CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 85: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

Luca’s POV ~

I followed in the direction, my feet carrying me before I even realized. Julian’s head turned at the sound of my approach, and the moment his eyes met mine, the color drained from his face. His whole body tensed, like he’d been caught doing something shameful.

Pathetic.

I tilted my head slightly, narrowing my eyes. He looked like he wanted to vanish, like he was desperate for me not to recognize him.

"What the hell is with him?" I muttered under my breath. "He should worry about himself before worrying about me."

I didn’t have the time or the patience to waste on some bratty alpha heir and his little fits. There were more important things weighing on me. One of them was definitely her. My mate.

And now... her scent.

At first, I thought it was a cruel trick of my mind. My wolf had whispered it too many times in the past year, too many false hopes, too many nights clawing at the emptiness inside me. He would whisper, "She’s here; she’s close," only for it to be nothing. Just grief twisting into hallucinations.

But this time... this time the scent was real. I could taste it in the air, rich and undeniable, the one thing that had haunted me through endless nights.

"No... it can’t be," I whispered, my throat tightening.

My wolf howled inside me, clawing against my chest. It’s her...ours.

I wanted to believe. God, I wanted to. But doubt tore at me like fangs digging into bone. What if it was another illusion? Another dream turned into a nightmare the moment I reached out?

Still... what if it wasn’t? What if it really was her?

I couldn’t let this chance go.

"I’ll catch her," I growled, my words filled with desperation. "I’ll find out if it’s true."

But by the time my eyes focused, her figure was already far ahead, slipping through the trees like a fleeting shadow. Just a silhouette, too distant for me to see clearly. Panic slammed into my chest, squeezing until I couldn’t breathe.

Every step she took forward felt like she was tearing further away from me.

"No... don’t go," the words slipped out in a broken whisper.

Before I could think, before reason could stop me, my body leapt forward. Bones snapped, flesh tore, and black fur burst from my skin. A snarl ripped from my throat as my massive wolf form hit the ground running.

My paws tore through the forest floor, muscles burning, my breath ragged. My wolf didn’t hesitate. He never did. He wanted her...close to him.

But the moment my growl carried through the air, she looked back. And everything in me stuttered.

Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. Her steps faltered, then quickened into a desperate run.

"Why..." My thoughts scattered, rage and confusion colliding inside me. "Why is she afraid of me?"

My chest ached, every beat of my heart slicing deeper. If she were just some stranger, she wouldn’t run. There would be no reason for fear. But if she was Selene... she had every reason to flee. And that realization ripped through me like claws.

I pushed harder, closing the gap. But then I saw her properly. Her hair. It was long and black, cascading down her back like ink. Selene’s hair was silver, bright as moonlight. This girl was not the same.

Even when she turned her head for the briefest second, I saw her face. It was also different from Selene’s.

My speed faltered. My heart twisted.

"No... How could I mistake someone else for her?" I muttered, my voice a low growl. "What the hell is happening to me?"

I swore to myself I would never look at another girl, never see anyone but my mate. It was the only respect I could give her for the years she had been torn away from me.

Yet here I was, chasing someone else.

I slowed, chest heaving.

But then—like a blade cutting through fog—it hit me again.

That scent.

My wolf’s ears perked, his entire body trembling with excitement. His tail wagged furiously, like a damn pup. My own eyes widened.

"It’s hers," I breathed, unable to stop the tremor in my voice. "That scent... it’s Selene’s. Undoubtedly hers."

The ground tilted beneath me, my heart flipping between joy and fury.

"Then why—" I snarled, snapping my teeth. "Why the hell is Selene’s scent all over this girl?"

Did she... did she do something to Selene? Did she hurt her? Or was she someone close to her? A friend? An accomplice?

Questions tore through my head, ripping me apart.

I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. I needed answers.

My paws pounded harder, faster. Trees blurred past me. The distance shrank. She couldn’t outrun me—not on two legs, not against a predator born to hunt.

Her steps grew frantic, stumbling, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t escape.

I leapt, and my body crashed against hers, and we tumbled on the dirt. I pinned her to the ground with my claws digging into the soil as I stood over her, massive and unyielding.

Her breath came in sharp, broken gasps. Her heartbeat thundered so loud I felt it shaking through my chest.

I lowered my head, my wolf’s nose brushing along her skin as I sniffed desperately. The scent was there. It was definitely Selene’s. Familiar, calming, the only thing in this cursed world that had ever soothed me.

My wolf’s eyes widened, glowing with joy. His tail swayed back and forth like he had been waiting an eternity for this moment.

A deep rumble vibrated in my chest. Peace. For the first time in a year, peace claims me.

I shut my eyes, inhaling, letting it sink into me. Just that scent was enough to silence every storm inside.

But then my human mind struck back.

My gaze lifted, and I saw her.

Her bare shoulders glistened under the moonlight. Her chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. Her eyes were shut tight, her body trembling, trying to calm itself.

She was beautiful. Undoubtedly beautiful.

But she was not mine. my Selene.

My throat burned. My jaw clenched.

"She’s not Selene," I whispered, fury and despair tangled in my voice. "She’s not. Then why... Why the hell is Selene’s scent all over her?"

My wolf growled, snapping at my denial. Ours. She’s ours.

"No!" I roared inside. "She’s not! She can’t be!"

My chest tightened as I stared down at the girl beneath me. The questions wouldn’t stop. Was Selene alive? Was she close? Did this girl know where she was?

I slammed a paw against the dirt, snarling at my own confusion.

"Answer me," I growled low, my voice rough even in my wolf’s form. My eyes burned into her trembling frame. "Who the hell are you? And why do you smell like my mate?"