The weight of Kaelen’s confession settled in my bones, a cold, heavy truth that made the world feel both larger and more dangerous. His mother. The power that had coursed through her, the same destructive force that now simmered in my veins, had been a family secret, a tragedy buried by the council. It wasn't just about me being an outcast or a political pawn anymore. It was about history repeating itself, a cycle of power and ruin that I was now trapped inside.
The knowledge should have terrified me. And part of me was terrified, a small, trembling creature in the corner of my soul. But a larger, fiercer part—the part that was my wolf, the part that had tasted its own strength—felt a grim sense of clarity. This was no longer a mystery. It was a challenge. A problem to be solved. And I ha
