Chapter 36
1104 Words
Home
Hailey
For the first time since arriving at Bloodmoon, there are no urgent questions waiting for me.
No prophecies.
No witches.
No ancient secrets.
No accusations.
No Alpha demanding answers.
The fortress has settled into an uneasy calm after the scout's warning. Warriors move through the halls preparing defenses, patrols have been doubled along every border, and somewhere below us Alpha Theron is already gathering his council.
But for now...
For now, the brothers have stolen me away.
The moment we leave the great hall, Rider gently places a hand against the small of my back, guiding me toward the massive staircase that curves upward through the heart of the fortress.
The touch is light.
Barely there.
Yet my entire body notices.
The bond hums warmly beneath my skin.
Dangerous.
Everything about these men is dangerous.
The staircase itself is breathtaking.
Dark polished wood winds upward through several levels of the fortress, illuminated by silver lanterns hanging from iron brackets shaped like wolves. Ancient tapestries cover the stone walls between enormous paintings, each depicting moments from Bloodmoon's history.
Or perhaps...
Not Bloodmoon's history.
My history.
The realization settles heavily into my chest as we climb.
I pause before one particularly large painting.
A woman stands beneath a full moon.
Silver hair.
Silver eyes.
A white wolf at her side.
Around her stand four warriors bearing the symbols of the ancient clans.
The image looks hauntingly familiar.
Almost like-
Me.
My pulse quickens.
"She was one of the first Silvermoon Queens," Asher explains quietly beside me.
I glance toward him.
"You know all of them?"
A faint smile touches his lips.
"I read a lot."
"That's an understatement."
Zane snorts from somewhere behind us.
"He's been reading ancient clan histories for fun since he was ten."
"That is not fun."
"It absolutely is."
"It absolutely isn't."
For the first time all day, I find myself smiling.
Small.
Real.
The bond immediately responds.
Warmth ripples through all four brothers.
Gods.
They really do react to everything.
We continue climbing.
Past more paintings.
More stories.
More pieces of a history I never knew belonged to me.
And with every step, a different awareness begins settling into my stomach.
A very specific awareness.
Tonight.
My heartbeat immediately speeds up.
Because tonight is the first night I will spend alone with the brothers.
Not fighting.
Not training.
Not traveling.
Not surviving.
Just...
Us.
In a room.
Together.
The realization nearly makes me miss a step.
"What is wrong?" Kael asks instantly.
I hate the bond.
I really do.
"Nothing."
Four different expressions tell me nobody believes that.
Wonderful.
My face grows warm.
"Hailey."
Rider sounds entirely too amused.
I refuse to look at him.
The staircase suddenly becomes fascinating.
Unfortunately, that only makes things worse.
Because now Zane understands.
The grin that spreads across his face is immediate.
And terrible.
"Oh."
"No."
"Oh, absolutely."
I point at him.
"If you finish that sentence, I will throw you down these stairs."
His grin widens.
"I was going to say you're nervous about seeing your room."
Liar.
Complete liar.
Storm practically laughs through the bond.
Heat floods my face.
I hate all of them.
The worst part?
The affection pouring through the bond tells me they know I don't mean it.
Traitors.
Every single one of them.
The corridor at the top of the staircase stretches endlessly before us.
Tall windows overlook the valley below while moonlight filters through breaks in the storm clouds outside. More paintings line the walls here, older than the ones downstairs.
Ancient.
Sacred.
A history preserved in oil and stone.
At the very end of the corridor stand two enormous wooden doors.
My steps slow automatically.
The doors are beautiful.
Dark wood polished smooth with age.
Silver runes carved along the frame.
Ancient clan symbols woven together across the center.
The moon.
The storm.
The forest.
The desert.
All four clans united.
My pulse stumbles.
The brothers stop beside me.
For a moment, nobody speaks.
Then Asher steps forward.
His hand settles against the handle.
The heavy doors swing open.
And my breath leaves me completely.
"Oh."
The word escapes before I can stop it.
The room is enormous.
Not in an intimidating way.
In a breathtaking way.
Floor-to-ceiling bay windows dominate the far wall, revealing a stunning view of the mountains and valley below. The storm is finally breaking apart outside, allowing silver moonlight to spill across the landscape.
The mountains glow.
The forests shimmer.
The entire valley looks touched by magic.
At the center of the room stands the largest bed I have ever seen.
It is massive.
Large enough for all five of us without anyone touching.
Though somehow that thought doesn't help my heartbeat.
The carved wooden posts stretch toward the ceiling, each covered in intricate symbols.
The ancient clans.
The same symbols above Bloodmoon's gates.
The same symbols carved throughout the fortress.
The same symbols from the prophecy.
The same symbols that now belong to us.
My throat tightens unexpectedly.
Because suddenly...
I understand.
This room wasn't built for the brothers.
Not entirely.
It was built for all of us.
Long before any of us were born.
Long before my parents died.
Long before I was left at the ruins.
Someone knew.
Someone believed.
Someone hoped.
The realization hits harder than I expect.
For a moment, I simply stand there staring.
Unable to move.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to stop the emotion rising inside my chest.
Home.
The word appears suddenly.
Softly.
Quietly.
Not forced.
Not demanded.
Not earned through pain.
Home.
My eyes sting unexpectedly.
Because I spent so many years searching for it.
Trying to earn it.
Trying to become worthy of it.
And now...
Standing beneath moonlight inside an ancient fortress built by my ancestors, surrounded by four men who chose me without hesitation...
I finally understand what home is supposed to feel like.
Not perfect.
Not safe from pain.
Not free from danger.
But somewhere you belong.
Somewhere people choose you.
Somewhere you never have to prove your worth.
A warm hand slips into mine.
Rider.
Another settles against my shoulder.
Kael.
Zane drops dramatically onto the enormous bed.
"This thing is amazing."
The moment shatters instantly.
I laugh despite myself.
Asher sighs.
Rider shakes his head.
Kael closes his eyes briefly.
And for the first time in what feels like forever, the weight pressing against my chest eases.
Outside, the moon rises higher above Bloodmoon.
Inside, surrounded by warmth and laughter and a future I never expected to have, I allow myself one impossible thought.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
I had finally found where I belonged.
- Writer
