Chapter 255: Chapter 255

"Who’s there?" I called out, my voice trembling slightly.

No answer. Only the wind whistled through the cracks in the wooden walls.

But I could feel it, someone, or something, was close. Watching.

My pulse quickened. "Show yourself!" I yelled this time, my voice echoing through the empty house.

I tried to steady my breathing, but my wolf wouldn’t calm down. My claws began to push through my fingers, and my eyes flickered gold for a moment. The pendant around my wrist started to glow again, brighter this time, reacting to the energy in the air.

The scent grew stronger, masculine, earthy, mixed with something dark and smoky, like burnt cedar and cold night air. It sent chills down my spine, but it also... pulled me.

It felt familiar in a strange way, as if I had smelled it once, long ago.

"What are you?" I whispered.

I stuffed the strange things I’d found, the blood-stained cloth, the old pendant, and those tangled threads, into a small leather satchel. My hands were still trembling. I didn’t know what any of it meant, but something in my gut told me it was connected to me... to who I really was.

The scent outside still lingered, strong, familiar, almost calling to me. It didn’t smell like danger. It smelled... known. Safe, even.

"I have to know," I whispered to myself. "I have to find out who I am."

I looked around the small house one last time, the cracked wooden walls, the half-broken chair by the fire pit, and the old mat my father used to sit on. My chest tightened painfully.

"Father..." I whispered, swallowing hard. "Maybe you were right. Maybe you weren’t my real father. But I’ll find the truth. I promise."

I grabbed a small cloak, wrapped it around my shoulders, and tied the satchel tightly. Then I opened the door and stepped out into the night. The cold wind brushed against my skin, but the scent was still there, pulling me, whispering to me.

I started walking fast, my feet bare on the dirt path. I wasn’t even past the fence when I saw movement, figures, dark and tall, standing near the gate. My heart jumped.

"Who’s there?" I called out sharply, clutching the satchel close.

The moonlight hit their armor, and I froze. The soft silver glow reflected off the metal plates, making them look almost unreal, like ghosts from the palace come to drag me back. My fingers tightened around the small bag I had packed, the one holding the strange items I’d found. My heart thudded painfully in my chest.

"Lady Lisa," one of them called, stepping forward. His tone was respectful, but I could hear the tension in his voice. "Alpha Damon has sent us to escort you back to the palace."

My chest tightened at the mention of Damon’s name. His face flashed in my mind, those calm, steady eyes that had watched me walk away. For a moment, a part of me wanted to turn around and go with them. But then I remembered that I need to find out more about me, and the strange scent that pulled at me like a whisper. No. I had to find answers.

I shook my head, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Tell Damon... I’m sorry. I can’t come back now. There’s something I have to do."

The guard’s jaw tightened. He exchanged a look with the others, like they weren’t sure what to do next. "My lady," he said carefully, "the Alpha gave us strict orders. You are not to leave the pack."

A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. "This isn’t the palace," I said coldly. "And I’m not under their command anymore."

That made them all tense. One of the younger guards shifted uneasily, gripping the hilt of his sword, though I could tell he didn’t want to use it. The one in front, probably their leader, took another slow step toward me. "Please, my lady," he said softly. "Don’t make this difficult for us. Our Alpha will have our heads if we return without you."

His words hit me harder than I expected. Damon wouldn’t... hurt them for this, would he? I pushed the thought aside and took a step back, my eyes darting between them. "Then tell him I ran away to find answers," I said firmly. "Tell him I’m not ready to return."

He sighed, lowering his gaze for just a moment. "Forgive me, my lady," he murmured, "but we can’t do that."

Before I could react, two other guards moved forward, their boots crunching softly against the gravel. The night air suddenly felt heavy. One of them reached out, his gloved hand brushing my arm.

"Don’t touch me," I warned sharply, stepping back again.

"My lady," he started, voice strained, "we have no choice."

"Let me go," I snapped, yanking my arm, but his grip only tightened. His fingers dug into my skin. The moment felt too close, too wrong. Panic shot through me like lightning. "Let me go!"

Heat rushed through my veins, spreading from my chest to my fingertips. My breath caught as the air around me shifted, almost humming with energy. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I saw the guards’ faces change, their eyes widening, their grips loosening just slightly, as a strange light flickered at the edge of my vision.

Then I realized it wasn’t the moonlight. It was me.

My eyes burned, and the reflection in one guard’s armor showed them glowing faint silver, bright enough to cut through the night. My body trembled as the air seemed to pulse with power I didn’t understand. The guard holding me gasped, stumbling back, his hand smoking slightly like he had touched something burning.

"What in the goddess’s name..." one of them whispered.

I backed away, breathing hard, staring at my hands. The pendant glowed faintly, a silvery aura swirling around my fingers before fading into mist. "I... I didn’t mean to," I whispered. But they were too stunned to answer.

And then instinct took over.

Before any of them could reach me again, I turned and ran into the night, clutching my bag tightly against my chest. My bare feet slapped against the cold ground, my heart racing with fear, and something else. Power.

The guard gasped, loosening his hold, but it was too late.

The energy burst out of me in a violent wave, throwing all three of them backward. They hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. One rolled to his side, clutching his chest. The air crackled around me, thick, heavy, almost humming.

I stared down at my hands. Silver sparks still flickered around my fingers like tiny lightning bolts.

"What... what did I just do?" I whispered.

The guards were still struggling to get up. "My lady..." one gasped, his voice weak. "Please... stop..."

I stepped back, panic rising in my chest. "I didn’t mean to... I didn’t..."

The night air whipped through my hair as I bolted into the forest, heart pounding so hard it hurt. My bare feet hit the dirt, the grass, the roots, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop.

Behind me, I heard one of them yell, "After her! Don’t let her get away!"

But I was faster. Much faster.

The wind roared in my ears as I ran, leaping over fallen logs and sharp stones with ease that didn’t feel human. My senses were sharper; I could hear their boots hitting the ground, smell their sweat, and feel the earth shift beneath my feet like it was part of me.

The scent, that strange, powerful scent, was stronger now, guiding me deeper into the woods. Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Keep going," I whispered to myself. "Don’t stop. Just follow it."