Chapter 8: The Truth Revealed

Elder Thorne’s words echoed in my mind. Silver Moon Alphas. The last heir. A murdered legacy. None of it made sense, yet something deep inside me recognised the truth of it.

“That’s impossible,” I whispered. “I’m nobody. Just an omega orphan.”

“That’s what they wanted everyone to believe.” Elder Thorne returned to his chair, settling in like he had a long story to tell. “The lies kept you safe. Kept you hidden. But the lies also kept you weak.”

I sat up slowly, my body still aching from the rogue attack. “Who are they? Who wanted me hidden?”

“That’s a complicated answer. One we’ll get to in time.” He poured water into a cup and handed it to me. “First, you need to understand what you are. What you could become.”

“I don’t understand any of this.” My hands shook as I drank. “Two days ago, I was running from my pack. Now you’re telling me I’m some kind of lost princess?”

“Not a princess. An Alpha. The most powerful kind.” His eyes glowed with an inner light. “The Silver Moon bloodline was ancient, child. They ruled these lands before the current pack system existed. They had abilities other wolves could only dream of. Healing powers. Enhanced strength. The ability to command any wolf, regardless of pack bonds.”

I thought about the silver light that had erupted from me. The way the rogues had fled in terror.

“That’s what happened in the forest,” I said slowly. “That power.”

“Yes. Your true nature awakened when you faced death. The bond rejection weakened the blocks that were placed on you as a child. The attack shattered them completely.” He leaned forward. “You manifested pure Alpha dominance, Aria. Power that hasn’t been seen in decades.”

“But I’m an omega. Everyone always said so.”

“Because that’s what the spell made you appear to be.” Elder Thorne’s voice was gentle. “When you were three years old, your parents were murdered. Someone wanted your entire bloodline erased. But a loyal pack member managed to save you. She used ancient magic to hide your true nature, to make you seem weak and powerless. She placed you with the Shadowpine Pack under a false identity.”

Tears burned my eyes. “My parents. Who were they?”

“Alpha Marius and Luna Celeste of the Silver Moon Pack. Good leaders. Kind people. They were building alliances, trying to unite the packs under a system of fairness and justice.” His expression darkened. “Not everyone wanted that. Some Alphas prefer the current system where power rules and the weak suffer.”

“So they killed them.” The words tasted bitter.

“Yes. They killed them and everyone loyal to the Silver Moon Pack. Burned the territory. Scattered the survivors. For twenty years, everyone believed the bloodline was extinct.” He smiled sadly. “I searched for you for so long. I knew someone had escaped. I could feel it. But the spell hiding you was powerful. It wasn’t until you crossed into rogue territory, until your power awakened, that I could finally sense you.”

I looked down at my hands. They looked the same as always. Small. Ordinary. “I don’t feel powerful. I feel broken.”

“You feel that way because you’ve spent your whole life being told you’re worthless. Being treated like dirt.” Elder Thorne’s voice hardened. “That ends now. If you’re willing, I can train you. Teach you to access your abilities. Help you become what you were always meant to be.”

“And what’s that?”

“A true Alpha. A leader. Someone who can stand against those who murdered your parents and reclaim your heritage.”

The idea was terrifying and thrilling all at once. “What if I’m not strong enough? What if I fail?”

“Then you fail. But at least you’ll fail as yourself, not as the lie they forced you to live.” He stood. “I won’t force this on you, child. The choice is yours. You can walk away, build a quiet life somewhere far from pack politics. Or you can stay, train, and become powerful enough that no one will ever make you feel small again.”

I thought about Kaden. About Alpha Marcus. About Seraphina and her cruel smile. About every wolf who’d ever looked through me like I didn’t exist.

“I want to train,” I said firmly. “I want to become strong.”

Elder Thorne’s smile was fierce with approval. “Good. We start tomorrow.”

A knock on the door interrupted us. Maya peeked in, her face lighting up when she saw me awake.

“You’re okay!” She rushed over, hugging me tight. “I was so worried. You wouldn’t wake up and Elder Thorne said you were healing but I thought..”

“I’m fine,” I assured her, hugging back. “Are you hurt?”

“Just bruises. Nothing serious.” She pulled back, studying me. “Aria, what happened out there? That light, that power. It was incredible.”

“It’s complicated,” I began.

“It’s her birthright,” Elder Thorne said. “And if you’re staying with her, Maya, you should know the truth as well.”

He told Maya everything he’d told me. About the Silver Moon Pack. About my murdered parents. About the power hidden inside me all these years. Maya listened with wide eyes, occasionally glancing at me like I’d become a stranger.

“So you’re not really an omega,” she said when he finished. “You’re an Alpha. Like, a really powerful Alpha.”

“Apparently.” The words still felt strange.

“That’s amazing!” Maya grabbed my hands. “Do you know what this means? You don’t have to hide anymore. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I’m terrified,” I admitted.

“Of course you are. This is huge.” She squeezed my hands. “But you’re not alone. I’m with you. Whatever comes next, we face it together.”

Elder Thorne cleared his throat. “Training will be difficult. Painful, even. You’ll need to unlearn everything you were taught about yourself. Break through years of mental conditioning. Push your body beyond what you think is possible.”

“I can do it,” I said with more confidence than I felt.

“We’ll see.” But his tone was approving. “Rest today. Tomorrow, your new life begins.”

After he left, Maya and I sat in silence for a while. So much had changed in just a few days. Everything I’d thought I knew about myself was wrong.

“Are you going to tell Kaden?” Maya asked quietly. “About what you really are?”

The mention of his name sent pain through my chest. The bond was still there, damaged but present. I could feel him even now, could sense his anguish across the distance.

“No,” I said firmly. “Kaden made his choice. This has nothing to do with him.”

“He’s probably going crazy looking for you.”

“Good. Let him suffer a little.” The bitterness in my voice surprised me. “I spent months suffering for him. He can handle a few weeks of worry.”

Maya grinned. “There’s the fire I’ve been waiting to see. You’re going to be amazing, Aria. I can feel it.”

That night, lying in bed, I let myself imagine it. Becoming powerful. Becoming someone who commanded respect instead of pity. Someone who made others bow instead of bowing myself.

The idea should have felt foreign. Wrong, even.

Instead, it felt like coming home.

Somewhere far away, back in Shadowpine territory, Kaden was probably in his room. Probably thinking about me. Probably wondering where I was.

Part of me wanted to reach out through the damaged bond. To let him know I was safe.

But a larger part, a part that was growing stronger by the hour, wanted him to wonder. Wanted him to worry. Wanted him to regret every choice that had led to me leaving.

He’d chosen duty over love.

Now I would choose myself over everything.

And maybe, just maybe, I’d become someone he’d regret losing for the rest of his life.

The thought should have felt petty.

Instead, it felt like justice.

Tomorrow, my training will begin. Tomorrow, I’d start becoming the Alpha I was always meant to be.

Tomorrow, Aria the worthless omega would start dying.

And something far more dangerous would be born.