Calla's POV
When I had the opportunity, I should have let you go.
Lucian's voice sliced over the silence of the dark woodland like ice. Standing before me, his massive shoulders stiff and his silver eyes glittering like twin beacons in the dark.
I crossed my arms, defiance pulsing inside me. But did you not do it? So quit acting like this relates to my safety. You hesitate. Of the things I will learn. About what I mean to you.
His eyes clouded, and I could see the muscle in his jaw flexing as he battled to control his feelings. Don't press me, Calla.
"Or what?," asked. I challenged, approaching him closely, my voice a whisper daring him to respond. "You will snarl? Snarl. Remind me once more that you are a wolf and I am merely a stupid human not sure what she has gotten herself into?
He said nothing; the strain between us was heavy enough to choke on.
"Say something, Lucian," I said, now with a shaky voice. "because I'm not leaving. Not now. Not following all I have seen.
With his hands strong but not cruel, Lucian bridged the distance between us in an instant. His touch sent a crazy mix of heat and electricity down my spine.
His voice low and threatening, he asked, "You think you're ready for this?" For me, For the creatures who prowl the shadows, the ones I hardly keep under control?
Yes, I whispered, squarely staring him in the eye. "Because for some crazy reason I trust you."
His hold relaxed, and for a split second his defenses broke. I saw the guy under the beast, his curse weighing him and his loneliness following.
He said, "You shouldn't," his voice hardly audible.
Then give me a reason not to, I said, my heart thumping in my chest. Tell me, Lucian, what is actually happening. Darius whose name is who? With me, what is he hoping for?
Darius's face grew stiff once more at the mention of him. He let me go and moved aside, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Darius is the least of our issues," he added, his voice sour. "He is a pawn in a far more expansive game. And you are the one with the key to bring it to an end.
Frustration bubbling over, "Ending what?" I asked. The curse, then? This battle? Your perpetual brooding?
His lips opened to a humorless smile. "All of it."
"Stop using riddles in your speech!" I grabbed his arm and made him face me. I snapped. "Explain why, if I'm so darn essential! To merit being dragged into your dream, what did I do?
"You were born," he replied, his eyes cutting right through me.
That is not an answer.
"This is the only one I own." He sighed, his shoulders drooping as though the entire planet rested on them. "Your line of descent relates to mine. Restricted by a betrayal more ancient than either of us. Calla, the curse was never merely something I had to live with. It belongs to you too.
The words steal the air from my lungs like a blow. You lie.
"I wish I were.".
The wind whistled among the trees, bearing a far-off wail. The head of Lucian snapped, his body alert right away.
"They have found us," he whispered, his voice tight with demand. We have to migrate. Here now.
"Who—"
"Run!" he cried, his eyes flickering with a wild light.
I didn't have time to argue. The growling became louder, closer, and Lucian grabbed my hand, forcing me into a sprint into the dense woodland. My heart beat as branches scraped at my flesh, the moonlight barely breaking the canopy above.
"Keep up," he ordered, his voice a blend of authority and anxiety.
"I'm trying!" I snapped, my breath coming in jagged gasps.
We broke through the trees into the open, and Lucian skidded to a halt, his body moving in front of me like a shield.
Panic forming in my throat, I asked, "What is it?"
"Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice devoid of any space for debate.
Two enormous wolves from the shadows emerged with weird golden eyes. My blood turned cold when I realized their eyes reflected the same merciless intelligence as Darius's.
One of them hissed, its voice almost human. "Lucian Grey." Still running the great protector, I see.
Lucian hissed, his voice harsh, his body shaking with the attempt to keep his wolf under control.
The wolves moved menacingly, circling us. The second one replied, "She smells... interesting," with lips drawing back in a twisted smile. "What makes this small human especially unique?"
"She's under my protection," Lucian growled, his voice lethal. You perish if you touch her.
The first wolf laughed a low, terrible sound. "Grey, you are already dead". Simply said, you do not yet know it.
The wolves lunged as the strain broke like a bowstring. Moving faster than I could have imagined, Lucian met them squarely in a collision of jaws and claws.
"Run, Calla!" he said, his voice a mixture of desperation and directive force.
But I found myself unable to move. Rooted in the ground, I saw Lucian fight with a savagery both horrifying and breathtaking. The wolves were unrelenting, their attacks planned, but Lucian held his ground—his force unparalleled.
till one of them passed through his barriers.
"Luci!," The wolf drew blood from his shoulder and I shrieked.
His body shook as he hurled the wolf off, roaring in agony. Nevertheless, the damage was done.
The second wolf turned to me before I could respond.
"Calla, rush!" Lucian yelled, but it was late.
The wolf leaped, it's great weight barrelling toward me. I braced for impact, but just before it came to me a flash of silver light lit the clearing and stopped the wolf in its tracks.
The light gathered into a form—a woman with flowing silver hair and moonlike eyes. She exuded an unfathomable force that hummed the air around her.
Her voice resounding like a thunderclap, she exclaimed, "You dare to harm the chosen one?"
Their anxiety evident, the wolves whined and withdrew into the darkness.
Lucian staggered to his feet, his eyes wide with shock. "You…"
The woman turned to me, her gaze penetrating. "The time has come, Calla. You must realize your destiny."
And just like that, the light vanished, leaving me standing in the clearing with Lucian, my heart racing and my world forever changed.
Don't tell me you trust her.
As Lucian walked the length of the deserted chapel, his tense, restless motions broke through the stifling silence. Moonlight poured across his sharp features from the broken stained glass.
More for comfort than warmth, I stood close to the altar with my arms tightly around myself. She did not only save us. Or were you intending to fight those wolves and whatever else is out there alone?
He stopped suddenly and whirled to face me. Calla, that woman is not a saviour. She serves as a curse. a live reminder of all I have tried to hide.
My chest tightened at the raw hurt in his voice, so I moved hesitantly forward. "Lucian; who is she?" From us, what is her expectation?