Phantom

Max’s suspicion hadn’t faded. In fact, it had only gotten worse. Max couldn’t shake the unease that had settled deep in his chest. After yesterday’s bizarre encounter with the new girl he hadn’t been able to let it go. He had only met her once but that one time had been enough to throw him completely off balance. He’d spent the entire night thinking about her.

And not because she was pretty which, objectively, she was. Not because there was something oddly striking about the way her eyes had locked onto his warm, hopeful, almost like she was expecting him to recognize her.

No. He couldn’t stop thinking about her because of her scent or lack of one. Because it didn’t make sense. Because when she looked at him, something in his wolf had stirred not in recognition, but in something far more dangerous. Suspicion. And irritation.

And now, as he moved through the halls, he couldn’t stop looking for her. Who the hell was she? She wasn’t a Lycan. He knew that no Lycan can hide there scent like that. Even if she was a rouge he would be able to smell her.

She wasn’t a human even humans had scent. And the fact that she had none was impossible. He tried to focus during class, but his mind kept circling back to the same question. What the hell is she?

For the first half of the day, he couldn’t find her. Every time he scanned the halls, every time he passed through the cafeteria or the common areas, she was nowhere to be found. At one point, he even passed by the principal’s office, considering checking if she had actually come to school. But then—

Brown hair. The back of a head, already three people deep into the crowd, moving with an unhurried certainty that made something in his chest go tight. He turned toward it before he had decided to. There. Max moved immediately, weaving through the students with practiced ease. But by the time he turned the corner—

Gone. His wolf snarled in frustration. That didn’t make sense. No one could vanish like that. It didn’t make sense. He stood at the empty corner for a moment, staring at the space where she had been. She had enrolled. He knew that much. He had seen her, talked to her—had coffee spilled all over him because of her.

So where the hell was she? He wasn’t imagining her. And yet, by the time lunch rolled around, he still hadn’t seen her again. His unease grew sharper. Had she even come to school today? Or worse had she come, seen him watching for her, and deliberately avoided him?

Later in the afternoon, just before his last class, he caught a glimpse of brown hair rounding a corner twenty feet ahead. His bag was already shifting off his shoulder as he broke into a walk that was almost a run, shouldering past a freshman without looking. But the second he passed a group of students—

She was gone again. A growl rumbled low in his throat. This wasn’t normal. She was avoiding him. And she was good at it. Too good. Which meant she wasn’t just some girl. She was something else.

Max leaned against his locker, his thoughts racing. His gut told him this girl wasn’t normal. But what the hell was she? She had no scent. No trail. She wasn’t a wolf. She wasn’t human. So that only left one possibility. A witch.

Was she a witch? He went still against the locker. Black Witches were known for infiltrating Lycan packs. They used potions, spells, and charms to hide their presence, sometimes even suppressing their own natural scent to move undetected. And their favorite prey? Were-beasts and Beastmen.

Some witches experimented on them. Others kidnapped young ones for their own twisted research. The Bloodclaw Pack had dealt with them before. Was that why she was here? Was she a spy? Or worse was she hunting someone?

No. If she was a black witch, he would have smelled the residue of dark magic. But there were other ways to hide. Spells. Enchantments. Potions. Was she using something to suppress her scent? No. That didn’t add up either. If she was masking her scent with a potion, he would still be able to pick up the potion itself. But then again—

There was another possibility. Not all witches were Black Witches. There were also White Witches, known for their healing and defensive magic. They rarely interfered with werewolves, but when they did, it was usually to warn them of something greater. Could she be one of them? No. Even a white witch would leave something behind. Some trace. Some thread of scent he could pull at. She had left nothing. And if she was a white witch, why would she be hiding from him?

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He needed answers. He needed to know if she was after his pack. And If that was then she was a threat. He needed to find out who she was. Where she came from. And more importantly. Why the hell she had chosen to come here.

After school Calista walked briskly down the bustling city street, her wings compressed tightly against her back. The slight tingling sensation between her shoulder blades reminded her of the spell’s limitations. Her wings and back were stiff and sore she had gotten use to it after living on earth for so long, but that didn’t stop them from hurting. The spell wouldn’t last much longer, and she’d need to renew it soon, but that wasn’t her immediate concern.

The kiss kept coming back to her, no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She could still see Dana’s hands on him. He hadn’t recognized her that alone was painful enough. But a girlfriend. A girl he actually believed was his mate. Calista’s jaw tightened. Was Dana somehow blocking the bond, or was that just the jealousy talking? But the kiss wasn’t the only thing she had to worry about.

This week’s gym class would involve swimming, and there was no way she could participate without revealing her secret. She knew that if she put on a swimsuit everyone would notice her wings with or without the spell. The thought sent shivers down her spine.

