The morning sun over Bayou Mounds was bright and clinical, as if the darkness at Exit 27 had never happened. Dr. Sheryl Brown walked through the sliding glass doors of Bayou Mounds Regional Hospital with the steady, practiced stride of a woman who hadn't spent the previous night as an Alpha predator.

  “Good morning, Sheryl. How’s everything?” Dr. Karl Mixton called out as they passed in the lobby.

  “Doing just fine on this lovely day, Karl,” Sheryl replied, her voice smooth and devoid of the animalistic growl from the night before. “Just ready to get the day started.”

  “Good to hear. See you around,” Karl said with a wave.

  Sheryl retreated to the sanctuary of her office. She settled into her chair and pulled up the day’s case logs, her eyes scanning the digital charts. The quiet was interrupted by a light knock; Dr. Jamie Custer leaned against the doorframe.

  “Well, good morning, Sheryl,” Jamie said with a warm smile.

  “Hey, girl. What’s up?” Sheryl leaned back, perfectly composed.

  “Nothing much, just checking in on you. What’s the log looking like?”

  “Not too bad so far,” Sheryl said, clicking through the files. “I’ve got three urgent cases on deck, but I don’t expect it to stay quiet for long. A few stress tests and a couple of cardiac catheterizations. A typical Tuesday.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Jamie joked.

  “Indeed, it is, my friend. Indeed, it is.”

  Jamie’s expression shifted, her voice dropping to a gossipy whisper. “So... I guess the news finally broke. That zookeeper lady who the wolf bit? Turned out she was a straight-up serial killer.”

  Sheryl didn't blink. “Yeah. I saw that on the morning report.”

  “I was talking with the nurses,” Jamie continued, shaking her head. “They couldn't believe it. They were saying they had no idea a woman of her... well, her stature could do things like that. To a State Trooper, no less.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Sheryl said, her gaze lingering on Jamie for a second too long. “When the weak-minded get a taste of certain powers, they’re capable of anything.”

  Jamie paused, confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m just speaking in general,” Sheryl said, smoothly pivoting back to the Varnish. “We see it in the ER all the time. People get on these hard drugs, and they just go... wrong. Their minds go to indifferent places, they gain a terrifying amount of strength, and once that happens, they’re impossible to control.”

  “I guess so,” Jamie sighed. “It’s just insane that she did all that in such a short time frame. I’m just glad it’s finally over.” “Me too, Jamie. Believe me, me too.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  As Jamie turned to leave, Sheryl called out, “Hey, wait. Hold up. I need to ask you something.”

  Jamie turned back. “Yeah?”

  “Let’s go on a girls' trip,” Sheryl suggested, her tone light and refreshing. “We need a break from this city.”

  “Oh, wow. I’d love that! Where to?”

  “Nashville,” Sheryl said. “Just us and my cousin, Karen. Let’s shoot for the spring.”

  “That works for me! It’s a date,” Jamie said, energized. “Alright, I’ve got rounds. See you at lunch!”

  Sheryl watched her friend walk away. As the door clicked shut, the doctor’s smile faded into a look of deep, weary reflection. She picked up her pen, her hand steady, and went back to work—another day, another mask.

  The atmosphere inside the Bayou Mounds Police Department was thick with a rare sense of relief. Another shadow had been lifted from the city’s streets, though the rank-and-file officers remained blissfully unaware that their official resources hadn't done the heavy lifting.

  Olivia had managed to snatch a few extra hours of restorative sleep before heading into the precinct. Her body still ached, a lingering souvenir from the previous night’s intense battle. When she finally reported for duty, her first stop was the lion’s den: Chief Davis’s office.

  “Good morning, Detective. You looking alright?” Davis asked, not looking up from a stack of reports.

  “I’m doing fine, sir,” Olivia replied, keeping her voice steady despite the fatigue.

  “So, you got Miss Watson off the streets, I see.” Davis finally looked up, a rare, tight-lipped smile on his face. “Good job, Olivia.”

  “Thank you, Chief.”

  “You see, I’m glad I assigned this crap to you,” Davis grunted, leaning back in his chair. “My other UCs wouldn't have had the stomach—or the patience—to handle this one.”

  Olivia didn't let him off that easily. “Don’t get it twisted, Chief. This case was a nightmare. But once we found the smoking guns, nothing was going to stop us from nailing her.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Davis said, checking his watch. “Alright, I’ve got a briefing to attend. I’ll see you around.”

  Olivia turned to leave, but Davis’s voice stopped her at the door. “Hey, wait. I’ve got a quick question.”

  Olivia paused, her hand on the frame. “Sir?”

  “Those two PIs you’ve been running with—I looked into them. One’s a medical doctor, and the other is a high-level cybersecurity tech over at Lennox. Those are six-figure fields, Olivia. Why the hell are they moonlighting as private investigators in the Bayou?”

  Olivia didn’t blink. “That’s just the way of the world now, Chief. Everybody’s got a side hustle. Cost of living is a beast, even for doctors.” She offered a small, dismissive shrug. “But I’m dead serious when I tell you—they’ve been huge assets to me.”

  Davis grunted, seemingly satisfied but still skeptical. “Whatever you say. I’ll see you later.”

  At ten o’clock, the silence of Olivia’s desk was broken by her phone vibrating. It was Derek.

  “Hey, Battle. What’s the word?” Derek’s voice sounded remarkably normal, considering the hell they’d crawled out of forty-eight hours prior.

  “Just keeping the wheels turning. What’s up?”

  “What do you have going on for lunch?” Derek asked. “Are you trying to link up?”

  “Sure,” Olivia said, leaning back. “What do you have in mind? Not Lionel’s again, I hope.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. We’re there too much. Let’s hit a chain spot for a change of pace. I’m thinking Chili’s.”

  Olivia let out a short laugh. “That’s fine. But let’s not make this 'chain' thing a habit, okay? I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Hahaha, deal. See you soon.”

  As the morning sun climbed over Bayou Mounds, the three monster hunters went about their daily duties as if the Gray Wolf had never existed. To the outside world, they were a cop, a doctor, and a tech expert. But deep down, the weight of the truth remained. They knew that at any given moment, the Bayou would call on them to defend it again. Until then, they would hold onto the mundane—the office coffee, the lunch dates, and the quiet—clinging to a normal life for as long as the shadows allowed.

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