Chapter 17 : The Truth She Hides CAIUS Im going to ask you again , wheres your wolf ? Whats her name ? I asked Lira , my voice hard , more demanding than I meant it to be .
I knew my question had hit something deep , something fragile .
Because the second I asked it , Lira tensed so hard she might as well have turned to stone .
The shift in her posture was subtle , but it was unmistakable .
Her back stiffened , her shoulders squared as if bracing for an impact that only she could feel .
Her hands , which had been loosely folded in her lap , clenched into fists .
A muscle ticked in her jaw .
For a long moment , she said nothing .
Not a breath , not a flicker of movement .
I watched her closely , trying to read the expression in her face .
But her eyes those eyes were shuttered , closed off in a way that made it impossible to get past her walls .
And then I wondered if I had pushed too far .
If I had asked something I wasnt supposed to know .
But then , to my surprise , she exhaled not with anger , but with exhaustion , as though she had been holding her breath for a very long time and had finally given up trying to keep it in .
She blinked rapidly , as though trying to clear away the weight of something unspoken .
Something older than I could comprehend .
And when she finally spoke , her voice was … small .
So quiet that it barely reached my ears , like a thread of sound caught in the wind .
I dont know .
I frowned , my brows furrowing in confusion .
What do you mean , you dont know ? She hesitated , eyes flickering down at her hands , tracing patterns in the dirt between us as if it could somehow offer the answers she couldnt bring herself to give me .
Then , finally , she told me .
In Duskborne , she said quietly , as though the words themselves weighed more than anything shed ever had to carry , wolves shift when they turn 19.
I nodded , not entirely surprised .
It was common knowledge .

Every wolf born in Duskborne shifted at that age , marking the transition from childhood to adulthood .
The transformation was a rite of passage , a sign that the bond between the human and wolf within was fully realized .
I had gone through it .
Most of my pack had gone through it .
It was something that happened to all of us .
She swallowed hard , and I saw her throat tighten as if she was struggling to say the next part .
But there was no way out of it .
She had already started , and now she had to finish .
Ill be 22 soon .
Her voice broke for the briefest moment , and I could hear the weight of her words .
The unspoken desperation beneath them .
And I still … havent shifted .
That caught me off guard .
I blinked , feeling the confusion flood my senses .
It didnt make sense .
It couldnt make sense .
1/3 Chapter 17 The Truth She Hides +15 Bonus What ? I whispered , my disbelief taking root in my chest .
But thats … thats impossible .
Her lips pressed into a thin line .
There was no anger in her expression , no denial of the truth that hung between us .
Instead , there was only the quiet acceptance of something far more painful .
Tell that to my pack , she said bitterly , her words laced with a bitterness that made my heart ache .
A silence stretched between us , thick and heavy , as I tried to process the weight of what she had just told me .
Her words werent just unusual they were unheard of .
Wolves didnt just … not shift .
It was part of us .

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Part of our very existence .
Even the weakest wolves those who barely had control over their abilities , those who struggled to control their form still had something .
Something that tethered them to the wolf within .
It was the bond that tied us to our ancestors , to our spirits , to our pack .
But Lira ? Lira had nothing .
She was a wolf who had never found her form , a child of the pack who had yet to grow into her full self .
She was still human , bound by the flesh and bone of her body , but there was no wolf inside her .
No spirit that stirred in her blood .
And that , in itself , was a curse a silent and invisible one that only she could bear .
And yet , she still felt like a wolf to me .
Her presence was unmistakable , her instincts primal and sharp .
The way she moved , the way she spoke , the subtle way she could read the air around us , as though she could sense things before I even noticed them .
It was all there , beneath the surface .
It was as if something deep inside her soul was just waiting , aching , to be unleashed .
But that made no sense .
It didnt fit .
If she had no wolf , if her shift had never come , then how could she possess such qualities ? How could she feel so … familiar to me ? It was as though a part of me recognized her in ways I couldnt explain .
I ran a hand through my hair , frustration creeping into my chest as I tried to make sense of it all .
You should have told me , , I said finally , my tone softer now , less accusatory .
I wasnt angry just lost .
I needed to understand .
You should have told me , Lira .
She scoffed , shaking her head in disbelief , as though I had asked the most ridiculous thing in the world .
Why ? she snapped , her eyes flashing with the first hint of defiance Id seen in her all night .
So you could use it against me ? So you could … what ? Mock me ? Look at me like Im some kind of failure ? I shook my head , more forcefully this time , my chest tightening with frustration .
No , Lira .

No.
Thats not it .
I reached out , but she flinched , pulling back .
I lowered my hand slowly , making sure I didnt push her any further away .
I want to help you , I said , my voice low and earnest .
I want to understand whats happening to you .
If theres a way to fix it , Ill help you find it .
But you have to trust me .
You cant keep carrying this on your own .
Her eyes softened , just a little , and I saw a flicker of something vulnerability , maybe pass across her face .
She blinked , as though she hadnt even considered the possibility that someone might actually want to help her .
That someone might care enough to stand beside her , instead of judging her .
2/3 Chapter 17 The Truth She Hides +15 Bonus And that , more than anything , made my chest ache .
I had never been good at showing empathy , never been skilled at offering comfort .
I was a warrior .
A protector .
But for Lira , I was willing to set that aside .
Because the woman before me this beautiful , broken , lost soul was something I wasnt willing to lose .
Not when I could still feel the spark of her wolf inside her .
Dont you want to find out ? I asked , my voice softer now , coaxing .
Dont you want to know who you really are ? For a moment , Lira was silent , her gaze dropping to the ground between us .
But then , slowly , she nodded .
The faintest tremor passed through her , but it was enough to make me believe she had finally begun to consider it .
To trust me .
And that was all I needed .