Chapter 10: The Mystery Deepens

The sun had long set over Silvergate, displaying the beauty of the city in a fashionable way over the skyscrapers and shadowy streets. In her simple and lovely apartment on the edge of downtown, Raven Blake sat thinking over her father's old journal, the words were flowing before her eyes. She'd read the same page at least five times, but she couldn't get the true meaning of the words.

Her mind was distracted, busy with an unfamiliar tension she couldn't forget. Ever since she'd taken on the case against Lycos International, her life has been altered. Small things she used to ignore before now felt serious and important. The sound of footsteps in the hallway outside her door became louder. The small scent of jasmine from her neighbor's window was almost choking her. And then there were the dreams.

The dreams were the worst.

Raven relaxed back in her chair, exhaustion were all over her. She rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of it all. Why did the journal mention "wolfkind" so many times? Why had her father hidden this part of his life from her? And why did she feel like she was being watched everywhere she went?

She opened another page, and her eyes landed on a peculiar phrase:

"The bloodline runs deep. The moon calls those it chooses."

A chill raced down her spine. She closed the journal immediately and kept it aside.

That night, sleep didn't come efficiently, she remained on the bed moving from one side of the bed to another with a disturbed mindset over the words in the journal she had just put aside.

Raven found herself in a thick forest bathed in silver and shining awkwardly. The trees looked tall and very old, their branches interwoven like skeletal fingers against the full moon. Her bare feet biting against the fallen leaves, and she realized she was wearing a simple white dress that was flying in a non-existent wind.

A howl sounded in the distance.

Her heart raced. She turned to run but she couldn't when she saw a pair of shining yellowish eyes watching her from the shadows.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice shaking.

The figure stepped forward and it was a massive wolf with thick, dark fur. Its gaze scared her to the bone, not with quarrel but with an odd familiarity, as if it knew her.

"Raven," it growled, the voice deep and unmistakably human.

She stumbled back, her breathing shaking. "This can't be real."

But the wolf took another step closer, lowering its head in what almost felt like submission. "Remember who you are."

Before she could respond, the ground underneath her feet opened and she fell into darkness.

Raven rushed awake, her heart beating as if it wanted to escape from her chest. Large sweat filled her forehead, and her breathing was shaking seriously.

The clock on her bedside table read 3:14 a.m.

The dream felt so real. She could still hear the wolf's voice, the voice was deep and vibrating, sounding in her mind.

Throwing off the bed cover on her, Raven ran immediately to the kitchen for a glass of water. As she reached for the faucet, a sharp pain went through her hand like a migraine. She looked down and gasped.

Her nails were longer than before, their tips sharp like claws.

"What the…." She stumbled back, holding her hand tightly as if it belonged to someone else.

By the time she blinked again, her nails were normal.

The glass she'd been holding scattered on the floor, and Raven sat helplessly into a chair, holding the edge of the table for support. Something was happening to her—something she couldn't explain.

The next morning, Raven couldn't forget the strange sensations. Her senses were sharper than usual, and the city around her was sounding louder, brighter, and more alive.

At the courthouse, she struggled to focus during a regular deposition. Every sound in the room distracted her as she noticed even the ticking of a pen, the rustle of papers, the faint hum of electricity in the fluorescent lights.

As she left the courthouse, She felt a strange energy pulling her down a street she is not familiar with. Her mind was telling her to turn back, but she couldn't resist the energy.

The alley was narrow and not properly lit, the air was thick with the smell of wet stone and oil. At the far end, she saw a figure leaning against the wall—a man with sharp features and scary green eyes.

"Raven Blake," he said smoothly. "We finally meet."

She became defensive immediately and asked. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The man smiled, revealing scary sharp teeth. "You've been asking the wrong questions so far Miss Blake. It's not about who I am. It's majorly about who are you?."

Raven took a step back, her pulse pounding in her ears. "Stay away from me."

But the man shifted his head, his expression almost pitying her. "You can't run from this, Raven. It's actually in your blood."

Before she could respond to his words, he was gone, he disappeared into the shadows as if he was never there.

That evening, Raven stormed into Lycos International, her emotions mixed with both confusion and anger.

The receptionist didn't have enough time to announce her arrival before she rushed into Killian Thorne's office.

"You!" she shouted angrily, hitting her hands on his lovely fresh desk. "You know what's happening to me, don't you?"

Killian remained composed on his chair, he raised his head to look at her and he said. "Miss Blake, I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about."

"Don't act like you don't know what am talking about," she shouted back. "The dreams. The... changes. That man in the alley. This has something to do with you and your company, doesn't it?"

For the first time, Killian's expression shook. A flash of recognition crossed his face before he quickly covered it with indifference.

"Leave it alone, Raven," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something. Something big. And I won't stop until I find out what it is."

Killian stood, tall and covered her with a commanding presence. "You're involving yourself in things you don't understand. For your sake, I suggest you stop."

But Raven wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

She leaned closer, her voice steady. "You don't scare me, Killian Thorne. And you haven't seen what I'm capable of."

As Raven left the building, the cold night air went through her skin. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, her thoughts racing.

The man in the alley, the strange dreams, her father's cryptic journal—everything was connected. But how?

She became lost in thought, she didn't notice the figure watching her from the rooftop across the street.

yellowish eyes shining in the darkness, they were not blinking and they remained focused.

The wolf from her dream was real. And it was watching her.

The city lights of Silvergate sparkled outside Raven's apartment window as she pieced together the mounting evidence against Lycos International. Her father's journal, the encrypted files, and Dr. Vance's cryptic warning painted a dangerous picture. She knew she was closing in on something big, but the cost of pursuing the truth weighed heavily on her.

The shrill ring of her phone shattered her concentration. She glanced at the screen. Unknown Number. Hesitant but curious, she answered.

"Ms. Blake," a deep voice said, smooth yet commanding. She recognized it immediately. Killian Thorne.

"Mr. Thorne," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "how can I be of help to you?"

"We need to talk. Privately."

Raven hesitated. Every instinct screamed that this was just the beginning.