Chapter 1
Zara's POV
"CRACK!"
My fist connected with the bastard's nose, blood spraying everywhere.
I shook out my aching knuckles, coldly watching three thugs surrounding a frail old man. This damn alley never ran short of scum like this.
"Let him go." My voice was eerily calm.
The leader turned around, sneering. "Well, well, another do-gooder? Little girl, this isn't your playground."
I didn't waste words.
A knee strike straight to his ribs, moving so fast it surprised even me. He doubled over in pain, and I grabbed his hair, slamming his head into the wall.
"Shit!" The other two snapped out of their shock and rushed me together.
The one on the left threw a punch—I sidestepped and drove my elbow into his temple. The one on the right tried to blindside me—my kick to his kneecap sent him crashing to his knees, screaming.
The whole thing took less than a minute.
Three grown men lay groaning on the ground while I hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Get lost."
They scrambled away, the leader throwing back a threat: "You'll pay for this!"
I snorted. Let them try.
The old man shuffled over, trembling. "Thank you, child... but be careful. They'll come for revenge."
"Don't worry about it." I brushed the dust off his clothes. "Next time something like this happens, scream loud. Someone will come."
At least I would.
The old man nodded gratefully and left. I turned toward home, irritation gnawing at me—more garbage. Didn't anyone give a damn about this street?
I flexed my fist, knuckles still throbbing. That strength I'd felt—it seemed stronger than usual.
And during the fight, I could swear I saw a strange golden flash.
Probably just exhaustion.
I pushed open the door to our rundown apartment, hit by a wall of alcohol fumes.
My mother, Meredith, sat slumped on the couch, clutching a half-empty bottle of whiskey, eyes glazed. Empty bottles and cigarette butts littered the floor—the whole place looked like a dump.
She spotted my bruised knuckles and exploded. "You little bitch! What trouble did you get into now?"
"I didn't get into trouble." My voice stayed level. "I was helping someone."
"Helping?" She laughed bitterly, staggering to her feet with the bottle swaying in her hand. "You know what kind of problems your 'helping' brings us?"
I stared into her bloodshot eyes, familiar exhaustion washing over me. We'd had this conversation countless times.
"Meredith, I just couldn't watch an innocent person get hurt."
"Innocent?" Her voice turned shrill. "In this hellhole, nobody's innocent! You stupid girl, you're going to get us both killed!"
The bottle came flying at my head.
I dodged, glass exploding against the wall.
"You dare dodge me?" Meredith lost it completely, grabbing a chair and raising it high. "Should've left you on that street corner where I found you! You're nothing but bad luck!"
I stood there, looking at this woman who'd once saved my life.
Eighteen years ago, drunk out of her mind, she'd heard a baby crying on the street and brought me home on impulse. When she sobered up and found herself with a kid, she kept me anyway.
No matter what she'd become, she'd given me a second chance at life.
So I couldn't fight back, even if she wanted to kill me.
"Come on!" I clenched my fists, that golden flash sparking in my eyes again. "But I'm telling you—I'll never regret what I did today!"
Just as the chair was about to crash down—
"Enough."
A deep voice cut through from outside.
Meredith froze mid-swing, the chair slipping from her shaking hands.
I turned to see a sleek black car parked at the alley entrance. The doors opened, and two figures walked slowly toward our apartment.
The man was tall and imposing in an expensive black suit, radiating an aura of power that made the air feel thick. The woman was elegant and beautiful, but her expression was unreadably complex.
What shocked me most was the strange energy coming off them—wild, dangerous, yet it made my blood race for reasons I couldn't explain.
"Who are you?" I asked warily.
The man's gaze locked onto mine, those deep eyes holding emotions I couldn't decipher.
"Zara Nightfall." His voice was low and certain. "We've finally found you."
My heart started pounding. How did he know my name? The surname Nightfall—I didn't even know where it came from.
"What did you say?"
"I'm Matthias Silverstone, Alpha of the Silverstone Pack." He stepped closer, his commanding presence making the entire alley fall silent. "You're my daughter. My real daughter."
Time seemed to stop.
Meredith stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding. My mind went blank, this man's words thundering through my head.
"That's impossible." I shook my head. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The woman—Helena—looked at me with gentle eyes. "Child, I know this is hard to accept. But we truly are your parents. We're from the Silverstone Pack. Werewolf nobility."
"Werewolves?" I almost laughed. "Are you insane?"
But the moment the words left my mouth, I felt it.
That energy radiating from them—wild, powerful, like predators under moonlight. And my body was responding, blood boiling, heart racing.
Like... like it was calling to something.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Matthias noticed my reaction. "The blood connection. That can't be faked."
My hands started trembling. The unusual strength during the fight, the golden flash in my eyes, and now this strange resonance...
"Why?" My voice came out hoarse. "If I'm really your daughter, why was I here? Why wait eighteen years to find me?"
Pain flickered in Helena's eyes. "It was a mistake. A terrible mistake. The hospital... they switched the babies. We only just discovered the truth."
"Switched?" The explanation sounded absurd.
But Meredith suddenly spoke up: "I remember... that night eighteen years ago... I was wasted, heard a baby crying on the street... when I sobered up, you were in my bed... thought I was dreaming..."
She looked at Matthias and Helena, voice shaking. "So... someone really did lose a child..."
"Now it's time to come home." Matthias extended his hand. "Zara, come with us. Leave this place behind. Return to the world where you truly belong."
I stared at his outstretched hand, a thousand questions flooding my mind.
Why were these people showing up now? Why did I have that abnormal strength? Why did their presence make my blood surge like this?
And most importantly—if I really was their daughter, who the hell was I?
"I..."
I looked at the shabby apartment, then at these two strangers who felt strangely familiar.
Whatever the truth was, I had to find answers.
"Alright." I took Matthias's hand. "I'll come with you."
