Chapter 16: Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16:

I nodded, my senses sharpening, the wolf in me picking up every sound, the rustle of leaves, the faint scrape of claws on stone. The bond with Edgar thrummed in my chest, a lifeline I couldn’t ignore, but he wasn’t here. It was just me and Quinn, and the doubt I’d felt in the bookstore still lingered, a sharp edge in my gut. Was she really on my side, or was this another secret she was keeping?

A shadow moved at the end of the alley, and my breath caught as two figures emerged, Frostclad knights, their eyes glowing gold, their forms half-shifted, fur bristling along their arms. One was Rafe, the wiry wolf I’d heard about from Quinn’s nervous glances, his smirk as cold as the frost in his scent. The other was bigger, broader, his claws longer, his growl deeper. My wolf stirred, urging me to fight or flee, but I planted my feet, refusing to back down.

“Well, look at this,” Rafe drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “The moonbound and the shop girl, playing hero. Connor’s gonna love this.”

“Shut it, Rafe,” Quinn snapped, stepping forward, her claws flexing. “You’re on Ironclad ground. Leave, or you’ll regret it.”

Rafe laughed, but there was no humor in it, just malice. “Big talk for a traitor,” he said, his eyes flicking to me. “You didn’t tell her, did you, Quinn? About the journals? About her mother?”

My blood ran cold, my eyes snapping to Quinn. “What’s he talking about?” I demanded, my voice sharp, the mark on my shoulder flaring. The wolf inside me growled, sensing the betrayal before I could process it.

Quinn’s face paled, her eyes wide with panic. “Lia, it’s not what you think”

“Save it,” I cut her off, my heart racing, the bond with Edgar pulsing with my rising anger. “What journals? What about my mother?”

Rafe’s smirk widened, his eyes gleaming. “Oh, she didn’t tell you? Your mama was Ironclad, Lia. Tied to the clan, to the curse. Quinn’s been sitting on that little secret, hasn’t she? Along with a few others.”

I stepped back, my chest tightening, the wolf clawing at my insides, begging to break free. My mother? Ironclad? The memory of her warnings “stay out of the woods, Lia” flashed in my mind, suddenly heavy with new meaning. I looked at Quinn, searching for the friend I’d trusted, but all I saw was guilt, her hands shaking as she avoided my gaze.

“Lia, I was going to tell you,” she said, her voice low, pleading. “I found journals, old ones, with pictures of your mother. I didn’t know what they meant, not yet. I was trying to protect you”

“Protect me?” I snapped, my voice breaking. “By lying? By keeping secrets while the Frostclad hunt me? Who are you, Quinn? Whose side are you on?”

Before she could answer, Rafe lunged, his claws aimed for me. I dodged, my reflexes faster than I expected, the wolf in me taking over. Quinn moved too, her own claws slashing at Rafe, but the bigger knight was on her in an instant, slamming her against the wall with a sickening thud. She gasped, blood trickling from her lip, but she fought back, her claws raking across his arm.

“Lia, run!” she shouted, but I couldn’t. Not now. The wolf was too close, my skin burning, my bones aching like they were ready to snap. The mark on my shoulder blazed, and I felt it, the shift, unstoppable, tearing through me. My vision sharpened, my nails lengthening into claws, my teeth sharpening into fangs. Pain ripped through me, but it was different this time, not breaking me but forging me into something new.

I lunged at Rafe, my claws slashing across his chest before he could react. He snarled, stumbling back, his eyes wide with surprise. “Well, damn,” he muttered, blood dripping from the wound. “The moonbound’s got teeth.”

The bigger knight turned on me, his growl shaking the air, but I was faster, my body moving on instinct, dodging his claws and slamming my shoulder into his chest. He staggered, and I felt it, the power, the strength I’d never known I had. I wasn’t just human anymore. I was something more, something fierce.

But then a new scent hit me, sharp and familiar, and my heart stopped. Edgar. He burst into the alley, his eyes blazing gold, his body half-shifted, fur rippling over his skin. “Lia!” he roared, tackling the bigger knight before he could strike again. The fight was brutal, fast, claws and teeth, blood spraying across the pavement. Edgar was a force, his rage fueled by the bond, by me.

I turned to help Quinn, but Rafe was back, his claws grazing my arm, drawing blood. Pain flared, but I didn’t flinch, my wolf snarling as I swung at him, catching his jaw with a force that sent him reeling. Quinn was on her feet now, fighting beside me, her eyes wild but focused. For a moment, we were a team, Ironclad against Frostclad, but Rafe’s words still echoed, poisoning every move she made.

“Enough!” Edgar’s voice boomed, and I turned to see him standing over the bigger knight, bloodied but victorious, his chest heaving. Rafe froze, his eyes darting between us, then bolted into the shadows, leaving his companion behind. Edgar’s gaze locked onto me, his eyes softening for a split second before hardening again. “Lia, are you hurt?”

I shook my head, my arm stinging but my pride intact. “I’m fine,” I said, my voice rough, still half-wolf. I glanced at Quinn, who was leaning against the wall, blood on her face, her eyes avoiding mine. “But we need to talk. Now.”

Edgar’s gaze flicked to Quinn, his jaw tightening. “What’s going on?” he demanded, his voice low, dangerous.

I didn’t look away from Quinn, my wolf still close to the surface, my heart aching with betrayal. “She’s been keeping secrets,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “About my mother. About the Ironclad. I want the truth, Quinn. All of it.”

Quinn’s face crumpled, but she didn’t speak, her silence louder than any confession. Edgar stepped closer, his presence a shield, but the bond between us was strained, tangled with my anger and her guilt. The alley was quiet now, but the war was far from over, and I knew the answers I’d get would change everything.