Chapter 5 The Exit

I didn't pack much.

A few clothes. The letter from my mother. Ziki's favorite stuffed wolf—the one he'd had since he was a baby. I couldn't leave it behind. It was the only piece of him I could take.

I stood in his room for a long time. Watched him sleep. His chest rose and fell. His small fingers twitched like he was dreaming of something wonderful.

He had no idea I was leaving.

I wanted to wake him. I wanted to hold him and tell him I loved him and promise I'd come back. But I couldn't. If I did, I'd never leave.

And I had to leave.

I bent down. Kissed his forehead. Breathed in his scent. The familiar smell of him—warm and soft and innocent—almost undid me.

"I'll come back for you," I whispered. "I promise. I'll come back."

He stirred. Mumbled something in his sleep. Rolled over.

I pulled my hand back from his hair. My fingers lingered for just a second longer before I forced myself to stand.

I walked out of his room. Closed the door softly behind me. The click of the latch felt like a gunshot in the silence.

The hallway was dark. The pack house was silent. Everyone was asleep.

Everyone except one.

Marilyn was standing at the end of the hall. Arms crossed. Smiling. She was wearing one of my silk robes—the one Ezekiel had given me on our first anniversary.

I felt the anger rise in my chest. Cold and sharp.

"Going somewhere?"

I ignored her. Walked past.

She fell into step beside me. Her footsteps were light on the wooden floor. Like a predator circling prey.

"You know, I didn't think you had it in you," she said. "Actually leaving. I thought you'd stay and suffer forever."

"Get out of my way."

"I'm not in your way." She laughed. "I'm just curious. Where are you going? Back to your foster family? Some cheap motel? Do you even have anywhere to go?"

I stopped. Turned to face her.

Her eyes were glittering with triumph. She thought she'd won. She thought I was leaving because I was broken.

She didn't know anything.

I stepped closer to her. Close enough to see the tiny lines around her eyes. Close enough to smell her perfume—the same perfume she'd been wearing when I walked in on her with Ezekiel.

"I'm going somewhere I belong," I said. "Somewhere I should have been all along."

"Somewhere you belong?" She tilted her head. "You don't belong anywhere, Ymir. You never did. That's why he chose me. That's why everyone chooses me. Because I'm worth choosing."

I stared at her. Really looked at her. The woman I'd trusted with everything. The woman who'd smiled at my wedding. Held my hand when I gave birth. Gave me advice about marriage.

She'd been planning this for years.

"You're right," I said.

She blinked. Surprised.

"Everyone chooses you. They always have." I stepped closer. "But I want you to remember something, Marilyn. You only got what you have because I wasn't paying attention. Because I trusted you. Because I was blind."

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"No." I smiled. "This is."

I reached into my pocket. Pulled out the letter. Held it up so she could see.

"You know what this is?"

She squinted. "No."

"It's a letter from my mother. The mother I never knew. The mother who hid me away to protect me from the people who killed her."

Marilyn's smile faltered. Just a little.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't. Because you don't know who I really am." I tucked the letter back into my pocket. "But you're going to find out. Everyone's going to find out. And when they do—"

I walked past her. Paused at the top of the stairs.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Marilyn. Because it's not going to last very long."

I didn't wait for her response.

I walked down the stairs. Through the kitchen. Past the study where Ezekiel was pretending to sleep. Past everything I'd ever known.

And I didn't look back.

Xavier was waiting for me at the edge of the territory. His car was hidden in the trees. The engine was already running.

"You made it," he said.

"I almost didn't." I climbed into the passenger seat. "Marilyn cornered me in the hallway."

"She know where you're going?"

"No. But she knows something's changing."

Xavier nodded. Put the car in drive. We pulled away from the pack house, the territory, everything I'd ever known.

I watched it all disappear in the rearview mirror.

My home. My marriage. My son.

Ziki.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell Xavier to turn around so I could run back to him and never let go.

But I didn't.

