Chapter 818
It was something that had never happened before; I had never lost control of my wolf before, and I wasn’t sure what that meant.
“Judy?” Selene said my name as if it weren’t the first time she had said it in the past few seconds.
I blinked at her, realizing that I was ignoring her completely.
“I’m sorry. May I use your restroom?” I asked her before I could convince myself that it was a bad idea to leave this room.
She nodded, her frown deepening.
“Of course. It’s just out of that door and down the hallway,” she said. “Do you want me to walk with you?”
I jumped to my feet, placing the cup on the coffee table.
“No, that’s okay. I can find it. I’ll be back.”
Without another word, I darted out of the parlor, my heart racing in my chest. The halls stretched endlessly, lined with paintings that looked too alive. Every shadow felt like it was watching me. The floorboards creaked under my feet, making stealth impossible.
Halfway down the corridor, my vision fuzzed. The air felt thicker than it was a moment ago… heavier. I braced my hand against the wall and swallowed hard.
“Something’s wrong…” I whispered to myself, hoping that Gavin didn’t feel what I was feeling.
The hum grew louder. It wasn’t sound… it was vibration, like a heartbeat deep in the walls; my fingers tingled, a faint warmth spreading through them.
I pushed forward, rounding the corner, and ran smack into Lila Blackwell.
She froze mid-step, just as shocked as I was, almost dropping whatever it was she was holding in her arms in the process.
For a second, neither of us said a word. She was paler than I remembered, her blond hair pulled back too tightly, her eyes wide and restless. She clutched something wrapped in a small velveteen blanket to her chest, like she was hiding it… or protecting it.
“Lila?” I asked, momentarily boggled. “W…what are you doing here?”
She blinked, trying to recover herself.
“I live here,” she reminded me. “The question is… what are you doing here?”
“I… I’m here to see Selene…….” I admitted, not sure what to tell her and what to keep to myself.
“Why would you want to see my mother?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “What business do you have with her?”
“She’s giving me Luna lessons,” I decided to tell her. “That’s all there is to it.”
She frowned at me, staring around my face for a moment too long before she looked past me.
“I need to go,” she muttered. “Pretend you didn’t see me.”
She started to step around me, but
by instinct, stepped in front of me. I had no idea what I was doing, but my body
wouldn’t let her leave at
least not thất easily. The pulsing around me had stopped the second I came into contact with her, and I got the feeling that whatever it was my wolf and body were looking for, it had found it.
My eyes shifted to the blanket she held in her arms; it was apparent that something was hidden beneath it and it took all of me not to grab the comer of the blanket and pull it away from her, to see what she was hiding.
Noticing my gaze, she pulled the blanket closer, but light leaked through the fabric; it was a soft, silvery glow, faint at first then it
grow stronger. It used like heartbeat, steady and strong.
The light seemed so familiar, and I couldn’t seem to look away from it.
“What is that?” I asked, my voice coming out unfamiliar. I think I already knew what it was, but I needed her to say it out loud.
“It’s none of your business,” she shot back. “It’s mine.”
The glow flared, blindingly bright for a heartbeat. Lila hissed, jerking the blanket tighter. Smoke curled up from the fabric, and the smell of singed velvet filled the air.
“Lila, you’re burning—”
I tried to reach for the blanket again, but she ran around me before I could get the chance. “Don’t touch it!” She said, her tone panicked. “Just leave me alone. Forget you saw anything.” Before I could stop her, she was already running away, disappearing around the corner. What the hell just happened?”