Elis
The night was deep, and still I couldn't sleep. I sat in my chamber, staring into the fire. The flames danced quietly, casting long shadows across the stone walls. My wolf paced inside me, restless and uneasy. But it wasn't the full moon coming that stirred it. It was her. Lily. She had saved me. Again. The attack had come fast; dark, silent and almost invisible. I'd felt the energy reach for me like a claw. Most people didn't notice. But she did. With one small movement of her hand, she turned it away. The blast struck another Alpha instead. He died. Now, the council whispered. They didn't know what really happened. But I did. So did she.
I rubbed my face, remembering the conversation we had earlier. "Did you avert the attack to save me?" I had asked. "It was a reflex," she said. Cold and distant. I wanted to pull her closer, make her see that what we had wasn't gone. That it never left. But she wouldn't let me in. Not even a crack. She stood there like I was a stranger. Like that night in the woods was just a dream. I clenched my fists. She could lie to herself, but my wolf knew better. She still felt it too.
A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. "Enter," I said.
Eunice walked in. She'd been with me since I was a boy. My caretaker, my confidant. She didn't bow, didn't wait for permission. She never had to. She looked at me with a knowing smile. "You look troubled, My King."
I sighed. "She won't talk to me."
"Then find another way," she said gently.
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "She's not just a healer."
Eunice's smile faded. She nodded slowly. "No. There's power in her. But I don't think she understands it yet."
That worried me more than anything. Last night, she didn't hesitate. She didn't calculate. She reacted. Like someone who didn't know how dangerous she really was. Or how important. My wolf was drawn to her. It also feared for her.
"She's hurting," Eunice said softly. "She thinks you left her."
"I had to," I said. My voice was rough. "To protect her."
"You never told her that."
I didn't respond. What could I say? That I failed her? That I still don't know how to make it right?
Eunice placed a hand on my arm. "You still have time. But not forever." Then she left.
I stared into the fire again, feeling the heat but not the warmth. Someone wanted me dead. And now… they knew about her too. I had to keep her close. Even if she hated me for it.
***
Lily's pov
The palace felt like a cage. I sat by the window in my chamber, knees pulled to my chest. The moon hung in the sky, full and bright, but I felt no peace. Only pressure. I shouldn't have saved him. But I had.
The power had rushed through me like a wave; fast, fierce, and unstoppable. I didn't think so I just… acted. And now someone was dead. I stared at my hands. They didn't look different. But they didn't feel like mine anymore either. Something inside me had changed. And then there was him. Elis. He had said he didn't abandon me. That he came back. That he searched. But how was I supposed to believe him? He was a king now. He had a whole kingdom to rule. A princess on his arm. And I was just… me. A maid. A healer. A girl with strange power in her bones and too many memories in her heart.
I closed my eyes and breathed deep. But even now, I could feel the echo of his touch from that night. Hear his voice in the dark. See the way his eyes used to soften when he looked at me. And then everything shattered.
A gust of wind blew through the room. I sat up straighter. At first, I thought I imagined it. But then… I heard something. A voice. Faint. Almost like it was inside my head. My heart began to race. I turned toward the shadows in the corner of the room. They looked darker than usual. Like something was hiding in them.
I stood slowly. "Who's there?" I whispered. No reply. Only silence. I took a step closer. The air felt colder. Heavier. Then, the whisper came again. "You cannot escape what is already written." I froze. The shadows moved; twisting unnaturally and then disappeared. Gone. Like smoke. But I felt it. Someone was watching me.
A sudden knock of wind hit the window behind me. I spun around, pulse racing. Nothing. But I wasn't imagining it. I knew that now. I wasn't alone. And whoever or whatever was out there…They wanted me to know.