Chapter 2 Shadow's Return

Camilla's point of view

I squeezed the knife under my pillow with all my might, and the cold metal bit into my palm. It was quiet at night, but the door handle turned slowly, making a noise. I was sure that anyone out there could hear my heart beating so fast. When it was time to fight, I held my breath and got ready to jump up. I was sure the shadow I saw outside my window was not there when it wasn't. I had someone looking at me.

The door stopped moving. Keep quiet. Then there was a soft knock. A small voice asked, "Mira?" It was Elin, the little girl from dinner. Oh, I let go of my shoulders a little. It was time to hide the knife again. I crept to the door and opened it just a crack.

Elin held on to a stuffed wolf toy and stood there. Her hair was messy from sleeping. She looked up at me with wide, scared brown eyes. Her voice was shaking as she said, "I had a bad dream." "May I stay with you?"

I took a quick look down the dark hall. Even though no one else was there, I felt like eyes were on me. I moved out of the way and said, "Okay." "Please come in and be quiet."

She walked in on her toes, slapping the wooden floor softly with her bare feet. My heart was still beating fast as I locked the door. Not even a child did I feel like I could trust them here. But Elin's scared face hurt my heart because it made me think of things I would lose and never had the chance to have.

I sat down on the bed and rubbed the area next to me. "What did you dream about?" My voice was soft as I asked.

Elin got on top of the toy and hugged it tightly. She said, "Fire." There was a big fire, and a woman was crying. "She had your face, but she looked sadder."

My stomach turned. I faked a smile and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. I told myself, "It was just a dream," but my voice was shaking. Did she know something? Or was it just something a kid made up? It made me feel bad to think about it. Not now.

I put the blanket over her and told her to sleep. "I will keep you safe." She agreed, but her eyes were already drooping. Soon, she was snoring softly as her toy hit her cheek.

It was not sleep. I sat by the window and looked out at the foggy forest. I no longer saw the shadow, but I had a strong sense that someone was waiting for me outside. While I held my knife, Lucien, the pack, and the fire that killed my old self kept going through my mind. I came here to get Lucien to pay, but seeing how quiet and sad he looked at dinner hurt my heart in ways I did not expect.

The fog made the sky grey as morning came slowly. Elin woke up and yawned, and stretched. She smiled and said, "Thanks, Mira." "Thank you."

I messed up her hair and told her to go get breakfast. "I will be there soon."

Her toy was under her arm as she ran away. I watched the hallway until she was no longer there. Not full. I crept out and went towards the middle of the village. Outside, I could hear people talking, wolves growling, and kids laughing. The packhouse was quiet. Things kept going here as if I had never died.

I wore my hood up as I walked by the wooden houses. It smelled like smoke and fresh bread. I had to find out more about this spot and what happened after I died. I had to find out if Lucien was sure that I was cursed or if someone had made him think that.

In the village square, there was a big stone well. I stopped there and pretended to fix my boot while listening to two women talking nearby. Their hands were red from the cold water as they washed clothes.

"Lucien is not himself," a woman said in a low voice. "It has been a while since... You know."

The other woman scuffed a shirt and nodded. "Fire. " He still feels bad about himself. I think he goes to her grave every night.

My heart stopped. Her grave. My grave. Did they bury something because they thought I was there? Or was it just a sign that they were guilty? I was about to scream or ask, but I bit my lip and did not say anything.

When someone touched my shoulder, I jumped and spun around. Frank was there. He did not look like he had slept because his dark eyes were tired. His voice was soft but heavy as he asked Mira, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, my voice tense. "Just taking a look."

He dropped his hand and nodded. "At first, this place might feel weird. Tell me what you need. He took a moment to look at my face again. "Are you sure we have not met?"

My heart was beating fast. I shook my head and tried to laugh. I said, "I remember meeting an Alpha," hoping it would sound funny. He did not smile. Instead, he looked at me like he wanted to know what was going on in my mind.

"After work, come to the packhouse," he finally said. "We are getting together to talk about stocks." You are welcome to join.

I gave him a nod and watched him leave. He had a hunched back, like he was carrying something heavy. But I also wanted to know why he looked so sad. I wanted to hate him and plan how I could hurt him. Why did he go to my grave?

I walked around all day and kept my eyes and ears open. I thought the pack was bigger, but it felt... empty. Some people smiled, but their eyes were tired. Wolves with bristly fur walked around the edges of the village, as if they were ready for trouble. A tall guard standing at the gate was talking to an older man with a grey beard. They looked at me over and over, so I turned away and pretended to adjust my cloak.

By afternoon, I was close to the forest's edge. A path led to a clearing that I already knew very well. I could not stop my feet from moving, and they led me to where they burned me. The ground was black and scarred, and there were still ash particles on it. As I knelt, my fingers touched the ground. Even though it was cold, I could almost hear and feel the flames again. I wiped my eyes hard because I did not want to cry.

I could hear footsteps behind me. With my hand on my knife, I stood there and spun around. It was the grey-haired woman from the packhouse that Lucien talked to the day before. Her eyes were kind, but they were also sharp, like she saw more than she told you.

She said in a soft voice, "You are new." "This place...it makes me think of old times." "Why are you here?"

I kept my voice steady and said, "I heard about it." "I had to see it."

Even though she said yes, her eyes never left mine. She told him, "Be careful." I remember some things that do not go away. I got a chill when she turned around and walked away.

For the meeting, I went back to the packhouse. Lucien was in front of everyone and was talking about food and wood for the winter. Even though he was calm, his hands were shaking a little, like he was scared. I watched from the back. The woman with grey hair was there, talking to another older person in a whisper. When they looked at me, I felt like a mouse in a wolf's den.

Luis found me after the meeting. He leaned against the wall and said, "You are quiet." "How do you feel about our pack?"

I carefully chose my words when I said, "It's... different." "Something seems to be missing."

His face got tight, like I had hurt him. He turned away and said, "Yeah." "Yes, it does."

I meant to ask about the grave and why he looked so sad, but I didn't. Not yet. I had to wait and be smart. But I thought he saw Camilla every time he looked at me, not Mira. It scared me.

I slept in my room that night with the knife again under my pillow. I could not get Elin's words about the fire dream out of my head. I got up and looked out the window because I could not sleep. The thick fog made it hard to see the trees. Aldo, I saw it then. It was a shadow moving quickly through the fog.

My heart jumped. I took out my knife and crept up to the door to listen. I froze when I heard the floor outside creak. On the other side of the door, someone was there again, their breath heavy. That low growl was not human, it was a wolf's. As the door shook, as if a big thing were pushing against it, I gripped the knife tightly.