It was hard to breathe. I saw my door opening, and I saw a shadow standing by the door; I couldn't see him well. My mind set aflame with confusion, frozen, not knowing what to do. In my head, I tried to piece together who it could be. Damon? Orion? Or maybe somebody else-something else-wholly?
I had become so terrified and I waited for the figure to move. The air around me suddenly changed. My only attentive things were my racing heartbeat and my shaking hands, which were pulled under the bed sheet. I did not know what it was or what it wanted from me, but one thing for sure, I was not alone.
It didn't move. It just hung there for what seemed to me like an eternity, until I thought I would scream with the tension of it all, and then the figure stepped forward. Before I could process it, the figure was already in the room, and shot the door behind him.
I sat up, I could feel my heart rate increasing. "Who's there?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.
The figure didn't readily answer. I heard instead a soft chuckle, low, almost mocking. A cold shiver ran down my spine. I could hardly make out their features in the dark, but I could feel that they were tall, commanding, almost suffocating.
"Do you really think you are safe here?" The figure whispered and this sent shivers through my body. The voice was strangely familiar and still I couldn't figure it out. "You can't hide from the truth forever, you know?"
I strained my eyes, trying to make out their faces, but the shadows swallowed them whole. "What do you want?" I demanded, trying to sound strong even as fear clawed in my guts. "Who are you?"
And then the figure stepped into the light, and I gasped, my heart tumbling into my stomach.
It was Damon.
But this wasn't the Damon I knew, his face was waxen, his dark eyes now almost black in the dim light, and the cold calculation in their glitter caused a shiver to overspread my skin. Kindness and warmth were gone-replaced by something darker.
"You. You're not him," I managed to whisper. "What have you done with him?"
Damon smiled, but it wasn't a smile I knew. Twisted. Cruel. "Oh, Ava, you have no idea what you're dealing with. You never did."
I scooted back against the headboard, heart hammering. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
Damon's smile fell, and his eyes softened for one moment-he seemed to be at war with himself-but then it was gone completely, replaced by the same cold, calculating gaze.
"I'm sorry, Ava," he said, his voice low and distant. "But I'm not the one who's been lying to you."
"What?" I asked, confusion and fear swirling in my chest. "What are you talking about? You're really scaring me."
He took another step closer, and I cringed backward, taut and ready to flee if necessary. "You think Orion's looking out for you," Damon sneered, his voice oozing with malice. "You really believe that's what he wants, to save you—but really, all along he has simply been using you. All of this, the prophecy, the bloodline, and the danger—that's part of his plan."
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. "No, that's not true. Orion's trying to help me. He's trying to protect me from whoever's after me."
The curve of Damon's lips was almost a bitter laugh. "Protect you? Orion is using you as a pawn in a game you don't even understand. You are nothing but a means to an end with him, Ava."
I shook my head, and a wave of incredulity washed over me. "You're lying. Why would he do that?"
Damon took one step closer, eyes narrowing. "Because he needs you. He needs your power. And unless you learn to control it, unless you unlock it in time, the entire pack will fall. The prophecy isn't about saving anyone. It's about domination."
My breath caught suddenly in my throat. "What do you mean? What's the real prophecy?"
Damon didn't say a word; he took another step closer, his very presence overwhelming me. "You'll find out soon enough," he said in a very low, menacing voice. "But by then, it might be too late."
I think he turned around toward the window and seemed to melt into the darkness before I even got a word out. "I will be watching, Ava," he said from the dark of night. "As will Orion."
I sat frozen as my brain ran over what he said. What was it all saying? Was Damon telling me the truth? Or was I simply being used by Orion?
I wasn't sure anymore who to trust. The lines separating my allies and enemies began to blur, giving me no means of escape.
The whole day passed in a haze. No one could get anything through to me. Damon's words continued to twirl in my head, making everything I ever thought was true questionable. Orion had been kind, so careful with me. But if Damon was right-or if Orion is using me for some greater reason-then what does it mean? What did I do with it now, for myself, about the prophecy?
I had this growing sense that I was being manipulated, but from whom, that was the question. Was Damon trying to warn me, or was he trying to push me into something darker?
By lunchtime, I didn't even acknowledge Lila as she dropped herself down beside me, her concerned gaze studying me closely. "Ava, what's going on? You've been acting strange all day."
I looked up at her, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."
Lila looked unconvinced but didn't press. Instead, she took a bite of her sandwich and let out a sigh. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."
I nodded, the weight of Damon's words bearing down on me, unable to utter a word. Hell, I didn't even know where to begin.
That was later that night, standing outside Orion's office. My little chat with Damon had shaken me to my core, and all I wanted were answers—answers that only Orion could provide. It was about time the truth came out, even if that meant confrontation over everything that had been kept under wraps.
I rapped softly against the door. My heart thudded in my chest. A moment later, the door swung open, and there Orion stood, expressionless before me.
"Ava," he said, his voice soft but firm. "What's wrong?"
"I need to know the truth," I said, my voice shaking. "About the prophecy. About everything."
Orion's gaze narrowed, and for a flicker of a moment, something in them flashed, though I could not place it. He shifted aside and jerked his chin toward the interior.
The instant I stepped over that threshold of the office, a weight fell on me. I was about to learn something that would change everything