Chapter 3｜Sibling Secrets

The rain tapped against the windows of the Bennett apartment, a soft, relentless rhythm that mirrored Lila’s fraying nerves. She paced the living room, mind racing, stomach twisting. Jake had no idea. No idea that his sister, the one he had always thought was ordinary, was anything but. A wolf in human skin, a predator hiding in plain sight, and now, exposed to the city’s scrutiny, she had no choice but to confide in him. “Jake…” she began, voice barely above a whisper, as if the walls themselves might carry her secret. He looked up from the couch, brow furrowed. “What is it, Lils? You’ve been pacing for twenty minutes. Something happened out there?” His tone was casual, the way only a brother could manage, but Lila saw the underlying worry in his eyes. She swallowed hard, heart hammering. The words she had rehearsed a hundred times suddenly felt inadequate. “It’s… it’s complicated. I need you to understand something about me. Something I’ve kept hidden.” Jake sat upright, the couch cushion squeaking under him. “Hidden? Lils… what are you talking about?” Her hands trembled as she ran them over her face, trying to steel herself. “I’m not… just human. I’m… part of something else. Something dangerous. I’m a werewolf, Jake.” The silence that followed was absolute. Outside, the rain seemed to fall harder, pounding against the windows like it was echoing the sudden shock that slammed into Jake’s chest. His mind struggled to process the words. His sister. A werewolf. Lila. The girl who had saved him countless times, who had laughed with him over childhood pranks, who had argued over trivial things like who got the last slice of pizza… a werewolf? “You’re… kidding.” His voice cracked, disbelief sharpening each syllable. “I wish I were,” she admitted, sinking onto the edge of the armchair. “I’ve kept it from you to protect you. And… now everyone knows. The city saw me—Sophia took a video, and it’s everywhere. I can’t hide anymore, and I can’t run alone.” Jake ran a hand through his hair, pacing now, his own anxiety mounting. “So all this time… the things you’ve done, the way you disappeared sometimes… it wasn’t just me imagining things? You’re saying it’s real? All of it?” Lila nodded, eyes pleading. “Yes. And I need you to help me. Not because I don’t trust myself—but because I can’t face this alone. I need to know I have family I can count on, even if it’s dangerous.” He stopped pacing, his expression hardening. “Family.” He repeated the word as if tasting it, weighing its weight. His anger flared, not at her, but at the deception. “You didn’t tell me because… what? You didn’t trust me?” “I do trust you,” she said quickly, her voice tight with desperation. “That’s why I’m telling you now. I couldn’t let this secret put you in danger, but… I can’t fight this alone. I have to involve you, even if it changes everything between us.” Jake’s chest rose and fell with measured breaths, his mind racing. The room felt smaller, the rain outside louder, pressing against the fragile bubble of trust they were trying to rebuild. “I don’t know what this means for us… for me… for the rest of the world out there. But…” He paused, his jaw tightening. “…I won’t let anyone hurt you, Lils. Not the city, not hunters, not anyone. I’ll cover for you. I’ll protect the secret. But you have to promise me you won’t throw me into danger blindly.” A small, almost relieved laugh escaped her lips, brittle but genuine. “I promise, Jake. I’ll try not to. But right now… we have to survive. And surviving means keeping this secret, no matter what.” Jake nodded, swallowing the last remnants of shock. He wasn’t just her brother anymore; he was her shield. Her human anchor in a world that suddenly felt darker, stranger, and far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. “I… I guess this makes me part of your pack, huh?” he said finally, attempting levity to ease the tension. Lila tilted her head, a small, sly smile breaking through her fear. “Part of my pack. But you’d better be ready, because it’s not just about loyalty. It’s about survival.” Jake glanced at her, a flicker of both pride and apprehension in his gaze. “Survival,” he repeated. “Then we do this together. No matter what.” For the first time since the city had witnessed her true self, Lila felt a shard of calm. She wasn’t alone. Not entirely. Her brother might be human, but he was her brother—and in Portland, a city where shadows hid predators at every turn, family could be the most dangerous—and most essential—ally of all. As the rain continued its rhythmic descent outside, the siblings shared a tense, wordless understanding. Trust was fragile, and secrets were heavy, but they were bound together now. By blood. By choice. By survival. And in the distance, the forest whispered, carrying the unspoken warning: the night was far from over.