Chapter 3 - THE LIE IN THE CRYSTALNora woke just before dawn.
She opened her eyes to darkness.
Someone was holding her hand.
She turned.
Adrien sat beside the bed.
He had not slept.
His clothes were still stained with blood.
"Brother?"
The word barely escaped her.
Adrien's eyes burned.
"I'm here."
Nora stared at him.
"You found me."
"I should have found you years ago."
She looked away.
"You couldn't."
"Tell me what happened."
Nora's fingers tightened around the blanket.
"Celeste..."
Adrien's jaw clenched.
"She thought I was stealing her position."
"What position?"
Nora smiled weakly.
"Your Luna."
Adrien almost laughed from disbelief.
"She thought you were competition?"
Nora nodded.
"She saw your mother's necklace."
Adrien touched the necklace on the bedside table.
"Why did she have it?"
Nora looked confused.
"You gave it to me."
"I know."
"No."
Nora shook her head.
"You don't remember?"
Adrien's expression changed.
"You placed it around my neck before I left."
He stared.
"I did."
"Then why did you lock it in your study?"
Adrien went silent.
"I didn't."
Nora looked at him.
"I saw it there."
Neither spoke.
Then Elder Morrison entered.
He carried Rex's journal.
"Nora."
She looked up.
"Do you know this?"
Her face went pale.
The moment she saw the cover, memories flashed.
A snowy forest.
Rex barking.
A woman crying.
A silver wolf standing over her.
And a voice whispering:
Never let Adrien know.
Nora clutched her head.
"Stop."
Adrien stood.
"What is it?"
"I remember."
She looked at him.
"Before I disappeared."
Adrien's heart pounded.
"You didn't disappear."
"I was taken."
"By who?"
Nora's eyes filled with fear.
"The people who raised me."
Adrien froze.
"What?"
She swallowed.
"After you sent me away, I never reached the southern sanctuary."
"Then where were you?"
"The Northern territory."
Morrison went pale.
"They were still alive."
Nora nodded.
"Yes."
Adrien stared at her.
"Why would they take you?"
Nora hesitated.
"Because of my wolf."
Her eyes flickered silver.
"She's not ordinary."
The room seemed to become colder.
Adrien whispered, "What are you?"
Nora looked at him.
"I don't know."
Then the necklace on the table began to glow.
Everyone stared.
A thin crack appeared across the crystal.
Adrien reached for it.
The moment his fingers touched the necklace, a vision exploded into his mind.
His father.
His mother.
The Alpha King.
And a newborn baby.
A woman screamed.
"Take her!"
His father shouted.
"Adrien must never know!"
Then another image.
Nora was only a few months old.
A strange silver mark burned across her chest.
The Alpha King stood over her.
"We cannot let the prophecy awaken."
Adrien jerked back.
He collapsed against the wall.
"Prophecy?"
Morrison whispered, "So it is true."
Adrien turned.
"You knew?"
"I suspected."
"You suspected my sister was connected to a prophecy?"
Morrison looked away.
Then the door burst open.
A messenger stumbled inside.
"Alpha!"
"What?"
"The eastern border..."
The messenger could barely breathe.
"Thousands of Northern wolves have crossed into our territory."
Adrien stared.
"Why?"
The messenger's eyes shifted toward Nora.
"They're demanding one person."
Nora whispered, "Me."
Adrien stepped in front of her.
"They will not get you."
A horn sounded outside.
Once.
Twice.
Then the mansion shook beneath a roar from outside.
An enormous voice thundered through the courtyard.
"RETURN THE SILVER-BLOODED HEIR."
Nora closed her eyes.
Adrien reached for his sword.
"Silver-blooded heir?"
The voice echoed again.
"OR WE BURY THIS ENTIRE PACK."
Nora opened her eyes.
And for the first time, Adrien saw something terrifying in them.
May you like
Not fear.
Recognition.
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