Chapter 10 - The Prophecy

I stormed back to my room, slamming the door hard enough for the echo to rattle the thin walls.

I’m angry, furious, even. Tyson can be infuriating in ways that make your skin crawl and your blood boil all at once. But underneath that… there’s something else. Something undeniable. Something that sings in my chest whenever he’s near. I hate it. I hate that it exists. Hate how good and safe it makes me feel. And yet… it’s so strong it’s almost frightening.

I pace the small space, fists clenched, heart hammering.

I sink onto the edge of the bed, resting my forehead in my hands. Tyson’s gaze, the pull, that low hum in the air that’s just… him. It’s not something I can rationalize. Not yet. And I’m not sure I ever will.

The next morning, I decide to leave my room and wander the camp. Fresh air might help and maybe I can make sense of any of this.

I stroll past tents, training grounds, and guards on patrol. Everything looks… normal, in the way that only this place can be. It’s structured, ordered, but still unpredictable.

As I round a corner near the far edge of the camp, I notice an old woman struggling with a large basket. She’s bent slightly, leaning on a cane with one hand, while the other hand tries desperately to keep the basket from tipping over.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” I call, quickening my pace. “Let me help you with that.”

She looks up, and her eyes… wow. There’s a depth to them, like she’s seen everything and nothing surprises her anymore. Her smile is gentle but sharp, as if she knows more than she should.

“Oh, thank you, dear,” she says, her voice warm but carrying a weight I can’t place. “You’re very kind.”

I lift the basket carefully, steadying it with both hands. It’s heavier than I expected, but I manage. She walks beside me, cane tapping lightly against the ground.

“Where are you headed?” I ask, careful not to spill anything.

“To my car, just past the trees,” she replies. “It’s not far. I can manage the rest, dear. But I appreciate your help.”

We walk in silence for a few moments. And then she looks at me with an intensity that makes me stop in my tracks.

“You’re Naya, aren’t you?” she asks, and I blink.

I nod cautiously. “Yes… how do you?”

She smiles knowingly, her cane taps once. “I’ve been expecting you.”

I freeze. Expecting what exactly? This place, these people… I’ve been chased, kidnapped, and nearly killed in ways I didn’t understand. And now, an old woman claims she’s been expecting me?

“I… I don’t understand,” I say. “Expecting me for what?”

Her gaze softens but doesn’t lose that piercing edge. “Soon, you will fulfill your destiny. Your arrival was not by chance. You are needed, and your path… your path is just beginning.”

I blink again. Wow.. hold it right there. My head spins. Destiny? Path? Needed?

“This… this is crazy,” I mutter, though part of me is tense, alert. “Everyone here… everyone is crazy.”

The woman chuckles softly. “Perhaps. But sometimes, the most important truths come from the craziest places. Do not fear what is coming, Naya. Embrace it. Even if you do not yet understand it.”

I never told her my name. I grip the basket tighter, my stomach twisting. “I… I don’t even know what I’ve gotten myself into.”

She smiles, resting a hand briefly on my shoulder. It’s firm, grounding, but also… filled with a strange power. “You will, dear. Soon enough. And when you do, you will understand why you are here, why you survived, and why the wolves of this place are… drawn to you.”

I look up at her, feeling that weight in her words, the undeniable truth she carries. And for the first time, I feel a mixture of fear and… something else. Something like curiosity.

“Wolves?” I ask, my voice small. “Like… Alpha and his people?”

She nods. “Yes. But they are not your enemies. They are your guides. Your protectors. The bond you share is ancient, old as the forests and the mountains themselves. Even if you do not yet feel it fully, it is real. And it will guide you if you allow it.”

I take a step back, gripping the basket and my own sanity for balance. “I… I don’t know if I want any part of that.”

“Ah,” she says, her eyes twinkling, a faint laugh escaping her lips. “That is why it is a choice. But choices will narrow as the path unfolds. Decide wisely, Naya. Time does not wait, and neither do the forces that brought you here.”

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of how small I feel in comparison. Not just to her, but to everything in this place, Tyson, the pack, the mountains, the destiny I never asked for.

I nod slowly, unsure of what else to say. Maybe the old lady is on crack, there is no other explanation. The old woman smiles once more, then carefully adjusts her basket.

“Thank you,” she says. “For helping me.”

“You’re welcome,” I reply, still spinning from her words.

And as she walks to her car, I watch her disappear into the trees, the weight of her prophecy settling in my chest.

I let out a shaky breath and glance back toward the camp. Tyson. The wolves. The pull. The danger. The intensity. The undeniable something that I can’t escape even if I tried.

I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into.

But one thing is clear, nothing will ever be the same again. Will I be able to make the right choice?