Chapter 11 A Stranger's Voice

• The wind howled like a wild animal, swirling around me, pushing me back toward the edge of the cliff. My heart pounded in my chest, still reeling from the moment I had almost let everything go. Bea’s words echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t shake the gnawing ache inside me, the one that told me I was nothing, that my existence had no meaning. And yet, I stood here, breathing, alive... at least for now.
• The cool breeze stung my skin, the salt of the ocean air mixing with the bitter taste of fear. Bea had walked me away from the edge, and we stood side by side, silently watching the trees sway far below us, the waves crashing onto the rocks far in the distance. The silence between us felt thick, like something unsaid hung heavy in the air.
• Suddenly, the silence was broken—not by Bea, but by a voice.
• “You shouldn’t be here.”
• It came from behind me, low and smooth, like velvet, but edged with something darker. The words seemed to cut through the air with an unnatural sharpness, and my body tensed instinctively, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
• I spun around, my heart skipping a beat, but I didn’t see anyone.
• “Hello?” My voice trembled slightly, and I wished it didn’t. My eyes darted around the cliffside, but there was no one in sight.
• Bea frowned beside me, eyes scanning the trees. “Amelia, are you okay?”
• “Did you hear that?” I whispered, taking a cautious step forward. “Someone’s—someone’s here.”
• Bea’s brows furrowed in confusion. “No one’s here, Amelia. You’re just shaken up from everything. Maybe—”
• I cut her off, my pulse quickening. “No. I heard it. I know I did.”
• Another voice, this time closer, more direct, cut through the air again.
• “Don’t turn around.”
• I froze. The voice wasn’t loud, but it was commanding. Its power was undeniable, and there was something familiar about it—something... ancient.
• The air around us shifted. I felt a presence, though I couldn’t see it. It was like the wind itself had changed, becoming dense and heavy with energy. The hairs on my arms prickled, a cold chill creeping down my spine.
• “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice stronger this time, despite the rising terror inside me.
• The man stepped forward. Or rather, appeared forward. I didn’t see him walk, didn’t see him move through the brush. He was just... suddenly there.
• He was tall—easily a head above me—and built like a mountain, his muscles taut beneath his dark clothing. His eyes, though, were the first thing that struck me—golden eyes, bright and intense, like they could see straight through me. His hair was dark, nearly black, tousled like he had been running through the wind himself. But it was his aura—the pull he had on the air itself—that made me take an instinctive step back.
• His gaze softened just slightly as he regarded me, the intensity never quite leaving. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
• I swallowed hard. "Who are you?" I repeated, my voice more forceful now. I couldn’t help it—he was dangerous. I could feel it. There was something wild about him, something that didn’t belong.
• “Someone who’s been watching you,” he replied cryptically, his voice laced with an undertone I couldn’t quite place—concern? Regret? Maybe even pity?
• I felt Bea’s grip on my arm, her fingers tightening in a desperate hold. She wasn’t saying anything, but I could feel the fear radiating off her in waves.
• “You need to leave,” I said, my voice sharp, my heart pounding faster as adrenaline surged through me. I didn’t care who he was. I didn’t care if he could sense me. Something in my gut screamed that he wasn’t good news.
• “I can’t,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “You need to listen to me. You don’t understand what’s happening to you.”
• I shook my head, my breath quickening. “I don’t care. You don’t have any right to tell me what to do.”
• His golden eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt a wave of something wash over me—power, raw and unfiltered, like the earth itself was trembling beneath his feet. But there was also a quiet desperation in his gaze, something that made my heart skip a beat. “You’re stronger than you think,” he said, his tone quieter now, as if he was speaking to a frightened animal. “There’s a power inside of you... and it’s not from the pack.”
• The words hit me like a slap to the face. I took a step back, my chest tight. Power inside of me?
• “What do you mean?” I whispered. I knew what he was suggesting—what it sounded like—but it couldn’t be true. I wasn’t... special. I wasn’t anything other than a broken girl who had no place in her own world.
• “You’re not just an ordinary,” the stranger continued, his gaze shifting to the side, as if considering his next words carefully. “You’re something more. Something hidden.”
• My throat tightened. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. There was no way I could be anything special—nothing other than an outcast.
• Before I could even process his words, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. Bea instinctively stepped in front of me, her body tensing, ready to defend me. I hadn’t seen her this protective in ages.
• “No.” I placed a hand on her arm. She hesitated but stepped back, reluctantly, her eyes filled with confusion and fear.
• “I don’t know who you are,” I said, my voice trembling despite my best effort to sound strong, “but I’m not some experiment for you to play with. You should leave.”
• The man’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes flickered with something akin to regret. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m trying to help.”
• “Help?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “How could you help me? By telling me I’m something I’m not?”
• “I never said you weren’t,” he countered smoothly. “I only said you didn’t know what you were capable of.”
• The wind picked up, and I could feel the bond, the one with Nicolai, start to hum in my chest again, a constant reminder of what I had lost and what I could never have. The stranger noticed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
• “Don’t let him dictate your life, Amelia,” he warned. “You have the power to decide what happens next. Don’t let anyone—least of all him—make that decision for you.”
• I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could say another word, a sharp snap of a twig in the distance made my blood run cold. I turned sharply, my instincts screaming at me to run.
• “Go,” the man urged, his voice suddenly more urgent. “Now.”
• I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed Bea’s hand, pulling her with me as I turned and bolted. The path behind us faded quickly, but I could feel the eyes of the stranger on my ba
• ck, the weight of his words lingering in my mind.
• There’s power inside of you…