Chapter Sixteen

LEO’S POV

We ate our lunch in silence, the gentle afternoon breeze rustling the rose petals around the garden arbor. Across the table, Ivy picked at her food with quiet grace, her white linen dress brushing against her knees. Every small movement she made, the subtle tilt of her head, the way her dark hair caught the sunlight, drew my eyes back to her. And though she kept her gaze lowered, I could see the soft flush on her cheeks.

When the maid brought out two plates of fresh berry tarts for dessert, I offered a subtle nod. "Leave us," I instructed softly.

The maid bowed low and retreated back toward the mansion, closing the heavy glass doors behind her, leaving the two of us completely alone in the quiet garden.

I set my teacup down, leaning back against the wrought-iron chair. The moment had come.

"Ivy," I began, my tone turning gentle and grounded. "I know you're curious about what happened to you... about why you ended up here with me."

Her hands stilled over her lap, her dark eyes lifting to meet mine, filled with a mixture of apprehension and quiet focus.

"It was never my intention to hide the truth from you," I explained, choosing my words carefully so as not to overwhelm her. "I simply didn't want anything else to affect your healing process. The night I rescued you….your family had banished you. They were going to send off to the borderlands. Thank Luna I arrived on time, because.. if.. If I had come late.. maybe I would’ve lost you and our baby.

I said clenching my fist as memories of that day came back to me. “And I still have a promise to keep. You will get your revenge I promise you”

Ivy remained silent for a long moment, staring down at the polished surface of the table. She took a slow, deep breath, letting the information settle before looking up at me again.

"Thank you for telling me," she said softly. Her fingers tightened around her napkin. "I... I know in my heart that you are a good person, Leo. But my body just reacts on its own whenever you get close, and... I hate it. I hate feeling like a scared cat in my own skin."

A faint, troubled frown line appeared between her brows. "Sometimes, I get quick flashes of things, but they're all blurry and confusing. Yet, I can remember my childhood so clearly. I remember my father... the times I snuck out to play near the riverbank in the village... my stepmother and Elena... even Eric. But the moment I try to push deeper... my head begins to ache."

"You don't need to push yourself," I assured her, my voice low and steady. "Doctor Rachel said it is a gradual process. Your mind will unlock those memories when your body feels safe enough to handle them."

She offered a small, hesitant smile. "Yeah... I suppose so." She paused, her gaze locking onto mine with newfound curiosity. "Can you tell me about us? How did we meet?"

I couldn't help the small, amused smirk that touched my lips. "That's a secret for now."

Ivy blinked, her mouth popping open in slight annoyance. "What?"

"I'm not telling you," I said, leaning forward slightly, my eyes locked on hers. "I want you to remember it on your own."

She frowned playfully, looking down at her dessert plate as an endearing pout formed on her lips.

"But just so you know," I added softly, my voice laced with genuine warmth, "you were fierce and captivating the very first time I met you."

Her cheeks burned a brilliant shade of crimson. She ducked her head, her voice dropping to a bashful whisper. "Thank you."

A heavy silence stretched between us for a few seconds before she spoke again, her voice carrying a hint of lingering sadness. "Doctor Rachel told me that if I had a wolf, I would have healed much faster from those injuries."

"Well, Doctor Rachel is right about the healing," I replied, setting my palms flat against the table. "But I want you to know that she might be wrong about you not having a wolf."

Ivy froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know if you realize this, but the bloodline power of the Royal Alpha is one of the oldest in existence," I explained quietly. "I have the innate ability to sense the presence and spirit of any supernatural being. And I sense it in you, Ivy. It is very faint, very hard to detect but I think your wolf is there. And I will help you awaken her."

A single, quiet tear slipped from the corner of her eye, glistening against her cheek. She reached up to brush it away, her breath hitching as she looked at me with raw gratitude. "Thank you, Leo."

I watched her, feeling the ancient, restless power deep inside my chest rumble softly at her tears. I wanted to give her a reason to understand why her presence meant so much to me, why I was so certain of her strength.

"To understand why I can sense your wolf when no one else can, you have to understand where my bloodline comes from," I said, leaning back as the cool breeze stirred the leaves around us.

Ivy tilted her head, her attention completely caught. "Your family's history?"

