CHAPTER FOUR
1853 Words
The doors exploded inward.
Wood splintered across the hall.
Screams erupted.
Sera barely had time to breathe before Rhydian grabbed her and pulled her behind him.
“Stay down.”
A figure crashed onto the stone floor.
For one terrible second, Sera thought it was a wolf.
Then it moved.
Its body was twisted halfway between man and beast, claws tearing from its fingers, black eyes fixed on her.
Another attacker came through the broken doorway.
Then another.
The hall descended into chaos.
Wolves shifted around them. Guests screamed and scattered. Guards rushed forward as snarls echoed beneath the high stone ceiling.
Rhydian stepped in front of Sera.
His eyes burned gold.
“Caelan.”
“I see them.”
Caelan moved beside his brother.
The twins were terrifying together.
Rhydian was precise, every movement controlled.
Caelan was faster, almost playful as he caught an attacker by the throat and slammed him against the wall.
Sera backed away.
“What is happening?”
Neither brother answered.
A man suddenly broke through the fighting and charged toward her.
Rhydian moved first.
He caught the attacker by the neck and lifted him from the ground.
“You came here for her.”
The man smiled through bloodied teeth.
“You don’t even know what you’re protecting.”
Rhydian’s grip tightened.
“Who sent you?”
The man’s eyes moved past him.
Straight to Sera.
“The last Moonborn.”
Sera froze.
The word struck something deep inside her.
Moonborn.
She had heard it before.
Not with her ears.
Somewhere else.
Inside her blood.
“What did you call me?”
The man laughed.
Rhydian threw him to the floor.
“Enough.”
Sera stared at him.
“You know what that means.”
Rhydian said nothing.
“You know.”
“Sera—”
“What is a Moonborn?”
His jaw tightened.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
He looked around the hall.
Bodies lay across the floor. Blood stained the stone. The broken doors let cold night air pour inside.
“Somewhere safe.”
Sera laughed bitterly.
“Safe?”
She looked around.
“You brought me here.”
Something flickered across his face.
Guilt.
Or anger.
She couldn’t tell.
A second attacker suddenly lunged from the side.
Rhydian moved before she could react.
He struck the man so hard he crashed through one of the wooden tables.
The hall went silent for half a heartbeat.
Then the attacker rose again.
Rhydian’s wolf surged forward.
Gold swallowed his eyes.
His canines lengthened.
The air around him seemed to change.
Sera had seen powerful Alphas before.
None of them had ever made her feel this small.
The attacker charged.
Rhydian met him head-on.
They collided with enough force to shake the floor.
Claws flashed.
Blood sprayed.
Rhydian caught the man’s arm and twisted.
The crack of bone made Sera flinch.
“Stop!”
Rhydian didn’t hear her.
The attacker fell to his knees.
Rhydian raised his hand.
“Sera!”
Caelan’s voice snapped her attention toward him.
“Stay back.”
But Sera was already moving.
“Rhydian!”
He turned.
For one second, his wolf looked straight at her.
Not the Alpha.
Not the ruthless man everyone feared.
The boy from her dreams.
The one standing beside a dying father.
His expression changed.
His raised hand slowly lowered.
The attacker collapsed.
Sera stared at him.
“You almost killed him.”
“He came for you.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to become a monster.”
Something flashed in Rhydian’s eyes.
Pain.
Then the wall went up again.
“You don’t know what I am.”
“No,” Sera whispered.
“I don’t.”
She looked at him.
“And that’s exactly what scares me.”
He said nothing.
Caelan stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Rhydian’s gaze moved to him.
Caelan shook his head.
“She’s right.”
For a moment, Sera expected Rhydian to challenge him.
Instead, he looked away.
That surprised her more than anger would have.
Caelan lowered his voice.
“Brother, whoever these people are, they’re not ordinary rogues.”
Rhydian nodded.
“They knew about the Moonborn.”
“And they knew she would be here.”
Sera’s stomach tightened.
Caelan looked at her.
“Have you ever heard that word before tonight?”
She hesitated.
“No.”
A lie.
She had heard it in her dreams.
In whispers she couldn’t explain.
In the strange pressure beneath her skin whenever the moon was full.
Caelan noticed her hesitation.
But he didn’t press.
“We need to find out who they are before they come back.”
Rhydian looked at Sera.
“They will.”
The certainty in his voice frightened her.
“How do you know?”
His eyes met hers.
“Because they weren’t trying to kill you.”
Sera frowned.
“What were they trying to do?”
His answer came quietly.
“Take you alive.”
Before she could react, someone grabbed her wrist.
The world disappeared.
Darkness.
Cold stone.
Blood.
Sera stood in a room she didn’t recognize.
Aldric Vael was on his knees.
Blood covered his black tunic.
The Moonfang was in someone’s hand.
Evander stood nearby.
And behind them—
Aurelian.
Sera’s breath caught.
He wasn’t fighting.
He wasn’t helping.
He was watching.
Aldric turned toward him.
His lips moved.
Sera couldn’t hear him.
Then Evander stepped forward.
“No.”
The vision shook.
The Moonfang flashed.
Aurelian moved.
