Chapter 69 CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE | BLOOD

Chapter 69 CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE | BLOOD

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE | BLOOD

ASPEN

I woke up to light leaking through the curtains, thin and pale. My head throbbed before I even opened my eyes. The pain was deep, heavy, like something pressing from the inside. I groaned softly and lifted my hand to my temple, breathing through it.

“Aspen,” Ronan said gently.

I turned my head. He was standing beside the bed, holding a cup. His eyes searched my face like he was afraid I would disappear if he blinked.

“Are you fine?” he asked.

I nodded, even though it wasn’t true. He handed me the cup. “Drink this.”

Coffee. The smell grounded me. I took small sips, letting the warmth slide down my throat. My hands were shaking.

“What happened?” I asked.

“You fainted,” Ronan said. His voice was calm, but his shoulders were tight.

I frowned. Images flickered in my head—it was sharp and confusing: the fire, the house, and the screams. I sucked in a breath too fast.

“I saw her,” I said.

Ronan stiffened. “Saw who?”

“My sister,” I whispered. “I have a sister.”

The words came out broken. My chest tightened and my breathing turned uneven. Ronan moved closer immediately and wrapped his arms around me. I clung to his shirt like it was the only solid thing left.

“I think my mother and my sister died in a fire,” I said into his chest. “I don’t know how I know. I just feel it.”

Ronan held me tighter. “We’ll look into it,” he said quietly. “I promise. Don’t worry too much. We’ll figure this out together.”

I nodded against him, but my body felt wrong. When I pulled back, I noticed small marks on my arm—tiny dots that were barely healed.

“Was I taken to the hospital?” I asked.

“No,” Ronan said quickly. “There was a healer. Someone among the people I met. She treated you.”

A chill ran through me. “What did she say about me?”

Ronan hesitated. He sat down slowly, rubbing his palms together. His worry filled the room.

“You can tell me,” I said. “I need to know.”

He looked up at me, his eyes dark and honest. “She said you’re half witch and half wolf.”

The words landed hard. Half witch. Half wolf. My head started pounding again, but this time it felt different, like something inside me had been named.

“What do you mean?” I asked. My voice came out thinner than I wanted, like it might snap if I pushed it harder.

Ronan didn’t look away. “That’s what the healer said,” he replied. “Those were her exact words.”

I leaned back against the pillows and let out a long breath. The room felt smaller suddenly, like the walls had shifted closer. Half witch. Half wolf. The words echoed in my head, repeating themselves until they stopped sounding real.

Is that why I always felt different? I thought. Why I never fit properly anywhere.

I remembered standing in rooms full of people and still feeling alone, like I was watching life through glass. I remembered the looks, the whispers, the way something always felt slightly wrong inside me, like I had been misplaced.

Ronan reached for my hand. His grip was warm and steady. “Everything will be fine,” he said, like he needed me to believe it as much as he did.

I swallowed. “What will people say?” I asked quietly. Fear crept into my voice before I could stop it. “If they find out.”

“They won’t,” Ronan said firmly. “First of all, this stays between us. And secondly, you shouldn’t be worrying about what people will say. You should worry about you.”

His words settled slowly. I nodded, but my chest still felt tight.

A tear slipped down my cheek before I noticed it. I brushed it away quickly, embarrassed by how exposed I felt. “Ronan,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Where is the book?”

He frowned slightly. “What book?”

“The one Pulp gave me,” I said. “The one he told me to protect.”

Ronan’s expression changed, sharper now. “You remember that?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I keep thinking about it.”

He squeezed my hand. “Calm down,” he said gently. “Everything will be fine. I’ll tell Brian. He’ll get what we need to read it safely.”

I nodded again, even though my thoughts were spinning. There were too many questions and not enough answers. My life felt like it had cracked open, showing pieces I didn’t recognize.

I exhaled deeply. “I just wish my life was normal,” I said. The words slipped out before I could stop them. “I wish I was just… ordinary.”

Ronan shook his head softly. “This is normal,” he said. “Just not the kind everyone understands.”

I looked at him, really looked at him. He wasn’t scared of me. He wasn’t pulling away. If anything, he looked more determined.

I lay back against the bed, staring at the ceiling. The pain in my head was still there, but beneath it was something else. I didn’t know what being half witch and half wolf meant yet, but I knew one thing for sure: my life had already changed.

Ronan called my name slowly, like he was afraid it might break me. I looked at him, really looked, and he said it again, softer this time, that everything would be fine. The words almost annoyed me, but I swallowed it down and shook my head.

“I just want to know who my family are,” I said. “I need that. I deserve that.”

He nodded and went quiet. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. He paced once, then stopped. When he spoke again, his voice was low:

“We’re attacking the Red Ones tonight.”

“What?” I yelled.

The sound surprised both of us. Pain shot through my head as I pushed myself upright. “You can’t just say that,” I snapped. “Not now.”

“They won’t wait,” he said. “And neither can we.”

“You’re talking about war,” I said, my heart racing. “About blood.”

His jaw tightened. “They’re already attacking us,” he replied. “This is defense.”

“And where does that leave me?” I asked. “Lying here, full of questions, while you walk into danger?”

He stepped closer. “It leaves you alive.”

I laughed once, sharp and humorless. “Being alive isn’t the same as being safe.”

Ronan reached for my hand, hesitation clear. “I’ll come back.”