Chapter 30: The Marked Tree
Lily Carter POV
I stumbled backward as the knife cut through the air where my head had been a second before. The controlled pack member - Mrs. Chen from the bakery - swung again with jerky, puppet-like motions.
"Mrs. Chen, it’s me! Lily!" I dodged behind a tree, my heart pounding. "You taught me to make bread when I was little!"
Her eyes stayed blank and sparkling as she advanced. "Must... eliminate... Triple Moon... bearer..."
I’d been trying to reach the nursery to help the trapped pups when she’d struck me out of nowhere. Now I was running deeper into the bush, leading her away from the children but getting dangerously close to pack borders.
The knife whizzed past my ear as I ducked around another tree. This one was huge and old, with deep lines in its bark that caught my attention even while running for my life. Strange symbols were cut into the wood - circles and lines that looked fresh.
Mrs. Chen lunged forward, but I rolled away and her knife stuck deep in the marked tree. While she fought to pull it free, I got my first good look at the carved symbols.
My blood turned cold. These weren’t random scratches. They were too neat, too purposeful. Someone had spent time carefully cutting these marks.
"Help... me..." Mrs. Chen’s voice cracked through the Shadow Wolf control for just a second. Her real self was fighting to break free. "Can’t... stop... myself..."
"I’m trying!" I grabbed her arms, trying to keep the knife away from both of us. "Fight it, Mrs. Chen! Remember who you are!"
Her face twisted in pain as she fought against the mind control. For a moment, her eyes cleared and she looked at me with recognition and fear.