alina's position as a human. "People aren't welcome in a place like this.

A pack is kind of sacred. There's a hierarchy. Even the lowest wolf is worth more than you. And I'm pretty high up if you're wondering." While I glared at Celine, Alina just grinned. And then, I doubted my ears for a moment, she just started laughing. She had to laugh so hard that even small tears flowed from her eyes.

We all stared at them in confusion. Then she said, "It's cool that you talk about hierarchy. Because if we went by that, I'd be so high that you would probably need binoculars to see me at all. Even though you have improved eyesight."

We watched speechless as Alina, still laughing, took a pancake, spread it with strawberry jam and then took a hearty bite.

Another comment about her power. At some point I had to ask her what she meant by that, because if she were a normal person, Celine would unfortunately be right. But what Alina said... it didn't make any sense. Benjamin finally raised his voice. "Celine, maybe we should go again."

"Ha pfft, I'm not going to let that snipe throw me out of my future house. And then insult like that." "Now listen to me carefully.

You really should know when to stop teasing your alpha. Not only do you constantly insult her, no, you keep claiming that we have a thing. So now for the last time: I don't want anything from you, Celine.

I've made that clear to you many times, but at some point my patience will run out. So please leave my house and take your brother with you right away. And if you ever dare to talk to my mate like that again, you won't get off so lightly." Celine began to gasp and desperately tried to create a few tears, but failed miserably.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder and then pushed her towards the door.

Benjamin took over from Jack's position and led his sister out of the house. I leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Alina, who was still sitting leisurely at the dining table and was already devouring her fourth pancake.

Jack entered the room and I sighed. "If it's nothing really important, it would be nice if you could go. You all weren't actually scheduled for this breakfast."

He didn't go into that. Instead, he sat down on a chair next to Alina and gave her a quick pat on the shoulder.

"So you guys finally spoke up, huh? I'm happy for you." He winked at Alina.

"Then it's good that I got off to a good start with my future Luna." Alina promptly choked on a bite so hard that she was only able to breathe again after a few gasps and drinks of water. Immediately she directed her eyes to the plate and now seemed to feel very uncomfortable.

I would have to ask her about that too. To make her feel better, I quickly changed the subject. "Is that the only reason you're here?" My beta sat up straighter and cleared his throat.

"No, there are other things I wanted to discuss with you, with you guys. The weather has calmed down again. The sun is shining outside, it's warm and the birds are flying normally again without wanting to chop our heads. " Relieved, Alina looked up and then smiled as if she knew something no one else knew.

Jack spoke again: "Besides, I wanted to talk about the murder." I quickly changed the subject. "Is that the only reason you're here?" My beta sat up straighter and cleared his throat.

"No, there are other things I wanted to discuss with you, with you guys. The weather has calmed down again.

The sun is shining outside, it's warm and the birds are flying normally again without wanting to chop our heads. "

Relieved, Alina looked up and then smiled as if she knew something no one else knew. Jack spoke again: "Besides, I wanted to talk about the murder." I quickly changed the subject. "Is that the only reason you're here?"

My beta sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "No, there are other things I wanted to discuss with you, with you guys. The weather has calmed down again. The sun is shining outside, it's warm and the birds are flying normally again without wanting to chop our heads. "

Relieved, Alina looked up and then smiled as if she knew something no one else knew. Jack spoke again: "Besides, I wanted to talk about the murder."

ALINA’S VIEW

Damian sat down at the table with us and asked: "So what do you want to discuss?" Jack cleared his throat and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "So the warriors followed the trail, as you said. And it does lead to the water. In between, the footprints of the woman's shoes also mix with others." "Others?" "Yes." Jack looked at me. "Footprints with shoe size 12. Definitely not from the victim." "So it was werewolves?" Damian's eyes darkened.

"We continue to assume that the perpetrator probably followed the woman through the water and then transformed. Later he simply covered his footprints so that you can only find them if you follow them as far as we came."

"Great", Damian said sarcastically. "So one of my pack turned on me to murder a resident. Probably to get us out of here." I knew Damian was angry. And of course I could understand it in a way. One of his pack members had betrayed him, betrayed him. And now Damian didn't even know who it was. When his hands clenched, I gently placed my hand on his and gave him a small smile. It's not your fault.

His shoulders sagged slightly. How can you say something like that? It was probably my people who killed one of yours. And just like that. Probably for no reason.

