Azura's POV
Everything was white.
It wasn't a bright, blinding light. It was just... endless. Like I was standing inside a thick fog that went on forever. I looked around, trying to find a wall, a door, or even the solid ground beneath my feet, but there was nothing.
Then I saw her.
A woman stood far away with her back to me. Her hair fell past her shoulders in long, white waves, but one thin black streak cut through it, looking just like mine. Or should I say the opposite of mine?
My chest felt tight. I didn't know who she was, but I felt a pull in my soul, like a thread was tugging me toward her. I started walking, then running, but the distance between us never changed. It was like running in place.
"Wait!" I called out, my voice echoing in the emptiness.
She turned her head slightly. Her lips were moving fast, her expression urgent and desperate, but no sound came out. It was like she was screaming behind a thick sheet of glass.
"What are you trying to say?" I whispered.
She reached her hand out toward me, and then everything began to fade into gray smoke.
****
I woke up with a gasp, my heart thumping so hard against my ribs. My fingers were stiff and sore from gripping something hard.
The journal.
I must have fallen asleep in the chair trying to pry the stubborn thing open again. I rubbed my eyes, trying to catch the tail end of the dream, but it was already slipping away. White hair. A black streak. Who on earth was she?
I huffed and set the book on the small table. "Useless thing," I muttered.
As I turned to get up, I caught my reflection in the mirror and froze. I leaned closer, squinting at my own face.
The bruises were gone.
The dark purple marks, the yellow stains... all of it. It looked like I had never been in a fight in my life. I touched my cheek carefully, waiting for that sharp sting of pain, but there was nothing. My skin was as smooth as silk.
"That's impossible," I breathed.
Just yesterday, I looked like I'd been run over. Then I remembered Liona's voice: Mate contact helps a mate heal faster.
A shiver ran down my spine. It was because of him. Because Rhydor had stayed by my side for days, my body had healed in a way no rankless wolf ever could. I hated that I owed him for this. I really did.
But I couldn't just ignore it. I should at least say thank you. It was the right thing to do, even if I had to swallow my pride to do it.
The walk to the Alpha's chambers felt like it took hours. My stomach was doing nervous flips by the time I reached the heavy oak doors. Two guards stood there, looking at me like I was a piece of trash stuck to their shoes.
"I need to see the Alpha," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
The guard on the left didn't even move a muscle. "The Alpha is busy. No one goes in."
"I only need a moment. I just want to thank him."
"Orders are orders. Go away."
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Fine. Be that way," I snapped under my breath.
Since I couldn't get in and couldn't find Axel or Silas to help me, I decided to head out. I needed some air. The pack house was starting to feel like a cage.
****
The market was a sea of noise and color.
People were shouting over prices, and the smell of roasted meat and spices filled the air. It felt weird being back here. This was my old playground, not as a guest, but as a thief. I knew every corner and every hiding spot. I had stolen so many times just to keep those kids from starving.
My hand went to my neck, a habit I'd picked up since I started wearing the necklace. I felt for the cool stone of my parents' pendant. Good. Still there.
I was weaving through a thick crowd when someone slammed into me. Hard.
I stumbled to the side, nearly face-planting into a basket of grain.
"Sorry," a muffled voice whispered.
I looked up and saw a figure in a dark, hooded cloak. They didn't even wait for me to speak; they just ducked their head and vanished into the crowd.
"Watch it!" I grumbled, smoothing down my dress.
I walked a few more steps, then reached up to touch my neck again.
My heart stopped. My skin went ice-cold.
The pendant was gone.
"No," I whispered, my blood turning to ice. "No, no, no."
I knew that move. The "bump and run." I had done it myself a hundred times. I spun around, my eyes scanning the crowd like a hawk. Nobody robs a professional. Not today.
I spent several minutes sprinting through the stalls, my eyes searching for that dark cloak. Finally, I spotted a shadow ducking behind a stack of wooden crates at the edge of the market.
I heard guards shouting nearby. "She went this way! Check the stalls!"
"A 'she'... so it's a girl," I muttered. "Bad time for you, girl."
I ignored the guards and crept toward the crates. My anger was boiling over. That pendant was the only thing I had left of my parents.
"You took something of mine," I said, my voice low and dangerous as I stepped around the crates.
The figure stiffened.
"I don't know what you're talking about," a woman's voice whispered. She tried to bolt, but I lunged forward and grabbed her cloak, yanking the hood back.
I froze. My jaw nearly hit the dirt.
"Liona?"
The healer's daughter stared at me. But she didn't look like the kind, sweet girl who had helped me. Her eyes were hard and full of fear.
"Do I know you?" she asked flatly.
I felt like I'd been slapped. "Don't play that game with me right now. Give me the necklace."
Before she could answer, a loud shout cut through the air.
"There! I found her! There are two of them!"
The guards were running toward us, their swords clanking against their armor.
Liona's eyes went wide. "Run!"
"What? No…"
"Run, you idiot!" she yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me.
But I stayed put, dragging her back with me. "Wait, I got this," I said, trying to act brave.
The guards got closer and stopped, looking smug. "I guess you two are smart enough to stop. Now, hand yourselves over," one of them said.
"Whoa, hold on. You've got the wrong idea. I'm actually a victim!" I said. I could feel Liona's angry gaze burning into the side of my head, but I kept going. "She's the thief here and she just stole from me!"
I gave them a big, fake smile, hoping they'd just let me go.
"What do you take us for? Fools?" one guard said, stepping closer.
Alright, they weren't buying it. Think, Azura, think.
"You guys don't know who you're dealing with," I said, putting on my most dangerous smirk.
"Ooh, I'm so scared," one said, while the other laughed. There were four of them. This wasn't looking good.
"We might look weak…" I started.
"Speak for yourself," Liona cut me off, sounding annoyed.
I looked back at her, giving her a look that said 'not helping!'
Then the guard in the middle stepped forward, done with the talking.
"Enough nonsense. The two of you are coming with us. Now."
I stepped back a little and whispered to Liona without taking my eyes off the guards. "Okay, I think we should definitely run now."
"Wow, look who finally gets it," Liona snapped back.
"Run!"
We both turned and tore through the market, knocking over baskets and dodging horses. My heart was racing so fast that I thought it might split my ribs in two.
Why was the healer's daughter a thief? And why was I running with her? I hadn't even stolen anything!
We skidded around a corner into a narrow alley. I was looking over my shoulder to see where the guards were, and I didn't see what was right in front of me.
I slammed into something that felt like a solid stone wall.
A chest. Solid. Warm.
I stumbled back, gasping for air. Liona let out a tiny scream behind me. I looked up, my eyes wide, and my stomach dropped through the floor.
Why alway me?