13. Mai

Ryan grinned as he slid the saltshaker just an inch away from my reach, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You want this?"

"Seriously?" I laughed, stretching over to snag it back, but not before my other hand darted out, snatching a piece of his bacon.

He looked at his plate, then back at me, feigning betrayal. "That was my last piece!"

I chuckled as I salted my eggs. "Well, you're lucky you're cute, or you'd never get away with keeping the salt hostage."

"You're one to talk about being cute while committing bacon theft."

Just as I was starting to think mornings could always be this easy, this good, our cozy bubble burst. Michael and Danni walked in. I didn't need wolf senses to know something was up.

"Morning, Mai, Ryan," Michael greeted. "Mind if we interrupt?"

"Not at all," I replied. "It will keep Ryan from stealing the salt."

Michael smiled but got straight to the point. "We've got something on ripple. A werewolf named Noreen Hunting has reached out to us about her sister. Apparently, the sister is hooked on ripple. We're just headed out to go and see them. Interested?"

I exchanged a quick glance with Ryan, seeing my own curiosity mirrored in his eyes.

"We're in," Ryan said.

We pulled up in front of an apartment building. The area lacked the gleam of affluence—no doormen, no flashy cars parked along the curb—but it was far from rundown. Neat rows of modest homes and small businesses lined the streets, telling the story of a middle-class neighborhood that took pride in its appearance. The apartment building itself was well-kept, with cute flower boxes on the balconies, their blooms lending splashes of color to the otherwise nondescript structure.

Danni led us inside. The lobby was clean, its walls freshly painted in a soft, welcoming green, and there was a small table near the entrance with a vase of fresh lilies, their petals still vibrant. A community bulletin board hung on one wall, its cork surface covered with neatly arranged announcements for neighborhood events, lost pets, and local services. Every detail—from the polished floor to the lack of clutter—spoke to a building well cared for by its residents.

Danni pressed the button on the elevator for the fifth floor.

"We're here to see Arabella Hunting," Danni said as the doors opened, and we stepped inside. "She's nineteen, works in advertising, and lives here with her sister Noreen. Noreen contacted me this morning. She's really worried—says Arabella has been on ripple for about two weeks now."

The elevator gave a soft "ding," its doors gliding open on the fifth floor. The hallway was narrow, the carpet a muted shade of gray that had clearly been vacuumed recently. Framed prints decorated the walls at regular intervals, giving a homely touch.

"We're almost there. Brace yourselves; this could be rough," Danni warned as she led the way.

Danni stopped in front of number 365. She knocked, the sound echoing a soft thud-thud against the wood. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a young woman, mid-twenties at most, who looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were tired, dark circles marring her otherwise pretty face. Her dark blond hair was tied in a hurried braid, loose strands framing her face.

"Hey, Danni," she said, her voice tinged with both relief and apprehension.

"Noreen, good to see you," Danni replied. She gestured to us. "This is Mai and Ryan; they're from the Three Rivers Pack. Mai, Ryan, this is Noreen, Arabella's sister."

Noreen extended a hand, first to me and then to Ryan. "Nice to meet you," she said, although her body language suggested "nice" was not currently in her vocabulary.

"Likewise," I replied.

Noreen's eyes then landed on Michael, and her posture shifted almost imperceptibly, back straightening as her gaze dropped to the floor. "Alpha Michael," she greeted, a note of deference lacing her voice.

Michael nodded in acknowledgment, his own expression softening. "I know this was difficult, but you've done the right thing by reaching out to us, Noreen."

She lifted her eyes just enough to meet his gaze before lowering them again, a flicker of relief crossing her face. "Thank you, Alpha."

"May we come in? We have a lot to discuss, and time may not be on our side."

"Of course. Please…" Noreen stepped back, opening the door wide for us to enter, and led us into a cozy living room. A floral-patterned rug anchored a matching set of furniture—nothing fancy, but each piece looked loved, lived in. On the wall, there were photos of Noreen, an older couple I presumed were her parents, and a girl who looked like a younger version of Noreen but with vibrant black hair. The girl was pictured in different places: canoeing, at the top of a mountain, in a park surrounded by three other girls, all of them laughing. She looked happy, full of life.

"Please, have a seat." Noreen gestured toward the couch.

Michael took the armchair while Ryan and I settled onto the couch. Danni stood by the door, eyes scanning the room.

"Noreen," Michael began, "why don't you tell us what's been going on with Arabella?"

Taking a deep breath, Noreen clasped her hands tightly in her lap. "Two weeks ago, Arabella started using this drug. It's called ripple, I think. You have to understand, Arabella is not a druggie. She has never taken drugs before. They're not supposed to work on Shifters. But she works hard. She wants a promotion at work. She's been there two years, and she's still on basic pay. They've brought in three new people, all male Shifters, since she started, and all have been promoted. She works her ass off—late nights, early mornings, almost every weekend—and gets nothing in return. Then, two weeks ago, she pulled an all-nighter trying to prepare her boss for an important meeting with a client. At the last minute, she was asked to sit in on the meeting. She thought this was her chance to show them what she could do. One of her colleagues, one of the men who'd been promoted above her, offered her something to keep her awake and alert for the meeting. She …" Noreen's voice wavered, "she took it."

