Chapter 24 The Truth Sets You Free
Zara’s POV
I had finally gained some courage after talking to Kai to reach out to Mira.
So here I was.
I stood at the doorway of our room for almost a minute, unable to breathe properly. Mira sat on her bed brushing out her curls, pretending not to notice me. The silence between us felt thick, almost alive.
I didn't know how to go about this conversation. But as Kai had said...
"Start anywhere."
So... I was going to start up something.
“Mira… can we talk” I asked softly.
She paused, the brush halting mid air. She did not look irritated this time. Just tired.
“Come in” she said.
I now wondered why I had gone with that considering it was both of our rooms. But, now wasn't the time to contemplate about that.
I stepped inside and the door clicked shut behind me. My throat tightened as I moved closer. I had rehearsed the words all morning but now they felt jumbled.
"I need to be honest." I began.
“Mira, I need to tell you everything”
Every part of me trembled. I told her about the jealousy I tried to bury. The fear I refused to admit. Luna’s warnings. My denial. The moment everything spiraled into something I never intended. The wolfsbane. The anger. The confusion. The entire truth spilled from me in broken pieces.
By the time I finished, my eyes were burning. Mira stared at me, calm and unreadable.
“I hurt you” I whispered.
“I know I did. I know you do not owe me anything.”
She studied me for a long moment. Then she let out a breath and stood.
"You should have asked questions calmly." She bit harder.
Ouch! That hurt. But I deserved that and nothing less.
“Zara, look at me.”
I raised my eyes hesitantly. She did not look angry. She looked sad in a way that made my chest ache.
I felt like a terrible person in that small moment.
“You made a terrible mistake” she said.
“But I saw everything that led to it. The pressure. The fear. The confusion. You were drowning and you did not want to admit it.”
"I know that I may have played a part in your feelings. But trust me, nothing was happening between Kai and I." She said.
"Dr. Voss did something to him that messed him up.
"She found out somewhat that her device connected to him had been dubbed.
"She did bad things to him which i haven't figured out yet.
"But what you saw was just when I tried to reduce the frequency in which she could listen in on his conversations us.
"That was all it was "
My throat tightened painfully.
“Mira…”
She stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. I froze before sinking into her arms.
“I forgive you” she said against my shoulder.
"I know who you are, Zara. One night does not erase that.”
A sound escaped me. Relief. Grief. Gratitude. I could not tell which.
When we finally pulled apart, someone knocked lightly on the door.
Rex stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes glowing softly. Luna hovered just behind him, her expression unreadable.
“It is time” Rex said.
“For what” I asked.Luna smiled slowly, and something ancient flickered behind her eyes.
“For truth.”
The night air outside the academy felt different. Charged. The moon was huge, resting low in the sky like it had descended to watch us closely. Students gathered in a wide circle around the clearing. Some whispered nervously. Some bounced on their toes.
Mira stayed beside me. Kai found us moments later, brushing his shoulder against mine.
“You look strange” he murmured.
“Everything feels strange” I replied.
Rex stepped into the center of the clearing. The moment he lifted his hand, the forest fell silent.
“Tonight, every wolf meets their real form” he said.
A thrill and fear mixed inside me. The drums started, deep and rhythmic, like the forest itself had begun to breathe.
One by one, students shifted. Light rippled over their skin. Bones rearranged. Fur surged. Growls filled the trees.
Then my turn came.
Heat rushed up my spine. My knees bent. My fingers curled into the earth.
I tried to inhale but the magic inside me burst open like a storm.
The first head formed with a sharp crack of bone.
Then the next.
Then another.
And another.
Until six heads lifted into the glowing air around me.
Gasps echoed across the clearing. Someone stumbled backward.
I guess they would always be that when it came to my transformation.
But this time I felt no shame.
No horror.
No recoil.
I felt whole.
Power rippled through every muscle in my massive body. My many eyes glanced at each other, united, calm. Then all of them lifted toward the moon and released a sound that rose from the deepest part of me. A cry that felt ancient and familiar.
I was not running from myself anymore.
When the ritual ended, light wrapped around my body again. Bones slid into place. Skin returned. I stood on shaking legs, breathing hard, but stronger than I had ever felt.
Luna and Rex stood to the side watching me carefully. For a second, their features flickered, like shadows peeling away from their bodies. I blinked and they looked normal again.
Almost.
“We will talk soon” Luna said quietly.
Her voice carried weight, like she was speaking from a memory.
I wanted to ask what they were, who they were, but before I could, Dr. Voss appeared at the edge of the clearing with a smile that touched none of her features.
“Zara, I need you in the infirmary.”
My stomach dropped.
“Now” she added.
Kai stepped forward.
“I can come with her.”
“No. Just Zara.”
The way she said it made my skin crawl.
Mira touched my arm.
“We will wait for you.”
I nodded, although every instinct screamed at me not to follow her.
The infirmary hallway was quiet, too quiet, lit by white lamps that hummed faintly. I felt like I had walked into the mouth of something hungry.
Dr. Voss opened a door and gestured inside.
“Do not worry. It is a simple check. I want to understand your form” she said, smiling with too many teeth.
“You are unique, Zara. Very unique.”
The door closed behind me with a heavy sound.
I felt something dark shift in the air.
Dr. Voss did not want to examine me.
It seemed like she wanted to crack something open.
Something the ritual awakened.
For the second time in my life.
And I realized I might be walking into a trap.