CHAPTER 49
1024 Words
(Selene’s POV)
My heart pounded in my chest, the sound echoing in my ears as I stepped slowly toward the window. I parted the curtain just slightly, peeking outside with a turbulent sense of dread. In the distance, a line of black vehicles came to a halt in front of the main gate. The emblem on their doors was unmistakable—a blood-stained crown, the mark of the royal family.
Envoys from the royal house.
I let the curtain fall back into place and slowly turned around, facing Lucian who still stood near the bed. He didn’t say a word. His eyes were fixed on mine, intense, as though trying to read the thoughts I kept buried deep beneath the layers I’d built to protect myself from a past I never wanted to confront again.
“What do they want, Selene?” His voice was deep and calm, but I could hear the tension woven beneath the surface. “What do they know about you… that I don’t?”
I inhaled deeply, trying to gather my thoughts into words. But my tongue felt heavy, frozen.
“I didn’t keep it from you because I wanted to lie,” I said quietly. “I just… hoped that part of my life could disappear forever.”
Lucian stepped forward. His hand reached up, gently cupping my cheek. His touch was both soft and firm, grounding me.
“Tell me,” he said.
I looked into his eyes. In that gaze, I saw no anger. Only concern. Curiosity. And something deeper—trust. But I also knew that if the truth escaped my lips, everything we’d built could fall apart.
“My biological father…” I began, my voice trembling, “wasn’t just an ordinary wolf. He came from the royal bloodline. A branch of the family that was branded as traitors. They tried to overthrow the throne decades ago.”
Lucian stiffened.
“You mean the ones that were slaughtered in the rebellion thirty years ago?” he asked in a hushed tone.
I nodded slowly. “Everyone believed that branch of the family had been wiped out. But my mother escaped… while pregnant with me. We lived in hiding, moving from place to place, constantly changing our names, trying to bury our identities.”
“And you… you kept this from me all this time?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “If anyone ever found out who I was, they would’ve hunted me down. I’m seen as a threat to the kingdom’s stability. I’m the child of a traitor.”
Lucian turned away and took a few steps, dragging a hand over his face. The air in the room turned heavier with every passing second.
“So you think they’re here to kill you?” he asked, his voice low, laced with disbelief.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “But I do know this isn’t just a formal visit. The royal family doesn’t send envoys without a serious reason.”
Lucian turned back toward me, his expression hardened with resolve. His golden eyes burned with intensity.
“They’re not going to touch you, Selene,” he said with a certainty that shook me. “Even if the entire kingdom marches to take you, I will stand between them and you.”
My heart sank. I wanted so badly to believe him, to fall into that promise and let it carry away my fears. But I knew this wasn’t just about politics. This was about blood. About legacy. About a history soaked in betrayal and death.
“Lucian… I’m nobody—”
“Don’t say that,” he cut me off sharply. His voice cracked like thunder. “You are not nobody. You’re my mate. My Luna. And nothing—not history, not blood, not a thousand years of curses—can take that away from you.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but for the first time, they weren’t from fear. They came from the overwhelming feeling of being seen… and accepted.
Lucian gripped my shoulders firmly. “You’re not alone anymore. Whatever happened in the past, we’ll face it together. Now… let’s go meet them.”
***
The hallway leading to the main hall seemed longer than ever before. Every step echoed off the stone walls like a warning. When we approached the towering doors, the guards pulled them open in silence. Inside, three figures waited, dressed in deep crimson robes. One of them, an older man with neatly combed silver hair, stepped forward.
“Luna Selene,” he said, his voice full of authority. “At last, we meet.”
I stood tall, though my knees threatened to give out. “I don’t know who you are or why you’ve come. But if you intend to take me with you… you’ll have to go through him first.” I gestured to Lucian at my side, his golden eyes sharp and dangerous.
The old man offered a faint smile. “We’re not here to harm you, my lady. Quite the opposite. We’ve come to inform you… that your bloodline has been acknowledged.”
My eyes widened. “What do you mean?” I breathed.
“The King ordered an investigation to track down the last surviving descendant of the royal branch that was thought to be extinguished. After a long search… all evidence led us to you.”
The room spun. My vision blurred. It felt like the very foundation of the world shifted beneath my feet.
“You… mean I’m the only one left?”
The old man nodded solemnly. “You are the sole rightful heir. And the kingdom needs you.”
Lucian stepped forward immediately. “Tell me the truth—do you intend to use her as a pawn?”
“Not a pawn,” the envoy replied. “A leader.”
I looked up at Lucian, our breaths trembling in unison. In that moment, all the scars I’d carried, all the hatred I’d endured for being “nobody,” for being cursed, rejected, forgotten…
Suddenly lost their meaning.
- Writer
