Chapter 54 – The Horrifying Secret

The moment his name slipped from his lips, everything in me froze.

“Cale Lancaster,” he said, his voice sharp and deliberate, like he wanted me to feel the weight of every syllable. “Ring any bells, little goddess?”

I stared at him, my mind racing to piece together fragments of the name, but there was nothing. No history lesson, no old family story that even hinted at someone like him. Still, the way he said it, like it was supposed to mean something, sent a chill down my spine.

“Who the hell are you?” My voice didn’t sound like my own—too small, too shaky.

He chuckled, slow and low, and started pacing, his hands clasped behind his back. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to know. After all, your precious family did everything in their power to erase me. But let’s change that, shall we? Let me educate you.”

I didn’t like the way he said it, like he was doing me a favor. But I stayed quiet because I needed answers. And, honestly, because I was terrified of what would happen if I interrupted him.

“My story begins long before you,” he said, glancing at me with those dark, soulless eyes. “Long before your family decided to play god with lands that weren’t theirs. Back then, I was Alpha of the Blackthorn descendants’ pack—a proud, strong lineage tied to these lands for centuries. We thrived here, respected by the packs around us and the humans who knew better than to cross us.”

He stopped pacing and turned to me, his expression hardening. “Until your ancestors arrived.”

I flinched. There was venom in his words, a bitterness that felt ancient, deep-rooted.

“They came like thieves in the night, armed with weapons forged in Europe, coated in silver—tools of death they bought from your kind’s infamous hunters. At first, they tried diplomacy, claiming they only wanted a portion of the land. My pack was wary, but we were not savages. We agreed to meet, to talk, to find a way to coexist.”

His jaw tightened, and for a second, his facade cracked, revealing something raw, something broken.

“But it was a lie,” he spat, his voice dropping. “They slaughtered us. My betas, my warriors, even the children. A surprise attack under the guise of peace. I was killed first, and my blood was the ink that sealed their betrayal.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. I didn’t know what to say, what to feel. Horror? Guilt? None of it seemed big enough to hold the weight of what he was telling me.

“And my wife…” His voice softened, almost breaking. “She was a seer. She saw it coming, but not soon enough to save us. Do you know what it’s like to hear your mate scream as she dies and be powerless to stop it? To watch your pack—the people who trusted you—fall one by one because you believed in the lie of peace?”

I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. I didn’t want to imagine it. I couldn’t.

“But my wife,” he continued, his tone shifting, “she wasn’t just a seer. She was powerful. And she wanted revenge. As she lay dying, she cursed your bloodline. Any descendant of your family who dared set foot on these lands would be hunted and tormented by me—the Echo. That’s what I became: a shadow, a specter bound to her rage. And if they didn’t leave, I would kill them.”

His smile returned, sharp and cold. “Your ancestors fled, of course. Most of them, anyway. But you?” He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “You and your family came back. How lucky for me.”

I felt sick. My legs were trembling, but I forced myself to stand tall. “If you hate us so much, why am I still alive?” I asked, my voice stronger than I expected. “Why not kill me like the others?”

His smile widened, and it was the kind of smile that made my stomach churn. “Oh, I’ve thought about it,” he said, stepping closer. “Believe me, I’ve thought about it. But you… you’re different. You’re special.”

“Special?” I repeated, hating how small the word sounded in my mouth.

“Yes, little goddess,” he said, his voice almost tender, mocking. “You’ve been chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. Do you know how rare that is? How valuable?” He leaned in, his breath cold against my skin. “Killing you would be such a waste.”

I took a step back, my heart hammering. “What do you want from me?”

His eyes gleamed with something dark and twisted. “Your power.”

The words hit me, but I didn’t understand.

He started pacing again, his tone almost conversational, like we were discussing the weather. “For weeks now, I’ve been in touch with the spirits of my wife’s bloodline. They’re still seers, you know, even in death. And they guided me to a living descendent of my wife, a particularly clever one, who shared a little secret with me.”

I didn’t want to hear it. Whatever it was, I did not want to know. But he kept going.

“She told me how to make myself whole again. To take back what your family stole from me. And do you know what the key is, Quinn?”

I shook my head, my throat too tight to speak.

“You,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “Through mating.”

My stomach lurched. “What?” I whispered, horrified.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” he said, smirking. “It won’t happen all at once, of course. But every time I mate with you, I’ll take a little more of your power. A piece here, a piece there, until it’s all mine. And who knows?” He paused, his gaze raking over me. “Maybe I’ll turn you. Make you my Luna goddess. Together, we could rule not just this land, but the entire country. Maybe even the world.”

I took a shaky step back, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear his next words.

“And the best part?” He leaned in, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’ll enjoy every second of it.”