The Echo of a Faded Wolf

My apprentices exchanged uneasy glances. My face was a cold mask as I picked up the potion pouch. "Weren't you just telling everyone the truth about what happened all those years ago?"

Lilah's face went pale.

It was only then that the truth of her earlier 'joke' dawned on everyone. My apprentices' expressions shifted from curiosity to contempt.

I just wanted to get away from them. It was time to close up, so I grabbed my bag and walked out.

Sitting in my car, the strong facade I had so carefully constructed crumbled. I collapsed over the steering wheel, utterly exhausted, a burning sensation behind my eyes.

My bond with Caelan had always been solid—until Lilah showed up.

When I didn't have classes, Caelan would collect morning dew for me and have a packmate deliver it to my cottage. That packmate was Lilah. I was embarrassed at first, but Lilah always waved it off, insisting it was no trouble.

As a kind gesture, Caelan would bring a share for Lilah, too. She would always smile and shower Caelan with praise. "You're so kind. I wish my future mate could be as powerful and thoughtful as you. Corina is so lucky to have a mate like you!"

Gradually, she and I became friends. On days without classes, she would even deliberately convince Caelan to pick me up so we could train together.

When she saw me, she would hug me enthusiastically, then turn to Caelan and playfully "scold" him. "He didn't even want to come see you! I had to drag him here! You'd better give him a talking-to!"

Caelan would just laugh and nuzzle the top of her head with his nose—an intimate wolven gesture.

A knot of discomfort tightened in my gut at the time, though I couldn't have named why.

Later, when she praised Caelan, she began making comments that, intentionally or not, chipped away at me. "Corina, your inner wolf is too wild, not elegant at all. A girl should learn to be gentle. You're just an adopted daughter with a weak bloodline; you should cherish an Alpha like Caelan even more!"

Because I was adopted, my self-esteem was already fragile. Lilah's constant jabs fueled a deep-seated insecurity.

Caelan noticed, but he just thought I was overreacting.

Not long after, Caelan was scheduled to demonstrate his power at a Moonlight Festival. I was held up with other tasks, so I entrusted the Strength-Enhancing Potion I had carefully brewed to Lilah to give to him.

After the festival ended, I finished my work and hurried backstage.

Caelan's voice drifted through the door. "Corina can't compare to you. Her taste is garbage next to yours. This potion is so crude... just what you'd expect from an adopted stray with a weak bloodline. An ugly duckling will never be a swan."

I froze, my hand falling away from the doorknob. I never thought he would tell Lilah about my origins.

Lilah's voice was laced with surprise, yet held an undercurrent of delight. "Why did you throw the potion away? Do you think it's crude?"

He grunted in agreement. His voice was a poison-tipped needle in my heart. "She just loves giving me these useless things. I don't like them at all. Forget it, let's go celebrate."

His words were a blade to my heart, leaving me utterly humiliated.

They were about to exit, so I ducked into the nearby shadows. Only after everyone had left did I retrieve the potion bottle from the bushes.

Just then, Caelan doubled back and ran right into me. A flash of embarrassment crossed his eyes. "Corina, I forgot the potion."

I sidestepped his outstretched hand. "That moonstone amulet you're holding seems powerful enough. You won't be needing this."

My gaze fell on the amulet Lilah had given him, which he was clutching in his hand.