76

76
GIANNA’S POV

'Wake up!'

A voice, sharp and unyielding, pierced through my haze like a storm, rattling every part of me. I wanted to resist, to cling to sleep where the agony was dulled and everything was far away. But the voice insisted, cutting through my weakness, relentless.

'Wake up, Gianna!'

Even after everything, this voice refused to let me rest. I wished it would leave, let me slip into silence, but its strength only grew.

'Open your eyes! Now!'

'If I do, it'll hurt. Please… don’t make me face that again,' I pleaded, but even I felt the strength of the voice’s command pressing against me.

'Do you want to die?' the voice pressed.

Did I? My heart ached, a raw, suffocating pain that went beyond anything physical. A fierce love — a longing. Stefano. I’d give up everything for him, even my life. But if I could live, if there was a chance…

'I want… I want to live.'

'Good.' The voice softened, seeming pleased with my answer. 'She thinks you’re worthy.'

'She?'

'Your wolf spirit,' the voice answered, a hint of laughter warming the words. 'She’ll heal you, but you have to shift. Do it the moment you open your eyes.'

'I don’t know how…'

'You’ll know. She’ll guide you.'

Anticipation, fear, and something akin to hope filled me, mingling and thickening the air around me. I wanted to return. To hold him. And then the painful realization hit.

'I broke our bond.' My heart clenched in terror, the thought of facing life without him unbearable.

'The bond can be restored.'

I wasn’t reassured. 'How do you know?'

A soft chuckle echoed. 'Because I made it.'

My breath caught. 'Are you… the Goddess?'

'I have many names.'

It was only then I felt the immensity of her presence, an aura that silenced me.

'You command the Fates…'

'No one commands the Fates,' she corrected. 'I bring life; the Fates maintain balance. What’s wrong crumbles to dust. What’s right… might be restored.'

I barely managed to whisper, 'How do I restore our bond?'

'You don’t,' she answered. 'Only the rejected can rebuild it, if he desires.'

My heart twisted. 'So, Stefano… he could bring back our bond?'

Silence answered. Then, 'Your time has come, Gianna. Open your eyes and live, or sink into nothingness.'



A powerful force yanked me back into awareness. Sunlight flooded my senses as I blinked open my eyes, and pain surged through me, raw and burning. I felt as though every nerve had been set aflame, dragging a silent scream from my lips. But then something new rose inside me — a presence, strong and comforting, that spoke to my heart and soul without words. My wolf.

She urged me to push past the pain, to believe in the strength she offered. Grinding my teeth, I forced my hands and feet to move, each motion bringing fresh agony. Finally, I sat up and took in my surroundings. I was on a rocky shore by the river. No cliffs or familiar buildings in sight. How far had the water carried me from Daeville?

I looked down at my body, only covered by the tattered remains of a nightgown. Cuts and bleeding wounds marked every inch of skin, and a dull throb reminded me of the broken bones within. It was a miracle I’d survived, but if I didn’t start healing, that miracle wouldn’t last.

Shift. The Goddess had said I needed to shift to heal. Though I’d never done it before, I knew how, as if I’d practiced it countless times. Breathing in, I pulled myself up and called to my spirit, feeling her strength fill me. She’d warned me that my first shift would hurt, but pain had become my constant companion. I let it wash over me, trusting it would make me whole again.

As the shift began, my bones melted, joints cracked and reformed, my limbs elongated, my hands and feet transformed into paws. The pain dulled, leaving me aware of each new change — the way pearl-white fur covered my skin, the sensation of power in my muscles. And then, fully shifted, my wolf told me to lie down and rest. Walking for the first time on four legs, I stumbled a few paces from the shore and collapsed beneath a towering tree, slipping into a dreamless sleep.



I awoke to the setting sun, curled up in my human form once more. Stretching out, I tested my limbs, finding the pain had lessened to a bearable throb. A faint smile touched my lips.

I’d been given a second chance. I was healing. I was alive.

My hand moved to my chest, pressing over my heart, where a dull ache reminded me of what I’d done. I’d severed the bond. And fear returned — was Stefano still alive? I couldn’t bear a world without him in it.

Focusing on my healing body, I saw the cuts were already mending. Some remained red and raw, but others were fading, leaving only faint pink lines. Rising to my feet felt easier, the movement no longer excruciating. I felt something new coursing through me — strength. More than I’d ever known. My senses sharpened, catching distant sounds and shadows. And something else — the evening air touched my bare skin without chilling me. Stefano had never shivered in the cold either. Had I inherited this strength?

The sudden sound of footsteps tore through my thoughts, and my heart began to race. I wasn’t ready for a fight, and I had nothing to cover myself. Desperately, I looked around for the remnants of my nightgown, but the torn scraps were useless.

Cursing under my breath, I hid behind the tree, listening.

“That bastard couldn’t have gotten far from Daeville,” a gruff voice muttered. “Think we should head back to search the woods?”

“What do you think, Commander?” another asked.

“Alvise told us to search the riverbank,” a deeper voice answered. “He’s certain Stefano won’t stop until he finds that Omega bitch’s body.”

My heart stilled for a moment, then raced. Stefano was alive. He was searching for me. I barely kept myself from crying out in relief, but soon fear crept back in as the men drew closer.

“Commander, what do we do if we find him?” another voice chimed in.

“We kill him. He’s been declared a traitor.”

I swallowed hard. I could hear at least a dozen footsteps, but there could be more. Though a part of me yearned to test this newfound strength, I knew I wasn’t ready. My wolf nudged at me, urging me to shift. She was right — I’d be safer in my wolf form.

I took a few deep breaths and began the transformation. This time, it hurt less, my body already adapting. But I hadn’t completed the shift when I heard mocking laughter behind me. I froze, realizing too late I hadn’t been fast enough.

More than ten warriors surrounded me, drawing their black-steel swords, their faces twisted in leering grins. One stepped forward, eyes dark with cruel amusement as he took me in.

“Hello there, pretty white wolf.”