FOURTEEN: STRANGE.

"Terra! Terra!" I could hear Summer call, but shock wouldn't let me answer. It was as though I had lost my voice as I continued staring at the spot the woman had stood.

"Here she is," Eska alerted the rest when she found me staring at a big tree and ran to get me.

When she held me, she immediately let go, and I snapped back to reality.

"Girl, you're so cold."

Summer came by, her milky-blonde hair whipping around her neck like loose ribbons in the wind. She was panting, breathless and wide-eyed. She stared at me for a moment.

"You okay, Terra? We lost you there for a sec."

Jesse, who was behind her, peeked at me and asked,

"You okay?"

I could sense the concern in his voice, but then I was quickly distracted by the sudden upset in my stomach, so I wrapped my arms around it.

"Yeah, I'm gonna throw up. See y'all at school."

I turned my back to them to leave. Why did I feel so weird?

When the search was over, they all reported back and submitted their search equipment. Nothing was found, not even a clue.

After school that day, I went back to my hostel. I couldn't stop thinking about it all; the dream I had and its connection to the real incident. If I had told Clary earlier about it, we could have sorted it out. Now, I had to make sure she never found out about my dream.

That night, Pink was fast asleep. I couldn't sleep; I was distracted by what had happened today.

I kept changing positions on the bed to see if I would fall asleep, but to no avail. So, I just got up and headed toward the window.

It was a beautiful view; the moon was full, and the stars that filled the sky were so lovely, it made the sky look flawless.

I sat on a stool, looking at the sky from the window. It was so peaceful. I laid my arms on the window sill, closing my eyes as I felt the gentle breeze that blew in.

...

Still that night, at Caveroop Park, Jennie and Sofie were seated on a bench, pretending to read a fashion magazine.

They were both dressed in all-black hoods and skinny jeans, wearing black sunglasses and armed with weapons.

They'd been there for almost an hour, and Sofie was feeling tired and bored. She turned to look at Jennie, who was still alert.

"You sure he'll show up?"

Jennie, with a determined spirit, unshaken and unwilling to give up, said in confidence and hope,

"He has to. It's the full moon."

Sofie sighed and put the magazine away. Her yellow eyes scanning Jennie carefully as she cautiously chose her words,

"Yeah, I know. It's just that it's too peaceful for an attack."

Jennie looked at Sofie and scoffed. She knew the game Sofie was trying to play, but she wasn't willing to give in.

"So what do you suggest we do? Pay it a visit? Last I checked, no one knows who it is."

"Okay, what if it does show up? What then? Attack it and kill it?"

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Yep, that's the plan."

Angrily, Sofie stood up, smacking the magazine against the bench. She yelled,

"And do you expect to kill it? It's fast, quick; too quick for any of us and it's too smart."

Jennie sighed without replying to what had been said.

Seeing how quiet and still determined she was, Sofie let out a defeated breath. She knew nothing she said was going to change Jennie's mind.

"I think we should call it a night. With all that's happened, you, of all people, should take a break."

Jennie frowned.

"Seriously, Sofie? Are you with me or against me?"

"I'm with you, but we can do this another night. I mean, the alpha is still out there, so you can chase it some other night." But Jennie was still too stubborn to consider her words, and Sofie had just had enough. "Why?! Why do you want to do this anyway? Why do you want to become the alpha so badly? Is it because you want to turn Pink?"

Jennie turned her head away sharply, blinking hard.

"No."

"Then what?"

Her voice cracked as she blurted out, "Because I'm dying, Sofie! And yeah, I do want to turn Pink."

Sofie's breath caught. She froze, the weight of Jennie's words hitting her like a punch to the chest. Slowly, she bent down, picked up the magazine she'd dropped, and sat beside her friend on the park bench. The cold wood pressed through their clothes as she gently placed a hand on Jennie's back.

"Gosh... why didn't you tell me before?" Sofie asked quietly.

"You wouldn't understand," Jennie muttered, voice low and tired.

A heavy silence settled over them, thick and uncomfortable. Neither looked at the other. Jennie kept her eyes on the patchy grass beneath her boots, while Sofie stared ahead into the creeping fog that curled between the swings.

The silence lingered… until a faint, wet crunching noise drifted through the trees. At first, it was barely noticeable, like someone biting into an apple. But then it grew louder.

Sofie tensed. She stood up quickly, scanning the darkness.

"Did you hear that?"

Jennie stood too, squinting. "I think it's coming from over there." She pointed toward the far end of the park, where shadows shifted just beyond the reach of a flickering streetlight. "Do you think it's the alpha?"

"I doubt it." Sofie glanced around nervously. "Should we go check it out?"

Jennie nodded, and the two of them crept forward, sticking close together, their footsteps muffled by the damp grass. The light above them buzzed, casting long, eerie shadows. Every rustling leaf and snapping twig made Sofie flinch.

Jennie, however, felt a flicker of hope burn in her chest. Maybe this was it.

But as they pushed past a cluster of bushes, that hope vanished.

There, kneeling in a bed of dead leaves, was a little boy. No older than eight. His eyes were glassy and inhuman. Blood smeared his chin, staining the front of his white shirt. He was feeding, sinking his tiny fangs into the throat of a limp, lifeless woman. Her body twitched once, then stilled.

Jennie froze. A shiver ran down her spine… and then she smiled.

"So the alpha is a little boy? Looks like it's gonna be tonight after all."

She reached into her coat, fingers curling around the strap of her gun. With practiced ease, she pulled it out and began mounting it, clicking parts into place with calm determination.

Sofie's eyes widened. She leaned in quickly, whispering harshly, "No. That's not the alpha, Jennie. That's a vampire. We've gotta get out of here."

"How are you so sure?" Jennie whispered back, not lowering her weapon.

"It's pale," Sofie said, pointing. "Too pale."

"That doesn't prove anything!" Jennie snapped, her voice a bit louder than it should've been.

The boy froze mid-bite. Slowly, mechanically, he turned his head toward them. His blood-slicked nose twitched, sniffing the air. His ears perked up like an animal. But the girls had ducked behind the bushes just in time.

After a few tense seconds, the boy wiped his mouth, stood, and vanished into the night without a sound.

Sofie exhaled sharply. "Phew. That was close." She clutched her chest as they carefully retraced their steps toward their lodge. "I don't even want to know what would've happened if he'd seen us."

But Jennie wasn't listening.

Her expression was distant, troubled. Her eyes stayed fixed on the moon, thoughts spiraling.

"That's… weird," she murmured. "Why didn't the alpha show up today? It never misses a full moon."

"It's strange, isn't it?" Sofie replied. She grabbed Jennie's arm and tugged her forward. "But we have to hurry back before that thing starts following us."