Chapter 30: The Keeper

Leo

I stepped into Ivy’s room, my pulse thundering in my ears. Her scent clung to the air—sweet, soft, but now tainted with the acrid stench of fear. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, his growls echoing in my head. Every instinct screamed at me to find her, to protect her, but she wasn’t here. 

“Ivy!” I barked again, the sound tearing from my throat like a primal snarl. Nothing. Just the eerie quiet of the room, her belongings scattered as if she'd left in a hurry. My gaze darted around, landing on the dresser, the bed, the closet. Nothing out of place except the cold void where her presence should be.

That’s when I felt it—a scent, sharp and rancid, curling in my nostrils like smoke. It wasn’t hers. This was foreign, disgusting, almost like the decayed underbelly of something evil. A rogue? Maybe. But it was layered with something… worse. My chest burned with every inhale, the stench clawing at me like poison. 

Who was it? How the hell did someone get in here? And how did they know about Ivy’s room?

My hands curled into fists, claws threatening to emerge as anger surged through me. My wolf was on edge, pacing and growling in my head, desperate to tear through flesh and bone. But I forced him back down. Not yet. First, I had to find Ivy. 

“Ivy!” I called again, my voice sharper this time. My eyes scanned the room for any sign of her—anything to tell me she was safe. I stepped closer to the dresser when I heard it: faint, muffled sobs, like someone crying behind a wall. 

My body tensed. “Ivy?” I said, my voice dropping, softer but still urgent. “Baby, is that you? Where are you?”

The sobbing stopped, replaced by stifled gasps. My wolf stirred, his ears pricking up at the sound. I turned in circles, scanning every inch of the room. “Ivy, it’s me! Leo!” I tried again, my voice breaking through the tension like a lifeline.

That’s when I heard it—a faint click. 

My head snapped toward the dresser as the wall beside it shifted, creaking open to reveal a hidden room. My jaw tightened as Ivy stumbled out, her body trembling like a leaf caught in a storm. Her wide brown eyes were filled with terror, her cheeks streaked with tears. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.  

“Ivy!” I crossed the room in three long strides, scooping her into my arms before she could fall. She melted against me, her sobs breaking free as she clung to my hoodie. Her entire body shook, her small hands gripping my shirt like her life depended on it.

“You’re okay, baby. I got you,” I murmured, my voice trembling with relief as I held her tight. My own heart was still racing, but I needed to calm her down first. She was my priority. 

She buried her face in my chest, her sobs muffled against the fabric. I felt the wetness of her tears soak through as her trembling began to subside. “You’re safe now,” I whispered, running my fingers through her hair, trying to soothe her.

But I wasn’t calm. Not even close. I was scared, furious, and relieved all at once. My wolf growled low, the desire to hunt down whoever had scared her bubbling beneath the surface. 

“What happened, Ivy? Why did you scream?” I asked, my voice tight with controlled rage. “Who was it?”

Her breath hitched as she tried to speak, her words tumbling out in broken fragments. “I… I thought it was her,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I saw her.”

My brows furrowed. “Who?” 

“The Keeper,” she said, her voice trembling with fear. “The evil Keeper… she was right there, Leo. In the doorway. I saw her shadow.” Ivy pointed toward the door, her hand shaking so badly she had to steady it with the other. “I ran before she could see me. I hid in my panic room. I was so scared… so scared she’d finally come for me.”

Her words sent a cold shiver down my spine. The Keeper? That was a name I hadn’t heard in years, a nightmare whispered in dark corners. A figure so shrouded in legend and fear that even the strongest of us never dared to speak of her lightly. 

But I thought it was just a myth. Nobody has actually seen the keeper.

“She was here?” I asked, my voice low and sharp, though I tried to soften it for Ivy’s sake. My blood boiled at the thought of someone—anyone—threatening her like this.

“I don’t know,” Ivy said, her voice cracking. “I saw her silhouette. It was her, Leo. I know it was.” Her tears started again, and I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her trembling form.

“It’s okay,” I said, though my mind raced with questions. How could someone even get near Ivy’s estate? Her father’s security was supposed to be top-tier, nearly impenetrable. And if it really was the Keeper… why? What did she want with Ivy? 

“Is your dad back from his trip?” I asked after a moment, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. 

She shook her head. “No. He and Uncle Marcus won’t be back until next month.”

“Then you’re coming home with me,” I said firmly, pulling back to look her in the eyes. Her tear-streaked face broke my heart, but her safety came first. “I’m not leaving you here alone.”

Her eyes widened, the vulnerability in them hitting me like a sucker punch. “You mean it?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

“Of course I mean it,” I said, brushing a tear from her cheek. “I’m not letting anyone or anything hurt you. Ever.”

She nodded, her shoulders relaxing just a little. But as I held her, something in the air shifted again—a whisper of malice that set my teeth on edge. That foul scent lingered, faint but still present, like the intruder was mocking me. 

I tightened my hold on Ivy, my wolf snarling in the back of my mind. I’d find whoever did this. And when I did, they’d pay in blood.

But before I could act, Ivy’s soft voice broke through the tension. “Leo… there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, her voice hesitant. 

“What is it?” I asked, my heart sinking at the fear in her eyes.

She looked down, her hands gripping my hoodie. “I have only told just one person this, and I feel like you should know too. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen her,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. “When I was a child, I wandered into the forest and got lost. I was missing for three days. No one looked for me. No one cared. She captured and locked me up in a hidden cave. I…it was horrible, Leo,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

My blood ran cold.

Before I could respond, a sudden crash echoed through the house. Ivy gasped, clinging to me as the sound of shattering glass filled the air, her body trembling. My wolf roared to life, my claws itching to unsheath. 

This so-called keeper wasn’t just a ghost from Ivy’s past and neither was she just a myth.

She was here.