Chapter 4

Aurelia

The night of the ball arrived with a swirl of color and magic.

The Academy's great hall had been transformed into something out of a dream. Thousands of candles floated in the air, casting flickering light across the marble floors. Streamers of silver and gold draped from the vaulted ceiling, and the walls were covered in enchanted tapestries that shimmered with images of wolves and stars.

The ball was the social event of the season, attended by the most powerful wolves from across the twelve packs. Alphas and Lunas mingled with warriors and dignitaries, their laughter and conversation filling the air.

But I wasn't there to socialize.

I slipped through the crowd, invisible in my simple black gown. The key Wren had given me was tucked into a hidden pocket, warm against my skin.

The restricted archives were located in the Academy's oldest wing, a crumbling tower that had been sealed off for centuries. To get there, I would have to navigate the ballroom, sneak past the guards, and bypass the magical wards that protected the tower.

It would be difficult. But not impossible.

I made my way to the edge of the ballroom, carefully avoiding the eyes of the guards. My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else.

"Going somewhere?"

I froze.

Draven was standing in the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest. His ice-blue eyes glittered with amusement.

"Your Highness," I said, forcing a smile. "I was just looking for some fresh air."

"Fresh air?" He laughed softly. "In the middle of the ball? That's a terrible excuse."

"It's not an excuse—"

"Save it." He stepped closer, his body crowding me against the wall. "I've been watching you all night, Aurelia. I know you're up to something. And I want in."

"In on what?"

"Whatever you're planning." He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. "You're about to do something dangerous. Something stupid. And I want to be there to see it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He smiled, but there was no humor in it.

"Don't lie to me." His hand slid down my arm, brushing against the hidden pocket where the key was stored. "I know about the key. I know about your contact in the archives. I know about your grandfather."

My heart stopped.

"Your Highness," I whispered. "Please."

"Please what?" He pressed closer, his body pinning me against the wall. "Please let you go? Please stop interfering? Please ignore all the evidence that you're not who you say you are?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

I stared into his eyes, searching for any trace of deception. But I found none.

He was serious.

"My mother," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "She was a warrior. The greatest female warrior the werewolf world has ever seen. And your father killed her."

Draven's expression didn't change.

"I know," he said simply.

"What?"

"I know." His jaw tightened. "I've known for years. My father told me everything."

Tears pricked my eyes. "And you've been torturing me this whole time? You've been mocking me, humiliating me—"

"To protect you."

"To protect me?" I laughed bitterly. "That makes no sense."

"If my father knew you were alive, he would have killed you." Draven's voice was urgent now. "He's still looking for you. He thinks your bloodline is a threat to his power. If he found out you were here, you'd be dead within the hour."

"But you—"

"I had to make you seem weak." He reached out and touched my cheek, his hand surprisingly gentle. "I had to make everyone think you were just an omega. That way, no one would suspect you."

I was stunned.

"You were protecting me?" I whispered.

Draven's eyes softened. "I know I've been cruel to you, Aurelia. And I'm sorry. I should have found another way to keep you safe. But I couldn't take the risk."

"But why?" I asked, searching his face. "Why would you care about me at all?"

"Because I've loved you from the moment I first saw you." The words were barely audible, but they hit me like a thunderbolt.

"You can't be serious—"

"I am." He stepped closer, his hands cupping my face. "I know it's wrong. I know we're enemies. I know everything about us is complicated. But I can't help how I feel."

I didn't know what to say. I was frozen, caught between my hatred for his family and the undeniable attraction I felt for him.

"I don't... I don't understand," I stammered.

"Let me help you," he said. "Let me help you find the proof you need."

He was holding me, his hands warm on my skin, his body pressed against mine. I could feel his heart beating, fast and strong, echoing the rhythm of my own pulse.

"Please," he whispered. "Let me save you the way I should have saved you from the beginning."

I nodded, tears streaming down my face.

"Okay," I said. "Okay."

We moved through the ballroom together, slipping into the shadows. Draven led me through the winding corridors of the Academy, past the oblivious guards, and into the crumbling tower where the restricted archives were held.

He raised his hand, and the magical wards parted before him like water.

"I've been studying these wards for months," he said. "I knew you would need to get past them eventually."

"Thank you," I whispered.

He smiled.

"Don't thank me yet," he said. "We still have to find what we're looking for."

The archives were a maze of ancient books and scrolls, illuminated by flickering candles. Draven and I searched for hours, combing through the dusty shelves for any trace of the truth.

It was just before dawn when I found it.

A journal. Bound in cracked black leather, covered in faded symbols. I recognized my mother's handwriting instantly.

"This is it," I breathed, flipping through the pages. "This is my mother's war journal."

Draven stepped closer, peering over my shoulder.

"Does it have the proof we need?"

I scanned the pages, my heart pounding faster and faster.

"Yes," I said, reading aloud. "It details the conspiracy. It names your father as the mastermind. It says he killed her to cover up his dealings with the enemy packs."

Draven was silent for a long moment.

"Then we have him," he said finally. "We have the proof we need to bring him down."

"Draven..." I looked up at him, my eyes filled with tears. "Your father... he's going to be destroyed. Everything he's built is going to crumble."

"I know." His voice was hard, but I could see the pain in his eyes. "But it's the right thing to do. My father has been a monster for a very long time. It's time he faced justice."

I reached up and touched his cheek.

"Thank you," I said. "Thank you for everything."

He leaned into my touch, closing his eyes.

"Aurelia," he said, his voice hoarse. "I know it's too soon. I know we have a long way to go. But I want to be by your side through all of it."

I smiled through my tears.

"Then you will be," I said.

In that moment, in the dimly lit archives of the Academy, the truth finally set us free.

Everything else was just beginning…