Beside her, Avalis trotted gracefully, her golden and white fur shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Everywhere they went, Avalis drew double takes. Calista had learned early on to call her a rare breed when anyone asked, which they always did. Most people crouched down to pet her, and Avalis, for her part, leaned into every outstretched hand.

“Maybe I should just say I’m sick,” Calista muttered to herself, glancing down at Avalis. Avalis stopped walking. She sat down on the sidewalk, looked up at Calista, and waited.

“You’re right,” Calista sighed. “It has to be something convincing.”

They continued walking in silence, the city noise swirling around them. Calista’s thoughts were a jumble of potential excuses a sudden injury, a made-up allergy, or maybe even claiming she had a personal fear of water. None of them felt strong enough to hold up under scrutiny.

As they passed a small row of shops, something caught her eye a faint, silvery glow emanating from a modest brick building sandwiched between a deli and a dry cleaner. The sign above the door read Lunar Harmony Wellness Center. A crescent moon symbol adorned the sign, subtly etched into the corner, but Calista recognized it immediately the symbol of Amara.

She stopped abruptly, staring at the building. Avalis followed her gaze, letting out a curious trill. “What’s a Serenian clinic doing here?” Calista whispered, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed.

Around her, a man in a hard hat scrolled his phone, a woman steered a stroller one-handed while arguing into an earbud, and two teenagers nearly walked into each other without looking up. No one glanced at the building. The glowing symbol seemed invisible to earth born eyes.

Avalis tugged lightly at the hem of Calista’s jacket with her teeth, urging her forward. Calista hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Alright,” she said under her breath. “Let’s see what this is about.”

Pushing the door open, she stepped inside. Nothing looked out of place: a row of cushioned chairs, a front desk, a receptionist who glanced up from her computer. Somewhere behind the walls, music moved through the air at the exact volume designed to relax a person.

Avalis padded in after her, staying close to her side. The receptionist’s eyes flicked briefly to the Kitrin, her expression betraying a hint of recognition before she quickly recovered.

“Welcome to Lunar Harmony Wellness Center,” the receptionist said warmly. “Do you have an appointment?”

Calista shook her head, her hands clasped nervously. “No, I just... I saw the symbol outside, and I thought—” She paused, unsure how much to say.

The receptionist’s smile widened slightly, her eyes sharp with understanding. “You’re in the right place,” she said softly. “Why don’t you have a seat? Someone will be with you shortly.”

Calista sank into a chair near the corner of the room, her shoulders dropping as she pressed her back into the cushion. Avalis leaped onto the seat beside her, turned a tight circle, and settled, tucking her nose under the curl of her tail. A few minutes later, a door at the side of the room opened, and a tall woman stepped out, her hair a swept silver that caught the light differently than any natural gray Calista had ever seen more like the inside of an abalone shell than anything that had simply aged.

She was slight, almost architectural in the clean lines of her frame, and she crossed the room with a stillness to her movement that made her blazer and slacks look almost incidental, as though she might move just as fluidly without them. And for a split second the woman’s eyes glowed a shade of violet. A Lunarian. Calista was certain of it now. The silver hair, the violet eyes—everything about this woman bore the mark of the moon, the way it always did with her kind.

Her presence was serene yet commanding, and Calista felt an immediate sense of trust. “Welcome,” the woman said, her voice gentle. “I’m Healer Elyra. How can I help you today?”

Calista hesitated before standing, smoothing her hands over her jacket. “I’m Calista,” she said quietly. “I noticed the symbol of Amara, and I—”

“You’re among friends here,” Elyra said, cutting off her nervous explanation. “What’s troubling you?”

Encouraged by her calm demeanor, Calista explained her predicament the gym class, the swimming, and the fear of exposure. Elyra listened carefully, her expression thoughtful. “We can help,” Elyra said after a moment. “We often provide Serenians with documentation for situations like this. I can prepare a medical excuse that will explain your inability to swim due to a rare spinal condition.”

Calista blinked in surprise. “You can do that?”

Elyra nodded. “It’s common practice. It will ensure your secret stays safe. And you and your companion—” She glanced at Avalis, who was watching intently. “—are more than welcome here anytime as well.”

Relief washed over Calista. “Thank you. This means so much to me.”

Elyra smiled warmly. “We’re here to support one another. You’re never alone, Calista.”

As she pushed back through the door and into the street, Calista let out a long breath, the folded paper tucked into the inside pocket of her jacket. The stiffness between her shoulder blades felt, just for a moment, a little easier to carry. She glanced down at Avalis, who trotted proudly beside her.

“Well, that’s one crisis averted,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for always having my back.” Avalis chirped in response, her glowing tail flicking happily. They walked back toward the hotel together, ready to face whatever challenges tomorrow might bring.