Chapter 011\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two days have passed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was recovering well. My wounds are healing now thanks to the Pack\u2019s doctor\u2019s efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unlike other wolves,I had no wolf so my healing isn\u2019t magical. Unfortunately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo would be taking me home. To the Pack house.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where he lives with other pack members.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I feel so nervous just thinking about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Packland is so huge. Staying here at the Pack infirmary,I could sense how powerful Shadowclaw Pack is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the doctor came to check my vitals. I swallowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you doctor for looking after me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coldly. She raised her head. \u201cNot like I had a choice,Kaia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her attitude surprised me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I do something wrong, doctor?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She smiled. Not reaching her eyes for sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You didn\u2019t do anything wrong. And it\u2019s not my place to judge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned to leave. Stopped,turned to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Alpha will be here to pick you up soon. I will send the nurse in to help you get dressed up\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSure. Thank you, Doctor Maggie\u201d I muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer. Then, she left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leaving me to wonder what I\u2019ve done wrong this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the ride to the Packhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s men kept glancing at me like I was some cursed relic they shouldn\u2019t have touched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even without my wolf,I could sense it -Sharp,ordered,the kind of presence that comes from dominant wolves. Trained to obey one voice;his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the villa came into view, I understood why the Shadowclaw Pack had an immense reputation across the\u00a0<\/p>\n
country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stone walls. Iron gates. Carved with runes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t built just for defense\u2013It was a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Shadowclaw Pack,\u201d one of the guards muttered, almost to himself. \u201cNo one steps here uninvited.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew that was meant for me. They were reminding me of my status.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An invited stray.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The car stopped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A large crowd gathered outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching as I stepped out of the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Silvermoon all over again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach shifted when I saw their eyes on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Curious. Judgmental. Murmurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo came down, walking ahead, not looking back. His presence seemed to shift the very air around him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the doors opened, I caught murmurs:\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 011\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is she?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe smells wrong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s human\u2013no, not quite.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did the Alpha bring a stranger over?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI bet she\u2019s bad luck. Look at her\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my chin up, hiding the tremor in my legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo stopped and gestured for me to follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll stay in the guest wing until you\u2019re healed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re bleeding through your bandages,\u201d he said evenly. \u201cThat\u2019s not fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were about to enter the villa when some men stopped us at the entrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A man approached\u2013average, amber\u2013eyed, his posture sharp enough to cut glass.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His aura screamed Elder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha,\u201d he said, bowing slightly before flicking his gaze toward me. \u201cYou brought a stranger inside the inner gates?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe saved my life,\u201d Theo said simply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s brow lifted. \u201cAnd now you\u2019re saving hers. You\u2019ve gone soft.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo didn\u2019t even blink. \u201cI\u2019d call it even.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man turned to me. \u201cName?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He studied me, nostrils flaring. \u201cYou smell like an Outcast. Exile. But\u2026 different.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every muscle in my body went rigid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s tone darkened. \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Elder Marcus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
True to my instincts. He\u2019s an Elder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A curious elder at that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elder Marcus didn\u2019t apologize\u2013but he stepped back, curiosity simmering beneath his calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCahead, Alpha\u201d Marcus smirked.\u201cYour guest must be tired. It\u2019s a long ride afterall\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo didn\u2019t answer. He led me away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Away from the Pack members\u2018 watchful eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feeling better to be away from everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later that night, I stood by the window of the chamber Theo assigned me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside, I could hear the murmurs: guards whispering, servants gossiping, their voices laced with distrust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s trouble, why would Alpha Theo bring a stray over to the Pack? Did we forget the rules\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever she\u2019s running from will follow her here. Shadowclaw don\u2019t shelter problems\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. This is the problem\u201d One guard replied\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard the Alpha thinks she\u2019s his problem\u201d I heard one maid muttered,her voice low.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d another guard said. \u201cIt\u2019s our problem. The last thing this pack needs is another ghost in human skin.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hit like a silver blade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026W\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 011 Ghost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I was\u2013haunting the very people who tried to help me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crawling over them like dark shadows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tightened my hand over the bandage on my shoulder, feeling the pulse beneath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should leave. Tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then I remembered the way Theo\u2019s eyes softened, just once, when he said: You\u2019re safe here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for reasons I couldn\u2019t leave, my legs wouldn\u2019t move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe. For some reason, I will be safe here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With or without the Pack Members\u2018 judgement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And they are right. Right to ask questions. Raise brows about me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Same thing I should have done when Draven brought Liora home that night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But,I didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I trusted Draven too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took advantage of it. Betrayed and cast me out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t blame them for asking questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wish I\u2019d done the same back then.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night, I dreamed of fire. Of the Silvermoon crest burning, of Liora\u2019s laughter echoing through smoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt so real watching the Silvermoon Pack burn to the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shouldn\u2019t care if Silvermoon burns. But somehow, the dream stuck with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I woke, someone was standing by the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
