Chapter 103

Lucas POV

The uneasy feeling in my gut wouldn't subside as we drove back from the hospital. Something just didn't add up about Shana's condition.

Anemia

It just seemed too convenient, too easy an explanation for her sudden bouts of dizziness.

The fact that she had been hiding this from me also made me upset. I had no idea why she'd felt like she needed to keep it a secret.

I feel like an awful friend for not noticing anything sooner, or neglecting to conduct any research on what could be wrong with her.

I couldn't help but recall the moments that had me questioning Shana's condition.

When Jessica had locked her in the training room, her eyes had glowed an unnatural color. I'd brushed it off then as an adrenaline-fueled hallucination, but it had been too vivid to forget.

Even the hospital couldn't identify what the cause was... and then it was just forgotten.

And then, more recently, when she defended herself against her intoxicated father, her eyes shimmered with that strange, otherworldly glow again.

It was only seconds, but I knew what I had saw. It was the same shade... that same unnaturalness.

Could it all be connected But how, and what did it all mean

Could Shana's condition be tied to her mysterious wolfless heritage I'd never heard of anything like this ever occurring before, but at the same time, there wasn't much to learn about wolfless in the first place. Our society had shunned them for ages, and that had caused negative repercussions.

Learning more information on this matter would be extremely difficult, but I hadn't even tried.

It was a nagging thought that I'd pushed to the back of my mind, overwhelmed by everything happening with my father.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd been neglecting something important. Neglecting Shana's well-being, and possibly putting her in danger by doing so.

Guilt gnawed at me, and I felt stupid for letting this slip my mind.

What kind of friend was I Shana should've been my priority, especially after everything she's been through these past few months.

Maybe whatever she was feeling was a result of all of that

I shook my head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the possibilities.

I looked toward Shana's closed door, wondering what she was doing in there.

I didn't want to bother her, but I hoped she was okay. On the car ride home she seemed fined... cheery even.

I couldn't tell if she was putting up a front or not, but I had a small feeling that she was for my sake.

It was hard for me to hide my contemplative mind. Every possible thought was swirling in my head. Was there something I could've done to prevent this Was Shana still lying to me Was there more that she knew that she wasn't telling me

I tried to push that thought out of my head. Shana might've kept her symptoms from me, but she wouldn't lie about knowing the truth, right

Friends didn't lie to their friends, and I knew Shana would never betray me like that.

I decided to retreat to my own room. I closed the door softly and approached the desk where my computer sat.

It beckoned me like an old friend, promising answers to the questions that had been plaguing me for weeks.

I fired it up, determined to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding wolfless.

I didn't go into my research with much enthusiasm. I knew that it might lead to a dead end, one that I wasn't looking forward to discovering.

As I typed in a search, I couldn't help but wonder about Shana. What was she thinking Was she as scared and confused as I was

She'd locked herself in her room, probably trying to make sense of her own fears and concerns. I knew she was strong, but this was different. It was something neither of us had encountered before.

Hell, I had no idea what life as wolfless was like. My life was the complete opposite to Shana's. I didn't know the struggles that she had to face day in and day out. I didn't know what it was like to always be bullied for simply being who you are.

And now she had all of these physical and emotional problems on top of that...

It wasn't fair, and I couldn't hide the tinge of frustration that came over me.

I vowed to myself then that I would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took. I was sick of seeing Shana lying in a hospital bed.

I was done with uncertainty.

I needed answers, and I was going to find them.

With each click of the mouse, I ventured further into the realm of wolfless history and genetics.

The information available online was incredibly limited. Not surprisingly, but disappointing.

I cursed at myself, thinking this would be even harder than I originally anticipated.

Suddenly, I found a website that seemed like it might have some kind of answer Unique and rare symptoms that a wolfless might possess when dealing with illnesses.

I clicked on the website and began to read, studying every single word carefully.

It mentioned how as wolfless grow older, their bodies try to grow accustomed to the environment around them. Since it's a rare and unusual occurrence, there were a lot of negative symptoms that affected people

loss of vision, headaches, weakened or fragile bones, extreme sensitivity to the sun, moodiness, and shortness of breath.

However, as I kept reading, I read a paragraph that made me stop in my tracks.

The biggest sign that a wolfless is undergoing major biological changes is dizziness. Dizziness in someone who is wolfless could be attributed to a congenital deficiency and may even indicate a shortened lifespan.

I found it hard to swallow as I read the words.

Dizziness could lead to a shortened lifespan… Was that a guarantee or was it just a prediction How reliable was this website Was Shana in danger

I started to ask myself all of these questions as I checked the references for the website.

It was posted by some anonymous user... There was no telling how reliable it was. Great. It was as good as a Wikipedia page.

But I couldn't stop there. I needed answers. I needed to understand what was happening to Shana.

I remembered reading about a professor in the area who specialized in wolfless history. It was a long shot, but I decided it was worth a try.

I looked up the professor's contact information and found an email address. I drafted a message, carefully choosing my words.

I explained our situation without revealing too much, asking for a meeting to discuss wolfless genetics. I felt a surge of determination.

I would do whatever it took to get to the bottom of this, for Shana's sake.

As I hit the send button, I couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

Shana couldn't afford to wait any longer to unravel the mystery that surrounded her and whatever was happening with her.

I knew her symptoms wouldn't just go away... it would keep happening.

Then I got a message back from the professor, asking if I would be able to meet with him this weekend.

I decided then that I'd go alone. I didn't want to bother Shana with this, and I didn't want this professor to make a spectacle of her. She'd been through enough already.

I urgently replied, agreeing to meet, feeling a little hopeful that I might be able to find some answers after all.