Page 67 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess
We go through a few more points while Emilien tries to gather some articles, for Leila and Aurelia, where they can read up on the basics of victimology. There is not much time to prepare for the visit, but they are both smart and spontaneous women. I’m hoping for the best. Any information they get will be valuable.
Chapter twenty-one
The Orphanage
*AURELIA*
“Meg Rose, I still remember her like it was yesterday,” Mr. Simon says with a sad smile.
Leila didn’t exaggerate; he comes off like a truly kind and gentle man. He must be approaching his sixties. There are lines of sorrow on his face and he looks tired, but whenever we pass some of the children who are running around and playing, he smiles at them.
They seem to like him. The moment they spot him, they come running to him to tell him about their day.
Nothing about this man makes my alarm bells go off. Maxima doesn’t get any weird vibes either. I know that Arden and the others are going to do a serious background check on him while Leila and I are here, but I doubt they will find much.
“Meg Rose?” Leila asks. “I didn’t know she had a second name.”
“It’s not official,” he says with a smile. “But the day her mother arrived, she was wearing a dress with roses on it, and she had a blanket with her with the same roses. We gave her the middle name Rose to honor her mother.”
“Wait,” I halt. “You know her mother?”
“I told the police back then, when Meg disappeared,” he starts. “I told them about how Meg’s mom arrived. She came to us as if she was chased. She was a mess. Have you ever seen a hunted animal?” he asks. Leila and I exchange a gaze. As wolves, we definitely have. When I nod at him, he continues. “That’s the look she had in her eyes. Like something bad was after her. She was heavily pregnant, too.” He pauses. “I took her in and instantly called the hospital. They sent the ambulance but came too late to take her there. Meg wanted to arrive, and she did. Unfortunately, Meg’s mom passed away only minutes after giving birth.” He pauses. “She only held her daughter for a moment and named her Meg, short for Mégane.”
“And she didn’t have any documents with her?” Leila asks quietly.
“Nothing, just the blanket with the roses on it. It’s in Meg’s possession.”
“Do you know her father?” Leila asks.
Mr. Simon shakes his head. “I asked her mother briefly if we should contact someone, but she instantly panicked. I figured… it couldn’t be anything good.”
“And the police didn’t search for her pursuer?” I ask.
“The police didn’t believe she was hunted,” he says bitterly. “And when Meg disappeared, they first believed she ran away, also Only when another girl in the same area disappeared, just a couple of months later, did they investigate.”
“Another girl disappeared?” I ask.
“Yes, she was the daughter of a homeless man. She was a couple of years older than Meg,” he says. “Her father was a broody guy, gave off a dangerous vibe, but he seemed to be devastated about his daughter.”
A rogue! That could have been a rogue! If it was a rogue, then Arden’s intuition proves to be right once again. It’s not about the victims being omegas; they just need to be lonely, orphaned or outcasts, and unfortunately, in our dark past, omegas fit that criteria the most.
“You believe this girl is at the same place where Meg is?” Leila asks.
“I hope not,” he says quietly. “Because they found the girl, dead, only a year later.”
My heart freezes in shock and sadness before the realization that we just might have found a body settles in. It’s so sad that this is something that might help us; an innocent girl’s death. “Do you have anything from Meg’s possession left?”
“I have kept it all,” he says. When we look at him in surprise, he just shrugs sadly. “As long as they don’t find her body, I will pretend she is still alive. And when she returns, I want her to have some things left in her possession.”
“That’s sweet,” I say quietly.
“I agree,” Leila looks at him gently. “I am sure she will appreciate it.”
“Do you think she is alive?” Mr. Simon asks.
I let Leila answer because I have no idea what to think or feel… or say.
“I don’t know,” Leila says. “But I certainly hope she is.”