Sera screamed.
The room shattered.
She returned with a gasp.
Rhydian was holding her.
“Sera.”
She shoved him away.
“What did you do to me?”
“Nothing.”
“I saw—”
She stopped.
Aurelian.
She had seen Aurelian.
Rhydian crouched in front of her.
“What did you see?”
She stared at him.
“Your father.”
His expression hardened.
“And mine.”
Silence.
“What else?”
“A blade.”
His eyes dropped to her hands.
“The Moonfang?”
She nodded.
Then whispered,
“I saw Aurelian.”
For the first time, Rhydian looked genuinely shaken.
“You saw my uncle?”
“Yes.”
He looked away.
“You’re lying.”
His gaze snapped back to hers.
“I would never lie to you.”
Sera almost laughed.
“You barely tell me anything.”
Before he could answer, a growl sounded behind them.
The attacker she had touched was getting back to his feet.
Caelan stepped forward.
“Who sent you?”
The man smiled.
“You’ll find out soon.”
Then his body went limp.
Caelan checked his pulse.
“Dead.”
Sera stared.
“How?”
“Poison,” Caelan said.
Rhydian looked toward the broken doors.
“Search the grounds.”
The guards scattered.
Caelan turned to his brother.
“How did they know she would be here?”
“I suspected they might come.”
Caelan’s eyes narrowed.
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Rhydian said nothing.
Caelan looked at Sera.
Then back at him.
“You knew someone was looking for her.”
Rhydian’s expression remained cold.
“I knew she was in danger.”
“And you brought her here anyway?”
A silence fell between the brothers.
Something unspoken.
Something old.
Rhydian finally said,
“Get her somewhere safe.”
Caelan looked at him for a long moment.
Then nodded.
“Come with me.”
Sera didn’t move.
She looked at Rhydian.
“Who is he?”
“My brother.”
“No. I mean who is he really?”
Rhydian frowned.
Sera lowered her voice.
“I saw him in my vision.”
His expression changed.
Before he could answer, footsteps sounded behind them.
Aurelian entered the hall.
He looked across the destruction without a trace of panic.
His gaze moved to Sera.
For the briefest moment, his expression changed.
Recognition.
Then it disappeared.
“Is everyone alive?”
“Mostly,” Caelan said.
Aurelian looked at Rhydian.
“You?”
“Fine.”
His eyes returned to Sera.
“And her?”
“She’s unharmed,” Rhydian said.
Aurelian stepped closer.
“What did you see?”
Sera froze.
“How did you know I saw something?”
Aurelian’s expression remained calm.
“Rhydian told me.”
Sera looked at Rhydian.
He hadn’t.
Not while she was listening.
Aurelian smiled faintly.
“You’re exhausted. You should rest.”
He reached toward her.
Sera instinctively stepped back.
His hand stopped.
For one brief second, something cold flashed in his eyes.
Then he lowered his hand.
“Of course.”
He walked away.
Sera watched him go.
“Something is wrong with him.”
Rhydian didn’t answer.
That frightened her more.
She turned toward him.
“You said my father wasn’t what they told me.”
“Yes.”
“What was he?”
Rhydian looked at her.
“A man who knew too much.”
“About what?”
“You.”
Her heart stumbled.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not an ordinary Omega.”
“What am I?”
He hesitated.
Then his voice dropped.
“The last thing your father died protecting.”
Sera stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll tell you.”
“When?”
“When you’re ready.”
“I am ready.”
“No.”
She frowned.
“You don’t get to decide that.”
His mouth curved slightly.
“No.”
His voice softened.
“I don’t.”
For one dangerous moment, neither of them moved.
Then Sera reached for his hand.
Not because she trusted him.
Because she needed answers.
Her fingers touched his.
The world vanished again.
This time, there was moonlight.
An ancient forest.
A woman stood beneath a massive tree.
Her hair was white.
Her eyes were silver.
Around her neck hung the crescent pendant Sera had seen in her visions.
The woman looked directly at her.
“Finally.”
“Who are you?”
“Your blood.”
The moon above them turned red.
Sera looked down.
Her hands were covered in blood.
Then a voice came from behind her.
“Don’t let her remember.”
She turned.
The Moonfang.
Aldric.
Evander.
Rhydian.
Caelan.
And Aurelian.
All standing together.
Then the vision shifted.
Aurelian held the Moonfang.
Evander stood between him and Aldric.
And Aldric was looking directly at Rhydian.
His lips moved.
This time, Sera heard him.
“Don’t trust—”
The vision shattered.
Sera screamed.
Rhydian caught her before she hit the floor.
“Sera!”
She clutched his shirt, trembling.
“What happened?”
She looked up at him.
“I saw your father.”
Rhydian went still.
“What did he say?”
Sera opened her mouth.
Nothing came.
Her eyes moved past him.
To the doorway.
Aurelian stood there.
Watching.
He wasn’t smiling anymore.
His eyes were fixed on Sera.
Not with surprise.
Not confusion.
Fear.
Then, slowly, his expression changed.
He smiled.
And Sera knew something was terribly wrong.
Because Aurelian had just realized
she was beginning to remember.
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