Somewhere deep in her chest, her heartbeat quickened. She felt like an intruder in a story already written.
Her voice was a whisper against the cool morning air. "What did you leave behind for me, Yuwen Yueshuang?"
For a moment, the wind stirred, carrying a faint fragrance of burning herbs, and in it, a whisper she could not understand.
Her fingers tightened on the railing.
There was something about this house. Something watching.
And she had a feeling she wasn't meant to be here at all.
The days after her awakening passed in a strange blur. Yueyao learned to move through the Silver Fang manor like she belonged, but every step reminded her she didn't.
The maids called her Princess Shuang'er with tears of relief, the guards bowed lower than before, and her parents treated her like porcelain, afraid she might break again. But no one noticed the change behind her eyes.
No one saw that the person they had saved was not their daughter.
---
By the fifth day, Yueyao finally rose from her bed and dressed herself. The silk felt too light on her skin, the color too bright. Everything here smelled of sweetness, jasmine, sandalwood, and safety and yet she felt trapped, like she had woken up inside a golden cage.
Now, she could understand the original owner of her body's predicament. This was truly a golden cage.
She stepped out into the corridors. Servants paused to bow as she passed by, whispering prayers of gratitude to the moon. She ignored them. What she wanted were answers.
The manor was vast, built of pale stone and silverwood, its corridors lined with wolf engravings and tapestries of the Silver Fang's victories. But beneath the beauty, she felt something hollow, a silence too heavy to be peace.
Then, she felt it, a faint pulse, like a heartbeat that didn't belong to her. It tugged at her chest, soft at first, then stronger with every step she took down the western wing.
Yueyao followed it.
---
Soon, she stopped in front of a door guarded by two soldiers in silver armor.
They straightened immediately seeing her approaching the door, "Princess," one said. What brings you here? You should not be here. Lord Yuwen Lian is...."
The name struck her making her recollect her memories, "Lian?" she repeated, her voice soft.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, "He… he is resting, Your Highness. The healer said he must not be disturbed."
Yueyao's brow furrowed in confusion, "Why?"
No one answered. The silence stretched longer than necessary, and that strange tug in her chest grew sharper, almost painful. She pressed a hand against her heart, frowning.
Before the guards could protest again, she pushed the door open getting inside.
The air inside was cold.
Silver light filtered through drawn curtains, illuminating a figure sitting by the window.
Yuwen Lian.
He was tall, dressed in dark robes that looked a size too large for his pale frame. His hair fell loosely around his shoulders, and a thin scar marked his throat, old but deep. His eyes, when he turned, glowed faintly silver.
For a heartbeat, he didn't move. Neither did she.
Then, slowly, he rose from his chair. "Shuang'er…" His voice was soft, but strained, like he hadn't spoken in days.
The pull between them deepened, invisible, electric, almost alive. Yueyao's breath suddenly choked. The Crescent Sigil on her wrist throbbed faintly, responding to him.
Without warning, Yuwen Lian's arms wrapped around her protectively. The force of it stole her breath, not from pain, but from the strange, aching warmth that flooded through her veins.
Her heartbeat stumbled.
His scent was sharp, like cold rain and steel, but beneath it, something familiar lingered, something that tugged deep in her chest.
"Shuang'er…" his voice broke against her shoulder before dragging her to his bed and pushing her down gently before leaning into her.
"My Shuang'er..…"
"I don't want to lose you!"
"Please cancel that engagement to the Alpha... I will withstand anything...."
"Shuang'er…" His voice broke as he caught her in his arms, holding her as though she might vanish if he let go.
He guided her toward the edge of the bed and pressed her down gently, his hands trembling against her shoulders. The space between them was charged, too close, too fragile.
"My Shuang'er…" he whispered, the words heavy with pain. "I don't want to lose you."
His voice cracked as he buried his face against her neck. "Please… cancel that engagement with the Alpha. I'll bear whatever comes. I don't need saving that way. I only need you to stay."
She froze, unable to speak, her heart pounding so violently it hurt.