As the warriors stood by, unable to intervene, I somehow summoned the strength to push myself back up
onto my feet. The ghost’s smug grin faltered as I met his eyes, locking my gaze with his. Drawing on the
screech. The ghost released its hold on me and was forcefully pulled from the house <i>once more</i>.
The light faded just as quickly as it had intensified, and the moment it disappeared, my legs gave out
beneath me and I copsed. The warriors rushed over, their faces pale with shock.
One of them gently swept my hair aside to inspect my chest, revealing a deep burn in the distinct shape of
a handprint. I could see in their eyes that they were unsure of how to helppletely at a loss.
Chris arrived not long after, responding to their mind–link message, and I quietly asked him to help me get
back to my room. There wasn’t much anyone could do at that point.
“What the hell was that thing trying to do?” Chris asked as he helped me settle into bed.
“I honestly don’t know. He definitely wanted to hurt me. But beyond that… I have no idea what his actual goal was,” I admitted.
“Alright. You need rest either way. I’m cing two guards inside the house tonight, just in case he returns,”
Chris said firmly.
“I don’t think he’ll be back tonight,” I replied, my voice tired.
“I’m not taking any chances. If Elias finds out I didn’t do everything in my power to protect you, I’m a dead man. Two guards are staying inside. End of discussion,” Chris insisted.
“Okay,” I said softly.
“I also called for a doctor to take a look at that burn. It looks nasty,” he added.
“I’ve had worse. There’s no need to fuss. With any luck, the werewolf healing will have taken care of it by morning,” I said with a shrug.
“Maybe. But either way, the doctor’s already on her way. She should be here in a couple of hours,” he
replied.
“Alright,” I murmured.
Chris left the room, though I never heard him actually exit the house.
He settled in the living room with the two guards, keeping watch while I tried to rx and get some sleep.
But rest didn’te easily. I tossed and turned, still shaken by what had happened.
I kept thinking about the ghost and what it might’ve wanted, and the more I dwelled on it<b>, </b>the more my head throbbed with the weight of unanswered questions.
Eventually, Dr. Eris arrived. She came directly to my room, sat with me for a while, and examined the burn. <fn9cba> For more chapters visit f?ndnovel</fn9cba>
< CHAPTER 36
She lookedpletely baffled. She admitted she’d never encountered anything like it before.
More Rewardy
She took a few photographs of the wound–for her research, she said, and <i>to </i>document the case in case
anything simr ever turned up again.
She gave me a special ointment to apply to the burn, though she confessed she didn’t <i>know </i>if it would actually help. At that point, I could only hope that my werewolf healing would kick in and erase the damage quickly.
Eventually, I did manage to fall asleep for a short while. But as soon as the first light of dawn crept through the window, I woke up again.
I headed downstairs to find Chris and the two guards still awake and stationed in the house.
I went to make some coffee and offered it to them all–they dly epted. They had been up all night,
after all.
I sat at the table and Chris took the seat across from me, his eyes watching me carefully.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.
“I honestly don’t know. Have you told Elias what happenedst night?” I asked in return.
“I tried calling him, but I couldn’t reach him. I think their team already moved in on that pack,” he said.
“Well, don’t tell him yet. If he hears about this now, he’ll just get distracted–and that’ll only put him at
greater risk. Wait until he’s back,” I said firmly.
“Yeah. Are you worried he’s going to get hurt?” Chris asked gently.
“A little. But this is what he does. He seems to know how to handle himself,” I said.
“He does. And you don’t need to worry–he’lle back in one piece,” Chris reassured me.
“Yeah. I’m sure you’re right,” I said with a faint nod.
“Elias told me you were thinking about sneaking back into your father’s pack,” Chris said after a pause.
“Eventually, yes. I have to know what happened to my mother. And I believe there’s other important information hidden in my father’s office–stuff that matters to me,” I said, my voice steady.
“About what you are,” he said, his voice quieter now.