Noreen paused, looking out of the window. "I didn't know. Not then. It wasn't until later that week. After the first dose wore off, Arabella thought that was it. It had been a one-time thing. But then she said it was all she could think about. Just one more hit. Something to take the edge off. She went back to the guy and asked for more. I only noticed something was off when she stopped going to work. She was ambitious, she was determined to get that promotion, and in the space of a week, she suddenly doesn't give a shit. That's not right. She stopped eating; she's lost over five pounds in two weeks. And she hasn't Shifted. Not even once, Danni. You know how bad that is for one of us."

Noreen's whole body screamed of a mix of desperation and hopelessness. "I don't know what to do. She's not just my sister; she's my best friend. She's all I have. I can't lose her."

I looked over at Ryan, his eyes tight with concern, and then back to Noreen. "Noreen, where is Arabella now?" I asked, my voice as gentle as I could muster.

"In her room," Noreen replied, pointing down a short hallway. "I tried to get her to come out, but she won't listen to me. She won't listen to anyone."

"Can we see her?"

Noreen got up and led the way down the hallway. She pushed open a door, allowing us a glimpse into a room that was disarrayed and chaotic. It was a medium-sized space that was probably cozy in better days. An oak dresser stood to one side, its mirror cracked, and several drawers hung open, spilling their contents like a wound. A matching nightstand held a purple lamp with a lopsided shade. In the middle of it all was a double bed, its linen twisted. Clothes—some folded, most not—were scattered on the bed and the floor, mingling with loose papers and makeup items. A vanity table on the other side of the room was cluttered with beauty products, some of which had toppled over, the liquid contents slowly dripping down onto the carpet.

Den is dirty.

My wolf didn"t like it in here. I couldn"t say I blamed her.

Then my eyes fell on Arabella. She was perched on the edge of the bed, rocking gently back and forth. Her dark eyes were sunken, and the once-lustrous hair from the photos in the living room was now dull and lifeless. She looked like a wisp of her former self, fragile and hauntingly empty. I couldn't believe this wreckage happened in just two weeks.

"Holy shit," Ryan muttered under his breath.

Danni stepped forward, locking eyes with Arabella. "Arabella, hi. I'm Danni. We're here to help you."

"I don't need help. I need ripple," Arabella snapped, her eyes not even looking at us as she continued rocking.

Danni looked at us and shook her head. "I've heard about cases where werewolves decline slowly on regular, small doses. To get to this stage should take a few months. But what we're seeing here? This isn't that. Arabella," Danni squatted down in front of the girl, "have you been taking large doses?"

"Who the fuck cares about doses? I feel alive when I'm on it, okay? I'm pure, finally pure."

I stepped over some discarded clothes and crouched down next to Danni so Arabella and I were on the same eye level. "You're not living; you're dying. Look at yourself, Arabella. Look at this room. You need help. You need to get off ripple. It's making things worse, not better."

Arabella's eyes finally focused on me. "And what would you know about it? Actually, who the fuck are you?" Arabella glared at me.

"I—"

"Enough, Arabella." Michael stepped in, his voice full of the kind of authority only someone who'd been an Alpha for a long time could muster. He turned to Noreen. "I've seen enough. I'm taking her back to the Alpha House. We'll get her set up in the med wing. She's going to detox, whether she likes it or not."

Arabella surged up off the bed. "The fuck I am! I don't want to detox. I like ripple. I need ripple!" She grabbed onto her sister, her voice switching from anger to whining in an instant. "Just one hit, and everything will be okay, Noreen. You'll see. Just one hit and that's it. It'll be different this time. I promise."

Noreen's face had turned even whiter. With tears in her eyes, she silently shook her head.

"You fucking bitch! You can't let them take me. I'm your sister. How can you do this to me?"

Noreen was openly crying now. "Arabella, please!"

I turned and grabbed Noreen, pulling her out of the room and back to the living room. She didn't need to see this. "It's the drugs talking. It's not her; it's not what she really thinks."

Noreen sobbed in my arms. I felt so helpless.

Michael appeared a few moments later, carrying Arabella in his arms. She was quiet and still, staring dully ahead. The Alpha of a Pack could quiet even the loudest demons inside us. I had to learn how to do that if Ryan and I wanted to be effective Alphas.

"I'll take her to the car and will wait for you there," Michael said, then carried Arabella out.

Ryan walked back into the living room. "Danni's getting clothes for Arabella to take. Noreen, do you want to help pick some things out?"

Noreen straightened up. "Yes, of course," she whispered.

Ryan waited until she disappeared down the hallway before asking, "You okay?"

"What the hell is this drug? Shifters are not supposed to react like this. If this takes a hold in the north, it'll devastate our Packs."

"I've got Derek and Mason on it. They're trying to track the suppliers. We need to get the Three Rivers back, and then we'll shut this thing down."

"If this is the damage it can cause in two weeks, we don't have much time."

"No," Ryan agreed, "we don't."