LOGINCHAPTER 103 — THE RIVAL ALPHAXander's POVThe tension in the room had barely settled when the palace doors suddenly opened, and several warriors rushed inside with weapons drawn. I turned sharply toward the entrance, immediately recognizing the pressure that filled the room. Whoever had arrived was powerful enough that even my guards looked uneasy, and that alone was enough to put me on alert.“Who allowed them into my palace?” I demanded, turning toward the nearest guard as I stepped forward. “I want every entrance sealed until I know exactly who these people are and why they think they can walk into my territory without permission.”“They came under an Alpha's authority,” the guard answered cautiously, lowering his weapon slightly while keeping his eyes on the warriors. “We tried to stop them, but their Alpha refused to wait outside and demanded to speak with you immediately.”Then he walked through the doorway.I knew him instantly.My body stiffened as memories I hadn't thought a
CHAPTER 102 — THE OTHER BLOODLINEXander's POVI didn't trust the woman. Her resemblance to Elena was undeniable, and the pendant she carried had already been confirmed as genuine, but blood didn't automatically make someone trustworthy. Too many people had used Elena's bloodline before, and I wasn't going to make the same mistake simply because this woman had appeared with answers we desperately needed.“You expect me to trust you because you share Elena's blood?” I asked coldly, studying her face for any sign of deception. “You appeared at our gates after hiding for years, told us your family was erased from history, and then immediately claimed Elena's daughter carries something you've been searching for.”“I never expected you to trust me immediately,” the woman replied calmly, keeping her hands visible as she stood across from us. “If I had been in your position, I would question me too, but my family has survived because we learned never to expect trust without proof.”“Then giv
CHAPTER 101 — ANOTHER HEIRElena's POVI couldn't take my eyes off the woman standing in front of me. Only a few minutes ago, I had believed I was the last surviving Thorne heir, and now someone who looked enough like me to make my heart race was claiming she belonged to the same family. I wanted to believe her, but I had learned too many times that appearances could be deceiving.“If you're really a Thorne, then prove it,” I demanded, keeping my eyes fixed on her as I folded my arms. “I won't believe another family story just because you look like me. I need something real, something that cannot be explained away,” I added, refusing to let another mystery become another lie.“This belonged to our family long before either of us was born,” the woman replied, reaching beneath her clothing and bringing out a small pendant. She held it carefully in her palm before turning it toward me. “The mark on it belongs to the old Thorne royal line. Your family used the same mark on their bloodline
CHAPTER 100 — THE WOMAN IN THE VEILElena's POVThe ride back to Gerafil was quiet, but my mind was filled with questions. The message we had received at the meeting location kept playing in my head. Someone inside my family was helping The Founder, and now we knew that the person had been close enough to know our plans before we even left. I couldn't stop wondering how many people around me were hiding something.“We need to find the traitor before someone else dies,” I said, standing beside the large window in Xander's study as I looked over the palace grounds. Xander remained behind his desk, going through the information we had collected. “I agree,” he replied, closing one file before looking at me. “But we can't accuse anyone without proof. The Founder wants us to turn against each other.”“Then we need to be smarter than him,” I answered, turning toward Xander as I folded my arms. “We've spent too much time following the clues he leaves behind. Maybe it's time we stop waiting fo
CHAPTER 99 — THE TRAPXander's POVThe meeting location looked exactly like the kind of place someone would choose if they wanted to stay hidden. It was far from the busy pack roads, surrounded by thick trees and old abandoned buildings that had not been used in years. I arrived with Elena's brothers and the warriors, but the moment I stepped out of the vehicle, something inside me told me we had a problem.“Stay where you are,” I ordered, raising one hand as the warriors started moving toward the building. “Nobody enters until I check the area first. We were given a meeting point, but I don't like how quiet this place is,” I explained, scanning the trees and the empty road while trying to sense any movement nearby.“Where is he?” one of Elena's brothers asked, looking around with growing frustration. “There isn't even a guard here,” he pointed out, walking a few steps before stopping. I shook my head while checking the surroundings again. “I know. There should at least be someone wat
CHAPTER 98 — ELENA'S PLANElena's POVThe thought stayed with me long after Xander told me about the name he had found in the records. Someone inside my family had been feeding The Founder information, and that meant hiding inside the palace would not keep us safe. If he already knew about my childhood, my daughter, and my bloodline, then reacting to every move he made would only give him more control.“I want to meet him,” I said, standing near the window as I looked out at the palace grounds. Xander turned toward me so quickly that I could see the anger in his face before he even answered. “No. Absolutely not. You heard what that man has done. I'm not letting you walk into his hands,” he replied firmly.“You're thinking about this the wrong way,” I told him, turning away from the window to face him. “I'm not saying I want to meet him because I trust him. I'm saying I want to use the one thing he can't ignore. He is obsessed with my bloodline, and we can use that obsession against hi







