CHAPTER 82: MY PAST

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Chapter 82

~Spring’s POV~

I closed my eyes slowly, letting instinct override thought. I called on what Solstice had once been taught—what the priestess inside me still remembered.

The way energy moved, the way ancient protections bent like ripples against the right vibration.

And there it was, a subtle pulse was felt.

My hand reached out, fingers brushing against what looked like empty space... but rippled like water when I touched it. The world beyond the ripple shifted, distorting ever so slightly like heat waves in summer air.

"No wonder no one found him," I murmured. "He exists behind this ward."

With a steady breath, I pushed my hand through, and it passed. So I stepped in fully, and the moment I did, the world changed.

The rot vanished, the air cleared, and what stood before me now was a narrow garden path lined with lush trees and flowerbeds that defied the season.

Herbs bloomed in vibrant defiance of time, and the grasses under my boot felt soft and freshly trimmed. It was like stepping into another realm.

The broken-down house was no longer broken.

Before me stood a modest but well-crafted wooden cabin, polished with care, a narrow stream ran nearby, and wind chimes danced above the porch. Magic pulsed from every leaf and stone.

But I’d only taken three steps forward when a growl thundered from the side.

Of course, a werewolf, a witch or both resided here. I didn’t flinch.

I turned my head slowly toward the dense tree line where it came from.

Branches rustled, and out stepped a massive wolf.

His eyes glowed amber, and his fur was a strange blend of silver and black, unlike any werewolf I’d seen.

He bared his teeth and stalked toward me, hackles raised, a warning etched into every line of his body.

But I smiled. I came here for a medicinal herb, and I wasn’t planning on leaving until I could help Rhys rescue his patient.

I took off my hoodie, which had my phone inside and kicked off my shoes.

"Jade," I said calmly. "You want a go at this?"

A spark lit inside me, and Jade’s laughter rang lightly and wickedly. "Absolutely."

For the first time since my birthday, my body shifted, energy rushing through me in a way that felt both natural and overwhelming. My bones cracked, and fur bristled across my skin.

In seconds, I stood not as Spring, but as my other half, my wolf, Jade.

Powerful. Lithe. Silver-eyed.

The moment the transformation was completed, the other wolf, the guardian, stopped mid-lunge, his eyes widened, and his growl died.

And then, without warning, he stepped back.

Jade growled loudly, daring him to take that leap, to come forward. I knew she had waited for this day, a day where she could fight once more but I hadn’t given he the chance to do so.

Then came the impossible; he shifted.

Bones cracked and rearranged as a shadow formed from where the massive creature had been before and before me stood a man.

Broad-shouldered, lean-muscled, entirely unclothed, with light tan skin and a scar running from his collarbone to his navel. He stood tall, proud, and utterly unashamed.

But it wasn’t his nakedness that shocked me.

It was the look on his face—pure recognition, and then reverence.

His voice was almost reverent as he said, "Jade... spirit of the moon-bound wolf. Wolf of Princess Solstice Winters."

My heart slammed in my chest and my breath stilled.

"W-what... did you just say?"

He stepped closer, the wild aura around him dimming slightly.

"You are not just you... You carry the soul of her, the moonborn Princess. The true warrior Princess of Lunaris Kingdom."

I felt Jade go still inside me.

"Who are you?" I asked softly, though the answer was clawing at my throat.

The man looked at me for a long moment, then bowed his head low, not in fear, but in respect.

"My name is Thorne," he said. "Guardian of the Old Roots. And I have waited over two hundred years to meet you again."

I wasn’t sure about that answer. How in heaven did he know that?

Immediately, Jade took an offensive stance. No one knew who I was. And I wasn’t sure if I could trust that, yet.

"Please, believe me. I mean you no harm."

"A moment ago, you were."

"Yes. That was before I saw you, your wolf, Jade."

I blinked, the man’s words echoing in my chest louder than the wind that rustled through the trees around us.

He knew Jade. He knew me. But... how?

Jade transformed, and I was back in my human form, naked. This was one part I hated most about transforming.

The man barely gave me a second glance before he moved, quickly walking to the base of a nearby tree. There, folded over a rock, lay a thick black cloak, almost too perfectly placed.

