Chapter 17 CHAPTER 17
I woke to the low hum of the morning sun spilling through the curtains, casting gold streaks across my bedroom. For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was, until the heat next to me reminded me. Branden’s arm was draped casually across my waist, his chest rising and falling in the slow rhythm of sleep.
I felt a mischievous smile tug at my lips. Quietly, I inched closer, pressing my shoulder against his. His eyes fluttered open, and that slow, predatory grin he wore made my pulse hammer.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice husky, like he’d been dreaming only of me.
“I could say the same about you,” I teased, my fingers tracing circles on his chest.
He chuckled low, dragging a hand up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “You know, you’re trouble,” he said, leaning closer until his lips hovered just above mine.
“Trouble?” I whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. “I thought we were just having fun.”
His grin widened, and before I could stop myself, we were rolling lightly on the bed, tangled and laughing, our foreheads brushing. Flirting, teasing, a gentle heat sparking between us. I could feel the familiar pull, the one that told me I wanted him as much as he wanted me.
“Stay,” he murmured suddenly, his lips ghosting mine.
“I can’t,” I whispered, breathless. “Your Alpha instincts are too strong, and—”
“I know,” he cut in, kissing my temple. “But it’s worth it.”
A moment later, he sighed, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. “I have to go,” he said reluctantly. “Your parents aren’t home, and I shouldn’t be here too long.”
My stomach sank, but I couldn’t stop the smile that crept across my face. “You’re impossible,” I said softly as he rose, straightening his clothes.
He leaned down to brush a lingering kiss against my lips. “You love it,” he teased. “See you later.”
And just like that, he was gone. The door clicked behind him, leaving me alone with the quiet hum of the morning, my pulse still racing from the stolen intimacy.
I swung my legs off the bed, still wrapped in the soft silk of the sheets, and headed to the bathroom to wash my face. The warm water did little to calm the fluttering in my chest. My thoughts were a mix of confusion, excitement, and a strange premonition I couldn’t quite place.
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, hair damp and clinging to my shoulders. That’s when I heard it: a knock at the door. Hesitant, polite, and unmistakably deliberate.
I froze, drying my hands slowly. “Who—?”
“Ayla,” a calm, melodic voice said. “Ayla, I am your mother.”
I froze mid-step, heart stuttering like a bird trapped in my chest. My mother was at the hospital, tending to my father, or at least, that’s where she was supposed to be.
“What?” I whispered, voice barely audible. “No. That’s… that’s impossible.”
The knocking came again, firmer this time. My pulse raced as I walked slowly toward the door, unsure if I was ready for whatever awaited me on the other side. The voice again, gentle yet strangely familiar.
“Ayla, it’s me. I’ve been searching for you for so long. Please, just open the door.”
I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I reached for the handle. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind—this had to be some cruel trick, some kind of stranger with the wrong intentions. And yet… there was something about that voice. Something magnetic, pulling me toward it despite every instinct screaming to run.
I opened the door slowly, eyes wide, and there she stood. A woman with sharp features softened by warmth, dark eyes that seemed to hold centuries of secrets, and a presence that made the air around her feel heavier, charged.
“You… you’re not…” I stammered, stepping back. “My mother—my mom is at the hospital!”
She smiled gently, shaking her head. “No, Ayla. She’s not your real mother. I am. I am the one who should have raised you, the one who should have been here all along. My name… is Selene Shade.”
I blinked, trying to process what I was hearing. My knees threatened to buckle, and I gripped the doorframe for support. “I… I don’t understand. How—why—?”
“I’ve been watching over you from afar, waiting for the right time,” Selene said softly. “Your mother… she loved you in her own way, but I am your true mother, the one who carries your blood, your power. And you, Ayla… you are more than you realize.”
My mind whirled. Branden… my father… my mother at the hospital… everything I thought I knew about my life was unraveling like threads in the wind.
“You’re my mother?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Why now? Why come to me like this?”
“Because it is time for you to know, to accept what you are, and to choose who you want to be,” Selene said, taking a careful step forward. Her presence was overwhelming, like a storm contained in a human form. “You have powers, Ayla. Powers that even your father cannot understand, and that your mother could never fully nurture. I can teach you… if you are willing to listen.”
I backed away, my mind spinning. “I don’t… I don’t even know what to say. This is too much. My life—everything I’ve known—” I stopped, swallowing hard. “How… how do you expect me to believe you?”
“You will believe it soon enough,” she said with a hint of a smile. “And whether you accept me or not, know this—you are special. You are destined for more than anyone has ever told you. Your life is about to change, Ayla. I’m here to guide you, and to protect you, because what is coming… it is bigger than you realize.”
I stared at her, words failing me. I could barely process the betrayal, the revelation, the flood of emotions that roared through me like a tidal wave. Anger, disbelief, curiosity, and a spark of something deeper, something that made my blood hum with recognition.
“Wait,” I said finally, my voice firmer despite the tremble. “If you’re my mother… why now? Why not before?”
Selene’s eyes softened, tinged with sadness. “Because I had to be sure it was the right time. Because I had to make sure you were ready to hear the truth. And because your father—he doesn’t know the full story either. He was kept in the dark for your protection. Everything I’ve done… it’s been to keep you safe.”
My heart pounded in my chest, but beneath the shock and confusion, a flicker of trust ignited. There was something about her presence, the calm authority in her voice, the undeniable pull that whispered I should listen. My wolf stirred inside me, alert and eager, sensing the power in her.
I stepped back, still trying to make sense of it all. “I don’t know if I can… if I should…”
Selene extended a hand, not pushy, not demanding. “You don’t have to decide now. But I am here, Ayla. And you are not alone in this. Not anymore.”
The door behind her rattled slightly as if on cue, and for a brief moment, I imagined Branden standing outside, protective and impatient. But that thought felt distant, drowned out by the storm Selene brought into my room.
I swallowed, my throat dry, and finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, I said, “I… I need time.”
Selene nodded, her expression unreadable but patient. “Time is yours. I will wait, Ayla. And when you are ready, we will begin.”
As she turned to leave, I felt a strange sense of anticipation mix with fear, like standing on the edge of something dangerous and exhilarating all at once.
The moment she disappeared down the hall, I slumped onto the edge of my bed, heart racing, mind spinning. Everything had changed in the span of one morning. Branden, Callen, my father, my family’s secrets, and now a mother I never knew existed.
I closed my eyes, taking a shaky breath. “I don’t even know where to start,” I whispered to myself.
And as the sun climbed higher, spilling light into the room, I realized that nothing in my life would ever be the same again.