TWENTY: Who's Behind it?

LUCIEN COULDN'T THINK of a reason why someone would hurt Cornelia in anyway. As far as he knew, she was adored by everyone. At least before the while rumor about them sleeping together.

Daniel nodded his head, and with a thoughtful expression he continued. "It's just an assumption, but we know that witches can have such power of influencing the minds of wolves, especially younger ones. And Luke remains nineteen and quite new the wolf life."

"However, why would anyone want her dead? Why would a witch find a target in a seventeen-year-old human girl?" Lucien inquired.

Daniel gave him an incredulous look then said, "Yes, a seventeen-year-old human girl who seems to have a special hold over the immortal alpha." His eyes softened when he saw Lucien about to argue, "The moment a connection was formed between you two is the same moment a target was drawn on her back."

Lucien looked visibly shook at the thought. "I never..." He wasn't even sure how he was planning to finish his sentence. He never cared for her, that would be a lie. He never showed it, that would make more sense. He tried his best to not show anything, he worked hard in hiding the way she seemed to have a hold over him.

Daniel let out a soft breath, "I knew you tried to hide it, perhaps it would work with others, but those who know you, the entire pack, saw the way you were looking at her during the ball. You spent time with her in your study, and ..." Daniel hesitated for a second before he continued, "And some even heard the conversation that had taken place between you two."

Lucien cursed under his breath, then he turned on his alpha mode, "By some, do you mean Luke? Was he listening in?"

"Again, Luke is young. And ... He was over the moon that his alpha would finally find a luna. He even went as far as calling it the event of the century. That's why I think this is the work of a witch or a warlock. And you've angered many of those."

"But how would anyone know what Luke knows if he hadn't volunteered the information." Lucien then paused an idea formed in his head. "Go to him, I want you to give me a list of everyone he had ever spoken to during the ball and afterwards."

"Yes Alpha."

After Daniel left, Lucien thought back to what Cornelia had told him about leaving her home and going to he forest to begin with. She had described it as a yearning to leave, then she felt like she was sleepwalking throughout the entire way to the woods. He had the fleeting thought that something was unnatural about the whole thing. There was a hopeful thought in him that she was influenced by him, like he had wanted to run to her house the second he turned to a wolf.

However, if it was the work of a magic wielder, Lucien would find them, and then he would tear them limp to limp.

...

Cornelia was walking back home from school when Abigail came from behind her. "How do you feel about a sleepover tonight?" Abigail suggested softly.

Despite the suggestion coming out of the blue, Cornelia welcomed the idea nonetheless. She found herself nodding her head, then asking, "Yours or mine?"

"Yours would be better." Abigail said with a wide grin. She then put an arm over Cornelia's shoulder. "I'll head home and get my stuff, then I'll come over."

"Okay." Cornelia nodded and they walked in silence for a bit, before Cornelia asked, "You don't really believe that I'm sleeping with Mr. Amarok for money, do you?"

"You said you didn't, so you didn't." Abigail said with a shrug of her shoulders.

It was really important that at least get best friend didn't believe that about her. After their conversation in the bathroom, Abigail steered clear of the topic of Lucien Amarok and everything related to him. She never even brought up the whole wolf incident again, which Cornelia found strange. Sometimes she'd find herself wanting to speak of it, but she would decided against it for the fear of disrupting whatever peace she had with Abigail.

"That's why I suggested this whole sleepover. I know that the last couple of days haven't been easy on you. I mean, you're starting g to get a little crazy too." Abigail said the last part jokingly, which made Cornelia roll her eyes and hit her softly on the arm.

...

Around 5.00 Pm, Abigail arrived at Cornelia's house with snacks. The two did their homework together then they watched a couple of movies in Cornelia's room. It was around midnight when the tow girls lied in bed about to fall asleep.

"Thank you Abby. This is the first day that I feel normal again. My life had become such a roller coaster and I'm grateful for that sense of normalcy you gave me today." Cornelia turned on her side to face her, "You're the best friend anyone can ask for."

"I love you too, you know you're like a sister to me." Abigail retorted with a small smile before the two fell asleep.

...

When Cornelia woke up the next morning, Abigail had already left. Cornelia didn't mind though; it was the first night she had such a good sleep in what felt like such a long time. There were no hot dreams nor were their nightmares, and her mind wasn't plagued with her worries.

She went to the bathroom for her morning routine, and then she noticed the absence of the necklace she had always kept around her neck. She wondered if it had somehow falled off or got broken and she lost it somehow. But it was strange, that the necklace had remained after a giant wolf bit her neck, but was broken suddenly for no reason.

She shook her head and decided to look around her room with the hope that it would be somewhere or the other. After she had searched for long and there was still no trace of her necklace, Cornelia lost hope and she fell on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.