Chapter 93 — The Night the Walls Bled
We returned to the mansion just before dusk. The sky was painted in soft shades of orange and fading gold, the kind of evening that made everything feel gentle and calm, like the world was holding its breath in peace.
As the car slowed and came to a stop, Edward turned to look at me, a small smile already on his lips.
His eyes searched my face, warm and hopeful.
“Did you enjoy your experience at the museum?” he asked gently. “Was it… helpful? Learning more about shape-shifting, about us?”
I nodded immediately, my heart light in a way it hadn’t been in a long time.
“Yes,” I said honestly. “It was more than helpful. It was… eye-opening. Thank you, Edward. Truly.”
I meant every word.
For the first time since my life had turned upside down, I felt like I wasn’t walking blindly anymore. Like some of the confusion inside me finally had names, history, meaning.
His smile widened, soft and genuine, and for a moment, it felt like nothing else existed.
What I didn’t know was that someone else was watching us.
From behind the heavy curtains of an upstairs window, Vivian stood frozen, her fingers clenched tightly into the fabric. She watched Edward look at me that way. She watched me smile back at him.
And the anger in her eyes burned dark and deep.
Edward watched me come down from the car, careful and attentive as always. When my feet touched the ground, I felt… happy. Truly happy. The kind that settles quietly in your chest and makes you believe, just for a second, that things might actually be okay.
We moved inside together, then parted ways in the hallway.
“Good night, Elara,” he said.
“Good night, Edward,” I replied, smiling.
I went back to my room in the guest wing, my heart still floating. As I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it and let out a soft breath. Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I will give him my answer. And I already knew what it would be.
That night, I slept with a smile on my face.
I didn’t know it would be the calm before the storm.
The dream came again. But this time, it was different. I wasn’t standing alone.
The ground beneath my feet was shaking. The air was thick with smoke and blood scent. I could hear growls, screams, the clash of bodies. Wolves–so many wolves–running, fighting, falling.
The white wolf stood in the distance, watching.
Not crowned this time. Waiting. My chest tightened painfully.
Then I felt it. Real danger. Immediately, I gasped sharply and twisted in my sleep.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The knock was loud, urgent, violent against my door.
“Elara! Wake up! Now!”
My eyes flew open, heart pounding as the dream bled into reality. I barely had time to sit up before the door opened.
“There’s an attack,” one of the guards said quickly. “Rogue wolves. You need to come with us.”
Fear shot through me like ice.
Before I could even grab my robe, they were already guiding me out into the hallway. My senses exploded awake–my hearing sharp, my skin buzzing, the air thick with the scent of danger.
I could hear snarls in the distance. Not human. Wolf.
Ma’am Albright was already there, her face pale but steady as guards hurried her along too.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said softly, though I could hear the strain in her voice.
They rushed us into Edward’s room, through a hidden door behind one of the walls, and into the safe room.
The heavy door shut behind us with a solid click.
Moments later, Vivian burst in.
“There’s an attack!” she cried, her voice shaking, eyes wide with fear–or something that looked very much like it. “Edward, I was so scared…”
“Get inside,” Edward ordered firmly. “Now.”
She rushed into the safe room, pressing herself into the corner like a frightened child.
Edward turned sharply to his guards.
“Two of you stay here,” he commanded. “Protect them with your lives.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they replied in unison.
Edward’s gaze flicked to me for just a second. Something fierce and protective burned in his eyes.
Then he turned away.
“To everyone else,” he said, his voice carrying power, authority, and command. “Shift. Defend the mansion. No mercy.”
The words echoed. I felt it then. The change in the air.
Bones cracking. Clothes tearing. Deep growls ripping through the night. Wolves.
So many wolves.
My hands trembled as I pressed them against my chest. I could hear everything. Every footstep. Every snarl. Every clash of bodies. It was overwhelming–too loud, too real like I was in their midst.
Then Edward shifted. Even from inside the safe room, I felt it. The power. The dominance.
The ground seemed to tremble as his wolf emerged–a massive dark silver wolf, eyes glowing like molten steel. He didn’t hesitate. He launched forward, teeth bared, claws ready.
The fight exploded.
Rogue wolves crashed through the outer gates, snarling, wild-eyed, bloodthirsty. Edward’s guards met them head-on, wolves slamming into wolves, fangs sinking into flesh.
I heard bones snap. Heard screams cut short. Blood splattered across stone walls.
Edward moved like a force of nature. He tore through them with brutal precision, ripping one rogue’s throat out before turning and slamming another into the ground. His growl shook the air, a sound that made even the strongest hesitate.
But they kept coming. More rogues. More blood.
The mansion grounds became a battlefield.
Inside the safe room, my body reacted without permission. My heart pounded. My skin burned. My wolf–something deep inside me–was screaming to be let out.
I could taste blood in the air. Feel the pain of others like it was my own.
Ma’am Albright held my hand tightly. “Stay with me,” she whispered. “Don’t let it pull you.”
Outside, the fight raged on. The rogues were dying–but not fast enough.
They were being pushed back, outnumbered, but the night was far from over.
Deep down, I knew this… this wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning.