the lost alpha daughter

Shadow and Secrets

Two weeks passed at Silver Ridge.

Rowan fell into a routine. Morning training with Marcus. Afternoon lessons with Iris. Evenings spent exploring the estate with Elena. It was not easy. Her body ached constantly. Her mind struggled to accept everything she was learning.

But she was getting stronger.

Marcus pushed her harder every day. She learned to throw punches that actually hurt. She learned to block attacks and dodge strikes. She learned to fight dirty, because in a real fight, there were no rules.

"You are improving," Marcus said one afternoon. "But you still hesitate."

Rowan wiped sweat from her forehead.

"I am trying."

"Try harder. In a real fight, hesitation gets you killed."

She nodded and got back into position.

That night, Rowan could not sleep.

She walked through the quiet halls of Silver Ridge, her footsteps echoing against the stone floors. The estate was peaceful at night. Most of the pack was asleep. Only a few guards patrolled the grounds.

She found herself in the library. It was a large room filled with old books and scrolls. Some of them looked ancient. She ran her fingers along the spines, reading the titles.

Most of them were written in languages she did not understand.

"You should be resting."

Rowan turned. Kael stood in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"I could not sleep."

"Neither could I."

He walked toward her, stopping a few feet away.

"What are you looking for?"

Rowan shrugged.

"Answers, I guess. Iris has told me a lot. But I still feel like there are pieces missing."

Kael nodded slowly.

"There are. Some of them are hidden for a reason."

"I do not care about the reason. I want to know the truth."

He studied her for a long moment.

"Then come with me."

Kael led her through a narrow passage behind one of the bookshelves. The walls were damp and cold. Torches flickered along the path, casting dancing shadows.

"Where are we going?"

"The archives. They are beneath the estate. Only a few people know about them."

They walked deeper underground until they reached a heavy iron door. Kael pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it.

The room beyond was filled with records. Boxes of documents. Scrolls stacked on shelves. Maps pinned to the walls.

"This is where we keep the truth," Kael said. "Everything that was erased from official history."

Rowan walked to the nearest shelf. She pulled out a folder and opened it. Inside were photographs of wolves she did not recognize. Names written in elegant script. Dates. Locations.

"What is all this?"

"Records of the packs that existed before the Blood Moon m******e," Kael said. "Including the Redwood Crown Pack."

Rowan's hands trembled as she flipped through the pages. She saw images of a grand estate. Wolves training together. Celebrations beneath the moon.

And then she saw them.

Her parents.

They were standing together in front of a massive tree. Her mother was laughing. Her father had his arm around her shoulders. They looked so happy.

Rowan's eyes burned.

"They look so alive," she whispered.

Kael came to stand beside her.

"They were. Your mother was one of the kindest people I ever knew. Your father was a fierce leader. Everyone respected him."

Rowan traced her finger over the photograph.

"Who killed them?"

Kael was silent for a long moment.

"We believed it was Victor Kane. But I am not so sure anymore."

Rowan looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

Kael pointed to a document on the wall.

"Victor was powerful. But he did not have the resources to destroy an entire pack alone. Someone helped him. Someone with access to inside information."

Rowan's stomach tightened.

"You think there was a traitor."

"I know there was. But the records were destroyed. The witnesses were killed. Whoever did this covered their tracks well."

Rowan turned back to the photograph.

"I want to find them."

Kael looked at her with something like concern.

"That could be dangerous."

"I do not care. They took my family. They took my life. I deserve to know who they are."

Kael placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Then I will help you. But we need to be careful. If the traitor is still alive, they will do anything to stop us."

They spent the rest of the night going through records. Rowans eyes grew tired. Her head ached. But she refused to stop.

By dawn, they had found something.

A letter.

It was written in careful handwriting, addressed to an unknown recipient. The contents were brief but damning.

"The attack will happen at the next full moon. The Alpha and Luna will be at the gathering. Make sure no one escapes."

The letter was signed with a single symbol. A crescent moon with a line through it.

Rowan stared at the symbol.

"Do you recognize this?"

Kael's face had gone pale.

"Yes. It belongs to one of the oldest families in the Council. A family that was supposed to be neutral."

Rowan's heart pounded.

"Who?"

Kael looked at her with troubled eyes.

"Lucien Gray. Elder Tobias's son. He was a trusted advisor. He helped write the laws that govern our world."

Rowan felt sick.

"Elder Tobias's son? The same Elder Tobias who has been helping me?"

Kael nodded grimly.

"Tobias is a good man. But Lucien was always ambitious. He wanted power. He believed only endless conflict could keep the prophecy from coming true."

Rowan shook her head.

"What prophecy?"

Kael took a breath.

"There is an ancient legend. It says one bloodline will unite the divided packs. That bloodline is yours. Lucien believed that if the prophecy came true, he would lose everything. So he tried to destroy your family before you could fulfill it."

Rowan sank into a chair.

"He killed my parents because of a prophecy?"

Kael nodded slowly.

"Yes. And now that he knows you are alive, he will try again. We need to stop him before it is too late."