Calla's POV

I gasped, struggling to breathe as if I’d been underwater for hours. My body ached, and when I opened my eyes, reality shifted. The room was vast, bathed in a golden glow, with intricately carved stone walls and towering windows revealing a vibrant blue forest beyond. The scent of wild earth filled the air, unfamiliar yet captivating.

Where was I?

Trembling, I sat up, panic rising. This was no hospital. The door creaked open, and two women entered, their robes patterned like the forest outside. Their eyes brimmed with disbelief.

“She’s awake,” one whispered.

“Our princess is awake,” the other said, clutching her chest.

“Princess?” I rasped. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

Before they could answer, heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor. A man and woman burst in, their commanding presence shifting the air. Relief and sorrow mingled in their expressions.

“My daughter,” the man said, kneeling beside me. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. “You’re finally home.”

“Home?” I shook my head, backing away. “No. This isn’t real. I don’t know you.”

The woman stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. Her hair shimmered in the light as she reached for me. “My daughter, it’s us. Your parents. We’ve searched for you for so long.”

The word "parents" hit me like a blow. My parents were dead. I’d buried them years ago. “No,” I stammered. “This is a sick joke. My parents—my real parents—are gone.”

The man placed a hand over his heart. “We are your real parents, Calla. You were taken from us as a baby. The human world isn’t your home. This is.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. “What do you mean? Where is this?”

“This,” the woman said gently, “is the werewolf realm. Your true world. You are the daughter of Alpha Garett and Luna Selina, the rightful heiress of the pack.”

Werewolves. Heiress. Pack. Their words clawed at my mind, impossible to grasp.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I whispered, clutching the sheets like they were my last link to sanity. “I’m not a werewolf. I’m human.”

Luna Selina’s expression softened as she knelt beside me. “No, my darling. You were taken to the human world in a desperate act. An omega—Hera’s mother—exchanged you for her own child. She believed her daughter would have a better life here in the werewolf realm, with parents like us—an Alpha and a Luna. We had no idea the switch had happened until many years later.”

Her voice wavered, grief clouding her eyes. “For most of her life, we believed Hera was our daughter. But on the night of her first transformation, everything changed. When a werewolf shifts for the first time, their true rank is revealed. Hera transformed into her wolf, and we saw she was an omega. It was impossible for her to be our blood.”

Alpha Garett spoke, his voice steady but tinged with sorrow. “We didn’t know the truth until one of the omega servants came forward. She had been close to Hera’s mother, who suddenly disappered years earlier, and she confessed to knowing the secret all along. Hera’s mother had switched you two at birth, believing her daughter would thrive under the care of an Alpha and Luna. She took you to the human world, where you were sold to the family who raised you.”

Selina’s hand rested on mine, her gaze pleading. “We searched tirelessly for you, Calla. It broke our hearts to learn you’d been taken to the human world. But now, you’re back where you belong.”

The revelation hit me like a tidal wave. My entire life had been a lie. The people I thought were my parents… they weren’t. They never even knew the truth. And now, I wasn’t even sure who I was.

A sharp knock interrupted us. The door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped inside. His golden eyes locked onto mine, sending a wave of heat through me.

“Beta Felix,” Garett greeted him. “My daughter's savior. You’re just in time. Our daughter is awake.”

Felix’s gaze was intense, unreadable. When he spoke, his deep voice resonated. “I just did what I could. Besides, the prophecy said she would return when the realm needed her most.”

Prophecy? My pulse quickened. I wasn’t a princess or a savior—I was just Calla, a broken woman who didn’t belong here.

Felix stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’ve been gone too long, Princess. It’s time to take your place.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but then I felt it—a voice, faint but undeniable.

You are not alone, Calla. I am here.

I froze as warmth surged in my chest, the voice soothing yet powerful, as if a long-lost part of me had awakened.

“What’s happening to me?” I whispered, clutching my head as the room dimmed.

Felix’s hand brushed my arm, the touch electric. “You’re awakening,” he said.

The room spun, and the last thing I saw was Felix’s intense gaze before the world plunged into darkness.

