A sudden knock on the door shattered the heated atmosphere, cutting through the tension like a blade. Logan froze, his head snapping up, his expression a mix of frustration and disbelief.
“Who the hell could that be?” he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with irritation.
The knock came again, more urgent this time. “Logan, open up! It’s Liam!”
Logan’s jaw tightened as he stood, a low growl escaping his lips. “What now?” he hissed, his frustration palpable. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on hastily before striding to the door.
I quickly adjusted the sheets, clutching them to my chest as my heart raced, the heat of the moment evaporating in the face of whatever had brought Liam to Logan’s door at this hour.
Logan yanked the door open, his glare sharp. “What’s so important that you’re banging on my door like this?”
Liam stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his face grim. “Mal’s missing.”
Logan stiffened, his irritation replaced with immediate concern. “What do you mean, missing?”
I quickly pulled the sheets tighter around myself as Logan and Liam spoke. My heart was still racing, but now it was from worry, not excitement. I knew something was wrong the moment I saw Liam’s face. He looked scared-really scared.
I stood up, trying to ignore the way my legs felt shaky, and grabbed my clothes from the floor. As I slipped on my shirt and jeans, I listened closely, hoping to understand what was happening.
Logan was asking Liam more questions, but all I could focus on was the fact that Mal was missing. I didn’t know her that well, but I knew enough to know that it wasn’t like her to just disappear.
“Do you have any idea where she might be?” Logan asked, his voice serious now, no trace of frustration left.
Liam shook his head. “No. I’ve checked everywhere. Her phone’s off, and she hasn’t answered any of my texts.”
As I listened to Liam, my mind raced with thoughts I didn’t want to believe. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mal might have done something impulsive, something that could put her in danger. I hoped I was wrong, but the idea of her doing something reckless made my stomach turn.
I quickly finished getting dressed, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t just stand there. I had to help, had to do something.
“We need to find her,” I said, my voice firm despite the panic building inside me. My hands were shaking, but I tried to keep calm. “Now.”
Logan turned to me, his expression tense but understanding. He nodded, looking back at Liam. “Let’s go then. We don’t have time to waste.”
We quickly piled into Logan’s car, the urgency of the situation driving us forward. The engine roared to life as Logan sped down the street, with Liam in the passenger seat, staring out the window. My heart was still racing, and the uncertainty was eating at me. I kept glancing out the window, hoping to spot Mal walking down the street, safe and sound, but I didn’t see her.
“We should check her favorite places first,” Liam said, his voice shaking a little. “The park, the library… maybe she went there to think.”
Logan nodded. “We’ll start there, then.”
We made our way to the park first, but there was no sign of Mal. We checked the swings, the benches, and the small walking paths. I called her name, but the only response was the rustling of the trees in the wind. My stomach twisted with every second that passed. Where was she?
“We need to move,” Logan said, his voice tense. “There’s no time to waste.”
As we were heading back to the car, I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye-footprints. They were faint but visible, leading away from the park. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was just imagining things, but when I looked closer, I saw the distinct mark of someone’s shoes in the dirt, and my heart skipped a beat.
“Wait,” I said, stepping forward. “Look. There’s a trail.”
Logan and Liam both turned toward me, and we all stepped closer to the footprints. They were faint, but they clearly led into a dense patch of trees. Without a word, we followed the trail, my mind racing. The further we walked, the more I prayed that the trail would lead us to Mal, that she wasn’t too far gone.
We moved quietly through the trees, the silence broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot. The path seemed to wind further into the woods, and my worry grew with every step. I couldn’t help but think of the worst-what if Mal was hurt, or worse?
Then, just ahead, I saw something that made my heart stop. A flash of movement between the trees. I rushed forward, calling Mal’s name, my voice shaky but loud enough to carry.
“Mal! Where are you?”
The movement stopped, and I held my breath. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, a figure stepped out from behind the trees, and I froze. It was Mal.
Mal stepped out from behind the trees, and I froze. Her appearance was… different. She was disheveled, her clothes torn and dirty, her hair wild as though she had been through a struggle. But it wasn’t just her appearance that made me stop in my tracks. It was the look in her eyes-a wild, almost feral gleam that didn’t belong to the girl I knew.
“Mal…” I whispered, my voice shaky as I took a hesitant step forward. “What happened to you?”
She looked at us, her breathing shallow, her body tense as if ready to spring at any moment. The usual warmth I’d seen in her was gone, replaced by something darker, almost predatory. There were marks on her arms, bruises and scratches, but they looked like they hadn’t come from any normal fall or accident. The wounds seemed… animalistic.
Liam stepped forward, his voice soft but full of concern. “Mal, what did you do?”
She stared at us, her eyes flicking between us with a strange intensity. “I wanted to be like you,” she said in a voice that was barely more than a growl. “I wanted to be strong… powerful. I didn’t want to be weak anymore.”
I took another step forward, trying to keep my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me. “Mal, you are strong. You’re unique. You don’t need to become something you’re not.”
Her lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “I’m not like you. You all are so… different. I want that power. I wanted to feel it.”
It hit me then. Mal had probably found someone, or something, that led her down this path. She must have found a wolf or someone who could bite her, maybe hoping it would change her-make her part of this world.
“Mal, no,” I said firmly, my voice filled with sadness. “You don’t need to do this. You’re already special. You don’t have to change.”
But Mal didn’t seem to hear me. Her body shifted slightly, her muscles tensing as she looked between us, her stance almost ready to pounce. It was like she didn’t even recognize us anymore.
“You think I’m weak,” she spat, her voice low and menacing. “But I’m stronger than you think. I will be one of you.”
Her words hit me like a blow to the chest. I never saw her as weak. I saw her as someone who was struggling, someone who wanted to fit in but had no idea how. But this… this wasn’t the way.
I stepped forward again, more cautiously now. “Mal, please. This isn’t you. You’re… you’re a person, not a wolf. We don’t need to become something else to be strong. You’re already strong just as you are.”
But she wasn’t listening. The way she stood, the way she looked at us, it was as if she had already crossed a line. I could see it in her eyes-the hunger, the desperation to belong to something she thought was stronger. And now, it was clear. She was willing to destroy everything just to feel that power.
Before any of us could react, Mal lunged forward. It wasn’t the Mal I knew anymore. This version of her-this beast-was someone else entirely. She moved with the speed and aggression of a predator, but we weren’t about to let her hurt anyone.
Logan was the first to react, stepping in front of me, his body a protective shield. “Mal, stop!” he commanded, his voice low and forceful, but she ignored him, her body still locked in that dangerous stance.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. “Mal, please. We just want to help you. You don’t have to do this.”
Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of the old Mal-the one who was scared, unsure, the one who only wanted to belong. But it disappeared quickly, replaced again by that wild, animalistic glare.
Then, in one swift movement, Mal charged at us, her intentions clear. She was no longer looking for help. She was looking for a fight.