CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE STRANGER IN THE FOREST

Aria barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the strange vision again. The silver moon. The kneeling wolves. The mysterious woman whose face she couldn't recognize.

And that single word that had echoed through her mind.

Remember.

Remember what?

She sat upright in bed, pressing her palms against her temples.

"Please," she whispered. "Whatever this is, just leave me alone."

But the silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Her wolf stirred inside her.

For the first time since Kael had rejected her, Aria could feel its presence clearly. It wasn't the weak, frightened creature she remembered. There was something different about it now.

Something powerful.

Something that frightened her almost as much as it fascinated her.

Aria climbed out of bed and approached the window.

The streets of Ashbourne were quiet. A few lamps illuminated the road, and the moon hung above the rooftops like a silver coin.

She placed her palm against the glass.

A sudden chill ran down her spine.

Someone was watching her.

She couldn't explain how she knew. There was no movement outside, no shadow beneath the streetlights, and no sound coming from the neighboring buildings.

Yet the feeling was unmistakable.

Aria stepped away from the window.

"Who's there?"

Silence.

Then she heard it.

A low growl.

Not from outside.

From inside her mind.

Her wolf had awakened completely.

Danger.

The single word echoed through her consciousness.

Aria froze.

She had never heard her wolf speak so clearly before.

Where? she asked inwardly.

The answer came immediately.

Outside.

Aria hurried to the door and locked it. Her heart pounded as she backed away, wondering whether she should wake Mrs. Hart.

Before she could decide, three sharp knocks sounded.

She nearly screamed.

"Aria? It's me," Mrs. Hart called from the other side. "Are you awake?"

Aria released a shaky breath.

She opened the door.

Mrs. Hart stood in the hallway wearing a dressing gown, her gray hair loosely tied behind her head.

"Are you all right, dear? I heard you moving around."

Aria tried to smile.

"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep."

Mrs. Hart studied her face.

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for being troubled." The older woman gently touched her arm. "Whatever is happening, you don't have to carry it all by yourself."

The kindness nearly broke Aria's resolve.

For months, she had survived by convincing herself that she needed nobody.

She had learned to work through exhaustion, swallow her tears, and hide her fears behind a smile.

But tonight, she was terrified.

"I think something is wrong with me," she whispered.

Mrs. Hart's expression softened.

"Then we'll find out what it is."

Before Aria could respond, a loud crash came from downstairs.

Both women turned toward the staircase.

Mrs. Hart frowned.

"What was that?"

Another crash followed.

Then came the unmistakable sound of breaking glass.

Aria's blood ran cold.

Someone had entered the bakery.

"Stay here," Mrs. Hart whispered.

She started toward the stairs, but Aria caught her arm.

"No. You stay here."

"Aria—"

"Please."

Something inside Aria had changed. Her senses sharpened, and suddenly she could hear everything happening downstairs.

Footsteps.

Three people.

Heavy breathing.

The faint metallic sound of a blade being drawn.

Her wolf growled.

They have come for you.

Aria swallowed.

"Who are they?"

Her wolf offered no answer.

She moved toward the staircase.

At the bottom stood three men dressed in dark clothing. One held a silver knife, while another examined the broken lock on the bakery's back door.

The third man turned.

His eyes immediately settled on Aria.

"There she is."

Aria gripped the railing.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"We've been looking for you for a very long time."

"I don't know you."

"No," he replied. "But we know you."

He took a step forward.

"Come with us quietly, and nobody needs to get hurt."

Aria shook her head.

"Get out of this house."

The man's smile disappeared.

"You don't understand your situation."

"I said get out!"

The words left her mouth with unexpected force.

Every window in the bakery shattered simultaneously.

The men stumbled backward.

A strange pressure filled the room, pushing against their chests. The silver knife flew out of the first man's hand and struck the opposite wall.

Aria stared at her trembling fingers.

What had she done?

One of the men recovered first.

"She's awakened."

The words were barely audible, but Aria heard them.

The man's expression changed from confidence to fear.

"Impossible."

He looked at his companions.

"We need to leave. Now."

They rushed toward the broken door.

But before they could escape, a deep growl shook the building.

The front door burst open.

Kael stood in the entrance.

His eyes glowed gold, and his expression was terrifying.

Behind him stood Darius and two warriors from the Blackwood Pack.

Kael took one look at the shattered windows, then at Aria.

"Are you hurt?"

Aria couldn't answer.

His presence brought a confusing mixture of relief and anger.

She hated that some part of her still felt safer when he was near.

The intruders immediately shifted their attention toward him.

"The Blackwood Alpha," one muttered.

Kael stepped forward.

"You have ten seconds to explain why you're in this town threatening someone under my protection."

One of the men laughed nervously.

"Your protection? You rejected her, didn't you?"

The words struck the room like a slap.

Kael's expression darkened.

"Nine."

The man's smile vanished.

"You don't understand what's happening. She isn't an ordinary wolf."

"Eight."

"She's dangerous!"

"Seven."

The men exchanged frightened glances.

Then the leader raised both hands.

"We were sent to retrieve her. We weren't supposed to fight you."

"By whom?"

The man hesitated.

Kael's claws extended.

"Answer me."

"The Silver Council."

Darius stiffened.

Kael's expression changed.

For the first time that evening, genuine alarm flickered across his face.

The intruder seized the opportunity.

He threw a small black object onto the floor.

A cloud of thick smoke exploded through the bakery.

"Kael!" Aria screamed.

The Alpha lunged toward her, but the smoke swallowed the room.

Someone grabbed Aria's wrist.

She struggled violently.

"Let go of me!"

A familiar growl erupted beside her.

Then a hand caught her shoulder.

"Aria, it's me!"

Kael.

He pulled her against his chest and wrapped an arm around her protectively.

"Stay behind me."

The smoke began to clear.

The intruders were gone.

Only the broken windows and overturned furniture remained.

Aria stepped away from Kael, breathing hard.

"What was that?"

Kael looked at her carefully.

"That's what I need to find out."

She stared at him.

"They said I wasn't an ordinary wolf."

He said nothing.

Her stomach tightened.

"Kael."

He finally met her gaze.

"There's something you need to know about your family."

Aria's face went pale.

"My family?"

Kael nodded slowly.

"And I think the people who came here know more about your past than you do."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Aria whispered the question she had been afraid to ask.

"What am I?"

Kael looked at her.

And for once, he had no answer.