Calla's POV

The scents of roasted meats and spiced vegetables filled the grand dining hall, but I had no appetite. Seated at the ornate table, I felt their eyes on me—Alpha Garett, Luna Selina, and Hera, the golden-haired girl who once believed she was their daughter. Across from me, Hera offered a sweet smile, her eyes sharp and calculating beneath it.

The tension was suffocating. My fork scraped against the plate, the sound grating in the oppressive silence. Alpha Garett broke it first. “Calla, I know this is overwhelming, but you’re home now. You are the rightful heir, our true daughter. Your place is here.”

I set my fork down, trying to keep my trembling hands steady. “You keep saying that, but I don’t even know you. I grew up in the human world. My parents—” My voice cracked. “They raised me.”

Selina reached across the table, her hand warm on mine. “They loved you, and we’re grateful they kept you safe. But the human world was never meant for you. You belong here, Calla.”

I pulled my hand back. “I don’t belong anywhere—not here, not there. Everything I trusted is gone. And now you expect me to just... accept this?”

Before anyone could respond, a knock echoed through the hall. The doors creaked open, revealing a tall man with piercing blue eyes. His commanding presence filled the room.

Alpha Garett stood. “Ah, Jacob. Perfect timing.”

The man—Jacob—nodded to Garett but kept his attention fixed on me. “So, this is her,” he said smoothly, his tone carrying both curiosity and judgment.

Luna Selina’s smile was strained. “Calla, this is Alpha Jacob Windsor, son of the Alpha King and leader of the Windsor Pack. He is also... your future husband.”

The room spun. “What?” I whispered.

“It’s tradition,” Garett said firmly. “As the heiress to this pack, it’s your duty to strengthen alliances. A union with the Windsor Pack ensures peace and prosperity.”

“You can’t be serious,” I said, my voice shaking. “I don’t even know him.”

Jacob leaned casually against the doorframe, his smirk sharp. “I’m not thrilled either, but duty is duty.”

His indifference ignited a spark of defiance in me. “I’m not marrying anyone. I don’t care about your traditions or alliances. This isn’t my world.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Garett’s jaw tightened, while Selina’s eyes softened with something like sympathy. “You’ll understand in time,” she said gently. “This is your destiny, Calla.”

I pushed my chair back, the screech of wood against stone cutting through the quiet. “Destiny?” I laughed bitterly. “My destiny was stolen the moment I was dragged into this nightmare.”

Storming out, I walked aimlessly through the hallways, desperate for air. I stopped in a courtyard, the cool night breeze brushing my skin as I tried to steady my thoughts. How could they expect me to marry a stranger? To become someone I wasn’t?

“You’re running away already?”

The voice startled me. I turned to see Jacob stepping out of the shadows. “What do you want?” I snapped.

“To talk,” he said calmly. “You’re not the only one who didn’t ask for this. But we don’t always get to choose our paths.”

I crossed my arms, shielding myself from his gaze. “And what if I refuse? What if I walk away?”

Jacob stepped closer. “Then you’ll face the consequences. In this world, running isn’t an option.”

Before I could respond, he turned and disappeared into the shadows. My chest tightened, my thoughts spinning, when another figure emerged.

Hera.

She approached, her smile sweet but her eyes glittering with malice. “You’re quick to storm out, aren’t you?”

“What do you want?” I asked, exhausted.

“To make something clear,” she said with feigned sweetness. “You don’t belong here. You’re an intruder in a world you don’t understand.”

Anger bubbled beneath my skin. “If this is your way of trying to scare me, it won’t work.”

She laughed softly, the sound cold and hollow. “Scare you? No, Calla. I’m giving you a reality check. You’re not the savior of this pack. You’re a disruption. And disruptions get dealt with.”

Her words were a thinly veiled threat. My fists clenched. “What are you trying to say?” I demanded.

Hera leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “Stay, and you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure of it. I’ve fought too hard for everything—my family, my position, and Jacob. I won’t let you take any of it from me.”

She straightened, her gaze piercing. “You’re not ready for the war you’re walking into, Calla. And when it comes for you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me frozen in place, her words echoing in my mind.

