Daniella sat in the backseat beside Dalton, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The tension in her shoulders was nearly unbearable. Each mile they drew closer made her stomach twist further into knots.Elora glanced sideways at her with a mix of worry and resignation. She’d been quiet most of the journey, offering what little comfort she could. But now, as the car turned off toward Riverdale and the fork in the road came into view, she reached out and gently placed a hand over Daniella’s.“I’m heading back to the Vault pack,” Elora said softly. “Lucien’s expecting me. I need to be there… but if you need anything, just call me and I will be there.”Daniella shook her head slowly, then looked at Elora with a tired smile. “Thank you. For everything. But this… this I need to face alone.”Elora nodded once, then gave her hand a gentle squeeze before signaling to her driver.The car rolled to a stop at the fork where Vault and Riverdale paths split.Dalton gave her a nod. “Safe travels,
Just as the silence in the mansion settled into something close to peace, Dalton’s phone buzzed on the mantle. He reached for it absently, still holding Daniella’s hand, until his eyes flicked to the caller ID.“Mom,” he muttered, frowning.Daniella turned toward him slightly, sensing his shift in energy.He answered, pressing the phone to his ear. “Mom?”Her voice came through in a rush, almost panicked tone. “Dalton, you need to come, he’s here, he won’t leave, I tried, he says, says he wants”“Mom, slow down,” Dalton interrupted, his voice steady but firm. “Take a breath. You're talking too fast, I can’t understand you.”There was a pause on the line. Then Maeve’s voice came again, more controlled but still trembling. “It’s Liam. He showed up at the Riverdale gates an hour ago. He says he’s not leaving until he sees Daniella. Until he gets his daughter back.”Dalton’s blood turned to ice.“Did he say or do anything threatening?”“No,” Maeve replied. “Not yet. But he looks… unhinged
Luna Arya was dragged from the Alpha's mansion, her head held low, her shoulders shaking, but not from remorse. Her silence was eerie, unsettling to the guards flanking her on either side. As they led her through the pack grounds, whispers rippled like wildfire among those who caught sight of her—pack members pausing in their duties, eyes wide in shock."Is that... Luna Arya?""What's going on? Why is she being taken like that?""The Alpha wouldn’t allow this unless..."The unspoken conclusion lingered heavy in the air. Something was terribly wrong.Back at the Alpha’s mansion, the elders and top-ranking officials had gathered in his living area, the tension was almost suffocating. The once-majestic room felt like a battlefield of grief and betrayal. Alpha Czar was seated, his eyes bloodshot, jaw clenched. Daniella sat beside him, her face pale, her expression unreadable, Dalton by her side offering silent strength.Czar took a deep breath, then spoke."I have summoned you all here be
Arya's eyes flew open. "No... no, that wasn’t me—Daniella, you’ve got it wrong." Her voice shook, but there was a strange calmness behind it, like she was trying too hard to sound innocent.Daniella shook her head slowly, gaze unwavering. “I saw you. You told us we would be safe. You led my mother out under the pretense of rescue, and they were waiting.”“She’s confused,” Arya insisted, her voice rising as she looked at Czar, then to the others. “Trauma plays tricks. She was a child. You can’t trust fragmented memories.”“Don’t!” Daniella snapped, her voice hoarse. “Don’t gaslight me! I remember! I remember her clutching my hand, the panic when the guards surrounded us. She tried to fight, but they drugged her. She begged them to spare me. And you just stood there. Watching, smiling and making fun of us.”Arya’s composure cracked. She backed into a nearby armchair, her face draining of color, her lips parting in silence.“Arya,” Czar’s voice was a dangerous growl now, low and tremblin
The news spread like wildfire that the Alpha had found his lost daughter and heir. One by one, pack members made their way to the grand hall, and by the time Alpha Czar arrived, flanked by Daniella, Dalton, Marcus, and Elora, the great pack hall was already crowded.Alpha Czar entered first, his posture tall, shoulders squared with pride, the years of burden momentarily erased by joy. At his side walked Daniella—Habibah, her head high though her eyes shimmered with awe and disbelief. Dalton followed closely, never straying far from her. Marcus and Elora brought up the rear, solemn but supportive.The moment Czar stepped onto the podium, the murmurs ceased completely.“My people,” he said, voice booming and resonant, “tonight, I stand before you as a man made whole.”A ripple of joy ran through the crowd.“For many years, my heart carried a wound that no time could close. My wife, Elizabeth, was taken from me. And with her, our daughter, our only child, was lost.”He paused, placing a
The descent into the underground chamber was made in silence.Alpha Czar led the way, his expression rigid, each step he made showed a decade of grief and hope. Behind him, Daniella walked beside Dalton, their hands brushing, hers trembling, his firm and grounding. A few paces behind, Marcus and Elora followed quietly, their presence steady, witnesses to something greater than any of them yet fully understood.The narrow spiral stairwell opened to a wide, arched hallway lit by oil sconces that flickered along the pathway. The air was cool and still, as though it hadn’t been disturbed in years.Daniella hesitated just outside the threshold. The heavy stone door stood ajar, per Czar’s instructions, the seals broken earlier that morning. A faint hum of memory stirred within her chest, like a half-forgotten melody.“This way,” Czar said quietly, his voice softer than before, reverent.They stepped into the chamber.The room was vast and circular, hewn into stone, its walls inscribed with