Chapter 31: Meeting Richard Hayes
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"My name is Richard Hayes," he replied calmly. "And you, my dear, are my long-lost granddaughter."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. This man—this stranger—was my grandfather. The patriarch of the werewolf hunting family Liam had warned me about.
"How did you find me?" I asked, stalling for time as I assessed my situation.
"We never stopped looking," he said, pulling up a chair to sit across from me. "Elizabeth was my only child. When she disappeared with that... creature, I vowed to find her. It took decades, but eventually we traced her movements to Seattle. From there, it was simply a matter of searching adoption records."
"Why wait until now to contact me? And by 'contact,' I mean kidnap."
Richard smiled thinly. "We've been watching you for years, Charlotte. Your academic career, your research interests. When you began spending time in Silver Creek Forest, we knew you'd found them. Found him."
"Liam," I said, unable to keep the concern from my voice.
"Ah, yes. Liam Stone. The Alpha." Richard's expression hardened. "Our families have a long history, the Stones and the Hayes. His grandfather killed my father. His father killed my brother."
"And I suppose your family killed none of his?" I challenged.
"We did what was necessary to protect humanity," he replied without remorse. "As we have for generations."
"By hunting and killing sentient beings who just want to live in peace?"
Richard leaned forward, his eyes cold. "Peace? Is that what he told you? Werewolves are predators, Charlotte. Monsters wearing human skin. Whatever he's made you believe, whatever... feelings... you might have developed, they're based on lies."
