The Bloodline Secret

Chapter  8

The flames danced.

Slowly.

Hungrily.

The mysterious man watched the report burn until nothing remained but ash.

"Find her."

The order echoed through the chamber.

A shadow stepped forward.

"As you wish, Alpha Magnus."

A cold smile touched the man's lips.

"Five years of searching."

His fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair.

"And she still refuses to die."

Shadow Hollow

Lyra couldn't take her eyes off the tapestry.

The woman beneath the silver moon looked exactly like her.

Not similar.

Not related.

Exactly.

It felt impossible.

"Who was she?" Lyra asked.

Ronan folded his arms.

"Her name was Selene."

The name seemed to stir something deep within her.

A strange familiarity.

As if she'd heard it before.

"She was the first Moon Queen."

Lyra stared at the ancient image.

"The ruler of all werewolves?"

Ronan nodded.

"Long before packs existed."

"Before rogues existed."

"Before the kingdom was divided."

The revelation sent a chill through her.

For years she'd been taught that rogues and pack wolves were enemies.

Natural enemies.

But according to this...

They hadn't always been.

Ronan stepped closer to the tapestry.

"Selene united them."

His voice carried unexpected respect.

"Every wolf followed her."

Lyra looked at the wolves kneeling before the queen.

Even the Alphas.

"How?"

Ronan's eyes darkened.

"Power."

The answer came too quickly.

Too simply.

As if he wasn't telling her everything.

"What kind of power?"

Ronan hesitated.

That alone made her nervous.

Finally he spoke.

"The Moonborn."

The words hung heavily in the air.

"Your bloodline."

Lyra's heartbeat quickened.

"My bloodline?"

"Yes."

Mara shifted uneasily nearby.

As though she already knew where this conversation was going.

Ronan sighed.

"For centuries, the Moonborn bloodline was hunted."

The room suddenly felt colder.

"Hunted?"

"Their power frightened people."

Lyra swallowed.

"What power?"

For several seconds, no one answered.

Then Ronan reached for a nearby scroll.

The ancient parchment crackled as he carefully unrolled it.

Faded ink covered the page.

At the top was a drawing.

A silver wolf.

Larger than any she'd ever seen.

Its eyes glowed like moonlight.

Below the drawing were four words.

The Wolf of Kings.

A strange sensation rushed through her.

Fear.

Recognition.

Confusion.

All at once.

"What does this mean?"

Ronan met her gaze.

"It means your bloodline can do things ordinary wolves can't."

"Such as?"

His expression hardened.

"Lead."

Lyra blinked.

"That's it?"

Mara laughed softly.

"No."

Ronan ignored her.

"The Moonborn were known for extraordinary instincts."

"Strength."

"Speed."

"And influence."

The last word caught her attention.

"Influence?"

"The ability to unite wolves."

A memory flashed through her mind.

The training field.

Mara mentioning her instincts.

The way people seemed drawn to her without explanation.

The respect she'd earned surprisingly quickly.

Suddenly those things didn't seem accidental.

"What if you're wrong?" Lyra asked.

Ronan looked amused.

"I hope I am."

That wasn't the answer she expected.

"Why?"

For the first time, genuine concern appeared in his eyes.

"Because if you're truly Moonborn..."

He glanced toward the mountains.

"...then the people hunting you will never stop."

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Lyra looked back at the tapestry.

At Queen Selene.

At the wolves kneeling before her.

Could she really be connected to someone like that?

The idea felt absurd.

She had been rejected.

Banished.

Cast aside.

Queens weren't rejected.

Queens weren't abandoned.

Queens weren't unwanted.

Yet a small voice inside her whispered otherwise.

Maybe she had never been ordinary.

Maybe that was the problem.

Later that evening, Lyra stood alone on a balcony overlooking Shadow Hollow.

The city glowed beneath the stars.

Laughter drifted through the streets.

Children chased one another through the market.

For the first time in days, she felt calm.

Not happy.

Just calm.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence.

Ronan stepped beside her.

Neither spoke immediately.

Eventually, Lyra asked the question that had been haunting her.

"Why are you helping me?"

The Rogue King remained silent for several moments.

Then he answered.

"Because someone once helped me."

Lyra turned toward him.

The pain in his eyes surprised her.

A hidden wound.

A memory he clearly didn't like revisiting.

"Who?"

A sad smile touched his lips.

"Someone I couldn't save."

Before she could ask another question, a horn suddenly echoed through the valley.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Every light in Shadow Hollow seemed to pause.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Warriors began running through the streets.

Alarm spread like wildfire.

Ronan's face darkened.

"What is it?" Lyra asked.

A guard sprinted toward them.

Breathing hard.

Panic clear on his face.

"My King."

The guard dropped to one knee.

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

"Report."

The guard swallowed.

"Scouts have returned from Stormfang territory."

Lyra's stomach tightened.

Stormfang.

Ronan's expression became deadly calm.

"What happened?"

The guard looked directly at Lyra.

Fear flashed across his face.

Then he spoke.

"The Alpha King has announced a kingdom-wide hunt."

The world stopped.

Lyra felt her blood run cold.

"What?"

The guard's voice trembled.

"Every pack has received the order."

Ronan's jaw clenched.

The guard took a shaky breath.

Then delivered the final blow.

"The target..."

His eyes locked onto Lyra.

"...is you.

Why would Alpha King Kael authorize a kingdom-wide hunt for Lyra when he hasn't seen her in five years? Is he truly hunting her or is someone using his authority for a darker purpose?