Chapter 13 Ivy
Lulu
I followed the trail with my breath caught in my throat. Four wet wolf prints slowly shifted into two human footprints.
They led me to a small gazebo tucked away in the quietest corner of the pack house grounds, right in front of a swimming pool so murky it looked abandoned—algae everywhere, dead leaves floating on top like forgotten confetti.
I scanned the place carefully. In all my time here, I’d never once wandered into this hidden corner. Ivy crawled over the gazebo’s walls, wild and unrestrained, as if no one had bothered to trim it for years. The air was colder here, sharp against my skin, as though this part of the estate had been cut off from the celebration happening back in the main hall.
I was just about to turn around when a sound slipped through the night. A low, restrained groan—a man’s voice. I recognised it instantly. Before my brain could decide whether to flee or stay, another sound followed—louder, needier, and honestly… disgusting enough to make me consider jamming twigs into my ears.
“Alpha Caspian, I’m so glad you finally want me. I can give you anything.”
Of course. The blonde she-wolf. The one who snorts like a horse and pretends she’s irresistible, even though her voice alone could ruin my appetite for a week.
I froze, my heartbeat launching into chaos. Curiosity and revulsion slapped me at the same time. So when Caspian spoke—cold, emotionless—I still didn’t move.
“Yeah. Just for tonight. There won’t be a next time. Leave five minutes after me.”
There was rustling, then footsteps. The ivy in front of me shuddered—and he stepped out.
Alpha Caspian, looking the worst I’d ever seen him. Shirt unbuttoned at the top, belt hanging loose like he couldn’t be bothered to fix it, hair a complete mess as though he’d fought a hurricane… or something else I really didn’t want to picture.
I choked on nothing. For a few seconds, no words came out. He stared at me, expression flat and unreadable—the kind he usually reserved for unimportant pack members who got in his way.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, tone clipped, as if I were an inconvenience he couldn’t be bothered with.
I wanted to curse. Or throw a rock at his thick skull. But what slipped out was a pathetic mumble, “I—I was just taking a walk. The night air sort of… led me here.”
Brilliant, Lulu. A masterpiece of terrible excuses.
I clenched my fingers, then glared back at him. “And you? Taking a walk too? Or is this chaotic look your new hobby?”
My voice dripped with sarcasm, even though my stomach twisted. He merely raised a brow, utterly unfazed.
“This isn’t your concern.”
“Of course not. Your business is very…” I scanned him from shirt to undone belt, “private.”
For a second, I thought his jaw tightened—but if it did, it vanished just as quickly behind that icy mask.
“The temperature’s dropping. Go back inside before you freeze,” he said suddenly, like he was issuing an order.
I nearly laughed.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, Alpha,” I snapped. “Handle yourself. And… your evening companion.”
Perfect timing. The blonde she-wolf stumbled out from behind the ivy, cheeks flushed, dress wrinkled, hair a disaster as if she’d wrestled a tornado. She froze when she saw me, then awkwardly started smoothing her dress in the most ungraceful way imaginable.
“Oh,” she squeaked. “I didn’t realise someone else was—”
“Relax,” I cut her off. “It’s a public space. Wild wolves, wild ivy, and… wild decisions. Fits the aesthetic.”
Her face went crimson, like she’d been slapped with dragon fire. Caspian looked at me with a hint of something I couldn’t decipher—not anger, not irritation… more like calculation.
I didn’t care. To hell with whatever that stare always did to my stupid heartbeat.
Without waiting for another word, I turned and walked away. My teeth clenched, my steps quick, my breath burning in my chest. I cursed myself for ever… ever hoping for anything from a man like him.
I swore I wouldn’t fall for it again. Not for his voice, not for his eyes, not for whatever spell he seemed to throw over me without trying.
I didn’t head back to the pack house—not with my emotions snapping like live wires. My feet carried me instead to the Seer’s pavilion, a small dome-roofed building that always smelled of herbs drifting from its windows.
The lights glowed softly. A strange warmth brushed past me the moment I knocked.
My knuckles hadn’t even left the wood when a gentle voice called, “Come in.”
Esthenel—the blind Seer whose sight somehow pierced deeper than anyone else’s.
I stepped inside and sat on the low stool before him. He lifted his face slightly, as though seeing me through eyes that no longer held colour.
“A restless heart speaks the loudest, even when the lips say nothing,” he murmured. “You carry a burden tonight.”
I bit my lip. “I just… want answers. About my future. And my child’s.”
He extended his hand, and I placed mine over it. His skin was warm—comforting.
“I see… a long road,” he whispered. “And a child of an Alpha who will receive a great sacrifice from his father.”
His breath hitched. His brows creased.
“But that sacrifice is shrouded in black fog. His father is surrounded by something I cannot pierce.”
My chest tightened. “Black fog? What does that mean?”
“Darkness. Secrets. Betrayal.” Esthenel closed his eyes. “I cannot see further.”
Exhaustion seeped into my bones. “Thank you, Seer Esthenel. I… I’ll head back.”
I left the pavilion, avoiding the lively hall. Instead, I took the long route—past the Omega quarters, the back kitchen door, the silent, shadowed corridors—until I reached my room.
I locked the door. Then the windows. Twice, just to be sure.
I collapsed onto the bed, my body heavy, my thoughts even heavier.
And before I knew it, sleep dragged me under.
My feet weren’t touching the ground.
Fog swallowed everything. A figure stood ahead—someone I desperately wanted to forget.
Scott?
His face was pale, eyes hollow, body shaking as though weighed down by a suffocating sadness. He looked… lost almost empty.
“Scott?” My voice echoed strangely.
He didn’t answer. He staggered, then dropped to his knees like his strength had simply vanished.
From the shadows behind him emerged Elder Ruth—her mouth stretched into a grin far too wide to be human.
She laughed softly. A sound that chilled my spine.
Scott curled up, covering his ears before whispering, “Lulu… I’m sorry.”
His voice broke. “Lulu… help…”
I jolted.
I woke to the loud bang of the window shutter slamming against the wall. Cold wind gusted in.
My heart was still racing from the dream. Slowly, I turned to the window. I could’ve sworn… I locked it. Properly.
“I must’ve forgotten,” I muttered, though the words felt empty.
I closed the window again, twisting the latch firmly. When I turned back toward the bed—my breath froze.
Wet prints. Wolf prints. Fresh ones.
Right at the foot of my bed. Ice crawled down my spine.
I approached, touching one carefully—it was damp, cold, and far too clear to be a trick of the light.
“What is happening?” I whispered.
No answer. Only the wind rattling the window again. I stared at the darkness outside. Then at the prints.
Tomorrow… I’m finding the sorcerer who once came to my room. He might be the only one who can explain this.