The Smoke

"What happened to you?" asked a voice when I had just arrived home. Without turning around, I knew who was trying to erode the distance. "I came to see your father."

"That's good. You mustn't forget this pack once in a while because you are allies." That was all I said before taking a step up, but Uncle Ray immediately grabbed my arm, and I almost fell.

Luckily, he was there and didn't hesitate to support me.

"I'm not done asking; why run away like that?" he said. "Tell me, why are you so messed up? Has someone done something to you?"

Oh, so now he cared? What were the days before when he didn't even come to say hello? Now that he saw me in such a mess, he wanted to know. If I told him that a gentleman had helped me, would he care too?

"It's no biggy. Besides, I'm fine because there's a good man who helps when no one else cares."

Uncle Ray's face instantly changed. His eyebrows knitted together as if questioning who the man was. However, he was too proud to ask. I knew that.

"You don't want to know who that man is?" I asked, provoking conversation and another expression on his face. Uncle Ray was silent and unmoving. "Fine if you don't want to talk. I'd better go to my room and clean myself up."

I was about to take a step, but once again, Uncle Ray got in the way. His sharp gaze was fixed on me, who could only blink stiffly due to the close distance between us.

"Who is that man? Do you know him?" asked Uncle Ray with a severe look on his face. He brought his face slightly closer to my body and sniffed. His jaw seemed to tighten instantly as if there was something he knew, and he didn't like it.

"Uncle, what's going on? Why are you so close?" I asked, which made the initially intense gaze slowly shift.

"Did you see his face?" he asked again. I just shook my head. "Can you sniff the scent of his body?"

"Yes, but—"

"Is he a rogue? Because recently, rogues dared to disguise themselves as pack members and then rob."

I shuddered at Uncle Ray's explanation. Was that why he came to see Dad—to ask for advice on pack problems as well as solutions? That was what he usually did when he came.

"I didn't recognize his scent, but... I felt something strange when I got close to him. Does that mean he's a rogue?"

"What kind of scent are you breathing in?" asked Uncle Ray, sounding urgent, and I didn't like that. I shook my head as I tried to move away from him. Meanwhile, he was eroding the distance between us.

"Uncle Ray, please... I don't know anything about it. He was helping—that's all I know."

Uncle Ray released his grip on my arm, but it was too late. Mom and Dad were already at the bottom of the stairs, watching our interaction, which to them was probably quite intense. Next, Mom asked me to come to her study.

***

Mom, Dad, and my twin brother, Isaiah, sat in chairs far apart, but their eyes were fixed on me as if I were undergoing an examination for the crime I'd committed.

I didn't even know why Mom was doing this—bringing me into her room and looking at me with a strange look.

What had happened to them?

"Do you know why I asked you to come?" Mom asked while Dad and Isaiah just looked at me strangely. I glanced at them in turn. Nothing like this had ever happened before. This must be a serious matter.

I only answered Mom's question with a shake of my head. "Have I done something wrong? Is it because I haven't gotten a wolf yet?"

"Come on, sis... why do you always bring that up? It's only natural for a she-wolf to get a wolf a little late. No one will make an issue of it." Isaiah replied, which made me feel cornered.

"So, do you think that what I feel is wrong? Is that so? What about those who have been bullying me since the night of the inauguration? Am I still wrong? Do you think I'm the one who's delusional?"

I turned to my dad, who had been listening. I hoped he would be wiser and fairer. He'd been the one who's always defended my interests, and I hope it stays that way this time.

"Honey, Lyla and some of your friends just came by." Dad finally spoke.

"Oh? Did they admit their mistake and apologize?"

"They said that you came and beat them up."

"What?! And you guys believe that? Is that why you're judging me here?" I snorted.

"Not so, my dear. I want to make sure that my daughter has never committed such a moral crime."

"Of course not, Dad. Have you gone mad? How am I going to beat them up? I don't have a wolf, and it was them who did that to me," I explained. "Ominous words and banter, wolves on the pack border—"

"Pack borders? You went there?" asked Mom with a flushed face. "How could you break our ban, Ioris? What if something happened to you?!"

I shrugged. How could I explain to them that I was hoping to use a shortcut to summon my wolf soon? Isaiah would laugh at me.

"They say the bonfire crowd chased you on inauguration night," Dad spoke again. I couldn't figure out where we were going with this one. "They think you got black magic instead of wolves."

Ridiculous! What was going through their heads?

"Because they were visited by something in the form of thick black smoke, which then made them a target. One of them even died."

I clamped my hand over my mouth. It was too hard to believe the news I had just heard.

"So what does that have to do with me? I didn't do anything—and witchcraft, you said? Are you guys kidding me?!"

Dad grabbed my fingers and squeezed them gently, but it wasn't the usual feeling of affection that I felt there. He was using his power to see if I was telling the truth or not.

I quickly brushed off his fingers and got up from my chair.

"I don't believe this. You don't believe me." I turned to Isaiah. We were twins, so he should have sensed that I was telling the truth. However, he flinched and clearly didn't want to defend me. I knew why. "I'm disappointed in you guys."

My steps swung out of the room, and I was immediately greeted by Uncle Ray, who was sitting on the sofa. He got up and was about to come over to me, but I didn't want to see anyone.

Including Uncle Ray.

He was one of those who didn't believe my account, so why should I let him into this? I didn't want one more person to doubt me and gang up on me with doubtful looks.

The best outlet was to shut me in my room. I couldn't let any of them come in and say anything wrong about me, especially since they were the ones who were supposed to support and trust me the most.

I felt alone now. No one believed a word I said, and even Dad used the extraordinary powers he had to check my honesty.

It was both ridiculous and painful.

"No need to worry about them. I believe in you," said a voice that had me scrambling to find its whereabouts.

I scanned the room and found him. He was in the corner of the room with a form I couldn't predict. A puff of pitch-black smoke that I'd never seen before. Or maybe I had, but I couldn't remember the details.

"Who are you? You're making everyone blame me! I have nothing to do with you. Don't interfere with my life anymore. You're making things difficult. Go away!" I threw a pillow into the corner of the room where the smoke was.

He seemed to be broken by the object I threw and disappeared as if swept away by the wind.

Who exactly was he? Why did I feel familiar with the sound and scent that had been swirling around in my nasal cavity?