Chapter 5 Shattered Mask

The new Sasha stepped off the plane, California air hit her wild, immediately filling her lungs, She closed her eyes, breathing it in deep. This is it. New life. No one owns her now. Nothing was going to take this from her.

She had found an apartment in San Diego -a small but cozy place with just enough room for her to breathe. The rent was high, but she could manage. The bills in California were unforgiving, but she was going to work her way through it. She had to.

"I'm not going to let my past consume me," she whispered to herself as she stood in front of the apartment. "This is my life. I get to decide."

First rule: forget the past.

Second rule: survive California.

Third rule: never, ever trust a man again.

With that affirmation, she stepped inside. The place was quiet, the only sound was the occasional hum of the city in the distance. She walked through the apartment, touching the walls, feeling the unfamiliar warmth of her new beginning.

She didn't have time to get comfortable, though. The walls inside were plain and cold, but as she walked around touching them, a strange warmth filled her chest. It wasn't much, but it was hers.

The next day was Monday, and she had a job to find. The rent was $2300, and she had no intention of being one paycheck away from homelessness.

She went online, searching for vacant jobs in San Diego . She wrote down every place she could visit.

The next morning, she dressed in a sleek black blazer, white blouse, and black Valentino heels. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, an easy look that gave her the confidence she needed. Despite everything that had happened, she still had the elegance of the woman she once was.

She had no time for distractions, no time to look back. This was her future, and she was going to grab it by the horns.

Her first stop was a local agency that had a job opening for a manager. It seemed perfect. As she walked in, the secretary looked her up and down with a raised brow, but Sasha didn't care. She dropped her CV with an air of quiet confidence, expecting the best.

The secretary glanced at the papers, then gave her a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry, the website hasn't been updated. The position is actually for a chef, not a manager. We're not looking for anyone with your qualifications."

Sasha's heart sank for a moment. She didn't belong in a kitchen. She wasn't about to start cooking meals for a living. Not when she had so much more to offer. She turned to leave, her heels clicking sharply on the floor.

She went to the next place on her list, a high-end office that already screamed luxury the moment she laid eyes on it. She stepped inside, feeling the familiar rush of anticipation. This had to be it. This place was meant for her.

The receptionist gave her a polite smile and asked her to wait. She could already tell they didn't need to ask too many questions. She had the perfect look. When the hiring manager came out and took her CV, he glanced over it, his eyes flicking over the details quickly before he glanced back up.

"Unfortunately, you didn't meet the basic qualifications for this position," he said coolly. "You can always check the website for other opportunities."

Sasha barely nodded, biting back the frustration bubbling in her chest. She could feel the cold sting of rejection, but she refused to let it control her. She was walking out of the building when her eyes caught something-or other, someone.

A flash of recognition.

It was Ryan.

Her breath caught.

He was standing in the lobby, talking to someone, but when their eyes locked, everything around her seemed to blur. She could feel the pull between them, an invisible thread tugging at her. Tension crackled in the air.

She turned quickly, trying to escape before he could see her, but his footsteps followed her, quick and sure. He caught up to her in a matter of seconds, grabbing her arm gently but firmly, his touch sending an involuntary chill down her spine.

"Sasha," he said, his voice calm, almost too calm. His eyes-those damn eyes-were no longer the reddish-brown she remembered. They were green now, glowing with something more than just interest. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

He's not human.

She jerked away from him, she yanked away." Don't touch me"trying to run, but he was faster, like unnaturally faster, his hand wrapping around her wrist before she could take another step.

"You don't need to be afraid," he said softly, but the words did nothing to ease her panic. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Her chest tightened. Every man she had ever known had broken promises. Her ex-husband. Her entire past. What made him different?

"What do you want from me?" she demanded, her voice shaking despite her best efforts to stay composed.

Ryan's lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. He looked conflicted, and that made her even more nervous.

"Do you have any unusual marks on your body?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sasha froze. How did he know about the mark on her arm? The one that had been glowing ever since she left New York? She nodded, quickly pulling up her sleeve to show him the strange, pulsing tattoo.

His eyes softened. "There's a lot to this, Sasha. But you'll find out soon enough. I promise."

Her mind raced, heart pounding in her chest. "What's happening to me?"

"You'll be fine," he said, his hand gently brushing her arm, making her feel a strange sense of calm despite everything. "You just need to trust me. I'll take care of it."

Trust? Her laugh was bitter. "The last time I trusted someone, I almost lost myself."

He smiled faintly. "You got the job." The position's yours."

