Chapter 17 - Adira
1138 Words
*Elara – pov*
The silence that settled over Rosewood after Raiden left, wasn’t a peaceful silence. It felt heavy. The kind that made every creak of the old house sound louder than it should.
I tried not to think about it.
Tried not to think about the fact that there were apparently dungeons nearby.
Or that giant wolves existed.
Or that one of them kissed me so thoroughly my entire identity unraveled afterward.
Instead, I cleaned because cleaning made sense. Cleaning was practical, predictable and normal.
I rolled up the sleeves of my sweater and started fixing what I could in the kitchen while waiting for my parents.
One cabinet door hung loose after the attack, so I grabbed a hand drill from the construction tools and repaired the hinge myself.
Another cupboard needed tightening.
One drawer had completely come off its rails.
By the time I finished, the space already looked dramatically better.
Beautiful.
I stepped back slowly to take it all in.
The kitchen was becoming the heart of the house.
High ceilings crossed with dark sleeper-wood beams. Heavy brass iron chandeliers hanging above the central island. Warm light beige upper cupboards, some with elegant glass panes meant to display crockery and glassware.
The marble countertops gleamed softly beneath the lights.
Dark cherrywood lower cabinets grounded the entire room with richness and warmth.
And the windows; floor-to-ceiling glass stretched across the far wall overlooking the forest.
Bulletproof, according to the contractor. Originally installed for winter storms and security.
Now apparently useful against rogue werewolves too.
Fantastic.
Silver appliances were due to arrive soon.
The house was slowly coming together. Coming alive piece by piece.
As I started processing the information and the events from last night to now, even I started coming back together.
That thought unsettled me enough that I abandoned the cleaning cloth and moved toward the small pocket lounge area near the windows.
Eventually this would become a breakfast nook.
Soft chairs.
Books.
Coffee in the mornings while snow fell through the trees. It felt very romantic.
I sank into one of the unfinished seats and stared out at the woods beyond the glass.
Everything had changed in twenty-four hours.
I found out my biological parents were dead royalty.
Apparently I had a hidden wolf.
Magic existed.
Raiden was my mate.
A conversation that we still have to finish, I mentally noted.
Even thinking the word made my stomach tighten strangely.
I could feel him. Not physically. Something else. A pull. Faint but constant. Like part of me was aware of exactly where he was in the world.
My fingers tightened slightly around the mug of coffee I’d made earlier.
“This is insane,” I whispered softly.
Hello, Elarielle.
I nearly launched myself out of the chair and pushed over my cold coffee.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I spun around.
Nobody.
The kitchen was empty.
Every door remained locked. Every window secured.
Cold panic slid sharply down my spine.
“Who’s there?”
A soft laugh echoed gently through my mind. Not through the room. Through me.
I am your wolf, Adira.
I went completely still.
No.
Absolutely not.
That was not happening.
I pressed both hands against the edge of the chair slowly.
“This isn’t real.”
Mm. That’s what you said about werewolves yesterday.
I stared blankly ahead.
Nope.
No.
No no no.
Clearly the universe had finally decided I’d reached my psychological limit.
“Trauma,” I muttered shakily. “Exhaustion. Sleep deprivation. Potential concussion.”
Another soft laugh.
Warm this time.
Affectionate almost.
Try to stay calm. The voice said gently. Keep an open mind. We’re safe. Our parents will arrive soon.
I swallowed hard.
The voice felt…
Female. It sounded smooth, elegant and confident. A little ancient somehow and terrifyingly real.
“I’m hallucinating.”
I closed my eyes briefly. Of course I was. Naturally. That was apparently normal now.
Nope, I’m still here.
“I officially give up on reality,” I whispered.
Adira giggled softly inside my head.
The sound startled me because it felt so natural.
Like she belonged there. Like she had always been a part of me.
“I have so many questions,” I blurted aloud before I could stop myself.
Another laugh.
I can hear your thoughts, Elarielle. You don’t need to speak out loud.
Heat flooded my face instantly.
Wonderful.
Perfect.
So now I had no mental privacy either.
“This is horrifying. Please call me Elara”
Elara, it is rather intimate.
“That’s worse.”
Adira sounded deeply amused.
I pressed my palms against my eyes briefly.
Okay.
Fine.
If I was losing my mind, I might as well commit properly.
“You’re really my… wolf?”
Yes.
“How?”
A pause.
Then gently:
I was sleeping.
The answer sobered me instantly.
“By my mother.”
Yes.
I stared out toward the dark forest again while trying to process the impossible conversation happening inside my own head.
She suppressed me to protect you until you found your mate.
Raiden.
Even thinking his name made warmth spread low through my chest to my stomach.
Adira noticed instantly.
Oh, we very much like him.
She flashed a very real image through my mind of Raiden’s hand on my hips and his mouth trailing kissed down my neck to my breasts.
I choked on air.
“You need boundaries.”
He smells incredible.
“Oh my God.”
And strong, she continued thoughtfully. Very protective. Very Alpha.
I covered my face with both hands.
“This is a nightmare.”
It’s actually quite hot.
“You’re insane too.”
No, Adira purred softly. Just hungry.
My stomach flipped violently.
I refused to unpack that. Absolutely refused.
Instead I forced my thoughts elsewhere quickly.
“What exactly are you?”
A white wolf.
The answer landed heavily.
“Like my father.”
Yes.
Something inside me tightened painfully.
I still couldn’t fully process the fact that I had found my biological parents.
That they loved me. That they died protecting me.
“Will I…” I hesitated. “Will I turn into a wolf?”
Adira hummed thoughtfully.
Eventually.
I stared blankly at the forest.
“Will it hurt?”
I’ve been asleep a long time. The awakening will take time.
No.
No no no.
Absolutely not.
I was a veterinarian.
I had degrees.
Scientific training.
I could not become a wolf.
“That’s not biologically possible.”
It already happened to everyone you met yesterday.
Fair point.
Damn it.
I leaned back slowly against the chair and exhaled shakily.
“So what now?”
Adira’s voice softened slightly.
Now we get to know each other.
Strangely, for the first time since this nightmare began, that idea didn’t terrify me completely.
- Writer
