Chapter 21
I couldn’t breathe.
I stared at the photo in my hands, my fingers trembling as I ran them over the old, worn paper. My mother’s smile was so pure, so untouched by the world. My father—strong, unshaken, as if he were indestructible.
But that was the problem. He wasn’t.
I’d always thought of him as a hero. A protector. The tragic figure whose death had shaped my life. But that photo… that picture told a story I didn’t know. A story I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
The back of the photo mocked me with that one simple line: “The girl is not who she thinks she is.”
I set the photo down and rubbed my face, trying to push the sudden surge of panic away. I needed answers. And I needed them fast.
I grabbed my phone and texted Ian.
Ava: Meet me at the house. Now.
He replied almost immediately.
Ian: On my way.
I paced the floor, my thoughts swirling around like a storm. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, as if it were trying to break free of its cage. The room felt smaller, the air heavier with each passing second.
When the knock came at the door, I jumped.
I opened it quickly, finding Ian standing there, his usual smirk gone, replaced by something more serious. Something concerned.
“What’s going on?” he asked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
“Ian,” I said, holding up the photo. “Look at this.”
He took the photo, studied it for a moment, then turned it over. His face hardened.
“What does it mean?” I asked, my voice breaking.
He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me—really looked at me—as if he were seeing me for the first time.
“You don’t know, do you?” he said softly.
“Know what?” I whispered, my throat tightening.
“This isn’t just some random picture,” Ian said, his voice low and serious. “Your father wasn’t just an omega. He was part of a bloodline that’s been hunted for centuries.”
I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. “What do you mean? My father was just—”
“No,” he interrupted, his eyes darkening. “Your father wasn’t just any omega. He was the key to something much bigger. And your mother… she didn’t just run from a war. She ran from the truth. She ran to protect you from a fate that’s already been set in motion.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Why didn’t she warn me?”
Ian’s expression softened. “Because she didn’t want you to become part of this world. This world of Alphas and omegas, of bloodlines and legacies. She wanted you to live a normal life. But now… now you’re caught in it, Ava. Whether you like it or not.”
I backed away from him, my mind racing. “So what does that mean for me? What does it mean for us?”
Ian stepped forward, his hands gripping my shoulders. “It means we’re not just playing a game here. The stakes are higher than you think. Your bloodline… it’s cursed. And that curse is going to come for you.”
I stared at him, the words sinking in slowly. “But… what does that have to do with you? Why are you involved?”
“Because,” Ian said, his voice low and steady, “your father’s bloodline was connected to mine. Our families have been intertwined for generations. And that means I’m tied to this too.”
I swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” Ian said, his voice almost a whisper, “you and I… we were always meant to be.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“I don’t have a choice in this, Ava,” Ian said, stepping closer to me. “You and I were bound together long before we met. Our bloodlines, our destinies—they were written in the stars. And now, we have to face whatever comes next, together.”
I shook my head, trying to process everything. “This is too much. I can’t—”
“You don’t have a choice,” Ian said gently, brushing a lock of hair away from my face. “None of us do. The world is changing, and it’s pulling us into something neither of us is ready for.”
“Then what do we do?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“We fight,” Ian said simply, his eyes burning with determination. “Together.”
And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t feel alone. For all the chaos, for all the unknowns, in that moment, I knew that Ian would fight for me. And I would fight for him.