Chapter 27
1213 Words
Return to Ironclaw
Hailey
The decision to return to Ironclaw is not really mine.
Not entirely.
Even though no one says it out loud.
The witches know I exist now.
That truth hangs heavily inside the cabin long after Dr Elara finishes explaining everything about the Silvermoon bloodline, the prophecy, and the centuries she spent hidden within Ironclaw waiting for me to awaken. The air itself feels heavier beneath the weight of it all, thick with the understanding that whatever fragile anonymity I once had disappeared the moment Selene fully awakened.
I sit quietly on the edge of the bed while the others speak around me, though their voices begin blending together after a while.
Security.Borders.Protection.Patrol rotations.
Words I should probably pay attention to.
Instead, I find myself staring down at my own hands.
Silver still flickers faintly beneath my skin every few moments, visible like moonlight trapped beneath flesh before fading again. Every time it happens, Selene stirs softly inside me, no longer distant or hidden but fully alive within the deepest parts of my soul.
It still feels unreal.
Eighteen years of silence.
Eighteen years believing I was broken somehow.
And now suddenly I carry an ancient wolf goddess inside me while four Alpha heirs look at me like I am something sacred.
Honestly, the emotional whiplash alone should qualify as a medical emergency.
"You're dissociating again."
My head snaps upward immediately.
Zane leans casually against the broken doorway, arms folded across his chest while rain drips steadily from the dark strands of hair falling across his forehead. Storm energy crackles constantly around him now that the bond is fully active, restless electricity humming through the connection between us strongly enough that I can practically feel his impatience physically pressing against my skin.
"I am thinking."
"You've been staring at your hands for ten minutes."
"That's a lie."
"It unfortunately is not."
Rider snorts quietly from beside me while Asher pinches the bridge of his nose like this conversation physically pains him.
Dr Elara merely watches all of us with deeply concerning amusement.
Traitor.
The warmth spreading through the bond catches me off guard again.
Because despite everythingthe prophecy,the danger,the grief
this feels dangerously normal.
Like somehow these men have already begun settling themselves naturally into spaces around me that should not exist yet.
Kael notices my expression immediately from where he stands near the cabin window.
"You're overwhelmed."
Again, with the irritating emotional accuracy.
"I discovered my wolf is tied to the literal Moon Goddess less than twenty-four hours ago," I point out flatly. "I think I deserve a small breakdown."
"A small one," Zane agrees.
"No property damage this time," Rider adds calmly.
I glare at all of them.
"None of you are funny."
"That's not what the bond says," Zane mutters.
Storm practically cackles through the connection.
I hate all of them.
Possibly a lie.
Gods.
The bond truly is horrifying.
Dr Elara closes her medical bag softly before finally standing from the chair beside the bed.
"You cannot remain here much longer," she says gently, and immediately the atmosphere inside the cabin shifts again.
Reality returns.
Danger returns.
The warmth lingering between us cools beneath the weight of responsibility.
"The Veil will eventually trace the remnants of magic released during Selene's awakening," she continues carefully. "This cabin is no longer safe."
My stomach tightens.
Of course, nowhere is safe anymore.
Why would it be?
Ironclaw suddenly feels very far away.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Because I left as the orphan girl nobody fully understood.
And I am returning as something ancient enough to terrify kingdoms.
The thought settles heavily in my chest.
"Ironclaw won't react well to this," I admit quietly.
Silence follows immediately.
Because all of them know I am right.
Pack hierarchy matters.
Power matters.
Bloodlines matter.
And suddenly the strange girl raised by warriors carries enough ancient power to make Alpha wolves instinctively lower their heads without understanding why.
Not exactly subtle.
Rider studies me carefully beside the bed.
"You are worried they'll fear you."
The worst part?
The bond forces honesty now.
I cannot hide from them properly anymore.
"Yes."
The word leaves quietly.
Painfully.
"I spent my entire life trying to prove I belonged there," I continue softly. "Now I return carrying a prophecy tied to extinct bloodlines and enough power to apparently rewrite history itself."
My throat tightens.
"What if they look at me and only see something dangerous?"
The silence afterward hurts more than I expect.
Because part of me already knows the answer.
Some of them will.
Kael finally steps away from the cabin window.
Rain and silver light move together across his face as he crosses the room slowly, controlled power radiating from him so naturally it almost feels woven into the air itself.
Fenrir stirs heavily beneath the bond the closer he gets to me.
Not aggressive.
Protective.
"You are dangerous," he says calmly.
Wonderful.
Excellent reassurance.
Before I can glare properly, he kneels carefully in front of me.
"But dangerous does not mean wrong."
His ice-blue eyes hold mine steadily.
"You survived eighteen years carrying power most wolves could never contain for a single day," he says quietly. "You protected pups while bleeding out. You stood against rogues before your wolf even awakened."
Something deep inside my chest twists painfully beneath the sincerity in his voice.
"You are not dangerous because you are cruel," Kael continues softly. "You are dangerous because powerful things threaten those who depend on control."
The room falls silent around us.
Because suddenly this conversation is no longer only about me.
The witches.The prophecy.The kingdoms.
Everything shifts around power.
And for the first time in my life
I am no longer powerless.
The realisation terrifies me.
Selene rises quietly beneath my skin at the thought, silver light flickering faintly beneath my wrists again.
Power itself is not evil, little moon.
Her voice moves softly through my soul.
Only the hearts that wield it.
Emotion catches sharply in my throat.
Kael notices instantly.
Of course he does.
The bond pulses carefully between us, not overwhelming, not possessive.
Steady.
Grounding.
Safe.
Gods.
That feeling is becoming addictive.
Dr Elara clears her throat gently before the atmosphere can become even more emotionally complicated.
"You should leave before nightfall."
Zane straightens immediately.
"I'll prep the vehicles."
Asher nods once already moving toward the door.
"I'll clear the route through the eastern border."
Rider remains beside me.
Of course he does.
The cabin grows quieter as the others disappear outside into the rain, leaving only the three of us behind.
Me.Rider.Dr Elara.
The fire crackles softly in the corner while distant thunder rolls somewhere deep beyond the mountains.
Dr Elara watches me carefully for several long moments before speaking again.
"There is something else you should know before returning."
Immediately suspicious.
"I really hate when people say that."
A faint smile touches her lips.
"Unfortunately, ancient prophecies rarely reveal themselves all at once."
Wonderful.
Love that for me.
Dr Elara's silver eyes darken slightly.
"The Silvermoon bloodline was not only feared because of its power," she says softly.
Cold unease curls immediately through my stomach.
"What else?"
Her gaze meets mine fully.
"Because every time the Silvermoon heir awakened throughout history..."
Even Selene stills inside me.
"...war followed."
- Writer