"How?" Sasha asked, confused. "I didn't even meet the basic requirements."

He smiled, a wry, knowing smile. "I'm the owner of the company."

Sasha blinked, stunned by the revelation, but before she could process, he was leading her to a nearby coffee shop. They sat, sipping their drinks in silence. Ryan had taken her number, and before she knew it, he was driving her home.

The car ride was silent, tense with unspoken questions and fears. As soon as they reached her apartment, she couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Without a word, she slammed the door shut behind her.

Sasha dropped her purse onto the counter, feeling exhausted. She threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow. She breathed out, trying to clear her mind, but something wasn't right. Her stomach churned, unease flooding her body.

She ran to the bathroom and vomited. Her head spun, dizziness gripping her like a vice. Was it stress? Was she sick?

But then her thoughts turned darker. Was she pregnant? Her heart skipped a beat. She remembered the night with Ryan-everything had been so rushed, but they had used protection, hadn't they?

Her mind raced as she quickly changed her clothes and caught a cab to the hospital. She needed answers.

After what felt like hours of waiting, the doctor finally gave her the news.

"Congratulations, you're three weeks pregnant," she said, looking at Sasha with an unreadable expression. "But there's something strange about this pregnancy. The baby is growing abnormally fast. It's much bigger than it should be for just a three week embryo."

Sasha stared. "What does that mean?"

"We'll need to test the father. His DNA may explain the accelerated growth."

Sasha's mind raced. She had to tell Ryan. But would he even come? Would he help her?

When she called him, his reaction wasn't what she expected.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" His voice was full of anger, and she could feel his frustration through the phone. "You don't understand how dangerous this is. You can't reveal any of this to anyone. Do you hear me?"

Sasha felt a surge of fear. "What are you talking about?"

Ryan sighed. "Just don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

The next few hours were a blur. Ryan drove her from the hospital to his family's house-up a winding mountain road that seemed to go on forever. It was pitch black when they arrived, and she felt a strange unease settle over her.

"How are we getting there?" she asked, confusion clouding her mind.

Ryan didn't answer. Instead, he stood still, as if deep in thought. Then, without warning, he turned to her and said, "Get on my back. I'll carry you."

Sasha blinked in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

Before she could react, Ryan shifted-fur exploding from his skin, bones cracked , reforming, stretching into a colossal black wolf, bigger than any normal wolf should be. His fur shimmered like starlight.

Sasha screamed the whole way up the mountain.

Her heart pounded in her chest. "Oh my God..."

"No-no no no-this isn't real-" She backed up, tripping over her own feet. She was dreaming. She had to be. This wasn't Earth. This wasn't reality.

The wolf squatted , watching her with sad, human eyes. Then he lowered himself, offering his back.

You've lost your mind, she thought, trembling as she slowly climbed onto him.

As they neared their destination, the world around her shifted. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. They arrived at a hidden village, a place she never could have imagined. A place full of werewolves, more than a million of them. They lived freely, shifting between human and wolf forms. It was like stepping into a fairytale.

People shifted around her, some in wolf form, others human, their eyes glowing faintly. They greeted Ryan with nods of respect.

Sasha clung to his fur.

This couldn't be real.

He shifted back into human form, unfazed by the transformation.

She stumbled off him, shaking. "What... what is this place?"

"Our home," he said. "Your home, now."

She couldn't breathe. "No. I'm not one of you-"

"You're more than you know."

He led her to a grand stone house, carved into the mountain face. Two figures stood waiting.

An older man with silver hair and golden eyes, and a woman with sharp cheekbones and a regal presence.

Ryan sat Sasha down.

"This is my father, Thomas. Alpha King. And my mother, Liana."

Thomas stepped forward, eyes sharp.

"You carry the future heir of our bloodline," he said gravely.

"You have no idea what you are yet, do you?"

Sasha's lips trembled. "I'm human."

Thomas shook his head slowly. "No, little one. You're far more than that. And your child... will change everything."

Before she could respond, a roar echoed from the hills-wild and furious.

Ryan's face paled.

"They found us," Thomas said grimly. "The Blood Pack."

Sasha didn't know who they were but from the way everyone suddenly tensed, she knew one thing:

They were coming for her.

And Sasha stood there, stomach twisting, heart hammering, and the weight of her unborn child pressing into her soul like a promise and a curse.

She had stepped into a world no one knew existed.

And there was no going back.

The truth about her past was more than she could ever have imagined. And the adventure was just beginning.

But one thing was certain: Sasha was no longer just a regular woman. She was something much more powerful.

To be continued...