CHAPTER 6

The night felt wrong.

Thalia knew it the moment she stepped out of the house. The air was too quiet. Not peaceful… just quiet in a way that made her skin itch.

Even the crickets had gone silent, like something had warned them to stay hidden. She pulled her hoodie tighter around herself and glanced back at the house. The lights were off. Her mother wasn’t home again.Of course. Thalia exhaled slowly, then turned and started walking. She didn’t tell anyone where she was going. There was no one to tell anyway. But her mind had been restless since that day at school… since the woman.

My daughter…The words refused to leave her head.“Stop thinking about it,” she muttered under her breath.But her feet didn’t listen. She was already heading toward the edge of town. The streets grew emptier the farther she walked. Streetlights flickered. Some didn’t work at all. The houses became fewer, older, quieter. This was rogue territory. People didn’t come here unless they had a reason. Thalia swallowed and slowed down.“This is stupid,” she whispered.

But still… she kept going. It didn’t take long before she found it.

The spot.

The place where the woman had been dragged out of the school earlier. There were still signs.Faint ones.Scuff marks on the ground. A broken piece of fabric caught on a rusted fence. Something dark on the soil.Thalia stepped closer. Her heart started beating faster.“Hello…?” she called out softly.

No answer.

Of course there was no answer. She didn’t even know what she expected. That the woman would just be sitting there waiting?

Still… something felt off. Thalia crouched down and touched the ground. Her fingers brushed over the dark stain.

Dry.

Blood.

She pulled her hand back quickly. “Shit…”Her chest tightened.

Something happened here.

Something bad. But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the feeling crawling up her spine.Like she wasn’t alone. She stood up slowly.“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice sharper this time.

Silence.

Then—A sound.

A footstep.

Behind her.

Thalia spun around.“Show yourself!”

Nothing. Just darkness.

But she could feel it now.

Someone was there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Her breathing became uneven.“Come out,” she said again, louder. “I’m not scared of you.”

That was a lie.

A very big one.

A low chuckle came from the shadows. Male.

Cold.

"Well… that’s interesting.”

Thalia froze.

A figure stepped forward.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dressed in black.

His face was still hidden, but his eyes—They glowed faintly.

Not like a normal werewolf.

Different.

Her stomach dropped.“Who are you?” she asked. The man tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something… unusual. “So this is her,” he murmured. Her brows furrowed. “Her? What are you talking about?”.

He ignored the question.

Instead, he took another step closer.

Thalia instinctively stepped back.“Stay where you are,” she snapped.

He stopped.

Not because she told him to.

Because he chose to.

A small smile tugged at his lips.“You came alone,” he said. “That’s either brave… or very stupid.”

“I asked you a question,” Thalia shot back. “Who are you?”

He chuckled again.

“You don’t need to know that yet.”Her jaw tightened.“

Then I don’t need to stay here.”

She turned slightly, ready to leave.

“Your real mother is still alive.”

Thalia froze.

Her heart skipped.

Slowly… she turned back.

“What did you say?”

The man watched her closely.

Bingo.

“That woman at the school,” he continued calmly. “She wasn’t lying.”

Thalia’s throat went dry.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.” Her voice came out stronger this time. “Because my mother is at home. And she’s very much alive.”

The man’s smile widened just a little.

“That woman?” he said. “That’s not your mother.” “Shut up.” The words came out faster than she expected.

Sharp.

Defensive.

He didn’t react.

“If you keep lying, I’ll—”

“You’ll do what?” he cut in, amused.

Thalia went silent

.Because the truth was… she didn’t know.

She couldn’t fight him.

She could barely defend herself.

And he knew it.

The man took another step closer.

Thalia’s back hit the fence.

No space left.

“Listen carefully,” he said, his voice dropping slightly.

“You’ve been lied to your entire life.”

Her chest rose and fell.

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to. Not yet.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

He looked at her for a long second. Then—“Because they’re coming for you.”

Her heart stopped.

“…Who?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, his gaze moved over her face… like he was searching for something. Or confirming something.

“People who know what you are,” he finally said. Thalia’s brows pulled together.

“I’m a hybrid.”

He shook his head slowly. “No,” he said quietly. “You’re not.”

Silence.

The words didn’t make sense. “What are you talking about?”But before he could answer—A sharp sound cut through the air.

A snap.

The man’s head turned instantly toward the trees. His expression changed. For the first time… he looked serious.“Too late,” he muttered.

Thalia’s stomach dropped. “What’s too late?”

He didn’t look at her again.“They found you faster than I thought.”

Her breath hitched.

“Who found me?”

The wind shifted.

And then—More footsteps.

Not one.

Not two.

Several.

Closing in.

Thalia’s heart started racing. “What the hell is going on?” she whispered.

The man stepped back.

Into the shadows again.

“Run,” he said.

“What?”

“Run, Thalia.”

Her eyes widened.

“You know my name—”

“RUN!”

This time, his voice wasn’t calm.

It was sharp.

Urgent.

And something in it made her move.

She turned and ran.

Her legs moved before her brain could catch up.

Branches scratched against her arms as she pushed through the path. Her breathing became heavy, uneven.

Behind her—Voices.

Low.

Fast.

Getting closer.

“Don’t let her escape!”

Her heart slammed against her chest.

They were chasing her.

“Why are they chasing me?!” she gasped to herself. Her foot caught on something.

She stumbled—And fell hard.

Pain shot through her palms and knees.

“Get up… get up…” she whispered, panicking.

The footsteps were closer now.

Too close.

She scrambled to her feet and ran again, ignoring the pain.

Her vision blurred.

Her lungs burned.

“I can’t… I can’t…” But she didn’t stop.

She couldn’t.

A hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

Thalia screamed.“Let me go!”She struggled, kicking wildly.

“Relax!” a familiar voice snapped.

She froze.

Dorian.

Her eyes widened.

“What are you—”

“Shut up and move!” he growled, dragging her with him.

Damon appeared beside them.

“Three behind.

Maybe more,” he said quickly.

Dracula stepped out from the shadows ahead, his expression dark.

“Inside Now.”

“What is happening?!” Thalia demanded.

“No time,” Dracula replied coldly.

Before she could argue—They pulled her into a nearby abandoned building.

The door slammed shut.

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Thalia’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

She looked at the three of them.

Confusion.

Fear.

Anger.

All at once.

“Start talking,” she said, her voice shaking. “Why were people chasing me? And why are you here?”

Dorian ran a hand through his hair, clearly irritated.“We should be asking you that,” he snapped. “What the hell were you doing out there alone?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It became our business when half the forest started hunting you!”

Thalia blinked.

“…What?”

Damon stepped forward, his tone calmer.

“They weren’t normal wolves,” he said. “We could smell it from a distance.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Then what were they?”

No one answered immediately.

Dracula’s eyes stayed fixed on her.

Cold.

Sharp.

Searching.

Then he spoke.

“They weren’t after you by accident.”

Thalia swallowed.

“What do you mean?”

His gaze didn’t leave hers.

“They knew exactly who you are.”

A chill ran down her spine.

“But… I don’t even know who I am,” she whispered.

The room went quiet.

And for the first time—None of them had an answer.