Calla's POV

I couldn’t sleep. The weight of it all churned in my mind—the lies, the betrayal, the overwhelming scent of the werewolf realm clinging to me. This wasn’t my life. It wasn’t my world. I didn’t belong here.

While the mansion slept, I slipped out of bed, the cold stone floor biting at my feet. The path through the forest stretched ahead, dark and unfamiliar, but anything was better than staying. I wasn’t the daughter they claimed. I wasn’t their future Luna. I wasn’t anyone but Calla, the girl desperate to escape.

I hadn’t gone far when a voice cut through the stillness. “Running away already?”

I spun around to see Hera leaning casually against a tree, her smirk as sharp as the moonlight on her cheekbones.

“I’m leaving,” I snapped, fists clenched. “You can have it all—the pack, the parents, even Jacob. I don’t care.”

Hera tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. “And go where? The humans don’t want you anymore, Calla. You don’t belong here, but you certainly don’t belong there.”

I glared at her, willing my voice not to crack. “I don’t belong anywhere. But at least I’m not you.”

Her laugh followed me as I turned and walked away. I told myself her words didn’t matter, but they lingered, twisting in my chest like a thorn.

Hours later, I reached the edge of the human world. My old mansion loomed ahead, but it wasn’t the sanctuary I remembered. A "For Sale" sign leaned crookedly in the yard, and standing in front of it were Heron and Vivien. Laughing. Together. Her hand rested on her stomach, his arm draped possessively around her.

I froze, anger and hurt warring inside me. But before I could step forward, a hand clamped down on my arm, pulling me back. I spun around to find Jacob, his golden eyes blazing.

“You think you can just leave?” His voice was low, dangerous. Before I could answer, he shifted into his wolf form, and with a swift lunge, his teeth caught the fabric of my shirt. I screamed as he dragged me back into the forest, his grip unyielding.

By the time we returned to the pack, I was exhausted, my voice hoarse from shouting. Jacob shifted back into his human form, his gaze pinning me in place. “You can’t keep running, Calla,” he said, his voice calm but unrelenting. “You’re mine.”

“What are you talking about?” I hissed, backing away.

His response was a kiss—fierce, possessive, leaving no room for argument. Then his teeth grazed my neck, and a searing heat shot through me. I gasped, stumbling back as Livi’s voice screamed in my head. He’s marking us!

“Too late now,” Jacob murmured, his smirk infuriatingly smug. “You’re mine.”

I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Panic clawed at my chest as his guards seized my arms. Luna Selina and Alpha Garett were waiting when we arrived, their disappointment hitting me like a physical blow.

“You’re ungrateful,” Garett thundered, his fists clenched. “After everything we’ve done for you.”

Hera stepped forward, her voice syrupy sweet. “I tried to stop her,” she said, cradling a scratched arm. “She attacked me.”

“That’s a lie!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I never touched you!”

But my protests were drowned out by Jacob’s commanding voice. “Enough. The ceremony will happen tonight.”

They dragged me to my room and chained me to the bedframe. I screamed, pounded against the chains, but it was no use. Hours stretched into eternity, my fear growing with each passing moment. When the door finally opened, it wasn’t relief I felt but dread.

The guards hauled me to the grand hall, where the entire pack waited. The elder began chanting, his voice deep and resonant. Jacob stood at the center, his eyes locked on mine with the confidence of someone who thought he’d already won.

Then I smelled it. Sharp, earthy, and unmistakable. My head snapped up, my pulse quickening.

Mate. Livi’s voice was soft but certain. He’s here.

I scanned the crowd frantically until I found him. Felix Windsor. Jacob’s twin. His eyes met mine, and the bond hit me like a bolt of lightning. My breath caught, my heart raced. This wasn’t just attraction—it was something primal, undeniable.

Jacob’s voice broke through the haze. “Calla.”

But I couldn’t look at him. My focus was on Felix, the man who felt like salvation. The pull between us was electric, an unspoken promise.

And yet, Jacob’s mark burned on my neck—a chain I couldn’t break. My mind raced. Was it too late? Or was there still a way out?

As Jacob stepped closer and the elder’s voice rose, I realized one thing: if there was a way out, I had to find it. And fast.