"Take that," he said, voice softer now. "You shouldn’t walk around... like that."

I moved swiftly and took it, wrapping it tightly around my frame. Her warmth still lingered in my skin, her presence pulsing gently in my mind.

Then he did the same, grabbing another robe from behind a bush, and slipped it on. Simple, earth-coloured linen pants and a tunic. For someone who had just dropped a truth bomb like that, he looked oddly casual.

"You..." he began again, eyes scanning my face with something between wonder and hesitation. "You are not... her. And yet your spirit, your soul—it does not belong to this body. And then... your wolf. I have seen that wolf only once."

My fingers curled.

My gaze dropped for a second—and that’s when I saw it. A small hunting knife, half-buried in the grass from where I’d shifted.

I bent low, grabbed it, and without a word, I lunged forward when he turned and pressed the blade flat against his neck.

"Speak. Who are you?" I asked sharply. "And what do you know about Solstice Winter?"

He didn’t flinch. All he did was let out a little laughter, actually laughed and raised his hand to gently push the knife aside, like I was a little girl pointing a stick at a lion.

"I mean you no harm," he said, then gestured with his chin. "Come. You’ve walked through the barrier. You deserve an answer. But not out here."

I hesitated, knife still clenched in my hand, but eventually lowered it.

He led the way through the garden path until we reached the door of the cabin. It didn’t creak when it opened. The inside smelled of herbs and heat.

Shelves lined with books and scrolls, rows of dried plants hanging from beams, and a table littered with bowls, glass vials, and ink-stained parchment. A priest’s haven.

He waved me toward a bench while he poured something warm into a cup and handed it to me.

I didn’t drink, but he didn’t push either.

"Understandable. I am still only a stranger to you. I am Neil Thorne," he began, finally settling onto a stool across from me.

"Neil?" My heart skipped another beat. Neil was my cousin’s name. "Not Levi Thorne?"

"I go with Levi Thorne in the outside human world, but to werewolves who know me, I am Neil Thorne, descendant of the Priesthood that once served under the Moonline Court. Of the last temple before it fell to ash."

My throat tightened, but I kept my expression still. "How do you know that name?" I asked.

He gave a faint, fond smile. "Because the story of Princess Solstice Winter was one my mother told me often. Her tale wasn’t history—it was our legend. A hidden one, passed down through whispers and vows in the temple. She who healed. She who walked with spirits. She who defied death."

That was a lie because I died. So, which history or story was told about me?

I stared at him quietly, then said, "And yet... it’s not in your books. Not even mentioned in the archives."

He tilted his head. "Because some stories are not for shelves. They are meant to be guarded."

"I must ask," he said, voice dropping. "If you’re not truly her, how did you get through the barrier? You’re not marked. Not trained. Not an heir."

I blinked once. "I heard a bell," I said, quietly. "It rang in my ears and I followed it."

Levi frowned, rubbing a hand over his mouth. "That’s impossible," he muttered, almost to himself.

I tilted my head. "Is it?"

He didn’t answer quickly. "Yes, because only the royal bloodline, an heir or heiress or the king and true queen can pass through. And you are neither. You are no priestess either."

"Who I am doesn’t matter. I came looking for you for something."

Instead of answering, he looked at me for a long moment. "Then why are you here? What brought you to this place?"

I reached into my cloak and realised my phone must have fallen with my ripped clothes... oh, it was in my hoodie, which I had pulled off first before I transformed. "I need two plants," I said simply. "Beryl-sap bark and Ashvine root. I think I can locate Stellaris vine, Hollowleaf, and Ironroot."

The moment the words left my mouth, everything changed.

Levi’s face went pale.

He stood in one fluid motion, walked to the side wall, and pulled out a long silver sword etched with runes. Without hesitation, he pointed it at my chest.

"How do you know those plants?" he demanded. "How do you know those are the cure for Verdant Pulse? Only one person knew of that potion. That formula. It was never documented. Only one."

I didn’t flinch.

Instead, I laughed softly.

"Two people knew," I stated calmly. "One died. One didn’t."