Chapter 1468
The woman smiled. Her smile wasn’t human. It wasn’t cruel, either. It was serene, empty of tension, as if she had never known fear or hunger or shame. Her long hair, tangled and matted with leaves, flowed down her back like vines grown wild.
Every step she took forward was soundless. No branches cracked beneath her bare feet. The clearing didn’t resist her - it welcomed her.
The wives stirred, slowly rising around Jude, no longer just lovers, but guardians. Their nakedness didn’t matter; they moved with purpose, not modesty. Lucy stepped in front of him instinctively.
Sophie flanked her. Zoey gripped a sharp, jagged branch from the edge of the platform. Only Rose stayed where she was, her eyes wide, not in fear, but something deeper - recognition.
"She’s one of us," Rose whispered.
"She’s not anyone I’ve ever seen," Zoey said coldly.
The stranger stopped at the edge of the clearing, her golden eyes flicking from one face to another. Then, in a voice like wet earth and cracked wood, she said, "You called. I answered."
Jude stepped forward slowly, his skin tingling with something raw and ancient. "Who are you?"
The woman’s gaze settled on him, and she smiled wider. "A memory. A possibility. A gift."
Sophie shook her head. "More riddles. What do you want?"
"I want nothing," the woman said. "I was born from your want."