Chapter 26: Chapter 26: I’m a Werewolf Too?

Lila’s POV

The afterglow of our climax still lingered in my body, warm and grounding like a sun-kissed beach after the tide recedes. Jasper and I rested with our foreheads together, our breaths and sweat mingling, as if two streams had finally merged into a single ocean. Just as my consciousness was about to drift into serenity, an image surfaced without warning from the depths of my mind—

It wasn’t an image, nor a sound, but a sense of presence.

A great, silver-gray wolf stood on a cliff beneath the moonlight. I could “see” every single one of its hairs stirring gently in the night wind. I could “hear” the deep rumble in its chest. I could “feel” the proud, wary look in its eyes as it gazed at the full moon. It wasn’t a dream or a hallucination, but a bone-deep, intensely real connection. It was me, and I was it. The realization came so suddenly, yet felt so self-evident, that a shiver ran through my entire body.

“Lila.” Jasper’s voice, low and taut, sounded beside my ear. He pushed himself up abruptly, cupping my face in his hands. His golden eyes were sharp as daggers in the dim light, locked intensely on mine. “What… did you just see?”

His expression was graver than I had ever seen, his jaw clenched tight. Yet his voice was exceptionally steady, without a single tremor, as if he were forcefully suppressing some emotion that was about to erupt. Only the slight tremble of his fingertips betrayed his inner shock.

I gasped, my eyes still unfocused. “A… wolf. Silver-gray, under the moonlight. I could feel it… It was me.”

His breath hitched. The golden light in his eyes intensified, like molten metal surging through his veins. He was silent for a few seconds, then his fingers gently traced the line of my brow, the touch as reverent as if he were handling a priceless treasure. “That’s your primal form,” he finally said, his voice hoarse but filled with an unshakeable certainty. “Your bloodline is awakening.”

I froze, my mind a complete blank. “My… primal form?”

“Mmm.” He nodded, pulling me back into his embrace and resting his chin on my head. His voice was low and firm. “It means that at least one of your parents was a Werewolf.” He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, each word landing like a shard of ice. “It also means your parents’ death was likely not a simple car accident.”

My heart plummeted. A chill shot up my spine, prickling my scalp. Images from that rainy night fifteen years ago flooded my mind—the piercing screech of brakes, the shattered windshield, the flashing red lights of an ambulance, and the cold iron gates of the orphanage. I had always treated the accident that stole my parents’ lives as a cruel joke of fate, the unchangeable destiny of an orphan.

But now, this realization was a cold dagger, ruthlessly piercing the peaceful self-delusion I had maintained. ’If their deaths were deliberate… then what was the motive? What does that make my existence? And why didn’t my parents ever breathe a word of this?’

Jasper must have sensed me trembling, as his arms tightened around me, his body heat steadily seeping into my skin and chasing away some of the chill. “Don’t be afraid,” he said in a low voice filled with an undeniable promise. “I’ll investigate. Starting today, the Hale family’s intelligence network will use all of its resources to trace every detail from fifteen years ago—every phone call, every document, and every witness.”

I leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and a strange sense of security enveloped my fear.

But I couldn’t just passively wait for his protection. This was about my parents, about my roots. I had to do something.

“Jasper,” I said, lifting my head to meet his gaze. “I want to look into something on my own.”

He frowned slightly, clearly disapproving. A flash of worry crossed his eyes.

“I’m not going to look for Caleb or Arthur,” I explained hastily. “I have an uncle who showed up right after my parents died. He took everything of value from our home under the pretext of ’settling the estate,’ including all of my mother’s paintings—they were her life’s work. Then, he sent me to an orphanage and never cared about me again.”

Recalling the past still left a bitter, rusty taste in my mouth. “He has to know something,” I continued, “but he’d most likely never tell me.”

“So what do you plan to do?” he asked, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s.

“I have a cousin, Lilith. She’s my uncle’s daughter,” I said. “She goes to the same college as Zoe.”

I paused, feeling uncertain myself. “I could try to approach her, see if I can get anything out of her. She might not know the full story, but maybe she overheard my uncle say something.”

Jasper was silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously stroking the back of my neck. It was a small gesture the Wolf Clan used to soothe their mates. Finally, he sighed and gently pinched the tip of my nose in resignation. “Your thinking is sound, but, Lila,”

“Yes?”

“First, my people will be with you at all times, no matter what. Even if they’re just watching from a distance. Second, if you notice anything unusual or get a bad feeling, you contact me immediately. You need to prioritize your safety, understand?” His gaze left no room for argument, filled with the authority of the Wolf King.

“Okay.” I nodded obediently.

The next evening, I went to Ivy University by myself. Of course, I wasn’t *truly* by myself—the men Jasper had assigned followed from a distance, like two silent shadows. I didn’t look back, but I could feel their presence, which made me feel calm and secure.

I arranged to meet Lilith at a trendy café she liked. She had picked the spot—a place where a single latte supposedly cost sixty dollars and required a reservation a week in advance. When I arrived, she was already seated at the most conspicuous table on the patio. Dressed in a new-season Chanel suit with a limited-edition handbag at her feet, she was busy taking selfies with a meticulously arranged flower wall as her backdrop.

Seeing me approach, she put down her phone and gave me a slow, head-to-toe appraisal, her gaze openly critical. “Lila? You actually came.” Her tone was languid, and she gestured to the chair with a charitable tilt of her chin. “Sit. But just so you know, I only have twenty minutes. I have a dress fitting to get to.”

She was just as arrogant as I remembered. Ever since I’d been sent to the orphanage, she had never deigned to look me in the eye, as if I were something filthy. But today, I needed her.

“Thanks for meeting me.” I sat down, ignoring her coldness and getting straight to the point. “I have a few questions for you about my parents.”

Lilith was stirring her coffee with a small spoon. She froze at my words, her brow instantly furrowing. “Your parents? They’ve been dead for ages, why are you asking about them now?” She pouted, her face a mask of impatience. “Don’t tell me you’re broke, are you? If you need money, go ask my dad, not me. My family’s money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Her tone was sharp and materialistic, the classic spoiled, money-obsessed princess. I took a deep breath, suppressing my irritation. “I don’t want money,” I said calmly. “I just want to know if your dad ever mentioned anything special when he was dealing with their belongings after they passed away fifteen years ago. For instance, my mother’s paintings, or certain documents?”

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