Chapter 8: Shadows in the Night

Raven sat at her desk, the journal and USB drive from the mysterious package open widely before her. Her father's secret notes about "wolfkind" turning in her mind, and the encrypted files on the USB disturbed her from her now-off laptop. She tapped her fingers against the desk, staring at the flashing cursor on the password screen that didn't allow her access to the system after every guess she could think of.

"There has to be a way to open these," she muttered to herself. She leaned back, rubbing her temples, as her father's voice played in her memory: "Raven, sometimes the hardest puzzles hide in plain sight."

Her gaze shifted back to the journal. Could the key be there? Opening through the pages again, she searched for anything that might look like a password—a series of numbers, a phrase, or even a hint. Her eyes landed on a familiar date written in the margins: 06/12/1993.

Her parents' wedding anniversary.

She typed it into the password prompt. The screen flashed immediately, and the files opened. Raven's heart went over as folders filled with documents, images, and videos appeared before her. She clicked on the first file titled "Project Lycan Overview."

The document was filled with scientific jargon, but one word stood out repeatedly: "subjects." Her father's research hadn't been theoretical. He had been studying real individuals, experimenting on them. Her breath seized when she scrolled to the bottom and saw the names of the test subjects.

"These are people," she whispered, horrified. "Or... werewolves?"

The document ended with a scary note: "Subject Alpha shows promise but must remain hidden at all costs. Exposure would endanger all of wolfkind."

Raven's pulse raced. Whatever her father had discovered, it was big—and it was dangerous.

Hours later, Raven packed up her laptop and journal. She was exhausted, but she couldn't forget the feeling that someone was watching her. Since the break-in, fear of the unknown had become her constant companion, and tonight was no different.

She double-checked her locks before heading to bed, her father's journal kept securely under her pillow. The city's distant sound quietly helped her into a restless sleep filled with real dreams of running through a thick forest with her senses sharper than ever before.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, her heart pounded. The feelings of being watched hadn't gone away. Quietly, she sneaked to the window, pulling back the curtain slightly. A shadowy figure stood on the street below, their face covered by the dim streetlight.

Raven's stomach turned. She took her phone and snapped a photo, but by the time she looked up again, the figure was gone. Her breath came in small gasps as she locked the windows and double-checked the door. Whoever they were, they knew where she lived.

The next morning, Raven couldn't forget the memory of the figure. Determined to make progress, she called Chloe over for backup. Chloe arrived with her usual energy, carrying coffee and pastries.

"Alright, detective," Chloe said, sitting comfortably on the couch. "What's the latest?"

Raven explained everything: the encrypted files, the mysterious note, and the figure outside her apartment. Chloe listened carefully, her brows shaking.

"You're very deep in your discovery now," Chloe said. "But we're going to crack this. Let me see those files."

Together, they went through the documents, going through the information together piece by piece. Chloe's tech-savvy skills came in handy as she bypassed another layer of encryption. They discovered detailed reports about werewolf pack dynamics, hierarchies, and something called "The Alpha Protocol."

"This is insane," Chloe muttered. "Your dad was working with… creatures straight out of mythology."

"And Lycos is involved," Raven added. "This goes way beyond corporate greed."

Later that evening, Raven insisted on walking Chloe to her car. The city streets were scarily quiet, the small sound of streetlights was the only sound. Chloe waved goodbye, and Raven turned to move back inside. That's when she felt a presence, close and unmistakable.

She turned around, her eyes checking around the shadows. "Who's there?" she called, her voice steady despite the fear filling her chest.

No answer.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a message from Chloe, but froze when she saw the screen:

Unknown Number: "Stop digging, or you'll regret it."

Raven held her phone with a tight grip. She took a deep breath and stepped back inside, locked her door firmly behind her. She wasn't going to be intimidated, but the weight of the threat remained in her.

Across the city, Killian paced in his penthouse office. Marcus stood by the door, his expression grim.

"She's not stopping," Marcus said. "The girl's relentless. If she keeps this up, she'll uncover everything."

Killian's jaw tightened. "She's closer than I expected. But threats won't deter her."

"Then what will?" Marcus asked.

Killian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gazed out the window at the sprawling city below. "We need to protect her, even if it's from herself."

"You're risking too much for her," Marcus warned. "The pack won't forgive you if this blows up."

Killian turned, his eyes flashing with resolve. "Let me worry about the pack. For now, keep her safe—but make sure she knows she's being watched."

That night, Raven sat at her desk, her mind racing. She opened the last folder on the USB drive, her breath hitching as a series of videos loaded. The first clip showed her father in a lab, speaking to the camera.

"If you're watching this, it means I've failed," he said, his voice filled with regret. "Wolfkind is real, and their survival depends on secrecy. But there are those who would exploit them, and Lycos is at the center of it all."

Before Raven could process his words, the screen glitched, and a new message appeared:

"You've been warned. Stop now, or face the consequences."

Her laptop shut down suddenly, putting the room into darkness. A knock at the door disturbed the silence. Raven's heart pounded as she took the nearest object available for her protection. When she opened the door, no one was there. But there was a single black envelope lying on the floor, her name was written across it in bold, crimson letters.