Torn Between Destinies-Chapter 23 - Twenty Three

The sky was bleeding gold and red, a strange color that only came once a year—the same color I saw in my dreams when the voice first told me to find my mother. Now, standing at the edge of Thornridge’s sacred circle, I was here again. Only this time, I wasn’t the child being led by fate. I was the one doing the leading.

The leaves rustled like whispers. The air felt thick. My heart beat fast as I stood between my mother and Kiani. Both of them wore long white robes given by the Elders. Both of them looked nervous. But only one of them knew what was about to happen.

Aira’s hand reached for mine. "Are you sure this will work?"

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure at all. "I believe it will. I’ve seen it done before."

She tried to smile but her eyes were filled with doubt. "Luciana... I’m scared."

I squeezed her fingers gently. "You don’t have to be. You’re not alone this time."

Kiani, small and silent, looked around. "Is this where magic lives?"

I knelt down and brushed her curly hair back. "Yes. It’s where we’re all made whole again."

The ritual ground glowed faintly as the moon began to rise. Nefang stood at the far edge, watching. He hadn’t spoken much since our return. I couldn’t tell if he was still angry or just... shocked. Aira’s presence had shaken him.

But this was not about him.

This was about Aira—and Kiani.

I stepped into the center and raised my voice.

"Spirits of Thornridge, hear me. I bring two souls into your presence. One born of this world. One returned from another. Both carry the bloodline of prophecy. Let them be joined with their true forms."

The Elders began chanting.

I felt the power hum beneath my feet.

Aira flinched. "It’s starting, isn’t it?"

"Yes. Just breathe. Trust me."

Aira stood tall, even when the wind picked up and the light grew brighter. Her eyes shut tightly. Her breath turned ragged. I saw her body shiver, then jerk.

The transformation had begun.

Pain twisted her face. She fell to her knees. I ran toward her but one of the Elders held me back.

"She must do this alone," he whispered.

"No! She’s not like us—she’s—she’s—"

But then her scream turned into something else. A growl. A deep rumble that didn’t belong to a human.

And in seconds, Aira was gone.

Where she knelt, now stood a tall white wolf—her fur thick, her eyes still my mother’s. She blinked at me and whimpered softly.

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"You did it," I whispered. "You came back to us."

Everyone was still.

But then...

A scream.

High. Sharp. Piercing.

Kiani.

My heart froze as I turned to see her falling backward, clutching her chest.

"No! She’s not part of this!" I shouted. "Stop the ritual!"

But the light around her glowed brighter than anything I’d seen.

Kiani was glowing.

No, not just glowing—changing.

Her skin shimmered like silver.

Her bones cracked.

"No, no, no," I mumbled, pushing past the Elders.

She cried out again, but it wasn’t pain. It sounded like... release.

And then, before my eyes, Kiani transformed.

She was smaller than Aira, thinner, but her coat was almost the same white. Only with streaks of gray near her legs and snout. Her eyes—oh god, her eyes—were mine.

The whole place went silent.

Even the wind.

Even the wolves.

Everyone just stared at the little girl who wasn’t supposed to shift.

Aira padded forward, her nose touching Kiani’s snout gently. A low whine came from her throat.

I fell to my knees.

"What just happened?" I whispered.

Nefang stepped forward, his voice low and cautious. "She’s not fully human... She never was."

I stared at him. "What do you mean?"

He looked at Kiani with awe. "Some bloodlines skip generations. If the right magic meets the right time—if the child is born under a moon touched by prophecy... the wolf can hide until it’s safe."

My breath caught in my throat.

"She was born in the human world," I said slowly. "To a mother who had once crossed into Thornridge. To a father who... didn’t know the truth."

Nefang nodded. "Her beast has been waiting."

I looked at the two wolves. Aira. Kiani.

One who ran from her wolf side.

One who never knew it was there.

Now both stood before me, reborn.

The circle finally dimmed, the ritual complete.

The Elders bowed their heads.

The prophecy had been fulfilled.

But as I stood, as I wiped the tears from my face and watched my family come together in the most unexpected way, something else crept into my mind.

Where was Darius?

Why hadn’t he come back?

He knew I was gone.

He should have searched.

He should have sensed the pull.

But he didn’t.

Not once.

Aira and Kiani returned to their human forms later that night, exhausted but whole.

We sat by the fire, silent, until my mother finally asked the question we were all afraid of.

"What happens now?"

I didn’t know how to answer.

I looked to the sky, the stars blinking like tiny secrets. Something was still missing.

Someone.

And I wasn’t sure if he had let me go...

Or if I had to go find him.

---

The moment we stepped back into the heart of Thornridge, something shifted. It wasn’t the air or the moonlight. It was the silence that greeted us.

Not celebration. Not welcome. Just silence.

I held Kiani’s small hand tightly, still feeling the heat from her unexpected shift. Aira stood on the other side of me, quiet but steady. Her transformation had worked—she was one of us now. But Kiani... she had shifted on her own. Without a ritual. Without warning. That truth lingered like fog around us.

As we approached the edge of the main hall, a sharp voice stopped us.

