Rein's Pov
Jake knew. He had seen it seen me. Not just the girl they bought at an auction. Not just the breeder they believed I was. He saw my true appearance snd now he watched me like a secret on the verge of being spilled.
Ever since he stepped into my room and dropped that terrifying line—"I saw you transform"—he hadn't said a word more. No explanation. No threats. No clues. Just left me hanging in the quiet silence of my thoughts.
But the silence was anything but peaceful.
Jake had started watching me. Not overtly. Not in a creepy way. Just… too attentively. He lingered in the halls when I walked by. He made no effort to hide the fact that he was studying me. Like I was a puzzle and he had all the time in the world to put the pieces together.
So I made a decision.
I would confront him before he did something unpredictable. Before he thought he could use what he saw against me. Or worse, tell the others.
I found him where he usually went when he wasn't sparring with his brothers—under the terrace, sitting alone in a sun patch, sharpening his knife like a soldier stuck in peacetime. There was always this strange calm around him, like the eye of a storm.
He saw me coming. His eyes flicked up lazily, amusement curling his lips.
"Well, well. Breeder."
"I told you to stop calling me that," I said as coolly as I could, stopping just a few feet away.
"Ah, right," he murmured, setting the blade down.
"You saw me," I said flatly.
Jake leaned back, arms spread on the stone bench like he owned the world. "I did."
"And?"
"And… nothing."
"That's not an answer."
He tilted his head slightly. "Do you want me to report it?"
My blood chilled.
Jake let the silence stretch just long enough to make me flinch before adding, "Relax. I won't."
"Why not?"
"Because you interest me."
I blinked. "Is that supposed to make me feel safe?"
"No." He smiled. "It's supposed to make you curious."
There was something in his tone, something deeper than the smirking mask he wore. And for a moment, I wondered who Jake really was beneath the teasing words and calm eyes.
"You're not like the others," he said, studying me again, more intently this time. "You're playing a game, just like I am."
I crossed my arms. "You think I'm playing?"
"I know you are." He leaned forward. "Just like I know you are not like any other she wolf."
I stiffened.
Jake chuckled softly. "There it is. That flinch. That's your tell."
I fought to hold my expression steady. "So what now? You blackmail me?"
"Why would I do that?" he asked genuinely. "If I expose you, I lose my leverage."
There it was—his real game. He didn't want to help me. He wanted to use me. Or maybe… use what I was.
"Then what do you want?" I asked.
Jake's eyes glinted. "I want to know how far you're willing to go to survive."
His words sat between us, heavy and sharp. I took a breath.
"I won't be anyone's puppet," I said, my voice lower now.
"Good," Jake said. "Because I don't need a puppet. I need a partner."
"Partner in what?"
He stood then, stepping closer. "In chaos."
Before I could respond, he leaned in slightly, so close I could smell the faint spice on his breath. "But careful, Rein," he whispered. "Wolves who howl at the wrong time often get hunted."
Then he turned and walked away like he hadn't just dropped a bomb in my lap.
I stood there frozen, my heart pounding. Partner? Chaos? What the hell did he mean? And worse—why did it feel like he wasn't lying?
When I finally returned to my room, I slammed the door shut and backed against it. My thoughts were unraveling.
Jake had seen me transform. He wasn't bluffing. And now he wanted something. What, exactly, I still didn't know. But I couldn't let him lead this dance.
I marched to the nightstand and pulled out the book—the one that had triggered everything. I had only opened it a couple of times since that first night. It always brought me to that forest. That haunting moon. Syria.
"What should I do?" I whispered to the book.
As if in response, the edges of the pages glowed faintly.
I didn't dare open it right away.
Not yet.
I sat on the bed, staring at it. The answers were there, I was sure. But the more answers I got, the more dangerous things became.
Outside, I could hear voices—probably the twins chasing each other again. This place was a palace of power games, and Jake just invited me into one.
But if he thought he was the only one with teeth, he was dead wrong.
I ran my fingers along the leather cover of the book.
"No more slip-ups," I whispered to myself. "I have to get stronger. Smarter. And if Jake wants chaos—"
I stood and walked to the mirror, staring at the reflection of a girl who wasn't a girl anymore.
"—then I'll be the storm."
I gritted my teeth, fingers tightening around the book. The glow had faded, but the warmth lingered like a pulse. A warning—or maybe a welcome.
Jake's words replayed in my head. Partner in chaos.
What kind of game was he playing? And why me?
I glanced at the mirror across the room again, at the girl staring back—the girl who once trembled in chains, now standing on the edge of something darker. Something... wilder.
"Fine," I muttered, rising. "You want chaos, Jake?"
I opened the book.
Darkness exploded around me.
The scent of damp earth hit first. Then the chorus of night—the howl of distant wolves, the whisper of wind through leaves, the electric stillness of the forest.
I stood in the clearing again, bathed in moonlight. My bare feet sank into the moss. My breath fogged before me, visible even though I felt no cold.
I didn't need to search for her.
She was already waiting.
Syria stood across from me, her form shimmering faintly like she was made of moonlight and memory. Her eyes glowed with the same eerie silver as mine had during the transformation.
"You're getting reckless," she said softly.
"I didn't ask for your opinion," I snapped, my nerves still frayed.
She didn't flinch. "But you came here."
I stepped forward, the forest crunching softly beneath me. "He saw me. Jake. He knows."
Syria's expression darkened. "Then you're running out of time."
I swallowed. "You knew this would happen."
"I knew someone would eventually see what you are," she said. "I didn't expect it to be him."
"Who is he, really?" I asked. "He's not just one of the brothers. He knew what I was. He recognized it."
Syria's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment. "Some people wear masks so long they forget they were ever pretending. Jake… he remembers. That's what makes him dangerous."
"And you want me to stay away?"
She looked up. "I want you to be smart. You're not just carrying a secret, Rein. You are a secret. And secrets that shine too brightly attract monsters."
"Then I'll become one," I said. "A monster they won't dare touch."
Syria smiled faintly. Not mocking. Almost… proud. "Good. But remember: monsters don't always win. Sometimes, they burn."
I took a step closer. "What do I do next?"
She tilted her head. "Grow sharper. Learn faster. Trust less."
"I wasn't planning to," I said.
The forest shivered, and I knew the vision was fading.
"Wait," I called. "Tell me—why me? Why was I the one brought here? Why your body?"
Syria's form began to dissolve, carried away by the wind and the moonlight. But before she vanished completely, her voice whispered one last answer.
"I told you it's because of the fire in you, the one that's hates injustice ."
The world tilted.
I snapped awake on my bed, the book closed in my lap.
And this time, I didn't feel afraid.
Jake had made his move.
Now it was my turn.