Chapter Three - Strange body

Luna's POV

My dad had just taken his nap, he takes his naps once it's two in the afternoon and wakes up six in the evening, most of the times. How he sleeps for so long, I don't know. How he even take naps, I don't know either because I find it very hard to sleep, not even at night. The medics call it insomnia, but I don't care about it.

So, afternoons while my father takes his nap, I come down to the river close to our house and spend my time there, swimming and enjoying nature.

I normally go to the river while my dad takes his naps because he wouldn't let me, as he is scared of rival packs. Well, in terms of my father, I wouldn't say scared, but careful. My father isn't scared of anyone neither is his son, Marcos. They are always too vigilant and I am not a fan of being too vigilant, I like it when people loosen up and enjoy the moment.

so, that day like every other day, my dad was asleep and I walked down to the river to swim. I wore a short and bralet, unlike in the night when I'm just naked.

I was in the river swimming and washing my body when I felt something touch me from behind and I didn't really care until I tried swimming backwards and I couldn't move. I would've just moved forward or forget about it, but I knew there was no rock in that river, at least not at that part of the river.

So, I quickly turned back in curiosity, to know what it was and alas! it was a body. A human body, a man or boy, all I know is he looked young. I almost screamed, but I held my mouth together because if Marcos or anyone found out I was in the river in the first place, they'd tell my dad right away.

I put my ear on his chest and I couldn't hear his heart beat slowly and faintly. I rushed him out of the water and when I finally took him out, I did CPR and tried different types of resuscitation styles I knew about or watched on the TV.

I even gave him mouth to mouth respiration, but unlike the movies, he didn't wake up and I was left with one option “To take him somewhere safe" until I saw blood on his hair like he had hit his head on a rock, but there was no wound signs then my planned changed to “Take him somewhere safe and clean him up." I didn't even think about taking him to the house because I knew my dad was going to ask how I met him in the first place then, I'd have to explain what I was doing in the river. 

So, I washed his body properly in the river, there was a tree house me and Marcos built and sneaked to together, when we were younger before he grew up and became all boring. I took his body there took off his shirt because I had no choice and it wasn't new to me anymore, as I had seen several pack members before and after they shift into their wolf forms, so I was used to seeing nakedness.

I left him in the tree house and headed back home to look for a solution for him.

When I got back to the house, I sneaked back to my room and made sure not to make any sound while I was entering.

I had successfully opened the door and got in without making a sound. As I tried to close the door gently, I heard a voice from behind.

“Where are you coming from?" The voice said, embedded with a bass like that of my father's.

Out of fear, I lost grip of the door and the door banged. I slowly turned around only to meet Marcos sitting on my bed with a clown smile on his face.

I breathed heavily, a sigh of relief. He had changed his voice to sound like my dad's just to scare me, typical Marcos. “Why are you in my room?" I said to him, with a straight.

He got up from the bed. “Oh, you can't escape the question and try to turn this on me." He said and walked closer to me. “Where.... Are you coming from?" He spelt out the question to me, word by word.

I was shaken up and my breath, shuddering. “I... I." I stammered as I was short of words and didn't know what to say, but while I struggled to find words, Marcos interrupted me.

“You better get your lie straight and well practiced because dad would know if you lied." He told me.

I was surprised he wasn't lighting my ass up because that's what Marcos does all the time, he is older than me and he made sure I'm always aware of that. I was relieved, but I had bigger problems now.

“Wait, you mean daddy knows I left the house?" I asked, my eyebrows raised and my eyes opened wide.

Marcos shook his head and closed his eyes in frustration. Then, he opened his eyes. “At least do it right. If you are trying to do something without anyone knowing, at least do it right without traces. That's my problem with you, you are always sloppy." Marcos said and raised his hand which his wrist watch was on and pointed it at my face.

“Jeez!" I whispered. The time was half past six already, that means half way over daddy's wake up time. 

“Dad noticed you were not around when he woke up and he sent me to come and call you else, why would I be in your room? I was sitting on your bed thinking about the lie I can come up with to save your ass like I always do." Marcos said as he spread his arms in self gloating. 

“We will talk about the lie you lied at the end of that sentence when all these has blown over, but for now I have to think about my lie." I was still speaking when Marcos cut in.

“Our lie you mean? Well, I already thought about our lie. You were sleeping and when you finally woke up you went outside to stretch yourself and take in fresh air. I was late to return to dad because I didn't find you in your room and I had to search all over the place for you before finding you at the backyard. You can thank me, but don't hug me, I don't know where you've been." He said, confidently.

I scoffed. “Now I know why dad loves you so much. The most confident liar in this house, and to think you are getting a thank you, I think you have now upgraded to even lying to your own self." I said, chuckling.

“Whatever, just meet me in daddy's room." He replied and left my room while I headed to my wardrobe to change my clothe.

I headed to my dad's room and I was still at the door when I heard my dad's voice. “It's open," he said.

I opened the door and before I could even think about greeting him.

“Where were you?" He asked.

“I thought Marcos would've told you by now." I replied, trying to keep the pressure at bay and sound confident.

“Well, I wasn't looking for Marcos, I was looking for you and I want to hear your story." My dad insisted.

I was worried, but I couldn't let it show on my face. “I was sleeping and when I woke up I went to the backyard to get some fresh air." I said.

My dad's look quickly changed. “Backyard? Why are you lying to me? Marcos said he saw you at the river bank." My dad said.

My heart raced. How can Marcos rat me out? Is this a test?  Different possibilities ran through my mind in split seconds, but I followed Marcos's advice. “What river bank? Marcos what's the meaning of that trash you said against me?" I tried confronting Marcos.

My dad let out a smile. “Oh, knock it off. Nobody said anything." He laughed hard at the both of us.

I sighed in relief. Why would he even mention river bank? I thought, it almost made me cave. “Oh, dad don't play with me like that, I'd have knocked his head off." I said, laughing and grabbing Marco's arms because I knew he could hit me.

“Whose head?" Marcos laughed.

“Whatever made your heart beat so fast means that you are hiding something, if not the both of you and you know me, I'm going to find out." My dad stated.

I wasn't bothered because I knew I was going to figure out the tree house case before he'd know about it. “There's nothing to hide, dad." I told him and went ahead to sit with him.

We chatted for sometime before I left the room to go meet my mom in the kitchen.

After dinner that night, I waited for everyone to sleep off before heading back to the tree house.

Immediately I got in, someone grabbed me from behind the door. “Who are you?" the voice said.