Because I knew—if I turned around now, I'd never leave again. And I had to leave. For Ziki. For myself. For the truth I still had to uncover.

"You okay?" Xavier asked.

"No." My voice was barely a whisper. "I'm not okay. But I will be."

He didn't say anything. He just reached over and squeezed my hand.

It was a small gesture. But it meant more than he could know.

We drove for hours. Through winding roads and dense forests. Past territories I'd never seen. Places I'd never been.

Finally, the trees opened up. And there it was.

Ashford Sanctuary.

It wasn't what I expected. It wasn't a mansion or a castle. It was a large stone house, nestled in a valley surrounded by tall pines. It looked old. Ancient. Like it had been there for centuries.

And it felt safe.

"Welcome home," Xavier said.

Home.

I hadn't had a home in a long time. Not really. The pack house was just a building. A place where I slept and ate and existed.

This felt different.

"It's beautiful," I said.

"Wait until you see the inside." He smiled. "But first—there's someone I want you to meet."

He led me through the front door. The house was warm inside. There were books everywhere. Old furniture. Fireplaces. The smell of wood and lavender.

An older woman was waiting in the sitting room. She had silver hair and kind eyes. Her face was lined with age, but her body was still strong.

"Ymir." She stood up. "I've been waiting for you."

I froze. "Who are you?"

"Someone who knew your mother." She smiled. "My name is Iris Ashford. I was Seraphina's healer. Her protector. Her friend."

I felt my knees buckle. Xavier caught me. Led me to a chair.

"You knew my mother?"

"I delivered you." Iris's eyes were wet. "I held you in my arms the night you were born. I was the one who hid you away when everything fell apart."

The tears came. I couldn't stop them. They poured down my cheeks like a dam had broken.

"Why didn't you come for me?" I asked. "Why did you leave me?"

"Because I couldn't." Iris knelt in front of me. "Your enemies were watching. They killed your parents. They would have killed you too. The only way to keep you safe was to make you disappear."

"But I was alone. I was so alone."

"I know." She took my hands. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But I'm here now. And I'll never leave you again. I promise."

I couldn't speak. I just nodded.

Xavier moved to the fireplace. Poked the flames. The room was warm and quiet.

I sat there for a long time. Crying. Holding Iris's hands.

I'd spent so many years feeling invisible. Feeling like nobody cared. Like nobody would ever save me.

But they had saved me. They'd been watching this whole time.

And now, finally, I was ready to know the truth.

"What happened to them?" I asked. "My parents. What really happened?"

Iris looked at Xavier. He nodded.

"Your parents were protectors," she said. "They guarded a secret—a power that your bloodline has held for generations. They were the last line of defense against something terrible."

"What secret?"

Iris touched my shoulder. Right where the mark was.

"The mark on your shoulder is proof of your power. It's the key to unlocking everything your family protected. But it's also a target. There are people who want that power. People who will stop at nothing to get it."

"Ezekiel's father," I said. "He was one of them."

Iris paused. "Yes."

"He killed them."

"Yes."

I closed my eyes. The pieces were falling into place.

Ezekiel's father killed my parents. Ezekiel didn't know. He'd been raised by a murderer. He'd been taught to be cold and cruel. And he'd married the daughter of the man his father killed.

It was twisted. Complicated. And utterly tragic.

"Does Ezekiel know?" I asked.

"No." Xavier spoke up. "His father died before he could tell him. And Ezekiel was too young to understand. He grew up with the lie that your family was traitors. That they threatened the pack."

"He believed it?"

"He had no reason not to." Xavier's voice was soft. "But he will know the truth one day. When you're ready to tell him."

I laughed. A hollow sound.

"He won't believe me. He never believes me."

"He will." Iris squeezed my hands. "Because you're going to prove it to him. You're going to show him exactly who you are."

I looked at her. At Xavier. At the warmth of the house around me.

I was tired. I was scared. I was grieving.

But I wasn't alone anymore.

And I wasn't giving up.

"Show me," I said. "Show me what I can do."

Iris smiled.

"Let's begin."