Chapter 17 #2
The words slam into me, and for a second all I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears, but then I pick up on one tiny detail that I can’t ignore.
“You said hybrids. With an S.” That one little letter shouldn’t give me hope, but it does. “So, what? There’s more of me out there? Some prophecy fan club I didn’t know I joined?”
Her frown deepens. “No. As far as we know, you’re the only hybrid made of Hollowborn and wolf shifter blood.
The others…” She exhales slowly, like she’s trying to keep the weight of it off my shoulders.
“They’re crossbreeds between supernatural lines.
But the council doesn’t care about the difference right now. ”
“Why would they declare war on their own?” My voice rises before I can rein it back because what I really want to know is… Why me? Why now? Why is all of this happening?
“This is as much about you as it is about sending a message.” Liz finally crouches in front of me, her sharp eyes locking onto mine.
“They want purity. They want fear. And you—Rowan—you’re the perfect reason to trigger the war.
The wolf council is trying to rally every faction behind them, and you’re the common enemy they’ve been waiting for to do so. ”
My chest is so tight it hurts enough that I rub my knuckles on the spot. Of course, it’s me.
“So, what now?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intend. “Do I play house here, or do I hide somewhere else until this all blows over?”
“Iris still believes you’re safe within NightShade.” Liz’s voice softens slightly, but I catch the edge underneath. “She wants you trained and prepared. This manor has defenses no other place does, and she’s not wrong about that.”
I narrow my eyes. “But you still don’t necessarily agree.”
Her lips twist. “Yes and no.” She stands once more, her hands curling into fists against her thighs.
“Keeping you safe isn’t just Cade’s responsibility.
It’s mine, too. I know I wasn’t in your life before, but I owe your mother this.
I owe you this. And I’ll be damned if I let the council, or anyone else, get their claws into you. ”
Her words crack something inside me—equal parts reassurance and fresh fear. Because if Liz looks this serious, then maybe things are worse than I’ve been wanting to believe.
Even through the following moments of silence, Liz’s vow hangs in the air when my wolf stirs, louder than she’s ever been.
The vampire is right. Her tone is steady where mine would wobble. We need to stay here. This is where our blood remembers what it is. Where the Prescotts have stood guard for centuries. Every step on this land makes us stronger.
Her conviction is like iron pressed against my bones, unyielding.
It rattles through me until I almost flinch, because for once, I can feel what she means.
There’s a thrum under my skin—an echo of all the women who came before me, the Hollowborn who lived and died under this same roof.
It’s in the walls, in the ground, in the night air.
A tether pulling me deeper into a legacy I never asked for but can no longer seem to deny.
Yet, a part of me still wants to.
Don’t let fear have you believe that running will save us, she pushes. It won’t. Out there, we’re prey. Here, we can become what we were meant to be.
I swallow hard, dragging my gaze back to Liz. She’s still watching me with that fierce determination that makes me want to believe her. And maybe for the first time, I do.
Because while the human part of me is still screaming for normalcy—still clinging to the idea that this could somehow all be undone—the wolf in me is calm. She’s certain, ready to dig in and fight with claws, teeth, and whatever power the prophecy insists I carry.
And gods help me, I think she’s right.
I sit back in the chair, rubbing my palms over my thighs like I can ground myself with something solid. My wolf is steady inside me, humming with a confidence I don’t quite feel, but I attempt to borrow from her.
“Rowan?” Liz’s voice is quiet now, careful. Like she’s afraid I’ll snap, no matter what she says next.
I let out a long breath. “You’re right. Even my wolf agrees.
” My gaze flicks toward the forest, then back to Liz.
“Running won’t save me. If I’m going to survive this, I need to learn how to fight and to control what I am.
And if that means staying here, then…” My throat feels thick, but I force the words out. “I’ll stay. I’ll stay and train.”
As much as I’d like to pretend none of this is real and I could just magically go back to my old life, that’s not possible. Mom will just have to understand. She gave me nearly thirty years of a human life. For that, I’ll always be thankful, but it’s time to face my future.
Relief softens Liz’s sharp edges. “Good,” she says simply, but the weight in that single word is enough to press against my chest.
Inside me, my wolf stretches, satisfied. Finally, she murmurs. You’re beginning to understand.
I’m not sure I do, but I’ve made the choice. And for now, that has to be enough.