"Luciana."

I turned. Nefang stood tall, arms crossed, eyes hard. "You should have told me," he said.

"I didn’t have time," I replied, my voice tight. "John’s men—"

"That’s not what I mean," he snapped. "You should have told me what you were planning. You risked too much."

Aira stepped forward, her gaze soft but clear. "Don’t blame her. She saved us."

Nefang looked at her, pain and longing written across his face. "Aira," he whispered. "You don’t know what she’s done."

"She brought me back to you," she said simply.

That quieted him. But only for a moment.

I felt the tension ripple deeper as Darius approached from the other side of the courtyard. My heart lifted when I saw him—but then it sank. His eyes didn’t meet mine.

"Darius," I said softly, walking toward him.

He nodded once. "You’re back."

Something about the way he said it hurt more than I expected.

"I thought you’d be there," I said, stopping in front of him. "At the ritual. Or even before we crossed."

"I didn’t know where you were," he said, voice low. "No one did."

"You didn’t look."

He flinched. Just slightly. "I had duties. The pack—"

"Don’t," I cut in. "Don’t lie to me."

He looked at me now, really looked, but his eyes were full of questions, not warmth. "I don’t understand why you risked your life for them. For a human who ran away. For a child who—" He looked at Kiani. "Who shouldn’t even be able to shift."

"She’s my sister," I said. "And Aira is my mother. I had to bring them home."

"You don’t know what kind of danger you’ve brought here," he said.

"They were in danger," I snapped. "John—he nearly killed them. I had no choice."

Darius’s jaw tightened. "You always have a choice."

I took a step back. "So this is it? I come back, and you treat me like I’ve betrayed you?"

"You didn’t just vanish from me, Luciana," he said. "You vanished from the pack. From your people. You took matters into your own hands, and now\..."

"And now what?" I asked. "Say it."

"You’re not the same."

That hurt more than I could bear.

Aira walked up behind me, touching my shoulder gently. "Luciana," she said. "Maybe we should rest."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Come on."

We were given a temporary room near the east wing. Kiani curled up on the furs, exhausted. Aira sat quietly, taking it all in. I paced, heart heavy.

"He didn’t even try to find me," I whispered.

Aira looked up. "The Alpha?"

"Darius." I sank to the ground beside her. "I thought... I thought we had something real. But the moment I did something without him, he turned cold."

"Some men only know how to lead when everything stays in their hands," she said. "You took the lead, and he saw that as defiance."

"I did it for family."

"And he may never understand that." She reached for my hand. "But you do. That’s enough."

A knock at the door interrupted us. It was Nefang.

"I need to speak with Luciana," he said. "Alone."

Aira gave me a soft look and helped Kiani into the inner room.

Once we were alone, Nefang sat across from me.

"I’m not angry anymore," he said.

"Could’ve fooled me," I muttered.

He sighed. "I’m scared, Luciana. You brought your mother back, and I’m grateful. But Kiani... she shouldn’t have been able to shift."

"I know."

"She has werewolf blood. That means someone in her bloodline isn’t human."

"You’re saying John—?"

"No. I don’t think John’s her real father."

I froze.

"What?" I breathed.

"There are stories," he said, "of human women who carried werewolf children without knowing it. It’s rare. But if Kiani was born here and shifted... someone planted that blood long before."

"But Aira never said—"

"Maybe she didn’t know. Or maybe she’s hiding it."

My head spun. "Why would she hide it?"

"I don’t know. But this changes things."

"Like what?"

"Kiani might be the key to the second prophecy."

I blinked. "There’s a second prophecy?"

He nodded grimly. "One we hoped would never come true. A child of two worlds, born in silence, touched by fire. A girl who will either save us—or destroy us."

I swallowed hard. "You think that’s Kiani?"

"I think we have to watch closely."

I stood up. "No. I won’t let anyone treat her like some weapon."

"No one’s saying that."

"You’re *thinking* it," I snapped. "She’s just a child."

"And so were you," he said gently. "And look what you became."

I didn’t sleep that night. I couldn’t. My thoughts twisted with worry. About Darius. About Kiani. About what we brought back with us.

The next morning, I went to find Darius again.

He was in the training fields, sparring with Kael. Sweat poured down his brow. His strikes were harsh. Angrier than usual.

When he saw me, he froze. Wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

He nodded once. We walked toward the edge of the trees.

"I miss you," I said honestly. "I missed you every moment I was away."

He didn’t respond.

"But I had to go. I couldn’t leave them behind."

"I know," he said quietly.

"Then why are you acting like I betrayed you?"

"Because I don’t know who you are anymore."

My breath caught.

"You came back different," he continued. "Stronger. More... determined. That’s good for a leader. But we’re mates, Luciana. You didn’t even tell me what you were doing."

"I was afraid you’d try to stop me."

"Maybe I would’ve. Because I love you. And I didn’t want to lose you."

Tears stung my eyes.

"But now," he said, "I don’t know where we stand."

"I still love you," I whispered.

He looked down. "Then let’s see if that’s enough."

I turned and walked back, unsure if his words meant hope—or the beginning of the end.