Chapter 3: Shadows and Secrets

By the time I reached the edge of the forest, my lungs burned, and my legs felt like they’d been turned to lead. I stumbled into the clearing behind the clinic, my flashlight swinging wildly, illuminating nothing but empty darkness. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the distant howls that still echoed through the woods.

The journal was clutched tightly to my chest, its crescent moon mark now feeling more like a brand than an emblem. My hands trembled as I slid down against the side of the building, struggling to catch my breath.

What had I just seen? Wolves that weren’t wolves. Astra turning into one of them like it was the most natural thing in the world. And those rogues… they weren’t just after me. They were after this.

The journal.

I glanced down at it, my fingers tracing the edges of the leather cover. Questions swirled in my mind, each one more impossible than the last. Was Astra okay? Who—or what—had my father been? And why did these creatures care so much about this old book?

The sound of gravel crunching underfoot made me jump, my head snapping up toward the clinic’s back door.

“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice sharper than I intended.

For a moment, there was nothing. Just the faint hum of the clinic’s outdoor light. Then, out of the shadows, a man stepped forward.

He was tall, his dark hair catching the faint glow of the overhead lamp. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and his intense gaze locked onto mine. Even in the dim light, I could see his eyes—they were the same golden hue I’d seen in the forest, but softer now, filled with something that looked like concern.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

I scrambled to my feet, holding the flashlight like a weapon. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Luca,” he said, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. “I’m here to help.”

“Help?” I repeated, my voice laced with skepticism. “You just happen to show up right after I’m attacked by—by whatever those things were?”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might deny knowing anything. Instead, he took a cautious step closer. “You were in the woods, weren’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

“That wasn’t a question,” he said, his tone gentler now. “If Astra sent you there, it means she trusts you. But it also means you’re in danger.”

“How do you know Astra?” I demanded, the flashlight still held firmly between us.

“She’s… complicated,” he admitted. “But she’s part of my pack. Or at least, she used to be.”

Pack. The word sent a chill through me. “You’re one of them,” I whispered, the realization dawning.

His gaze didn’t waver. “Yes.”

I took a step back, my mind racing. “Then why should I trust you? For all I know, you’re just like those things that attacked me.”

Luca’s expression darkened. “Those rogues? They’re not like me. They’ve lost themselves—given in to the part of us that’s pure instinct and rage. I’m here to stop them.”

“Stop them from what?”

“From destroying everything.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. My grip on the flashlight loosened slightly, but I didn’t lower it.

“You have questions,” Luca said finally. “And I have answers. But we can’t stay out here. It’s not safe.”

I hesitated, every instinct screaming at me to run, to get as far away from this madness as possible. But then I thought of the journal, of Astra’s words about my father, and the strange pull that had been growing inside me since I’d returned to Cedar Grove.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “But if you try anything—”

“I won’t,” he interrupted, his tone firm but calm. “You have my word.”

Something in his voice made me believe him, though I wasn’t sure why. Still clutching the journal, I followed him into the clinic, locking the door behind us.

Luca glanced around the room, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. “This is your clinic?”

“It was my father’s,” I said, my gaze drifting to the empty desk. “I took over after he… after he disappeared.”

He nodded, his expression unreadable. “You’re braver than most.”

I ignored the compliment, crossing my arms. “Start talking. Who were those things in the woods, and why are they after this?” I held up the journal for emphasis.

Luca’s eyes lingered on the crescent moon mark, and a flicker of recognition passed over his face. “That journal belonged to your father,” he said. “It holds information the rogues want—information about the prophecy.”

“The prophecy?”

He hesitated, as if weighing how much to tell me. “It’s an old story, passed down through packs for generations. It speaks of a Bound Alpha—a leader destined to unite wolves and humans. But it’s more than that. The Bound Alpha is supposed to end the divide between our worlds, at a great cost.”

“And you think this has something to do with me?” I asked, my voice incredulous.

“It has everything to do with you,” he said quietly. “Your father was part of this world, Isla. And whether you like it or not, so are you.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. Deep down, I knew he was right. The dreams, the whispers, the strange pull I couldn’t explain—it all pointed to something bigger than myself.

Luca took a step closer, his gaze steady. “The rogues won’t stop, not until they get what they want. But you don’t have to face this alone.”

His words were meant to be reassuring, but they only made me feel more vulnerable. “Why do you care?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

For the first time, Luca’s confident façade cracked. “Because I’ve seen what happens when someone carries this burden alone. I won’t let that happen to you.”

The weight of his words settled over me, and for the first time since my father’s disappearance, I felt something other than fear. It wasn’t hope, exactly, but it was close.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “But if you’re going to help me, you’d better start at the beginning. No more half-truths.”

Luca nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Fair enough.”

And just like that, my world shifted again, the lines between reality and myth blurring even further.