Chapter Eight: The Hidden Truth

Valen didn't move. He stood so close I could feel the rapid beat of his heart right against my shoulder. The heat coming off his body was overwhelming, wrapping around me like a warm blanket in the cold room.

"A warning?" his voice was quiet, dark with tension. "What kind of warning?"

I looked back down at the silver writing on the old paper. The symbols seemed to glow a little brighter under my eyes, almost as if they recognized the silver blood running through my veins.

"It says your ancestors didn't lose their magic because of a disease or a bad winter," I explained, tracing my finger over the ancient lines. "They made a deal. Five hundred years ago, the First Lycans locked away a dark energy deep underground to save the realm. But the deal required a price every few generations; the ancient curse wakes up to demand the magic back."

Valen’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "And my family kept it a secret."

"They had to," I whispered. "If the other packs knew the King's bloodline was tied to a dark curse, there would have been a civil war."

He was quiet for a long time. I could tell his mind was racing, putting together all the pieces of his kingdom's ruined lands and dying power. Slowly, he looked up from the desk and stared down at me.

"And where does the map point?" he asked.

"To the Black Crag Mountains," I said. "Inside the Sunken Vault. But Valen... the text says only a descendant of the First Lycans can open the inner door without triggering the trap. If anyone else touches it, the whole mountain collapses."

A faint, bitter smile touched the corner of his lips. "So my whole kingdom depends on a girl Beta Marcus treated like trash."

"I guess it does," I said softly.

Before Valen could answer, a sharp knock echoed against the heavy wooden doors of his study.

Instantly, Valen’s posture changed. The warm, quiet moment between us vanished, replaced by the cold, dangerous Alpha ruler. He stepped back from me, grabbing the old paper and rolling it up tight before shoving it back into his jacket.

"Enter," Valen called out.

The heavy doors swung open, and a tall guard stepped inside, bowing low.

"Your Majesty," the guard said, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Lady Karen has summoned an emergency meeting with the High Council. She claims she found illegal trading records from the Ironmoon Pack... and she's demanding the girl be questioned immediately."

My stomach dropped into a cold knot. Lady Karen wasn't even waiting for morning. She was moving already.

Valen’s eyes flared a bright, warning gold. "Tell Karen I will be there in five minutes," he growled. "And tell her if she raises her voice in my court again, I will have her thrown in the dungeon."

"Yes, My King," the guard said, bowing quickly before backing out and closing the doors.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the sudden panic rising in my chest. "She's trying to frame me, isn't she? She wants to make it look like I was working with Marcus to steal from the kingdom."

Valen turned to face me. He reached out, his hand gently resting on the side of my neck, his thumb brushing against my jawline. The heat of his skin sent a wave of calm straight through my nerves.

"Let her try," Valen said, his voice dropping into a low, protective purr. "You are in my castle now, Lyra. No one touches you unless they go through me first."