CHAPTER 19: THE HIDDEN TRUTH

CHAPTER 19: THE HIDDEN TRUTH

Amber’s POV

I could hear my own heartbeat.

Fast.

Loud.

Almost painfully loud.

The three figures standing at the end of the hallway remained motionless, their silhouettes barely visible beneath the faint moonlight coming through the windows.

Steele stood in front of me.

His shoulders were tense, his eyes glowing gold.

I had never seen him look like this.

Not when Stan attacked him.

Not when the vampire appeared.

Not even when I had forced him to grant my wish.

This was different.

He was afraid.

And somehow, seeing that made me more frightened.

"Steele," I whispered.

"Stay behind me."

I almost laughed.

"You're still saying that?"

"Amber."

His voice carried a warning.

Fine.

For once, I listened.

The man in front stepped forward.

He looked human.

That was the terrifying part.

If I saw him walking down the street, I would never suspect what he was.

He had dark hair, pale skin, and a calm expression. His clothes were simple, almost ordinary.

His eyes, however, were glowing faintly gold.

"You have no right to be here," Steele said.

The stranger smiled.

"Neither do you."

"This human has nothing to do with your kind."

The stranger glanced at me.

"That's where you're wrong."

I clenched my fists.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

The man smiled.

"Because everyone knows something you don't."

"Then tell me."

"Amber—"

I ignored Steele.

"I've spent twenty-two years looking for answers. If you know something, tell me."

The stranger's smile disappeared.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then ask your werewolf."

I looked at Steele.

"What is he talking about?"

Steele didn't answer.

The stranger laughed quietly.

"Still protecting her from the truth?"

Steele's eyes narrowed.

"Leave."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"I do."

The stranger took another step.

"And that's why we're here."

Suddenly, Steele disappeared.

A violent impact shook the hallway.

The stranger was thrown through a wooden door.

Two other werewolves rushed forward.

I stepped back.

Steele shifted in front of me, his silver-gray fur appearing almost instantly.

His growl echoed through the building.

The first werewolf attacked.

Steele caught him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

The second lunged from the side.

I reached for my firearm.

Before I could draw it, a blur crossed my vision.

The second werewolf crashed into the staircase.

I stared.

They were fighting too fast for my eyes to follow.

I moved toward Mrs. Hart.

"Stay here."

She nodded nervously.

"Who are they?"

"I don't know."

"You know more than you're telling me."

Her eyes filled with fear.

"I promised your mother."

"What did you promise her?"

She opened her mouth.

A crash interrupted her.

The first werewolf was thrown across the hallway.

Steele returned to his human form.

Blood covered his knuckles.

The stranger stepped out from the broken doorway.

He wasn't injured.

He simply brushed dust from his coat.

"You haven't changed, Steele."

"I can say the same about you."

The stranger smiled.

"Still pretending you don't know what she is."

My stomach tightened.

"What am I?"

He looked at me.

"You really don't know?"

"No."

"Interesting."

Steele moved between us again.

"Don't talk to her."

The stranger laughed.

"You're afraid."

"I'm warning you."

"You're afraid because if she remembers, everything changes."

I stared at Steele.

"Remembers what?"

His expression hardened.

"Nothing."

I stepped around him.

"Stop saying that."

"Amber."

"I want an answer."

The stranger looked amused.

"Ask him about the night of the crash."

"I already know about the crash."

"No."

His eyes narrowed.

"You know what happened to the plane."

He pointed at me.

"You don't know what happened to you."

The room went silent.

"What does that mean?"

The stranger smiled.

"Your parents weren't the only ones who knew about Anna."

I felt a chill.

"My mother knew her?"

"Your mother knew more than that."

Steele suddenly grabbed the stranger by his collar.

"Enough."

The stranger didn't resist.

Instead, he looked at Steele.

"You can't hide her forever."

Steele's eyes flashed.

"I don't need to hide her."

"Then why did you bring her here?"

"I didn't."

The stranger laughed.

"Exactly."

He looked at me again.

"She came here because of the clues we left."

My brows furrowed.

"Clues?"

"The residence. The mark. The photograph."

I froze.

"The photograph?"

He smiled.

"You found it."

I looked at Mrs. Hart.

She looked away.

"You know about it."

The old woman lowered her head.

"Yes."

I stepped toward her.

"Tell me."

"I'm sorry."

"Tell me!"

My voice echoed through the room.

She flinched.

