Chp 19
2118 Words
Pearl
He is awake, which is a good sign. I touched his head—his fever had also left his body. He slowly opened his eyes. I smiled at him.
“How are you feeling?” I asked softly.
He didn’t answer. He just kept staring at me.
“Who are you?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes locked on mine. He was still in pain—I could hear it, feel it in his voice.
Shit!! I forgot that right now I’m Pearl, not Perin—the one he knows.
“I found you injured and brought you here to this village,” I said, trying to sound calm while avoiding eye contact. But he didn’t stop staring. His hand remained clasped around mine.
I tried to gently pull away, but he held on tighter.
Oh moon goddess… has he figured it out? That I’m Perin?
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. His touch shouldn't have affected me like this—but it did. There was warmth in it, something grounding. And confusing.
He tried to get up, still holding my hand.
Look at his courage—holding the hand of a woman he doesn’t know. Doesn’t he have any sense of boundaries? Or... maybe, does he feel something too?
He scanned me slowly from top to bottom. “What’s your name?” he asked with a suspicious frown.
How strong is this guy? He was hit by a poisonous arrow and tortured, yet he sits here—awake, alert, interrogating me like I’m the one with answers.
He’s always been strong. Stubborn. Impossible. And yet, I can’t help but notice how his presence pulls something out of me—something deep, confusing, and dangerously warm.
“I want an answer! Who are you and how did you find me? As far as I remember, I was captured by some very rude people. I’ll deal with them later and make them pay for what they did—but right now, I want answers from you,” he said with a stern voice, finally releasing my hand.
He’d held it so tight, I felt a sting of pain. I instinctively rubbed my wrist and shifted a little away. I glanced behind me to check if the door was properly locked—my disguise couldn’t afford discovery now.
Then I turned back to him and said, “I found you wounded and brought you to this village… but this village only allows couples to enter. So I had no choice but to pretend that we were one and my name is Pearl.”
Even as I said those words, my cheeks flushed. Why was it suddenly hard to breathe?
The idea of being his mate—even just in pretense—squeezed something inside my chest. I shouldn’t feel like this. He doesn’t know I’m Perin. He doesn’t know I’m… me.
And yet, when he looks at me like that, something inside me melts.
Why do I feel this strange pull toward him? This warmth that feels both dangerous and comforting?
No… I mustn’t let emotions cloud my judgment. I brought him here to save his life. Nothing more. Still… a part of me ached as if wanting more than just a lie.
Demyan hadn’t said a word since I gave him the excuse about the village. He sat propped up against the wall, his bandaged arm resting on a pillow I’d made from folded cloth. I moved quietly around the small wooden room, trying to avoid his stare. But I could feel his gaze on me—sharp, watchful, as if he was trying to peel off every layer I wore.
He doesn’t know who I am. He must not.
I turned away, biting my lip. “You should eat something,” I said softly, placing a bowl of warm soup on the table beside him.
His voice came low and unreadable. “So this village... only accepts couples?”
I nodded without turning around. “Yes. That’s why I had to lie. They wouldn’t have helped you otherwise.”
“Convenient,” he muttered, but didn’t argue further.
I kept my back to him, pretending to fuss with the herbs I’d been mixing. My hands trembled. Why did his presence affect me this much? Why did the sound of his voice stir something strange and familiar in me? I shouldn’t feel anything. I shouldn’t care.
But I did.
Even now, dressed as a girl again, I felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with my clothes. Maybe it was the way he looked at me—like he was searching for answers I didn’t want to give.
A knock interrupted the silence. I hurried to open the door.
An older woman stood there, her arms full of jars and bandages. She smiled kindly at me, then glanced at Demyan.
“Oh, your mate looks much better today,” she said with a knowing grin. “That’s good. But I don’t see a mark yet.” Her eyes twinkled. “Newly bonded, are you?”
I blinked, stunned. Demyan looked confused, then glanced at me. His gaze lingered on my face, and I quickly looked away.
“N-Not marked,” I mumbled. “We’re just... traveling together. That’s all.”
The woman laughed gently as she stepped inside. “Ah, young ones. Always dancing around the bond before fate grabs hold.” She patted my arm and sat down beside Demyan to inspect his bandage.
My heart pounded. Marked. That word. Why did it make my chest ache? My thoughts tangled in a storm—what if I was meant to be marked? By him? But how could that be?
He doesn’t know I’m me.
He doesn’t know I’m Perin.
He doesn’t know I’m his... whatever this is.
The healer finished changing his bandage and left us with a wink and a warning to “be careful tonight—storms are coming.” As the door shut behind her, the silence returned.
Demyan spoke first. “You seemed flustered when she mentioned being marked.”
I swallowed. “It surprised me, that’s all.”
He studied me. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“No,” I said too quickly. “You don’t.”