“Yeah. About my connection to the royal bloodline. My ancestry. Anything I can uncover that might be useful to me,” I replied.
“Well, Elias didn’t look too thrilled when he found out you were thinking of going back there,” Chris noted.
“I figured as much. But he understands that it means something to me,” I said simply.
Chris didn’t stick around much longer after that. Despite barely getting any rest, he had responsibilities around the pack that couldn’t wait. He still had to make sure everything was running smoothly.
< CHAPTER 35
More Rewards <b>> </b>
After I changed clothes, I headed outside. I found my way to the training grounds and sat down, quietly observing the warriors in the middle of their morning drills.
I was genuinely captivated by their techniques–the way they moved, the strategies they used, the way they supported and challenged one another inbat. Every detail held my attention.
They weren’t bothered by my presence, probably because they could tell I wasn’t there to scrutinize them. I needed to learn how to fight, and with Elias away, this was the best opportunity I had. Watching them
might teach me something.
Once training ended, I wandered back toward the residential part <i>of </i>the pack. I meandered between the houses, asionally stopping to chat with people. Most of them had <i>to </i>reintroduce themselves since I couldn’t remember anyone’s name, and honestly, many weren’t part of the old vige. There were so many
unfamiliar faces.
I still didn’t know how many people actually lived in this pack. I wasn’t sure if Elias even kept official
records like a standard pack Alpha might.
Because, well, this pack was far from ordinary.
By mid–morning, I returned to the house. I poured myself a ss of water and sat at the kitchen table with
a book, reading quietly. That’s when my phone started to ring.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Lyra. It’s me,” Elias said.
“Hi. How are you? Did you manage to get the kids out safely?” I asked.
“Yeah, the kids are all safe. But what about you?” he said, concern creeping into his voice.
“What do you mean?” I asked, a little puzzled.
“Chris told me what happenedst night,” he said tly.
“I specifically asked him not to say anything until you got back. I didn’t want you to be distracted,” I replied.
“Toote for that. I’m already on my way back,” he said.
“What about the kids? <i>Are </i>you bringing them back here?” I asked, startled.
“No. Luke has arranged homes for them–foster families in other packs. He’s going to take them there. That’s what’s going to take a few days,” Elias exined.
“I just didn’t want you worrying about me while you were in the middle of a mission. What if you got hurt?”
I said, guilt tugging at me.
“What did the doctor say?” he asked.
“There wasn’t much she could do. She’s never seen anything like it before. She gave me a topical
treatment for the burn, but that’s about it,” I said.
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“Has it started to heal at all?” he asked. I nced down and gently tugged my shirt away from my chest to
look.
“I think so. It doesn’t look as inmed now,” I said.
“I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he muttered.
“Elias, there’s nothing you could’ve done to stop this. It’s the ck witch–she’s the one controlling the ghost,” I said firmly.
“I don’t care. I need to be with you. I’ll be home in a couple of hours. And I’m <i>not </i>leaving you again,” he said.
“You and I both know that’s not something you can promise. You’re the Alpha of the Vanguards. People are always going to need you,” I reminded him.
“I don’t care. No one needs me more than you do. I’ll see you soon,” he said, the finality in his tone undeniable.
“Alright. I’ll see you then,” I said softly.
I stayed home for the next while, tidying up and reading to pass the time. The ce wasn’t messy–I just needed something to keep me upied.
Later, while I was doing a load ofundry, I heard my phone ringing again from the kitchen, so I walked
over to answer it.
“Hello?” I said into the receiver.
“Hello, princess,” came the reply.
“Who is this?” I asked, instantly uneasy.
“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten your fiancé’s voice,” the man teased.
“Neil. How the hell did you get this number?” I demanded.
“I thought you’d be happy to hear from me,” he said smoothly.
“I never wanted to hear your voice again,” I snapped.
“Who the hell is Neil?” a voice asked behind me. I spun around–and there was Elias, standing right there.
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