Wolf #1: The Pack [COMPLETED]

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Turn off at Exit Twenty-Six," The GPS directs me. As I flick my indicator on, it adds, "Take a left at the traffic light."

My next venture into tracking Steph's past has taken me to Bothell, Washington. In her journal, she's gone to an open-mic to listen to a woman named Sashi. She's a priestess of some alternative religion, and Steph seemed to be a huge fan of hers. I'm practically bouncing at the prospect of finally finding out the finer details of what belief system Steph had stumbled upon. She was extremely vague in her writing about it—it was the only thing that she hadn't thoroughly detailed.

However, Sashi Naidoo is someone that Steph had raved about in great detail. Apparently she lives in France with her religious order, and I discovered that she's no longer in the United States. Her assistant from the open mic, however, lives in the area and I had asked to meet with them.

As I drive through the main arterial road that leads me into the older side of the town, I try to bite back my smile. I started driving after school last night and had driven all night to make it for our morning meet-up. I'm exhausted but at the same time, wide awake. It's time to get some more answers.

"Arrived," The GPS switches off automatically as I park outside the apartment complex.

The assistant, Thomas, is a librarian for the public high school and lives downtown in one of the original complexes. The town is a mixture of old-country town and modern, village-style living. Constructions crews have certain roads blocked off and cranes crowd the skyline.

Double-checking that I have the correct address, I ring the buzzer to the apartment building. Apartment A3. As I wait for them to pick up, I unlock my phone and begin recording.

"Hello?" A voice comes from the speaker.

"Thomas? It's Amelia Kenzington," I speak into the buzzer and brush my hair out of my face. It's windy here and I had forgotten to bring a hair-tie, so I keep having to sweep my hair from my eyesight.

"Ah! It should unlock in a couple seconds. Give me a call if it doesn't!"

They hang up and I wait quietly at the door. Noise to the side catches my attention and I look up to see a group of college-age kids crossing the street towards me. They're all laughing about something.

The wind picks up quickly and I pull my hair from my face again. The door clicks open and I turn the squeaky handle.

"Hey!"

I look up and realize that one of the kids from the group is sprinting towards me. They're all staring at me with wide eyes. He yells at me again, nearly on top of me as I hurry inside. My heart beats loudly as I shut the gate behind me, jumping back as he collides into it.

"Come back here!" He yells at me, slamming his palms against the gate, "Hey!"

I don't waste any time and fly up the stairs. His shouts quieten down and I pound frantically on Thomas's door as I hear the gate open. Someone comes up the stairs just as the door opens, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It's just an older woman bringing up groceries.

"Amelia? Is everything alright?"

I turn to Thomas and stick out my hand, "Yes—sorry, I thought some guy was trying to mug me." I let out a nervous laugh as they raise an eyebrow at me.

"Come inside," They step aside and let me into their apartment. It's dim and I notice that there's an absurd amount of candles lining every surface, but other than that it's what you would expect from a man in their thirties.