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t argue. I gathered my courage to glance at him—and froze.
He was staring again. Not with suspicion this time, but with something else. Something softer. His eyes moved over my face, down to the flowers still tangled in my hair. His gaze settled on my lips before he turned away sharply.
The rain began outside—soft at first, then heavier. Thunder cracked through the sky. I moved to close the window shutters, and the wind pushed hard against me. I stumbled—
Strong arms caught me before I hit the floor. I gasped.
He held me firmly, his hands at my waist, and our faces were close—too close. I could see the flecks of silver in his eyes, the faint line of a scar near his temple, the rise and fall of his breath.
My pulse raced. I was afraid he’d hear it.
Then he let go suddenly, turning his back to me.
I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do with the rush of warmth in my chest. I placed a hand over my heart and exhaled.
Why does it feel like I already belong to him? Like I’ve always belonged to him...
I looked at him again. His back was tense. His fists clenched at his sides. He was as confused as I was, maybe more.
I stepped toward the window again and looked out into the storm.
Even if he never knows... even if he never remembers me as Perin…
Lightning flashed outside—and for just a moment, I thought I saw a shadow move near the trees.
The enemy hadn’t given up yet.
*______*_____
DEMYAN
I told Perin to leave—and thankfully, he listened. That was the right thing to do. These people were here because of me, not him. If he got hurt because of me, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. Watching him disappear into the trees was the last thing I saw clearly before the poison took over. My knees gave out, and I collapsed. The arrow had been laced with something deadly, and I could feel it spreading through my veins like fire.
As my vision blurred, my last thoughts were of him—of Perin. I didn’t know where Rowan and Killian were or if they’d gotten to safety. I could only hope they would find him. He’s soft-hearted, kind, and no matter how stubborn, I know he’s not built for cruelty like this. The thought of him alone and vulnerable gnawed at my insides more painfully than the poison itself.
Then, darkness.
I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but when I opened my eyes, the pain had dulled. My vision was hazy at first, but as it cleared, I saw someone sitting beside me—a girl.
A girl?
She was sitting so gently by the bed, watching me with worry. The moment she realized I was awake, she smiled. A soft, warm smile that made something inside me stir. Her features… were familiar. Too familiar.
She looked like Perin. No—she looked like a female version of him. How is this possible?
Is it…? Could it be that Perin is actually a girl? Was he—no, she—in disguise all along? My heart pounded, not from shock, but from something else. Something deeper.
I asked her who she was, needing to hear it from her own mouth.
She hesitated. Her heartbeat—yes, I could hear it now—sped up. She was nervous. Very nervous. But not scared. It was the kind of nervousness that comes with hiding something important.
Her voice was soft, almost fragile as she replied, “My name is Pearl.”
Pearl. The name suited her. Beautiful and rare. Just like her.
Still, my mind spun. The way she looked, the way her hand felt in mine—it was the same. The softness, the warmth—it had to be Perin. I held her hand tighter, trying to ground myself in the familiarity, in the truth that was slowly unraveling before me.
If she is Perin, then she risked everything to save me.
But… why would she do that?
And if she is truly Pearl… then why do I feel this strange, possessive pull toward her?
I’m not sure of anything yet. Not completely but something tells me this girl isn’t a stranger. She’s my kitten, she always was.
I should be resting. My body still aches, my muscles feel like they’ve been torn apart and stitched back together with fire—but I can’t stop staring at her.
Pearl.
She’s sitting so close, yet I feel like there’s a wall of secrets between us.
Everything about her screams familiarity. The way she touches my forehead, the way her brows crease in worry, the softness in her voice—it’s all Perin. Or maybe it always was. Maybe I was too blind to see it.
But why?
Why would she pretend to be someone she’s not? Why would she go through the trouble of hiding her identity and walk straight into danger among men like me? For what?
A mission? A game? No. Her eyes aren’t filled with ambition or strategy. They’re filled with… something else. Something raw. Something real.
And then there’s the pull.
That strange, unshakable feeling I’ve had from the beginning. That urge to protect her. The way my wolf reacts to her. It makes no sense. My instincts have always been sharp, unshakable. But with her—Perin or Pearl—they're scattered, confused, and dangerously drawn.
My wolf is restless.
She’s not marked.
No scent of a bond, no trace of claiming. She’s not my mate. Or at least, she shouldn’t be.
Still, something inside me wants to claim her.
It’s foolish. It’s reckless. It’s not like me. I’ve fought in wars. I’ve stared death in the face. I’ve never flinched. But now, with one look from her, I feel like a man unraveling—caught in the threads of something I can’t explain.
If she’s Pearl, and she’s truly the one who risked everything to save me… then I owe her more than my life.
I owe her the truth.
Even if I don't fully know hers yet.
But first—I need to know for sure.
Who is she?
- Writer
