He didn't know for sure, but he suspected Lora's death was no accident; not a tragedy brought on by genetic incompatibility or a risky pregnancy. Sure he'd heard the horror stories; it was difficult not to when they drilled into your head from a young age about the dangerous risk of purebloods mating with halfbloods, halfbreeds or hybrids; also known as 'human' or Mani Weres -though they rarely referred to them as Manis to such a point that the term was practically obsolete amongst the younger generations. He guessed referring to them as 'humans' was to instil this idea that they were weak and not even real Weres, though he knew that was far from the truth.
They -the community elders and teachers- had told people for many years that the child of mixed blood parents would usually die before birth regardless of whether the child itself was pure or not, which would explain Lora's death. The elders had also warned that in any case of mixed blood parents or children, if the mother and child survived throughout the pregnancy, the mother still had a high chance of haemorrhaging or having other complications and that their chances of survival during and after childbirth were extremely low. In fact, apart from his own mate and children, Thorpe hadn't heard of one case where mother and child had lived. Certainly not twin children like his own. Cases like these were unheard of.
Or so they say.
It certainly made him wonder if hybrid pureblood interbreeding and hybrids themselves were supposed to be so rare, how the elders could know so much about such things. He'd never seen any scientific investigation or tests conducted on the subject. No explanation as to why interbreeding was so dangerous.
One thing he was certain of now, was that Lora wasn't a pureblood, though they hadn't known at the time she'd left. She'd gone to Deer Creek with her parents' reluctant acceptance. She'd been curious and excited about it and they hadn't wanted to hold her back. They warned her of the dangers of getting too close to the Pack but understood her desire to go.
She promised to stay for a short time but then fell in love. She told them she was going to consummate her Mateship and asked her parents to come to Deer Creek for the ceremony. After much heartbreak and hours of painful contemplation, they refused. Not because of her, but because of them: the community. Thorpe and Eliza didn't trust them. There were too many skeletons hiding in the Pack's closet. Mysterious deaths, missing people. Evidence of secret gangs within all the Packs joining together for midnight prowls with humans as their prey. It was against all their laws but he knew they did it. He'd seen it for himself and that was one of the reasons he'd left.
And he'd suspected twenty years ago that someone higher up was covering the gangs' backs, even pretending they didn't exist. Now twice the age he was then, he still had the same suspicions.
What would stop those killers from murdering a halfbreed?
Everyone had believed Lora was a pureblood. Why would they have thought otherwise?
Unless they'd found out. Unless she'd been spied on.
The cogs in his head began piecing together parts of the puzzle. Something was definitely off. He feared now for the only daughter he had left.
A self-pitying voice in his head told him, if she walked past him in the street she wouldn't even know who he was. He was a stranger to her. And in some ways, she was to him. He didn't care, she was his daughter; nothing else mattered.
Grasping the phone tightly, he said, “For now, sit tight. You haven't gone to the police, have you?”
“No, I was trying to get hold of you. I thought you'd know what to do. I hoped that someone would let you know soon and you'd try to contact me. Thank god you did. But, should I have called them?”
“No, you did the right thing. We don't want the police involved. It could get ugly. Tell no one that she's gone missing.”
“As far as they know she's gone with her aunt on a spa holiday.”
“That's good,” Thorpe concluded.
“It's supposed to be for two weeks. Her friends have called the house several times saying they can't get hold of her. She doesn't answer her phone.”
“Tell them she's lost it. I'm sure they plan to keep her at Deer Creek longer than that so when it gets nearer the second week, tell her friends she's going to get medical treatment over there. That she's suffering from depression. Keep it brief but sincere. And if they keep bugging you, don't worry. It's none of their business anyway.”
John exhaled loudly. “Just tell me, Thorpe, is she safe?”
“I hope so, John, I really do.”
~Chapter 14 - Sneak~
Tuesday May 10th, 11:47 p.m.
Jaz's room
I've gotta get out of here. That was the only thought in her mind since she'd gotten into bed two hours before.
She'd tossed and turned. It was hot, or she was hot, she couldn't tell. And she didn't know why. She touched her head. It was damp with sweat and on fire; her moist hair had been her only source of coolness, now her mahogany roots were almost dry.
She kicked the brown covers off of her and sat up, staring at the textured wall in front that was bathed in the dull moonlight slithering through the thick glass of the high window.
She didn't know how she was going to escape, or if she even could, but she just knew she had to.
They were all liars. None of the things they'd said about her were true. It couldn't be. And if they weren't lying, somehow, she'd figure it out. Maybe even find her real parents if they hadn't lied about that too. She'd get their help; they owed her that much.
She'd made her decision. She had to get out. Once she made a decision, she didn't hold back.