Chapter 35: Lost back

“So what do we do about Cole?” Jack asked. “I walked in on Damien in the hallway.”

“I’m so stressed right now, I don’t know what to do,” Damien muttered, his brows furrowing.

“Exactly. This whole Cole game… wait, is that Peter?” Jack pointed toward a hooded figure heading for the door. “Peter! Peter!”

Peter turned, spotting them, then walked over. “What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

“We go to school here,” Jack said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“What are you doing here?” Damien asked, eyeing Peter.

“Your school is weird, so… I came to find out something about Cole,” Peter replied.

“Really? You’re this bothered about us? That’s surprising,” Damien shot back.

“Relax. I’m not bothered about you. The hybrid could attack any of us,” Peter said calmly.

“Well… he’s right,” Jack admitted, turning to Damien.

“I’ve got things to do. I’ll catch you guys later,” Peter said before walking off.

Damien’s eyes followed him out. “Why do I feel like he’s lying?”

Real, dude. There’s nothing suspicious about him,” Jack muttered, folding his arms across his chest, his weight shifting uneasily from one foot to the other.

“If you say so… but when did the hybrid start showing up?” Damien’s gaze locked onto Jack, sharp and probing.

“It was when Peter arrived at Oakland.” Jack’s voice faltered, his eyes darting away for a moment.

“That could be a coincidence. And I thought only humans could control the hybrid.” Jack lifted a shoulder, but his frown betrayed the doubt gnawing at him.

“We’re still on this topic?” Lyra breezed in, her presence softening the atmosphere. She leaned down to press a quick kiss to Damien’s cheek, her hand brushing against his shoulder.

“Lucky for you, you weren’t around when it attacked us. It was terrifying.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck, his voice low, as if remembering the chaos.

“There’s something we need to discuss. Something’s not adding up.” Damien’s eyes narrowed, tension flickering across his face. His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless.

“Lyra!” Maya rushed forward the moment she spotted her, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. “I missed you. You left me alone with these knuckleheads.” The two girls burst into laughter, their voices echoing in the room and easing the pressure that had been building.

“Where’s Peter?” Damien’s voice cut through their laughter, steady and serious.

“He’s not here. Why?” Maya tilted her head.

“I suspect Peter might be the one controlling the hybrid.”

“What? Peter?” Lyra’s eyes widened, her hand instinctively gripping Damien’s arm.

“I thought we agreed it had to be a human. How could a supernatural control another supernatural?” Maya’s arms dropped from Lyra’s shoulders. She stepped back, chewing on her lower lip.

“Remember what the book said, if the bitten can redeem itself. Cole has always felt out of place, like someone desperate for reassurance but hiding it behind pride. If Peter gives him that reassurance, then he could be pulling the strings.” Damien’s jaw clenched, his voice low and charged.

“No… no.” Maya staggered back a step, shaking her head violently. “Peter can’t do that.” Her chest rose and fell as if she was forcing herself to breathe.

“Have you forgotten?” Damien’s voice sharpened, his eyes flashing with a warning edge. “Peter isn’t an ordinary wolf either.”

A heavy silence followed. Even Jack, usually quick with a sarcastic remark, stood still, his arms falling to his sides. His lips parted like he wanted to argue but no words came out.

Lyra broke the silence first. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her fists tightening until her knuckles turned white. “We need to find Peter. Now. Before he does anything reckless.”

Jack finally exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. “Then we’d better move fast because if Damien’s right, we’re already late.”

How?” Jack asked, his voice tight as he raked his fingers through his hair. His foot tapped against the floor, betraying his nerves.

“He could do something crazy like reveal the faces of supernaturals to the world,” Damien replied. His tone was steady, but his eyes burned with the weight of the thought.

“This isn’t adding up.” Maya shook her head, her brows furrowing deeply. Her hands slipped into her pocket, fumbling for something. When she pulled it out, her fingers trembled around a folded piece of paper. “Peter left this before he went out.”

Everyone froze.

Jack leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “What does it say?”

Maya unfolded the note slowly, her pulse quickening as if the paper itself carried a curse. She cleared her throat and read aloud, her voice low, Vegas Corner by 11.

Damien stepped closer, snatching the paper from her hand. His eyes scanned the words again, his jaw tightening. “He knew. He knew we would find out his identity. This isn’t random, he planned for us to see this.”

Jack’s face paled. He pressed his hands against his knees as if the weight of the realization was dragging him down. “If this was Peter’s doing… then Lydia’s death was planned?” His voice cracked, raw and heavy.

Damien shook his head slowly, his expression softening for a moment. “No. I think Lydia’s death was a mistake. Collateral damage in something bigger. Peter may be many things, but that… that didn’t feel intentional.”

Jack turned away, his shoulders slumping, grief flickering across his face. “Still doesn’t make it easier.”

Maya’s voice broke the silence, quiet but sharp. “But Peter was here when Cole attacked him. He got hurt too. That doesn’t fit.” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, as though holding herself together.

“Yes, but think back,” Damien countered, his tone firm. He stepped toward her, his eyes piercing into hers. “Throughout the fight, Peter never looked Cole in the eyes. Not once. That’s not by accident.”

The room grew heavy, the air thick with tension. Jack’s jaw clenched as he tried to piece it together. Maya rubbed her arms as if a chill had crept over her skin. Lyra, who had been silent, finally stepped forward.

Her eyes glinted with determination, though her hands trembled slightly at her sides. “If Peter is the one controlling the hybrid…” She swallowed hard, her voice steadying with resolve. “Then this has gotten a lot worse than any of us thought.”

Damien turned toward her, the corners of his mouth tightening into a grim line. “Exactly. If he’s willing to manipulate Cole, then nothing’s off the table. We’re not just dealing with a hybrid anymore. We’re dealing with someone who knows exactly how to bend others to his will.”

Jack exhaled sharply, pacing across the room. His shoes scraped the floor as his thoughts spiraled. “So what’s next? We go to Vegas Corner? Walk right into his trap?”

“Not a trap,” Damien muttered, his eyes narrowing. “An invitation. And if Peter wants us there… we have no choice but to show up.”

Lyra stepped closer, placing a hand on Damien’s arm. Her voice was low, but the fire in her eyes made her words cut deep. “Then we prepare because if Peter’s mask is about to come off, we need to be ready for what’s underneath.”