Chapter 21: The Rogue’s Warning

The corridors of the castle had never felt so cold.

Ember pressed a hand against the stone wall to steady herself. Her bare feet moved silently across the marble, the dim torchlights along the hallway casting flickering shadows. Every step she took was heavier than the last, echoing the unrest in her chest. Kael hadn’t spoken to her since the argument after the council meeting. Since she had accused him of withholding the truth.

And he hadn’t denied it.

A chill crept up her spine—not from the drafty halls but from the weight of what she didn’t know. She had always believed the Alpha King to be her mate, her protector. Now, all she saw was a stranger cloaked in secrets.

Then came the sound.

Not footsteps. Not wind. A low whistle. Faint, but deliberate.

Ember turned toward the direction of the sound, narrowing her eyes. It came from the old north wing—a rarely used part of the castle. Only guards passed through there now. Her instincts flared.

She followed it.

The deeper she went, the colder it grew. As she reached the iron door at the end of the hall, two warriors stood at attention, their faces impassive.

“I want to see him,” she said.

“My lady—” one guard began, shifting nervously. “Alpha Kael ordered—”

“I’m not asking.”

The weight in her voice surprised even her. The guard stepped aside slowly. The door creaked open.

Inside the cell, chained to the stone wall by silver cuffs, sat the rogue they’d caught near the border. Blood streaked his face, but his dark eyes burned with cunning and recognition.

“You,” Ember said.

He smiled, teeth bloodied. “I wondered when you'd come.”

“You tried to infiltrate the castle.”

“I came with a message.”

“And nearly got yourself killed.”

“I had to see you. You're more important than you know.”

Ember kept her distance. “Why? Because I’m the Alpha King’s mate?”

The rogue shook his head slowly, eyes gleaming. “Because you’re not just his mate. You're the key.”

“To what?”

“To the end of his reign.”

Her heart pounded.

“You’re delusional.”

He chuckled darkly. “You don’t know your bloodline, do you? You carry the mark of the Ember Line. The last of the Moonbane blood. The true heirs of the Northern Crescent.”

Ember stiffened. “The Moonbane line was wiped out during the war. Kael told me—”

“Kael lied,” the rogue growled. “His father hunted them. And he succeeded. All but one escaped—your mother. Liora. She was the last Luna of the Order. Hidden among humans, stripped of her name.”

No. No, this couldn’t be true.

“That’s not possible,” she whispered.

“It’s the truth,” he said, straining against his chains. “And they know it. The Shadow Claw Pack is coming. Not for Kael. For you. To claim the power in your blood.”

Ember's knees nearly buckled. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because not all rogues are enemies. Some of us are survivors. Rebels. I was sent to warn you, to offer alliance before it’s too late.”

Before she could reply, the rogue convulsed violently. A red foam gurgled from his lips. Poison.

“No!” Ember lunged forward.

Too late.

His body slumped, lifeless. A shrill silence filled the room.

Behind her, she felt it—a presence.

Kael.

She turned sharply. He stood at the doorway, eyes blazing gold, expression unreadable.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.

Her voice trembled. “He knew about my mother.”

Kael didn’t answer.

“You knew too, didn’t you?” she asked. “That I wasn’t just some orphaned girl.”

“I suspected.”

“Suspected?” She laughed bitterly. “You lied to me.”

“I protected you.”

Ember stepped toward him, fists clenched. “By keeping me in the dark? While people die trying to get messages to me?”

“You don’t understand,” Kael growled.

“Then help me understand!”

He inhaled slowly. “Your mother... was a threat to the council. Her bloodline—your bloodline—is tied to powers older than any Alpha rule. The Moonbane witches were guardians of balance. Their fall gave way to this broken order. If anyone found out who you were—what you could do—it would ignite a war.”

“And you think I care about your council’s fear?” Ember’s voice cracked. “I care about the truth.”

Kael’s face hardened. “You think you’re ready for it? For what’s coming?”

“I’d rather face it head-on than keep walking blind.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

Then, finally, he whispered, “Your mother died because she chose defiance over silence. I’ve kept you alive by keeping you hidden.”

“And now people are dying to get messages to me. Doesn’t that mean your plan is failing?”

Kael said nothing.

Ember’s breath caught. The man she had grown to love, the mate who had vowed to protect her, had been hiding her from herself.

“I can’t trust you,” she said.

That made him flinch. “Ember…”

“I need to find out who I am. I need to know what my mother died for. If you won’t help me, I’ll find the answers myself.”

And with that, she pushed past him, her footsteps heavy but certain.

She didn’t look back.

Not even when she heard Kael whisper her name like a prayer he couldn’t bear to lose.