Chapter 10: Heritage uncovered

Lila’s POV

I woke up with the faintest ache in my chest, a constant reminder of the mark Ethan had said was connected to something ancient, something powerful. My mind was still racing from everything that had happened the night before—Ethan’s transformation, the mark on my body, and the terrifying revelation that I was somehow tied to it all.

I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the glowing symbol on my side, burning into my skin like a brand. I didn’t know what it meant, but the look on Ethan’s face had told me enough—it wasn’t good.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I rubbed my temples and tried to steady my breathing. I didn’t have the luxury of falling apart. Not when everything was falling apart around me.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed on the nightstand, jolting me out of my thoughts. It was a text from Ethan.

**We need to talk. Meet me at the cabin.**

I stared at the message, my heart pounding. There was no avoiding this anymore. Ethan was right—I was part of something bigger, something I couldn’t run from. But the question still gnawed at me: Why? Why me?

I grabbed my jacket and headed out, the cool morning air biting at my skin as I made my way to the cabin Ethan had mentioned. It was a small, secluded place nestled deep in the woods on the outskirts of Silverwood. I had never been there before, but it felt oddly familiar, like I had always known it was there, waiting for me.

When I arrived, Ethan was already there, pacing in front of the cabin, his brows furrowed in deep thought. He stopped when he saw me, his eyes softening, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease.

“Lila,” he said quietly, walking toward me. “I’m glad you came.”

“I didn’t really have a choice, did I?” I replied, my voice sharper than I intended. I was tired, confused, and more than a little angry.

He winced but didn’t argue. “You’re right. You deserve answers.”

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my emotions in check. “So start talking.”

Ethan took a deep breath, his gaze flickering to the woods behind me before he spoke. “You’re not just tied to this world, Lila. You’re part of it. You have… heritage.”

“Heritage?” I echoed, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. “What are you talking about?”

He hesitated, clearly trying to find the right words. “Your family, your ancestors—they were werewolves, too.”

I stared at him, my brain struggling to process what he was saying. “My family? My parents… they were normal. They were—”

“They weren’t,” Ethan interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. “They hid it from you, probably to protect you. But it’s in your blood, Lila. It’s been there all along.”

I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. “No… no, that’s not possible. They never told me anything about this. My parents were—” I broke off, shaking my head. “You’re wrong.”

“I wish I were,” he said softly. “But I’m not.”

I wanted to deny it, to reject everything he was saying, but deep down, some part of me already knew he was right. The strange dreams, the heightened senses I’d been experiencing lately, the mark on my side—it all pointed to something beyond the ordinary. Something I had been ignoring for too long.

I swallowed hard, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

“I don’t know,” Ethan said, stepping closer. “Maybe they thought they were keeping you safe. Maybe they didn’t want you to be part of this world.”

“Well, they failed,” I said bitterly, wiping at my eyes. “Because now I’m in it. Whether I like it or not.”

Ethan reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing a hand on my arm. “I know this is a lot, Lila. But you’re not alone in this. You have me. You have the pack.”

I looked up at him, my emotions swirling into a chaotic storm. “What am I supposed to do, Ethan? I’m not one of you. I don’t know how to be… whatever it is you think I am.”

“You’ll learn,” he said gently. “There’s power in you, Lila. You just need to unlock it.”

“Power,” I muttered, the word sounding ridiculous. “What kind of power?”

Ethan’s gaze turned serious. “The kind that comes from your lineage. Your ancestors were part of a powerful bloodline, one that’s been lost for centuries. But you… you’re the key to reviving it.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know everything yet,” Ethan admitted. “But your mark—your connection to this world—it means you’re special. It means you have the potential to change things. To protect the pack, to fight back against Dominic.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of his words settle over me like a heavy blanket. “What if I don’t want that? What if I just want to go back to my normal life?”

Ethan’s eyes softened. “I wish you could. But this is your life now, Lila. You can’t run from it.”

I closed my eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. I didn’t know how to deal with any of this. I was just a veterinarian, not some warrior or protector or whatever Ethan thought I was supposed to be.

But as much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me felt… different. There was something inside me that had shifted, something that had been waiting, dormant, until now.

I opened my eyes and looked at Ethan. “How do I unlock it? How do I control it?”

“We’ll figure it out together,” he promised, his voice steady. “But you need to be careful. If you’re not in control, the power can be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” I asked, my pulse quickening. “How dangerous?”

Ethan hesitated again, and that made me nervous. “It’s unpredictable. You could hurt someone if you’re not careful.”

A cold knot formed in my stomach at his words. “Hurt someone? How?”

“Your power comes from your emotions,” he explained. “The stronger your feelings, the more powerful the surge. If you’re not focused, it could lash out.”

I shook my head, stepping away from him. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. How am I supposed to control something I don’t understand?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Ethan repeated, though his voice sounded less certain now. “But you have to stay calm. You have to keep your emotions in check.”

I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him that I was calm, that I wasn’t some ticking time bomb. But before I could say anything, a sudden jolt of energy surged through me, sharp and painful, like an electric current running beneath my skin.

I gasped, clutching at my chest as the energy swirled inside me, burning, growing.

“Lila!” Ethan’s voice was distant, muffled, as if I were underwater.

I tried to speak, to tell him something was wrong, but the words wouldn’t come. The energy was building, and I couldn’t stop it. My hands trembled as I reached out, trying to grab hold of something—anything—but all I felt was a surge of power bursting out of me like a dam breaking.

There was a loud crash, followed by a cry of pain. My vision blurred, and when I blinked, I saw Ethan on the ground, clutching his arm, blood seeping between his fingers.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, horror flooding my veins. “Ethan, I didn’t mean to—”

He looked up at me, his face pale but calm. “It’s okay, Lila. I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t fine. I could see the wound, the deep gash where the energy had hit him. And it was because of me.

I backed away, my hands trembling. “I hurt you. I hurt you, Ethan.”

He stood up slowly, his gaze steady. “It was an accident.”

“I can’t control it,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I can’t control any of this.”

“We’ll get through it,” Ethan said, stepping toward me. “But you have to trust me. You have to trust yourself.”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “I don’t know if I can.”

And as I looked down at my trembling hands, stained with the blood of the man I cared about, I realized the truth.

I was dangerous. And I didn’t know how to stop it.