Bella’s breath came in sharp gasps as she collapsed onto her knees in the training field, the cool morning dew dampening her palms. Her muscles ached from hours of rigorous drills under Lira’s watchful gaze.
“Again,” Lira said, her voice calm but insistent.
Bella groaned, pushing herself upright. “You’re relentless,” she muttered, brushing strands of hair out of her face.
Lira smiled faintly. “Power without control is chaos, Bella. If you don’t learn to focus, your enemies will exploit your weaknesses.”
Bella squared her shoulders, determination flaring in her chest. She was exhausted, but she couldn’t deny the truth in Lira’s words. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the energy simmering inside her—a force she’d only recently begun to understand.
“Feel it, but don’t let it consume you,” Lira instructed, circling her like a predator. “You control it, not the other way around.”
Bella closed her eyes, her fingers curling into fists. The power surged within her like a river threatening to overflow, but she clenched her jaw and held her ground. Slowly, the chaotic energy began to settle, coiling like a serpent waiting to strike.
“Good,” Lira said, nodding approvingly. “You’re learning.”
As the session wound down, Bella slumped onto a nearby rock, her body trembling with fatigue. Lira sat beside her, the air between them heavy with unspoken truths.
“You’ve been holding back,” Bella said suddenly, her voice quiet but firm. “About my parents. About me.”
Lira’s expression softened, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Some truths are too heavy to bear all at once, Bella. But you deserve to know.”
Bella turned to face her, her heart pounding. “Then tell me. Who were they? Why did they leave me?”
Lira exhaled slowly, her gaze distant. “Your father, Eryon, was my brother. He was one of the most powerful wolves in the Crimson Fang Pack. But his strength wasn’t just physical—it was tied to his heart. And his heart belonged to Misery.”
“Misery,” Bella repeated, the name foreign yet oddly familiar.
“She was a rogue,” Lira continued, her tone heavy with emotion. “A wolf whose bloodline carried forbidden magic—magic that frightened even the strongest packs. When Eryon chose her as his mate, it caused a rift in the Crimson Fang Pack. Many saw their union as a betrayal, a threat to our traditions. They were forced to flee, to protect themselves and the child they would one day have.”
Bella’s chest tightened as she absorbed Lira’s words. “They left because of me?”
“No,” Lira said firmly, placing a hand on Bella’s shoulder. “They left because they loved you. Because they knew the world wouldn’t accept what you are—a child of two worlds, with power neither side fully understands.”
Bella looked down at her hands, her mind racing. She had spent so much of her life feeling like she didn’t belong, like she was an outsider in her own skin. Now, she finally had answers, but they only brought more questions.
“Are they still alive?” she asked hesitantly.
Lira hesitated, her expression unreadable. “I believe so. But finding them won’t be easy. They’ve hidden themselves well to protect you.”
Before Bella could press further, the sound of footsteps drew their attention. Kael emerged from the shadows, his expression a mix of frustration and concern.
“You’ve been pushing her too hard,” he said, his voice clipped as he addressed Lira. “She’s not ready for this.”
“She’s stronger than you think,” Lira replied, her tone cool. “And she doesn’t have time to waste.”
Kael’s gaze softened as he turned to Bella. “You don’t have to do this. Whatever they’re preparing you for, you don’t have to face it alone.”
Bella met his eyes, her emotions swirling. She appreciated his protectiveness, but she couldn’t ignore the tension that had grown between them. “I need to do this, Kael. For me. For them.”
He nodded reluctantly, though his posture remained tense. “Fine. But I’m not leaving you alone with her.”
Lira rolled her eyes but said nothing, rising to her feet. “We’ll continue tomorrow. Get some rest, Bella.”
As Lira walked away, Bella noticed a flicker of movement in the trees. She frowned, her senses sharpening. “Wait,” she called out, but it was too late. The figure had disappeared.
Unbeknownst to Bella and the others, Esmera crouched behind a cluster of bushes, her breath shallow as she strained to catch every word. Her lips curled into a smirk as she pieced together the conversation.
“Crimson Fang Pack,” she muttered under her breath, the name igniting a spark of recognition. “So that’s the connection.”
Esmera’s mind raced as she slipped further into the shadows, her thoughts already formulating a plan. If Bella truly carried the blood of the Crimson Fang, then she was more dangerous than anyone had realized.
She would have to act quickly. Shadowbound would want to know this.
That night, Bella lay awake in her den, her mind a whirlwind of memories, questions, and doubts. She clutched the medallion around her neck, its faint glow a reminder of everything she had yet to uncover.
Her dreams that night were vivid and unsettling, filled with images of wolves howling in unison, a field bathed in blood-red moonlight, and a silver-haired woman whispering her name.
When she woke, the echoes of Lira’s words lingered in her mind: You are a child of two worlds, Bella. And the time has come to choose where you belong.