THE WOLF INSIDE ME
1148 Words
“They weren’t supposed to find you this soon.”
Draven’s words echoed in my head long after the assassin vanished. I just stood there, stuck in the middle of the hall, staring at him. My heart hammered in my chest—not because of the attack, but because of what that assassin called me.
The sleeping heir.
I looked at Draven, searching his face. “What does that mean?”
He kept quiet.
“Draven.” I tried again.
His jaw tightened. “What?”
“The assassin called me the sleeping heir.”
“I heard him.”
“So tell me what it means.”
“Not here.”
I just kept staring at him. “Of course.”
His eyes narrowed at me. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re hiding something.”
“I am.”
That honesty just made me angrier. “Why?”
“Because you aren’t ready.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Not ready? I got rejected in front of my entire pack today, someone tried to shoot an arrow through my head, then another man grabbed me and called me an heir.” My voice cracked. “And you’re going to stand there and tell me I’m not ready?”
Draven’s expression softened for a moment, but I didn’t care.
“I know what you’re feeling,” he said.
“No, you really don’t.”
“You’re frightened.”
“I’m furious.”
He just said, calm as ever, “You’re both.”
I hated that he was right.
I looked down at my hands—still shaking. I whispered, “I deserve answers.”
“You do.”
“Then give them to me.”
“Not yet.”
Something in me just snapped. “Stop deciding what I can handle!” My voice bounced off the stone. The place was nearly empty now—just a couple of guards way off, pretending not to hear.
Draven stepped closer. “You think I’m trying to control you.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No.”
“Then what is this?”
“I’m keeping you alive.”
I stared at him, anger curling in my chest. “By lying to me?”
“I haven’t lied.”
“You haven’t told me the truth, either.”
“There’s a difference.”
“Not to me.”
He went quiet.
I couldn’t look at him anymore. Every time I did, I felt—hell, I didn’t even know. Fear, anger... and something else. Something dangerous.
I turned away, heading for the doors.
Pain exploded through my body. I gasped and clutched my chest—something burning, deep under my skin.
“Aurelia?” Draven’s voice sounded far away.
I couldn’t answer. The world spun, my knees gave out. Draven caught me before I hit the floor.
“What happened?”
“I—I don’t know.” Heat roared through me. It was too much. I grabbed his shirt, desperate. “Something’s wrong.”
His arms tightened. “Look at me.”
“I can’t—”
“Aurelia. Look at me.”
I forced my eyes open. All I saw were his silver eyes. The pain swallowed everything.
Then—CRACK.
The floor split beneath us.
Draven looked down. Another jagged line ripped through the stone, then another. Guards stumbled back. Someone yelled, “What’s happening?”
I screamed. Silver light blasted out of me like thunder. Draven flew backward. Then everything went dark.
—
The first thing I felt when I woke was warmth. Someone was holding me. I blinked my eyes open.
Draven.
My head rested against his chest. One of his arms was around my back. The other gripped my waist. His face was so close, but it wasn’t the cold mask everyone feared. He looked—worried. Almost scared.
I jerked away. “What happened?”
He just stared.
I looked around. Cracks everywhere—floor split, pillars broken. The guards kept their distance, all eyes locked on me. “What happened?” I asked again.
Draven finally stood, never looking away from me. “Your wolf.”
That stopped me cold. I actually laughed, sharp and humorless. “My wolf?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have one.”
Draven just watched me.
“I’ve never shifted.”
“I know.”
“I’ve never heard a wolf in my head.”
“I know.”
“I’ve even been tested—”
“I know,” he repeated.
I got to my feet, desperate. “Then stop saying I have one!”
“You were never wolfless.”
His words hit harder than any pain.
I froze. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“No.”
“You were never wolfless.”
“That’s not possible.”
“It is.”
“Everyone knows—”
“They were supposed to believe it.”
My stomach dropped. “What are you saying?”
Draven drew a slow breath. “Your wolf was sealed.”
I just stared. “Sealed?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
He hesitated.
“Why would anyone seal my wolf?”
“Because your wolf isn’t ordinary.”
“What does that mean?”
“You aren’t ready to know.” The words made me want to scream.
“Stop saying that!”
Draven’s expression turned to stone. “You nearly destroyed this room without even knowing what you were doing.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“I know.”
“Then help me.”
His eyes softened just a little. “I am trying.”
“No. You’re just protecting secrets.”
My hand pressed to my chest. The burning was gone, but something still felt… off. Like something had woken up inside me. Something that heard me. Something that answered.
“I felt something,” I whispered.
Draven stayed silent.
“Inside me.”
His eyes darkened. “What did it feel like?”
“Alive.”
Silence stretched between us. I finally looked at him. “You knew this would happen.”
He didn’t deny it.
“You knew I wasn’t wolfless.”
“Yes.”
My throat went tight. “How long?”
He seemed almost sorry. “Long enough.”
Betrayal burned in my chest. “You’ve known me for one day.”
Draven’s face changed, some old sadness flickering through. “No.”
My heart skipped. “What?”
Quietly, he said, “I’ve known you much longer than that.”
I forgot how to breathe. Questions crashed into my mind, but one pushed forward.
I looked right at those silver eyes. “Who did this to me?”
He held my gaze for a long moment, his face unreadable.
Then, softly—“Your mother.”
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