Briar’s POV
Damien looked ready to tear Asher apart, but Elena stood between them with an eerily calm expression, her gaze shifting between the two n.
"Fate doesn’t ask for our permission when choosing mates. We simply delivered Briar’s destined partner to her," Elena stated with unsettling composure.
"What exactly have you two been plotting?" Damien’s voice carried a dangerous edge.
"That’s not your concern," I shot back sharply. Elena’s hand found Damien’s arm, and the change in him was imdiate.
When he turned toward her, his entire deanor shifted. The rage lted from his features without her speaking a single word. His expression grew tender as their eyes t.
Was this the mysterious mate bond everyone whispered about? The sa force that made my heart race whenever Asher appeared? The sa pull that made everything else fade into background noise when he was near?
I’d grown up hearing fragnts about werewolf mate bonds, but the Hunters had never explained the chanics. They’d only taught us how to exploit such weaknesses.
Asher had understood this connection from the beginning, leaving torn between fury and an inexplicable deeper attraction toward him.
My thoughts spun in chaotic circles. Everything I’d believed about myself was crumbling. I stood surrounded by creatures I’d been conditioned to eliminate, and they claid to be my biological parents.
They insisted I was one of them. How was I supposed to process this revelation?
I studied Damien and Elena, who maintained their respectful distance, while Asher remained protectively close to my side.
"The Hunters will notice our absence," I finally managed to say.
"They’ve deployed extensive search teams. Your constant pack evacuations have them convinced they’re under werewolf surveillance," Asher inford Damien and Elena.
"You’re planning to return?" Damien’s question held barely contained anguish.
"It’s the only world she’s ever known," Elena replied softly. Damien looked at her as if his heart was shattering.
"I have to go back. They’ll discover I’m missing," I explained, my voice steadier than I felt.
"The Hunters will mobilize everything to retrieve Dawn," Asher warned.
"Her na is Briar," Damien corrected with fierce intensity.
"She’s right about returning. If the Hunters catch us together, it’ll compromise everything. But we’re not disappearing. Briar needs ti to adjust to these revelations," Elena reasoned.
Elena’s pragmatic approach contrasted sharply with Damien’s visible distress over the entire situation.
"What if she returns and they detect her werewolf nature?" Damien demanded.
"Damien, she’s their primary asset. Her absence will trigger a manhunt, and she’ll lead them straight to us. She needs to process this information before making any permanent decisions," Elena explained patiently.
"I’m accompanying her. She’s my mate, and I won’t abandon her to face potential danger alone," Asher declared firmly.
"Do I have any voice in this discussion?" I interrupted. They all turned toward with varying expressions of guilt.
"We apologize. We shouldn’t be planning your future without your input," Asher said quickly.
"What’s your preference?" Elena asked gently.
"I’m going ho before they realize I’ve vanished," I announced, already turning to leave.
"Don’t worry. I’ll protect her and ensure she stays safe," Asher promised, hurrying to catch up.
We infiltrated the base successfully and slipped back into the dormitory undetected.
I maintained complete silence toward Asher for the remainder of the night.
I lay motionless in my bunk, staring at the ceiling as dawn approached, my mind racing through impossible scenarios.
Where could I possibly go from here? The people who raised had kidnapped and programd to destroy my own species.
I’d finally t my real parents - the parents I’d never allowed myself to imagine because I’d believed they’d abandoned willingly.
The truth was devastating. I’d been stolen from them, and they’d never stopped searching for .
But that revelation didn’t erase the conditioning. The thought of being a werewolf made my stomach churn with revulsion.
This couldn’t be my reality. This couldn’t be my life.
And I was trapped among Hunters who were trained to identify werewolves instantly. How would I survive this deception?
I could think of multiple girls in this facility who would gleefully execute just for entertainnt.
Then there was Asher. He’d known about our mate bond from the beginning.
We’d made love under the stars. That night had felt magical and genuine, but now it seed built on lies.
My thoughts churned relentlessly with questions and fears that I couldn’t voice to anyone.
I didn’t want to confide in Asher right now.
Which seed perfectly reasonable. He’d already caused enough emotional damage as far as I was concerned.
I needed space to process everything I’d learned.
But I suspected ti was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
I had to decide my next move quickly, or I’d end up dead - either killed by the people who raised or by my own kind.
I desperately wished this nightmare was happening to soone else instead of .
Why had they sent to infiltrate Obsidian Pack if they suspected I was Damien and Elena’s missing daughter?
Had I been nothing more than a distraction? A pawn to test whether they’d recognize ?
If that was their strategy, what was their ultimate objective? Why manipulate Obsidian Pack so elaborately?
Wouldn’t they want to maintain the elent of surprise for a complete assault? They’d sent to retrieve so artifact from their house. I still didn’t understand the significance of that item, but I’d known imdiately that finding it in that massive mansion was impossible.
They were manipulating .
They wanted to determine if I could distract the Alpha and Luna. They needed intelligence about Damien and Elena’s vulnerabilities for their planned attack, and I’d be positioned directly in the crossfire.
They’d be too focused on protecting to defend themselves effectively.
That had always been the real plan - using as the key to destroying Damien and Elena.
As the first rays of sunlight crept through the windows, I sat up, pulled on my boots, and left the dormitory behind.
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