"The history of the first Alpha royal bloodline," I corrected gently

"In the beginning of our world," I began, my tone taking on the rhythm of ancient legends, "the God of Creation walked the wild lands. He created many beasts, but he grew deeply attached to one in particular….a majestic silver stag that walked with absolute grace. The other wild beasts grew jealous of the Creator's favor toward the creature, and in their envy, they slaughtered it. Furious, the God of Creation punished the wild beasts, but his grief was too great to let the silver stag go. So he transformed its spirit into a sacred, glowing river."

Ivy listened intently, her dark eyes wide as she hung on every word.

"Every day, the Creator would swim in those sacred waters," I continued. "Over time, his immense love and longing seeped into the river, giving birth to a female spirit made entirely of pure, living water. They fell in love, and from their union, children were born into the world. Each child was blessed with extraordinary gifts over land and sea. But the strongest among them was his firstborn son, Varus.

I paused, tracing the rim of my glass. "Varus was the first true Varian…a legendary hybrid who possessed the form of a giant wolf and the elemental gift of the sacred waters. He was fearless, unstoppable, and held power that rivaled the gods. But Varus committed the ultimate mistake: he fell deeply in love with a mortal human woman."

Ivy's breath hitched. "What happened to her?"

"Tragedy," I said softly. "Envious pack warlords who feared Varus's growing power targeted her... and murdered her in cold blood. Overcome by catastrophic grief, Varus went entirely berserk. His mind snapped, and he unleashed a bloodbath that nearly wiped out half the region. In the end, his own father, the God of Creation, was forced to chain Varus in unbreakable silver and seal him beneath the earth forever."

"That's terrible..." Ivy whispered, her chest heaving.

"It was," I agreed. "But what Varus never knew was that before his human love was killed, she had secretly given birth to a child. The goddess of the harvest took mercy on the orphaned baby, hiding him in a quiet forest temple. That child grew up to become the very first Varian ruler on earth. He married, had children, and passed down his divine bloodline. But over centuries, mortal human bodies couldn't withstand the raw, volatile power of the Varian bloodline, driving many of them mad. To survive, the Varians began marrying powerful supernatural beings…witches, other shapeshifters, vampires and water nymphs. It stabilized the bloodline for thousands of years, though pure Varians became extremely rare."

I looked deeply into Ivy's eyes as I reached the dark chapter of our lineage.

Thousands of years passed and eventually, a tyrant named Ciberus, a rogue Varian consumed by greed, began hunting down every remaining Varian in existence. He wanted to be the sole ruler of the world. Whenever his own wives bore a child carrying the Varian mark, Ciberus killed them instantly. But one of his wives conceived in secret. She fled to the sacred temple and prayed desperately to the goddess of harvest to protect her unborn son."

"Did the goddess answer her?" Ivy asked, leaning forward over the table.

"She did," I replied with a grim nod. "The goddess whisked the baby away to safety. When that boy grew into a man, he returned, slayed his tyrannical father Ciberus, united the fractured wolf packs, and built the Silver Kingdom that my family rules today. Those who refused his rule fled into the dark lands, while the remaining Varian lines faded into myth."

"So... you carry the blood of Varus and Ciberus?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," I said. "Because the ancient Varian blood in my vein is so volatile, our rulers were notoriously unstable. We needed a very specific, rare aura to soothe our wild spirits. Centuries ago, it was discovered that the female descendants of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan possessed a unique, calming aura that could instantly quiet a Varian's internal madness."

Ivy's eyes widened in realization. "The Fox Clan?"

"Yes. They were revered as sacred mates for royal Alphas," I explained, my tone darkening slightly. "But greed and war destroyed them. Enemy groups attacked their village, slaughtering most of the clan while others fled into hiding. Over centuries, those who survived became tragic targets for illegal slave merchants and dark-market traders."

I reached across the table, placing my broad hand flat on the wood, just inches from hers.

"Many generations have passed, Ivy. The Varian blood in my veins is no longer as raw or destructive as it was in ancient times, but my wolf is still powerful, wild, and hard to control. In my entire life, I have never met a single woman whose presence, whose very scent, could instantly calm the storm inside me..."

I looked straight into her eyes, letting her feel the absolute sincerity in my core.

"...until I met you."

Ivy gasped softly, her lips parting as her cheeks flushed a deep, beautiful pink.

"And that is why I know there is far more to your history and your heritage than a simple pack human," I promised, my voice ringing with unbreakable conviction. "And I promise you, Ivy... I will get to the bottom of who you really are."