Steele looked at me.

"Amber, calm down."

"No."

I shook my head.

"I'm done being kept in the dark."

I turned toward Mrs. Hart.

"My mother left a letter here. She knew I might survive. She knew about Anna. She knew someone would come looking for me."

I pointed at my neck.

"And now I have this mark."

My voice cracked.

"What exactly did my mother know?"

Mrs. Hart slowly sat down.

"When you were brought here, you were not supposed to survive."

I swallowed.

"I know."

"No."

She shook her head.

"You don't understand."

Her eyes met mine.

"The plane crash wasn't supposed to kill you."

I stared at her.

"What?"

"It was supposed to erase you."

My blood ran cold.

Steele became still.

The stranger smiled.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

I looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother knew there were people hunting you before the plane ever took off."

"Why?"

"Because of what you carried."

I touched my neck.

"The mark?"

"No."

He shook his head.

"The mark came later."

I frowned.

"Then what did I carry?"

He looked at Steele.

"Tell her."

Steele's jaw tightened.

"I don't know."

The stranger laughed.

"You really are going to make me say it?"

Steele glared at him.

The stranger turned back to me.

"Your mother was carrying something that night."

"What?"

"A piece of something ancient."

My mind raced.

"Like an artifact?"

"Not exactly."

"What was it?"

The stranger smiled.

"Blood."

I stared at him.

"Blood?"

"Your blood."

Silence.

I couldn't understand.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were not born completely human."

My breathing stopped.

Steele immediately looked at the stranger.

"That's enough."

But I was already shaking my head.

"No."

I looked at him.

"No. Tell me."

The stranger continued.

"Your mother knew what you were. Your father knew. Anna knew."

"Anna?"

"She was the one who tried to protect you."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

Steele closed his eyes briefly.

The stranger smiled.

"Now you understand why she disappeared."

I looked at Steele.

"Why?"

He finally spoke.

"Because she sacrificed herself."

"For me?"

He nodded.

I couldn't breathe.

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she believed you deserved a normal life."

The stranger's voice softened.

"She wanted you to grow up without knowing what lived inside you."

I touched my chest.

"What lives inside me?"

No one answered.

Then the stranger said the words that changed everything.

"You're not Anna's reincarnation."

My heart stopped.

"Then what am I?"

He smiled.

"You're her daughter."

The room seemed to tilt.

I looked at Steele.

His face had gone completely pale.

"That's impossible."

The stranger shook his head.

"Is it?"

"I was told my mother died on the plane."

"She did."

"Then Anna—"

"Anna wasn't the woman you thought she was."

My head was spinning.

"Who was she?"

The stranger looked at Steele.

"That's something he should tell you."

I turned toward him.

"Steele."

He didn't move.

"Tell me."

His eyes met mine.

There was pain in them.

Something deep.

Something he had been carrying for centuries.

"Amber..."

"Tell me."

He slowly exhaled.

"Anna was never your mother."

I waited.

"She was your mother's sister."

My lips parted.

The truth felt impossible.

My entire life had been built on a lie.

The woman I had remembered as my mother.

The woman who died protecting me.

The woman whose blood had become the center of my nightmares.

And now I was being told that someone named Anna had been part of my life long before I could remember.

Then the strange mark on my neck suddenly burned.

I cried out and grabbed it.

Steele rushed toward me.

"Amber!"

The stranger's smile disappeared.

"Too late."

"What?"

His eyes widened.

"The mark has awakened."

Steele caught me before my knees gave out.

I felt heat spreading through my veins.

Then a voice whispered inside my head.

A woman's voice.

Soft.

Familiar.

A voice I had heard in my nightmares for twenty-two years.

Run, Amber.

My eyes widened.

"Mom?"

Steele froze.

"What did you say?"

I looked at him.

Tears filled my eyes.

"I heard her."

"Who?"

"My mother."

The mark burned brighter.

And somewhere far away, something answered.

A howl.

Then another.

Steele's expression changed.

"They're coming."

The stranger looked toward the window.

"No."

He smiled.

"Not them."

I looked at him.

"Then who?"

His eyes turned dark.

"The ones your mother was running from."

The windows suddenly shattered.

And every light in the orphanage went out.

Steele pulled me against him.

"Whatever happens," he whispered, "don't let go of me."

For the first time, I didn't argue.

Because deep inside, I knew the truth was no longer something I was searching for.

The truth had found me.

And it was coming for me.