Chapter 7

Celine couldn't breathe.

The forest had gone completely dark.

One second, moonlight had been spilling through the branches, silvering the trees and illuminating Damon's face. The next, everything disappeared beneath a darkness so thick that Celine couldn't even see her own hands.

She reached instinctively for Damon.

Her fingers caught the sleeve of his shirt.

"Damon."

"I'm here."

His voice was low, controlled, but she could hear the tension beneath it.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"That doesn't sound like something you don't know."

"I said I don't know."

For once, there was no trace of amusement in his voice.

Celine swallowed.

The last thing she'd heard was her mother's voice.

Run.

She was certain of it.

Not similar.

Not something her frightened mind had imagined.

It had been her mother's voice.

"She spoke to me."

Damon went silent.

"My mother," Celine whispered. "I heard her."

"I know."

Celine's fingers tightened around his sleeve.

"How?"

"I heard it too."

She stared into the darkness.

"You heard her?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm not imagining things."

"No."

A sudden movement came from somewhere to their left.

Damon pulled Celine behind him.

"Stay close."

Something moved through the trees.

Slowly.

Heavy footsteps pressed into the soil.

Celine held her breath.

Damon's body became rigid.

"Who's there?" he called.

No answer.

Then came a low growl.

Damon's eyes flashed amber.

"Blackfang?"

Still nothing.

The growl came again, closer this time.

Celine's pendant began to vibrate against her chest.

"Damon..."

"I know."

The silver crescent suddenly became warm.

Then hot.

Celine gasped and grabbed it.

A faint light appeared beneath the pendant, spreading across her chest.

The darkness around them seemed to pull away from it.

For a brief moment, Celine saw something beyond Damon.

A woman stood between two trees.

She wore a long white dress.

Her brown hair fell around her shoulders.

Her face was pale, but Celine knew those eyes.

She knew that face.

"Mom?"

The woman smiled.

Celine's heart nearly stopped.

"Mom!"

She stepped forward.

Damon caught her wrist.

"Wait."

"That's my mother!"

"I know."

Celine tried to pull free.

"Let me go."

"Something isn't right."

The woman lifted one hand.

Her lips moved.

Celine couldn't hear the words.

Then the image flickered.

For a second, her mother's face changed.

The warmth disappeared.

Her eyes became completely silver.

And behind her stood dozens of shadowy figures.

Celine froze.

The woman spoke again.

This time, Celine heard only one word.

"Run."

The image vanished.

The darkness broke.

Moonlight rushed back through the trees.

Celine stumbled.

Damon caught her before she fell.

"Easy."

She pushed herself upright.

"Where did she go?"

Damon looked toward the trees.

"She wasn't there."

"I saw her."

"I know."

"No, you don't understand. It was really her."

"I believe you."

Celine stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because the pendant reacted to her."

Celine looked down.

The silver crescent was still glowing faintly.

She touched it with trembling fingers.

"She said the grave wasn't hers."

Damon nodded.

"She said the grave wasn't hers," Celine repeated. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"You keep saying that."

"Because I don't have all the answers."

"Then tell me what you do know."

Damon hesitated.

"Your mother wasn't an ordinary member of Silvermoon."

Celine frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"She came from somewhere else."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"You just said she wasn't ordinary."

"I know what I was told."

"By who?"

Damon looked away.

"Someone who knew her."

Celine stepped closer.

"Who?"

Before Damon could answer, a horn sounded from the direction of Silvermoon.

Once.

Then twice.

Damon's expression changed.

"What is that?"

"Pack alarm."

He turned toward the sound.

"They're calling everyone back."

Celine looked behind them.

The fighting had stopped.

Smoke drifted between the trees.

Several warriors were returning through the forest.

Her father was among them.

His clothes were torn, and there was blood on one side of his face.

"Celine!"

He hurried toward her.

She had never seen her father move that quickly toward her before.

He stopped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

His eyes searched her face.

Then they dropped to the pendant.

His expression changed.

"Where did that light come from?"

Celine pulled away.

"You knew."

Wolverine stared at her.

"Knew what?"

"About the pendant."

He went silent.

"You knew it wasn't just Mother's necklace."

His mouth tightened.

"Celine, this isn't the place."

"Then where is the place?"

"Celine."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Her father looked toward Damon.

Then back at her.

"Because your mother made me promise."

Celine's anger faltered.

"Promise what?"

"That I would never tell you about her past unless the pendant awakened."

Celine looked down.

"It awakened tonight."

