---- Letter: A written, typed, or printed communication, sent in an envelope by post or messenger.----

"Rie, any chance I am going to meet you any time soon?" I heard the frustration in Maverick's voice and I couldn't help but chuckle to the phone. "This is not funny. Last time I saw you was in the Moon Goddess festival, and your birthday is already around the corner."

"Sorry Mav." I sighed, putting the pen on the table and reclining on my chair, shutting my eyes to rest them a bit. "It's not like I do not want to see you, but you know I have been pretty busy with my research..."

"And with visiting other packs too." He cut me in and I could see the pout on his face. Even though I kept them closed, I rolled my eyes to the very back of my head.

"That is not something I decide." I pinched my nose and exhaled heavily. It came out more callous than I had expected. Arguing was not something I had enough energy to do in the moment. "Sorry, I'm a little overwhelmed with the research right now and having to waste my time with the pack visits doesn't make me very happy either..."

"Yeah... I'm sorry too." He sounded sincere, so I forced myself to relax. I could not unleash my anger on him when he had done basically nothing.

It had been around nine months since we met and Maverick and me had grown quite close during that time.

He had turned out to be the perfect cover for my visits to Dr Lopez and, thanks to that, my research had advanced pretty much since we talked for the first time. I had gotten out of my slump in my human doctorate research and had started to comprehend the association of the different components of the Dawn flower and their effects. I had not yet developed any medicine, but I was closer to my goal and was very motivated.

It goes without saying that, the same way I went to visit his pack, Maverick had come to ours too. For instance, in the Moon Goddess festival. He was fun to be with and he was a big help to keep other possible suitors at an arm's length. I could consider myself pretty lucky to have found someone willing to go up to such lengths in exchange for basically nothing. I general, I kind of liked the guy. It was a nice change of pace to have a friend outside the pack that wasn't nice to me for any special blood or pack related reasons.

"Changing the topic, Dr. Gunner told me you had published an article. Congratulations!"

"News travel fast!" I said, noticing my mood improved drastically as he reminded me of my first publication for the doctorate degree. "I would have never imagined how much Dr. Lopez's advice is helping me. Seriously, thank you. I owe you big time. And here am I being all prickly. What a nice friend am I. You are welcome. "

"I suppose it is already too late to withdraw my friendship offer from the table..."

"Waaaay too late chap! We have a no return policy here." I heard his laughter travel through the receiver and was glad he was so understanding of my mood swings.

I heard a knocking at my door and Max's head popped out with a questioning look. I nodded and signed him to come inside.

"Mav, I have to hang up now but before I forget again: wanna come around on my birthday? Max and me have nothing special planned. However, we can stuff ourselves with junk food and cake, and watch some movies if you feel like it."

"Netflix and chill at my fake girlfriend's house?" He hummed for a couple of seconds, as if he was thinking deeply about it. "I'm down."

I felt my lips curl upwards and stood up, approaching my brother, who was comfortably lying across my bed.

"Ok! Then see you in a couple of weeks! Also, thanks for calling..."

"Don't mention it. I already know you well enough not to expect any contact from you when you are concentrated with the research." He was totally downplaying my inability to keep in touch. With or without research, taking the phone and contacting people for the sake of it was not part of my everyday habits. I said goodbye and hang up, sitting next to Max.

"You have mail." He gestured to the stack of envelopes he had left on my nightstand.

I nodded and lay down next to him, knowing he had come for something more than delivering my mail. After a couple of minutes of silence, Max sighed deeply and continued.

"Father mentioned before we are going to visit the Frost Moon Pack next month." I furrowed my brows and he pinched his nose, obviously unhappy with the situation. "You met the current beta and gamma in the Moon Goddess Festival. Beta Harper Lattimore and Gamma Brendan Walcott. They have been kind of wanting to meet you again since the accident. They did not like Matthew that much to begin with..." A corner of his lips rose up, probably amused by a conversation he might have had with them about it. "Both of them found their mates already but... Alpha Neil Vroman is 28 y.o. and hasn't found it yet. I am on good terms with him, but I am worried he is of the type that gets tired of waiting."

"Do you think he will take anything that is good enough?" He gave me a sad look and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure." He stayed put for a moment, thinking about his next words carefully and then continued. "The problem is exactly that, Rie. You are not good enough. You are the daughter of an Alpha."

He pulled me into a hug and I leaned my head on his chest, hugging him back. There was nothing to say. We were not so innocent to think we could stop it easily in case he decided he was ok with me. After a couple of minutes enjoying the comfort of each other's company, Max released me and stood up.

"I have to go and help father with the paperwork. Lately he is dumping most of the work on me." He grumbled, reaching the door knob and turning to me. "But if it means I will get to become the Alpha faster, I do not mind." He flashed a charming smile and I mouthed a thanks to him before he left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

It had been a while since Max was actually worried when visiting a pack and that was distressing. He had met most of the candidates and knew more or less what to expect from each one of them. From the conversation we just had, I could guess Alpha Neil was pretty eager to get a partner already.