We don't know. We don't know if it was one of your people. We haven't found out enough for that yet. But even if that someone is yours, you are still not responsible for what they did. I know that. I tightened my hands and smiled at Damian. He nodded slightly and the tension left his face, his shoulders.

"May I speak frankly, Alpha?" Confused, Damian looked at his beta. From this I concluded that Jack didn't usually ask for permission. "Naturally." "Something about this story confuses me. Actually, several things. First of all: Why would anyone want to kill this woman? Just so that we can disappear? Did someone here want to run away so badly that they kill someone on purpose? There would be something there too other handed I don't know, a conversation or something that attracts attention. But a murder? That seems a bit odd to me." Jack brushed back his hair and then continued.

"Besides, why would anyone bother chasing this woman in human form only to eventually turn into a wolf and then prepare them like this? Why not in wolf form? Then there wouldn't be a chance of being recognized by accident either." I nodded slightly. Jack was right. Although it was a bit scary that he seemed to know so much about it. I mean, I knew a few things, but only that through series." And then something else confuses me." Damian groaned and laid his head on the table.

"No, not more questions that we don't have answers to." Jack didn't let that deter him and I didn't pay Damian any attention either.

"The water," said Jack. Damian straightened up. "The water?" "Yes. Werewolves are not big fans of water." "Yes and?" "Would you willingly throw yourself into a lake?" "No, but only because werewolves are naturally afraid of water."

"Not just something." Excited, I stood up and looked at the two men. "For as long as werewolves have existed, they have been afraid of water. It was fear that drove them. Over time, however, this became less and less. Nevertheless, it is there. Let's assume it wasn't a werewolf from Damian's pack.

Then you would have to be here some rogues, i.e. loners, who would have carried out this act. Since rogues don't belong to any pack and are therefore less likely to become part of society, they live wilder. They are even more afraid of the water. Especially on a river where the current is so strong. So it must have been someone from the Shadow pack. And we had already clarified that such an act would be pretty stupid."

"How do you know all that?" I was there live, albeit quite young. "I read it in a book once." Damian looked at me thoughtfully. I knew he didn't believe me, but that didn't matter right now. We'd have plenty of time later to talk about all my lies.

"I mean, you're right," Jack said with a shrug fan of water. Even showering is kinda gross. It tingles funny." "Yes, that's because wolves are naturally more sensitive. They are with all their sense organs. Better eyesight, improved hearing and all that. But that also means they're more sensitive when it comes to their skin."

"Tactile organ," Jack murmured. You could call it that, of course. "Okay, let's assume with everything that's just been said, right," Damian said. "Then what exactly does that mean?" "That they weren't werewolves. It probably means that a werewolf didn't kill Ella Mulm. And normal wolves probably wouldn't do such a thing." "And who was it then? Hardly any humans." "Why not?" I asked Damian.

"Why would humans kill each other and then make it look like like they were werewolves." "That was-" "The aim of them," Jack interrupted, looking at me excitedly because he understood what I was getting at. "You said it could have been werewolves, who just want to get out of here. So it was people who didn't want you here. By blaming you for the crime, they'll make the locals want you out of here."

"Why would they want that?" "Well," I grinned at Jack. "You guys have yours Traveling from village to village probably didn't just make friends. Besides, you have a certain reputation that precedes you." Damian nodded in understanding.

"Although it sounds absurd, it kind of makes sense." He looked back and forth between Jack and me. " When she finally let go of me, she looked me over carefully and somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that she was noticing everything. Among other things, Damian's clothes on my body. Said cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "I don't want to interrupt your reunion but why are you here, Amelia?"

"Of course," she positioned herself neatly. "The principal is starting to freak out. He yells at everyone and wants to know how Alina is doing." "Then I should probably go to him," I said and didn't even let Damian get a chance to speak. Among other things, Damian's clothes on my body. Said cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself.

"I don't want to interrupt your reunion but why are you here, Amelia?" "Of course," she positioned herself neatly. "The principal is starting to freak out. He yells at everyone and wants to know how Alina is doing." "Then I should probably go to him," I said and didn't even let Damian get a chance to speak. Among other things, Damian's clothes on my body. Said cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "I don't want to interrupt your reunion but why are you here, Amelia?" "Of course," she positioned herself neatly.

"The principal is starting to freak out. He yells at everyone and wants to know how Alina is doing." "Then I should probably go to him," I said and didn't even let Damian get a chance to speak.