The Pull of the unknown

Kael —

Her scent clung to the cold night air , notes of jasmine , rain and the slightest trace of silver and moonfire , so faint it should almost not exist , and definitely not on a human . I pulled over to a little bar , no wolves would be this far from the boarders but the scent drew me in , mate , dax howled as I entered the bar I watched her from across the room for a while until I made my way out .

I stood across the street from the bar long after she had left , watching the glow of her phone light up her pale face , she moved like prey that had forgotten predators are real.

My wolf prowled just under my skin , “ go to her “ . Not yet I couldn’t .

Instead I followed her, two blocks , three turns , the quiet rhythm of her boots echoing on the wet pavement , she lived in a peeling apartment above a laundromat, cheap locks , no security and a window that didn’t quite close all the way .

A Luna born of royalty , living like a ghost among humans .

Her scent hit me , and I was driven deep into a flash back . “ the smell of pine , grass deep under my feet , 7 year old me running after a little blonde girl , the voices echoing through the forest , “you can’t catch me” , “ im going to get you little wolf “ , the rain pouring snapped me out of it leaving me questioning everything , all my life I thought that was a dream but her scent was so familiar , could it be her ? .

I mind linked Nate “ find everything you can on an Ayla Ivory “

The humm of servers was the only sound in the hotel room , Nate my beta stood beside me scrolling through hacked human records , and Luna registry’s projected onto the wall .

“ it’s like she didn’t exist before she was eight “ he muttered , “ No school files , no medical data , nothing just a fake adoption record leading to a dead woman “

I clenched my jaw “ someone went to a lot of trouble to hide her “ .

The image on the screen froze on the lunar registry , no records of any Luna wolf births in 2000 . “ she’s also not registered to any pack “

Nate continued, “ if she’s one of us her scent signatures been scrubbed from the lunar registry “ .

I leaned back into the chair . “ she doesn’t know “ my wolf whispered , she thinks she’s human

“ not for long “ I muttered

The moon was rising and the bond Between us was waking whether she wanted it or not .

The imagine on the wall frozen on a hospital report , Female , approximately eight years old , admitted with second degree burns to lower abdomen , signs of smoke inhalation and multiple lacerations , arrived unconscious, brought in by family member , no name .

I read it again . And again .

Thats all ? I asked , voice low.

Nate leaned against the wall arms crossed . That’s everything I could pull records are sealed after that the hospital shut down a year later destroyed by fire never reopened and the paper trail goes cold.

“A family member brought her in? “

“That’s what it says there’s discharge papers but no name only a smudged signature “ no ID no follow-up.

“ run it , that’s all we’ve got to go by “

I exhaled , fighting the slow coil of rage in my chest , “ what years on the discharge papers “

“2008 …. Isn’t that ??”

“ the same year the Silver pack fell “

Nate nodded grimly “ you thinking what I’m thinking “

“ this is all just a big cover up dig up anything you can on the silver pack we need to find out what happened back then , and what happened to her memories , let me know as soon as you get anything back from that signature , we’ve got some visits to make “

Nate hesitated “ there’s one more thing “

He pulled out an old grainy photograph , edges burnt colour faded , a child’s face stared back at me , ash streaked skin , blonde hair tangled , smoke covering her exposed skin , but it as the eyes - pale silver unmistakable . “ it’s her alright I’d know those eyes anywhere “

I took the photo and left .

The rain pouring over my windshield I sit in my car across the road from her apartment , the city stretching for miles , my pack slept miles away , unaware that something ancient was stirring .

Her scent drifted on the wind again , jasmine , rain , pine all earthy but intoxicating her aura silver with flashes of gold .

I’d been trying to stay away , watching from a distance incase she needed me , forcing restraint I don’t possess , but the moons rose and my wold started pacing , snarling desperate the mate bond clawing beneath my skin , then I felt it ….

A surge of power , sharp enough to steal my breath like lightening running through the mark that hadn’t even been made yet “ No “ I growled , “ not yet she isn’t ready “

But dax didn’t listen his voice roared in my skull , primal , furious “ she’s waking , she’s ours “

Across the street the lights in her apartment flickered , through the window I caught a glimpse of her tangled in her sheets , thrashing around drenched in sweat , but the glow of her aura glows stronger the further into the night we get . I’ve dealt with many wolf changes in the pack their all young but no different unless your royal bloodline , you connect with your wolf a lot younger than most , whatever was binding her wolf down was strong otherwise she would of changed years ago , I know it’s me that stirred her wolf though and blame the moon goddess but I was meant to be here at the right time “

She gasped awake , even from this distance I felt the shock of her breath , the wild panic , the thudding of her heart syncing with mine .

My claws gripping at my steering wheel the urge to go to her to tell her it was going to be okay but not knowing how she would react . So I stayed in the dark , forcing myself to breath , to watch .

Her head turnt sharp towards the window , her eyes flashed silver but just for a moment as doubt flashed across her , as soon as her eyes met mine . The bond snapped and I knew she’d felt it

Dax growled “ MINE “ I didn’t speak the words aloud this time , I didn’t need to , becuase she heard it , I saw in the way her body froze , in the way her lips parted dear and recognition flickering across her face . She was waking faster than I expected the binding was breaking and once she remembers who and what she is , nothing in this world can stop her . I needed to get her away from the suburban streets and out towards the packs boarders before she starts changing .