I brushed those thoughts away and sat on the border of my bed, reaching for the letters he had placed on the table.

Most of them were big envelopes containing what I assumed where the pamphlets with information about internship programs I had applied for. I inquired at all nearby companies and some others that were a little further but whose products and research I was more interested in. I shuffled them, checking first the names of the corporations that had replied, when a smaller envelope fell to the ground.

I put the brochures back on the table and reached for the fallen item. Form the quality of the envelope and the printed address, it looked pretty much official, but the name imprinted in the sender area didn't ring a bell.

I.S. Laboratories, LLC.

I assumed it was a small start-up I had left out during my research for candidate companies and opened it to find a single piece of paper folded in half.

I smiled when I saw the texture of the silk paper. Yes, I was a sucker for stationary. I couldn't help but appreciate a good paper, notebook, pen or the like when I saw them. I unfolded the letter and proceeded to read the contents, thinking it would be an offer of some kind. I couldn't be more mistaken. Every word I read made the temperature around me drop a whole degree, sending chills through my body.

Dear Mrs. Turner:

We believe you are conducting a research and we presume you are not aware of the fatal consequences that might befall on you and your loved ones if you are to continue engaging on it.

In order to avoid any unfortunate event that might occur, it would be recommended for you to center your efforts on a different field. One not so... delicate.

It is not our pretense to threaten you, but there might be some individuals who will most likely entitle themselves to carry on an unpleasant punishment in case you decide to pursue said research.

Thank you for your attention on this matter.

The letter itself lacked any information about the sender nor signature. I checked both sides of the paper for some other clue that might tell me who was the author of the note, but found nothing. I hurried to my laptop with the letter and envelope in hand and opened it. The minute it took to turn on felt as a whole eternity.

My mind was haywire. Thoughts overlapped each other not being able to find a proper order to them. When the browser finally popped in my screen, I typed down the little information I had available in the search bar: the name of the company and, based on the stamp glued to the envelope, the state.

Not surprisingly, there was no coherent result. After a good ten minutes of trying several options and combinations, I leaned back on the chair and covered my face with both hands, trying to make some sense of the situation. There was no doubt: no company that corresponded to that name existed. It was a smokescreen to make the letter reach my hands without suspicions. Furthermore, the letter was supposedly sent from my same state but I could clearly read they were British. Or they were faking to be.

I slid my hands down, fixing my eyes on the beautiful paper and envelope that where next to my keyboard. As much as I wanted to believe it was a friendly warning, the tone of the whole text was obviously threatening me to stop. It was no good news. I picked them up and sniffed them, trying to catch any familiar or characteristic scent. It goes without saying I noticed nothing. Maybe if Max tried...

I shook my head, deciding not to tell him anything yet. He was already stressed enough the way things were. And above that, I had just started making some progress towards my cure and I wasn't ready to give up.

Thinking calmly about it, it was impossible for anyone to reach me now. Basically, I was only alone when I was in my room. Not even when I was in my lab I was free of any watchful eyes. Plus, I didn't even know if the source of the threat was human or werewolf kind. They might as well just be some greedy humans who had no idea where they were stepping if they tried to attack me or my family.

I put the letter back on the envelope and walked to my closed to retrieve my box of precious things. Yes, I had one. Indeed, who doesn't have one? I know there is internet and clouds and plenty of whatnot nowadays, but you cannot store a piece of cloth nor a beautiful stone nor many other valuable things in there. Having a box of precious things is a basic.

In my case, it was a wooden box that had once belonged to my mom and I had found in the attic when I was around ten. I had taken it without telling anyone, but I knew it was hers because of the initials engraved in the bottom. "R. C." Rhea Carter.

I rolled my eyes thinking on how ironic it was that I also shared the first letter of my name with my mom, just like the Ackerman brothers. I would never hear the end of it if Maverick realized it. In any case, I was definitely not telling him any time soon.

It was a very simple hand carved wooden piece, with whirling patterns on the lid and sides. It must have been a present from someone dear to her, but I refused to believe father had spent such time and dedication to show love to anyone in his life. Not the father I knew.

I took a key out of my desk drawer and opened the lock, lifting the lid and finding Kenneth's blood-stone necklace first thing on top. I had put it away the day I came back from the Wildclaw pack. Even if it was going to be fake, I was still supposed to act as a girlfriend to Maverick. And carrying that around was not going to help my case.

I sighed and covered it with the envelope, closing the box immediately after. I didn't have time to waste wallowing in memories that only brought me pain.

I put the box back to its place and returned to the bedside, picking the rest of the letters and throwing myself on the bed, lying down while picking out the first one and leaving the rest beside me.

I opened it and checked the brochure carefully. Albeit there were new factors that would influence my pick, it was time to choose.

A/N

So, Riley thought everything would go rolling with her doctorate but looks like it didn't last too long... Poor girl!
I will upload next chapter within this week, I am feeling inspired with Maverick's visit to the pack =P Hope you like it enough to comment and vote!
Thanks for passing by anyway! 

Love, Koe