The moon heir

CHAPTER 10 :Truth comes to light

Kaelen lunged forward just as his mother’s body crashed against the wall. A loud noise echoed through the stone walls before she slumped to the ground unconscious.

“Mother!” Kaelen shouted again, dropping to his knees beside her. He gently lifted her into his arms. He had a flashback of his father.

“No, Mum, you have to wake up.”

“Open your eyes, please.”

A drop of blood trickled from the corner of Elara’s mouth. She coughed weakly.

Kaelen called upon his guards.

Within seconds, the palace doors opened. The guards and healers rushed in.

“What happened, Your Highness?” a maid asked worriedly, fear filling her eyes.

“I don’t know,” Kaelen growled. “She was just talking… then something attacked her.”

The guards searched every corner of the chamber.

“Nothing.”

“No broken windows.”

“No intruders.”

One of the elder healers placed his hand on Elara’s forehead, and a golden light shone through her body and penetrated deep into her.

The room became unusually silent.

The elder healer’s brows slowly furrowed as the golden light continued flowing through Elara’s body. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, something Kaelen had never seen before.

The other healers exchanged uneasy glances.

“What is it?” Kaelen demanded.

The old healer remained silent for a moment before slowly removing his hand.

“Her life force is stable,” he said quietly, “but something is resisting the healing.”

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed.

“Resisting?”

The healer nodded.

“It is as though another force entered her body before we arrived. I have never encountered anything like it.”

The room fell silent once more.

The guards instinctively tightened their grip on their swords.

“But… how?” one of the maids whispered. “The palace has been guarded all night.”

“No one entered,” another guard added.

The elder healer slowly shook his head.

“Whatever attacked the Luna left no physical trace.”

Kaelen clenched his fists.

If an unseen enemy could strike inside the palace itself…

Then nowhere in the Dominion was truly safe.

Some moments later, Elara’s eyes fluttered open.

She looked at Kaelen, fear filling her eyes.

“You must leave.”

Kaelen frowned.

“What?”

“Find her.”

Kaelen frowned again.

“What? Find who?”

She said, panting,

“The girl.”

“Find her.”

“They know.”

Kaelen’s heartbeat quickened. He stared at his mother in confusion.

“Who knows? Mother, who attacked you?”

She grabbed his wrist with surprising strength.

“Don’t let them get her before you.”

Then her hand slipped from Kaelen’s hand.

The room fell silent.

⸻

Miles away, morning sunlight shone through Lyra’s bedroom window.

Birds chirped outside.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Lyra woke up smiling.

No chaos.

No burns.

No violent voices.

The smell of breakfast drifted through the cottage.

“Mum must already be cooking,” she smiled.

As she stepped outside, her father was already outside fixing his old motorcycle.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Alaric laughed.

“Good morning, Dad.”

Her adoptive mother appeared at the doorway carrying freshly baked bread.

“I was beginning to think the academy had taught you how to sleep all day.”

Lyra laughed.

“I’ve missed this.”

The family ate breakfast together, laughing at old stories.

Naomi continued placing slices of bread onto Lyra’s plate.

“Mum,” Lyra laughed, “I can’t possibly eat all this.”

Naomi smiled warmly.

“You’ve become thinner. Academy life isn’t feeding my daughter properly.”

Alaric chuckled.

“Your mother has been waiting for this holiday just to spoil you.”

“And make me twice my size?” Lyra teased.

“Exactly,” Naomi answered proudly.

The three of them burst into laughter.

The little cottage echoed with warmth and happiness.

For a few precious moments, the strange memories of Corven Spire Academy disappeared from Lyra’s mind.

She wished life could remain this simple forever.

Lyra felt at peace.

Alaric asked,

“Lyra, have you got any friends?”

“Yes, Dad,” she smiled softly. “My friends are sweet people.”

“What about your professors?” her mother cut in.

“They are nice too.”

Lyra’s mind flashed back to the silver pendant the Headmistress gave her.

The words, Trust me, echoed in her head.

Just then, Naomi’s question jolted her from her thoughts.

“I hope you haven’t met any bullies in your school.”

“No, Mum.”

“Good.” Naomi nodded.

“Lyra, eat up so that you can add some flesh.”

They all burst into laughter.

⸻

Night fell.

She absentmindedly rubbed the birthmark on her hand again.

She didn’t feel any burning.

It was warm, not painful.

She felt the urge to tell her parents what she had been experiencing at Corven Spire Academy.

Then a low howl echoed from a distant forest.

Lyra froze.

Her father looked toward the trees.

“Strange.”

“There haven’t been wolves around the village for years.”

Another howl answered.

This one was much closer.

Back at Crescent Palace, Kaelen stood on the palace balcony, staring at the distant mountains.

His wolf paced restlessly inside him.

He knew something wasn’t right.

He could feel it.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest.

He gasped.

His wolf growled loudly.

“Find her.”

Kaelen stiffened.

“What?”

“She is a gem.”

His silver eyes widened.

“What are you talking about?”

The growl became louder.

At that exact moment, miles away…

Lyra’s birthmark erupted with silver light.

The world around her faded.

A deep masculine voice echoed inside her mind.

“Can you hear me?”

Lyra spun around in panic.

“Who is there?”

Silence.

The voice returned.

Gentler.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m coming.”

The silver light vanished.

She stood frozen.

Her breathing became uneven.

She knew she hadn’t imagined the voice.

Kaelen’s wolf suddenly let out a powerful growl.

For the first time, it said just one word.

“Mate.”

Kaelen’s eyes widened.

“What did you just say?”

Before his wolf could answer, Kaelen’s guard burst into his room, breathing heavily.

“Alpha Kaelen!”

“The Crimson Hollow Pack has crossed the eastern border…”

“…and they are heading straight for the Moon Heir.”

Kaelen’s eyes widened.

“The Moon Heir?”

He trembled as he instructed the warriors to spread across every forest and block the borders before he got there.

He pondered over the word mate.

He rested both hands on the cold stone railing of the balcony, trying to steady his breathing.

His father’s words echoed in his mind.

“A ruler must never allow emotions to control him.”

“Protect the Dominion above everything else.”

“Humans and wolves were never meant to walk the same path.”

Everything his father had taught him clashed with what his wolf was telling him now.

The single word…

Mate.

It refused to leave his mind.

“But she is human…” he whispered.

“Dad warned that we should never be with humans. Mum is still unconscious to talk to me.”

His wolf continued pacing restlessly inside him.

Every instinct urged him to run toward the human territory.

He didn’t understand why.

For the first time in years, fear settled deep inside his heart—not fear of an enemy, but fear of what his own wolf was making him feel.

His wolf growled again.

This time, it was louder, fiercer, and stronger.

His clothes floated in the air.

His bones cracked.

His muscles expanded.

Within seconds, Kaelen had transformed into a towering obsidian Lycan.

His midnight-black fur glistened beneath the moonlight, and his glowing silver eyes blazed with fury.

Kaelen took one step forward toward the door.

His wolf growled,

“Run!”

Before he could understand why, the mate bond opened for a brief second.

He saw Lyra surrounded by dozens of glowing crimson eyes in the forest.

Then the vision disappeared.

Kaelen’s face turned pale.

“Lyra,” he whispered, his voice breaking.

His silver eyes widened in panic.

“They are hunting her.”