"I know."

"So tell me."

Wolverine closed his eyes.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he whispered, "Your mother wasn't killed during the rogue attack."

Celine felt as if the ground had disappeared beneath her.

"What?"

"I found her after the battle."

"You told me she died."

"She was supposed to."

Celine stared at him.

"That's not an answer."

"She was badly injured. Everyone believed she was dead."

"But she wasn't?"

Wolverine shook his head.

"Not that night."

Celine's breath caught.

"Where was she?"

"She disappeared before dawn."

"Why?"

"She left because they were looking for her."

"Who?"

He looked at Damon.

"The same people who are looking for you now."

Celine's eyes widened.

"The Blackfang?"

Wolverine nodded.

"But why would they want her?"

"Because of what she carried."

Celine looked at the pendant.

"This?"

"No."

Her father shook his head.

"Not the pendant itself."

He stared at her.

"You."

Silence.

Celine couldn't speak.

"You?"

"Your mother was protecting you."

"From what?"

Wolverine's eyes filled with something she had rarely seen from him.

Fear.

"From the people who believe you are the key to something that should have remained buried."

Celine stepped back.

"That's impossible."

"I wish it were."

Damon moved closer.

"What did you tell the elders?"

Wolverine looked at him sharply.

"Nothing."

"Then they don't know?"

"No."

Damon nodded.

"Good."

Celine turned toward him.

"Good?"

Damon's expression remained serious.

"If the elders learn about this, they'll either lock you away or hand you over to someone who promises to protect the pack."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Would you hand me over?"

Damon looked directly into her eyes.

"No."

The answer came without hesitation.

Something inside Celine shifted.

She didn't understand why his certainty affected her so deeply.

Maybe because everyone else had spent her entire life deciding what she was worth.

Damon didn't look at her like she was weak.

He looked at her like she mattered.

A howl sounded from the distance.

Wolverine turned.

"We have to get back before the pack realizes Celine is missing."

Celine shook her head.

"I'm not going back."

Her father stared at her.

"Celine, you don't understand the danger."

"I understand enough."

"If you stay here, the Blackfang will find you."

"They already found me."

"Exactly."

Celine looked toward Damon.

He was watching her carefully.

Her father followed her gaze.

"I don't like this."

"You don't have to."

"Celine."

She shook her head.

"I'm not going back just because you suddenly decided to protect me."

Wolverine's face tightened.

"I have always protected you."

"No."

Her voice softened.

"You kept me alive. That's not the same thing."

The words hit him harder than she expected.

Her father looked away.

For a moment, he seemed older.

Tired.

Then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small leather pouch.

He held it toward Celine.

"This belonged to your mother."

Celine hesitated before taking it.

The pouch was worn and soft from years of use.

"What is it?"

"Something she told me to give you if the pendant ever awakened."

Celine opened it.

Inside was a folded piece of paper.

Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.

There were only a few words written in faded ink.

Celine, if you're reading this, they've found you.

Her breath caught.

She read the next line.

Trust the wolf who carries the mark of the black moon.

Celine slowly looked up.

Damon had gone completely still.

"What does that mean?"

Her father didn't answer.

Celine turned toward Damon.

He was staring at the note.

"What?"

His face had lost all color.

"What is it?"

Damon slowly pulled the collar of his shirt aside.

Celine saw a dark crescent-shaped mark near his collarbone.

The same shape as the symbol on her pendant.

Her heart stopped.

"Damon..."

He looked at her.

"I didn't know she left that for you."

Celine's fingers tightened around the note.

"How could my mother have known you?"

Damon's eyes met hers.

"I don't know."

But this time, Celine could tell he was hiding something.

Before she could question him, a terrible howl rose from the northern woods.

Every wolf in the clearing turned toward it.

Then came another.

And another.

Wolverine's face changed.

"Everyone back to Silvermoon."

Damon didn't move.

Celine looked at him.

"What's happening?"

His eyes remained fixed on the darkness.

"The Blackfang aren't retreating."

"Then what are they doing?"

Damon slowly reached for his weapon.

"They're coming here."

A dozen pairs of glowing eyes appeared between the trees.

Then twenty.

Then more.

Celine's grip tightened around the note.

And suddenly, one voice rose above the growls.

A man's voice.

Cold.

Calm.

Certain.

"Bring us the girl, Blackwood."

Damon stepped in front of Celine.

The stranger laughed from somewhere beyond the trees.

"Or we'll burn Silvermoon to the ground looking for her."