Chapter 1: The Stormy Night
665words
Jay Moon's words pierced through my reality like a sharp blade.
I wanted to laugh, to tell him this joke wasn't funny at all. But when I saw his deep eyes gleaming in the moonlight, when I felt my body being irresistibly drawn to the full moon outside the window, I knew he was telling the truth.
A few months ago, I was just a girl with no parents and no one to rely on. Now, I stood in the living room of a werewolf family, with secrets more ancient than theirs flowing through my blood.
...
Rain slid down my cheeks, mixing with tears until they became indistinguishable. In my eighteen years of life, I had grown accustomed to betrayal, yet Victor's words still cut like a poisoned dagger, precisely striking the softest corner of my heart.
"You're just an unwanted orphan, Ella. I was only with you out of pity."
My silver-gray hair was soaked by the rain, clinging to my pale face. My heterochromatic eyes—one gold, one blue—flickered with defiance in the darkness, contrasting sharply with the blackness of the surrounding forest.
I couldn't remember how far I had stumbled, only that each step took me deeper into this unfamiliar forest.
Lightning tore through the night sky, briefly illuminating a winding path ahead, as if the hand of fate itself was guiding me. My legs were already aching, but the pain in my soul followed like a shadow, driving me forward regardless of the consequences.
Suddenly, a deep growl came from the depths of the forest.
My entire body froze, blood turning cold. The sound was too wild, too primal. Was it... a wolf?
Fear drove me forward, heedless of the slippery path or my blurred vision. I ran, fell, got up and continued running until my legs felt like lead, my lungs burned with pain, and black spots began to dance before my eyes.
The terrifying growl finally faded into the rain.
I found a tree to lean against, trying to stay conscious, but darkness was encroaching from the edges of my vision.
In my daze, the blurred faces of my parents appeared before me, along with the cold faces that had once mocked me. Was fate so cruel as to end my life in such a miserable way?
Just as despair was about to engulf my soul like a tide, the sound of wheels crushing mud broke the silence. A beam of headlights shone from the distance.
"Child, do you need help?" a gentle yet authoritative male voice called from the car window.
I raised my head with difficulty, and saw a silver-haired man whose deep gaze was filled with concern. In my limited life experience, the kindness of strangers often came with a price.
"...I'm fine... thank you," I replied, my voice trembling from cold and fear.
The man seemed to see through my defenses and smiled slightly. "In this weather, it's too dangerous for someone to be out alone. My home is not far ahead. You can shelter there from the rain and decide where to go when daylight comes."
I hesitated. I had nowhere to go and no money. Rain ran down my spine, and the cold seeped into my bones.
"Why would you help me?" I looked directly into William's eyes, my voice filled with distrust.
William's gaze fell on my unusual heterochromatic eyes, and for a moment, an emotion I couldn't interpret flashed across his face.
"Sometimes, helping others doesn't need a reason, child," he said softly.
Another flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating my pale face and resolute expression. I tried to speak, but was swallowed by the darkness that surged like a tide, my consciousness falling into an endless abyss.
"Come home with me."
Those were the last words I heard before losing consciousness.
What I didn't know was that the crescent-shaped birthmark on my wrist emitted a faint silver glow in the darkness for the first time.
