Chapter 291

Chapter 291
Caitlin's POV

"Please don't tell anyone what you saw. Please keep our secret. We're not monsters. We're just people trying to live our lives in peace."

"People who turn into wolves," I pointed out.

"Yes," Luna agreed

"But still people have families and children. Lives and if the world knew about us, it would destroy everything humans would fear us. Hunt us, try to control or eliminate us."

"You don't know that," I said.

"Yes we do," Luna replied. "It's happened before. Centuries ago. Before we learned to hide, humans hunted us nearly to extinction."

I looked at this woman sitting beside my hospital bed. She seemed genuine and sincere. Not like someone who was lying or trying to manipulate me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"Your silence," Luna said simply.

"That's all we keep our secret and we'll let you go. You can return to your life. We will even help you explain your injuries, say you were attacked by regular wolves and someone found you and brought you to a clinic."

"And if I refuse?" I asked. "If I insist on leaving and telling everyone what I saw?"

Luna's expression became painful. "Then we'll have to take other measures," She said quietly.

"Like killing me?" I challenged myself.

"No," Luna said firmly. "We don't kill innocent people but there are other ways to ensure your silence."

"Like what?" I demanded.

"Memory manipulation," Luna admitted. "We have people who can remove specific memories and make you forget you ever saw us."

I thought about having my memories erased. About losing part of myself.

"That's a violation," I said. "Of my mind, my autonomy."

"I know," Luna said. "Which is why we're asking for your cooperation first. Please, Caitlin. Please just keep our secret and go back to your life."

I looked around the room at the medical equipment that had saved my life. These werewolves had attacked me, the rogues, Luna had called them.

But these werewolves had also saved me and treated my injuries and were now asking, not demanding, that I keep their secret.

"Let me go," I said finally. "Now let me leave this place and go home."

"After you promise to keep our secret," Luna said.

"How can I promise that when you're holding me here against my will?" I challenged myself. "You save my life and then trap me. That's not asking. That's coercion."

Luna looked conflicted.

"You're right," she admitted. "This is wrong. All of it. But we're scared. Scared of what will happen if humans learn about us."

"Then maybe you should try trusting humans instead of fearing them," I said.

"We did trust humans once," Luna replied. "It didn't end well for us."

We sat in tense silence.

"I need to make my check-in call," I said. "To my supervisor. Or the GPS tracker alert will trigger."

Luna nodded slowly.

"I'll get you a phone," she said. "But please, think about what I've asked. We're not your enemies, Caitlin. We're just trying to survive."

She left the room.I lay there processing everything that had happened.

Werewolves were real. I was apparently one werewolf's destined mate, though he was trying to reject that bond. And I was being held captive until I agreed to keep their existence secret.

This was definitely not how I thought my research trip was going to end when the door opened again.

Alex was back and he looked terrible. Pale and shaking.

"I can't do it," he said abruptly.

"Can't do what?" I asked.

"Reject you," he said. "I've tried three times now. Each time feels like my chest is being ripped open and the bond won't break."

"I don't understand any of this," I said honestly.

"Neither do I," Alex replied.

"But apparently fate has decided you're mine. And no matter how much I don't want that to be true, I can't change it."

"Well that's flattering," I said sarcastically.

Alex almost smiled almost. "I didn't mean it like that," he said.

"Then how did you mean it?" I challenged myself.

"I meant that I never wanted a mate," Alex explained. "I didn't want the complication, the distraction, the vulnerability and I certainly never wanted a human mate."

"Again, so flattering," I replied.

This time Alex did smile. Just slightly. "You're not what I expected," he said.

"What did you expect?" I asked.

"Fear," Alex said. "Hysteria demands to be released. But you're just... calm. Practical. Trying to understand the situation."

"I'm a scientist," I said. "This is how I approach everything to gather information. Assess the situation and make logical decisions."

"And what's your logical decision about all this?" Alex asked.

I thought about it.

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "This is a lot to process."

Alex nodded then he left without another word and I was alone again. With more questions than answers and the strange, inexplicable feeling that my life had just changed forever.

Whether I wanted it to or not.