Helen POV
I was motionless as I fixed my gaze on the location where the dark wolf had vanished. My legs felt weak, and my heart was racing. I spun around, still trying to figure out what had happened when I heard a commotion behind me.
An old man stood there in the shadows. His silver hair flowed down to his shoulders, and his clothes were ragged. His piercing eyes found mine, and for a split second, I was speechless and immobile.
Who are you? Who are you? I stumbled and my voice wavered.
With a soft smile, the man moved forward, taking his time and carefully. In a deep, soothing voice, he remarked, "You don't recognize me, but I know you well, Helen Kyle."
I stepped back and scowled. How was my name known to him? "How are you aware of who I am?"
His eyes softened with what appeared to be sadness as he let out a small sigh. "I was acquainted with your parents."
My throat tightened around my breath. My folks? Nobody ever discussed them. They passed away when I was a baby, and I had very little knowledge of them. "You knew them, you?" Barely able to believe it, I asked.
"Yes," he replied, slowly nodding. "Your parents were exceptional; they were strong, wise wolves." However, there are important details about them that have been withheld from you.
My head was full of inquiries. This is too good to be true. This man, who was he? Why did I never know about him before? "Explain what you mean," I questioned warily.
"There are a lot of things about your past that you are unaware of," he stated, fixing his gaze on me. You underestimate the strength of your ancestry. Your parents were duped, that much is clear.
"Betrayed?" With a sinking heart, I muttered. This man was expressing something different from what I had always assumed that they had died in an accident.
"Yes," he said with a somber nod. Their demise was not a coincidence. They were killed.
I looked at the man, bewildered and unable to focus. Murderer? All my preconceived notions about my life were collapsing in front of me.
"Why ought I to trust you?" With a weak voice, I asked. "I haven't heard of you previously. Why are you just now telling me this?
He took a stride toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. "Helen, I've been observing you for a while. Awaiting the appropriate moment to disclose the reality. You are not an ordinary omega. You are descended from a pack of formidable wolves with skills that only a select few can comprehend. You underestimate your importance.
My hands balled up by my sides into fists. I haven't felt it, so why is that true? I have never been strong in my life. I can hardly stand up for myself.
He whispered, "That's because you haven't yet realized your full potential." However, you will. And you'll be a formidable opponent once you do.
Unsure of what to say, I just stared at him. Is it possible that this is true? Did I have any other identity other than being a rejected, weak omega?
"Why at this time?" At last, I made a request. "Why are you disclosing all of this to me?"
The elderly man's face became a little more serious. "Because, Helen, the danger is approaching. There's still that same betrayal in the pack that killed your parents. You must be ready. You must exercise.
"Train?" Confused, I repeated. "For what purpose do you train?"
To protect oneself. To safeguard your future," he stated gravely. "If you choose to accept your power, you are stronger than you realize."
Scott, meantime, was sitting in his office, essentially gazing at the documents in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to ignore his foggy thoughts, they would not go away and would always return to Helen.
Even though he had pushed her away and rejected her, there was still unease within him. The connection was still there, but fading. He tried to ignore it, but it nagged at him, tugging at his instincts.
"Why am I unable to put her out of my mind?" With a frustrated hand sweeping through his hair, he murmured to himself.
His Beta, Marcus, had been correct. She was an omega, feeble. However, something had been in her eyes that evening. Something that caused him to pause for a little moment. More often than he would have liked to admit, his rejection of her had rocked him because he had sensed her agony.
He couldn't, however, afford to be pliable. The Alpha was him. Not Helen, but a powerful partner was what he needed.
However, despite his best efforts to persuade himself, the discomfort persisted.
Frustrated, Scott banged his fist against the table. "I can't allow myself to be affected by this," he muttered to himself. "I made the wise decision."
In his heart, though, he wasn't so sure.
The old man's words rang in my head back in the woods. I had lost any sense of what to believe. My parents were killed. And now I was being told that I was also in danger by this unknown man.
With a little voice, I said, "I don't understand." "What makes someone wish to deceive my parents? Why would someone wish to cause me harm?
The elderly man's expression darkened. Helen, power. Others envied the power your parents possessed. And your blood is full of that strength. Some people will stop at nothing to steal it away from you.
I gave a headshake. "I own no power. I am merely an omega.
"You still haven't unlocked it," he stated firmly. However, they will pursue you once you do. You must be prepared.
My spine tingled with cold. "Who are they?"
The old man's eyes grew gloomy. "Those who deceived your parents, too." They are still waiting outside. Furthermore, they might be closer than you realize.
His words struck home, and my heart began to race in my chest. Was it one of the pack members who killed my parents? Might they also be plotting to turn against me?
The elderly man took a step toward us, his expression intense. Helen, exercise caution. Never trust anyone. You must be ready for the possibility that the same betrayal that took your parents' lives could happen to you.
I took a deep breath, terrified. "What actions should I take?"
"Leave me alone," he murmured. "I'll support you. But exercise caution right now. Keep an eye on those nearby. Nobody is who they seem to be.
I gently nodded, but questions were still racing through my head. With whom might I put my trust? Who had my parents been duped by? How come I was being pulled into this right now?
The old man disappeared as swiftly as he had appeared, turning and walking into the shadows before I could ask him any more questions.
I stood there in the darkness, my heart pounding with fear and confusion. My mind raced with the old man's warning—betrayal, power, danger. Was everything I knew about my life a lie? And if so, who could I trust in a world full of secrets and shadows?