Chapter Twenty Eight
The scent of her was already fading
That warm, elusive mix of pine and storm–washed earth that had clung to my skin after our bond night. It was gone now, swallowed by the stenle stone corridors and the stench of politics that had taken over the Keep:
Selene. My mate Stripped from me like some mark on parchment they could just erase. Like it meant nothing.
I stared at the empty space on the dais where she had stood that moming, chin lifted, eyes proud even as the Council read out their carefully orchestrated decree. Words penned not in justice, but in fear. Fear of tradition being toppled. Fear of a wild girl with fire in her blood and no pedigree to speak of
1 hadn’t spoken as they dragged her out I couldn’t Because if I had, I would have torn the chamber apart!
My fists clenched as I paced the length of my war room. My wolf snarled just beneath the surface, restless, furious. His rage mirrored mine, but even more primal. He didn’t understand the rules of court. Of diplomacy. Of calculated silence.
He just knew our mate was gone
Not dead. But ripped from us all the same.
And worse–replaced By Callister.
I let out a bitter laugh and slammed a hand against the oak table. The maps scattered, edges curling like they too recoiled from what was happening.
Thad trusted the Council Grown up thinking they were the shield of Ashridge, the keepers of our law and legacy.
But today, I saw their truth. The council had been bought Not with gold.
With fear. With whispers. With secrets Callister had been feeding them from the moment she stepped into the Keep. She had always known how to manipulate them. How to present herself as the daughter of legacy, the voice of reason, the image of a Luna they could control.
But now I knew better Callister hadn’t just played them She had played me. There was a knock at the door. Not the bold knock of a soldier
the familiar rhythm of the Beta. This one was tentative. Soft Hesitant
“Enter” I barked
The door creaked open and Elder Haron stepped in. An old man with more years than teeth and a nervous habit of wringing his hands. He was not a vocal presence on the council, Most forgot he was even there.
But I didn’t.Because silence sometimes heard more than shouting ever did.
“Alpha,” he greeted, voice hoarse. “I apologize for the intrusion.
I gestured to the table. “You’re already here. Speak.”
He hesitated, glancing once behind him, then stepped forward and pulled something from inside his robe.
A scroll, Old, weather stained Recognition hit me instantly
“That’s mine.”
He nodded. “A reply. From the Royal Pack of Eldhollow,”
My brow furrowed.I had written to them moons ago, when Selene had first been accused by Callister of sowing dissent. I had questions about Callister’s lineage, her rights of inheritance. A suspicion I hadn’t dared voice aloud then, but one that had grown roots in the dark comers of my thoughts.&
Eldhollow. Her supposed home. The source of her claimed nobility.
“What did they say?” I asked, stepping closer
Elder Haron looked pale now. His hands trembled as he unrolled the scroll. The seal was broken before it arrived, which is unusual. But the content….it confirms something….. disturbing-
I waited, jaw tight
“They thanked you for your inquiry,” Haron said. “And offered condolences. For the death of their princess.”
Silence.
He swallowed hard. “Princess Callister of Eldhallow died several moons ago.“|
My breath caught. The words didn’t make sense at first.
“No,” I said flatly. “You must be mistaken.”
“There was no mistake. The letter includes her death rites. A mourning ceremony that took place in their sacred grounds, Witnessed. Verified. “I
My heart pounded. The world seemed to tilt
“So who the hell have we crowned?” I whispered.
Elder Haron shook his head. “We don’t know. The council assumed. No one ever verified her identity. Her mark, her origin. Her story fit too
perfectly“:
“Because she made it fit I growled. “She told them what they wanted to hear. Wore the title like a second skin. Gods…
I turned away, dragging a hand down my face. Everything was unraveling &
“The council has already reinstated her as Head Mate,” Haron continued, “There will be no room for dissent if this gets out. They will bury it. As they did Selene.
I spun around. “And you’re telling me this why?”
His eyes met mine then, watery but clear. “Because I remember what honor used to mean. Before titles, Before alliances
For a moment, I just stared at him. Then, I nodded once,
“What now?
He stepped closer. “If Callister isn’t the princess, then she has no claim. No standing. And everything she’s done, every law she’s twisted collapses with her lie
A deep breath rattled from my chest. My mate. My bond. Selene..
There was a way to restore it
“But we need proof, Haron said. “Something irrefutable.”
“I’ll find it,” I said…
Before he could respond, a soft creak echoed from the hallway. The door hadn’t fully shut
Footsteps. Then a voice, quiet but firm, from just beyond the threshold.
“I know who she is “%
11:03 AM