No answer. Just a flicker of movement\u2013fast, deliberate. The scent of ash and moonbane.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An assassin\u2019s scent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could call out, the figure lunged\u2013dagger flashing silver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The last thing I saw was the blade\u2019s reflection in my eyes\u2026 before a hand caught it midair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s voice, low and furious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you think you could touch her in my house?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my eyes to warmth\u2013rough hands pressing against my skin, steady as the earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment I thought I was dreaming again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then came the voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBreathe, Kaia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes fluttered open to the flicker of torchlight. His arm was wrapped in bloodied cloth; the assassin\u2019s blade had grazed him while he shielded me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re hurt,\u201d I rasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer\u2013just looked at me with that unnerving steadiness, the kind that felt like it saw straight through my defenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWorry about yourself. My men took care of the rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to sit up, but pain lanced through my side. \u201cI\u2019m not fragile.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave a faint, humorless smile. \u201cYou\u2019re alive because I didn\u2019t listen when you said that last time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 011\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a heartbeat, the air between us felt\u2026 dangerous. Too close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I broke the air between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was that?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo stands straight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing you should worry about,Kaia. Focus on getting better. I will handle the rest\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes flashed. \u201cWhy not? Someone just attacked me. Why wouldn\u2019t I worry?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they weren\u2019t here for you.\u201d Theo said.\u201cThey had a mission and got the wrong target\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo turned casually. He looks like he had been expecting the attack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Great. Wrong target.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could\u2019ve sworn the assassins came for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo looks at me. Muttering. \u201cDuty calls,Kaia. Later.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he left before I had a chance to ask more questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I heard from Draven that Shadowclaw Pack was a very powerful and formidable Pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What\u2019s going on with the Pack?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hope my arrival hasn\u2019t jinxed their pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I would hate myself if that were the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I managed to rest up after Theo left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hours later, when I stood up for a walk in my chambers. I caught faint voices from the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shouldn\u2019t have listened\u2013but years of survival had taught me that eavesdropping often kept you alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy\u2019s she still here?\u201d one guard muttered. \u201cShe\u2019s bad luck.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe saved him,\u201d another said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOr led the assassin here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their words hit harder than any wound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then came Marcus\u2019s voice\u2013low, clipped, the one they all obeyed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Alpha made his choice. But I don\u2019t trust her. No wolf survives that long in the wild without help.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If only they knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I returned to my bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pressing my face into the pillow, blinking back the sting in my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019d been hated before\u2013This is a reminder of how my own pack members in Silvermoon hated me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not while my heart betrayed me by caring what they thought of me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t blame them. Still,I can\u2019t help it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later that night, Theo entered my chamber again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked tired\u2013blood cleaned, shirt changed, but his shoulders carried the same weight as before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard them,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze. \u201cI wasn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d He stepped closer, his voice softening. \u201cThey\u2019ve lost too much to trust easily.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated. Just long enough for my chest to tighten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 011\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know yet,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I want to. Trust me, I don\u2019t blame you for any of this. It\u2019s just protocols\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The honesty of it undid me more than any accusation could have.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He moved to the table where a small bowl of crushed herbs sat. \u201cYou made this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cMoonwort and sage. It\u2019ll draw out the poison from the blade.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo smiled faintly. \u201cEven now, you heal the ones who doubt you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I do,\u201d I murmured. \u201cHeal what\u2019s broken\u2026 even when it hates me for it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, silence stretched\u2013thick, charged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Theo reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from my cheek. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Kaia. I won\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
t let anything happen to you. Not under my watch\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
These words felt like a lie, but I wanted to believe them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Theo left, I finally let my eyes close. But sleep didn\u2019t come easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because under the medicines and blood, I smelled something new\u2013something familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The assassin\u2019s blade had been coated with a rare venom. One used only by the Silvermoon Pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And as I stared into the darkness, realisation clawed up my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They hadn\u2019t just cast me out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were still hunting me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 11 Chapter 011\u00a0 Two days have passed.\u00a0 I was recovering well. My wounds […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27256\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}