Chapter 9: Shadows Unveiled

Raven stepped out of her apartment, holding her laptop bag tightly. The events of the past week had left her looking tired, and the scary silence of the city tonight only increased her unease. The black envelope she found the night before still remained unopened on her desk, but her mind is telling her it wouldn't contain anything comforting.

She checked over her shoulder as she walked to her car. The street was empty, but she couldn't forget the feeling that someone was watching her. Trying to increase her pace, she reached the car and fumbled with the keys. That's when she heard it—the small sound of footsteps.

Her heart raced as she turned around. A man in a dark hoodie came out from the shadows, his face was covered. He walked towards her with deliberate slowness, the tension in the air increased with every step.

"Who are you?" Raven asked with fear written on her face and her voice steady despite her fear. "What do you want?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, he increased his pace, closing the distance between them. When she realized he wasn't going to stop she started expressing fear she hadn't felt in a while. She turned and immediately opened the car door, but before she could get in, the man grabbed her arm, pulling her back with serious force.

Raven struggled against the man's hand while holding her, her heart pounding in her chest. She swung her bag at him, but he easily dodged it. His strength was not natural, his movements were way too quick. She screamed, expecting someone would hear her, but the whole place remained silent.

Just as she thought she couldn't handle the situation and felt powerless, she had a blurry vision of someone appearing from the corner of her eye. A big figure appeared from the darkness, jumping into her attacker with a force that sent him crashing to the ground. Raven stumbled back, her breath seized as she tried to understand the scene.

Killian Thorne stood between her and the man, his presence commanding and intense. His suit was slightly in a mess, and his eyes burned with a dangerous light.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice steady but still filled with concern for her.

Before she could answer, the attacker jumped at Killian. What happened next left Raven speechless. With super speed, Killian avoided the attack and grabbed the man by the neck, he lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing. The man struggled and kicked, but Killian's holding of him was not shaking.

"Leave her alone," Killian growled, his voice low and scary. He threw the man to the ground with serious force that the pavement cracked underneath him. The attacker tried to get to his feet and ran off, disappearing into the shadows without looking backward at them.

Raven looked at Killian, her mind still racing. No ordinary man could do what he just did. His strength, his speed—it was impossible. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was speechless from what just happened.

Killian turned to her, his expression remained calm. "You're safe now," he said, his tone gentle. "Let me take you home. Hope you didn't get hurt also?"

Raven hesitated, her instincts telling her to ask about what she had just witnessed. But something about Killian's presence calmed her, and she found herself nodding. He led her to his lovely black car, opening the passenger door for her.

While driving back to her apartment, there was an absolute silence among them. Raven's thoughts kept racing as she kept replaying the attack over and over in her mind. she looked at Killian without him noticing, she tried to admire the strength he used to avert the danger and also checked his body for any mar from hurt. he kept driving without shifting his eyes and he kept his hand tightly at the steering wheel to maintain his composure.

"How did you do that?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

Killian's jaw tightened. "Do what?"

"You know what am talking about," she asked. "That man… You lifted him like he was a child. And the way you moved… It wasn't normal."

He sighed, his eyes still fixed on the road. "Adrenaline can make people do extraordinary things," he said, his tone steady.

Raven frowned, unconvinced by what he just heard. "That wasn't adrenaline. That was something else."

Killian didn't respond, and the rest of the drive was filled with an uncomfortable silence. When they reached her apartment, he accompanied her to the door, he shifted his attitude back to his usual composed self.

"If you need anything, call me," he said, pointing to her his business card. Before she could ask more questions, he turned and walked away, he just vanished into the night without a trace.

Once inside her apartment, Raven locked the door and relaxed against it, her mind racing. She pulled out her laptop and opened the files from her father's research, checking through the documents with increased determination. The phrase "Subject Alpha" stood out to her again, and her thought went straight to the event that happened tonight with the strength and fighting crossing her mind.

Could Killian be connected to this?

She thought back to his unnatural strength, his speed, and the way he had appeared just in time to save her. The more she considered it, the more it seemed to fit. But what did that mean? Was he one of the "wolfkind" her father's notes referred to? And if so, why was he protecting her?

Her thinking was disturbed by a soft knock at the door. Her heart went into her throat as she approached cautiously. "Who is it?" she asked cautiously.

No answer.

She looked through the hole at the door but saw nothing. When she opened the door, she noticed a folded piece of paper was lying on the floor. She picked it up, her hands were shaking as she opened it. The note was simple and precise:

"You're getting too close. Stop now, or you'll regret it."

Across the city, Killian stood in his office, looking out at the city lights. Marcus, his Beta, entered the room, his expression firm.

"You intervened tonight," Marcus said. "She's going to start asking questions."

"She already is," Killian replied, his tone weary. "But I couldn't let her get hurt."

Marcus crossed his arms. "You're risking everything for her. If the pack finds out, they'll see it as a betrayal."

"Let them," Killian said, turning to face his Beta. "I won't stand by while she's targeted. She doesn't deserve to be caught in this."

Marcus sighed. "You're too close to her. It's not making your judgment clear and precise."

Killian's eyes filled with determination. "Maybe. But she's more important to this than you realize."

when she got back to her apartment, she sat on her couch to rethink the event that happened previously, now with a note on her hand while she sat, her heart were filled with both fear and questions but she didn't know who to ask the question, she had the feeling she was getting closer to the truth but she also knew the danger behind her discovery were now more serious.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up, expecting another threat from the other end of the call. Instead, it was a message from an unknown number:

"Meet me at the old library tomorrow night. I have answers."

Raven's heart raced as she looked at the message. Who was this? Could she trust them? And more importantly, were they leading her closer to the truth—or into a trap?