The Missing Heir

She Is Exceptional

Chapter 5

Scotland

Elizabeth’s excitement bubbled as the plane touched down at Inverness Airport. After two long years, she was finally going to see her mother and her aunt again.

She stood in the waiting area, scanning every face that passed, her heart thudding with anticipation. The moment the Silverton family stepped into the public arrivals area, her eyes found them, and she didn’t hesitate. Elizabeth ran forward, throwing her arms around them in a tight embrace, laughter and relief spilling out all at once.

Behind her waited the entire Reid hierarchy, equally eager to welcome them: her uncle, thrilled to see his sisters Victoria Reid‑Williams and Gloria Silverton‑Reid; his wife Siobhan; their children Sean and Grace; and the matriarch of the family, Great‑Aunt Marie Elizabeth Reid.

The drive back to Wester Ross was filled with warmth and chatter. The excitement wasn’t only for Elizabeth, Victoria felt it too. She had grown up here. She had met her wolf here. And now, seeing her niece as this beautiful, strong, confident young woman filled her with pride.

Gloria couldn’t stop looking at her daughter. This vibrant, bubbly girl she had missed so deeply after her father’s death. Gloria listened in quiet grace, smiling as Elizabeth rambled on about her past year, her voice full of life again.

The fleet of SUVs rolled up the long drive toward the vast estate. As they stepped out, Declan and Vicky, who had never been to the Scottish Highlands before, stood in awe at the breathtaking landscape stretching out before them.

“Your rooms are ready,” Siobhan announced warmly. “We should all freshen up and dress for supper. It will be ready in an hour.”

In her mother’s room, Elizabeth lay on the bed while Gloria finished getting ready for supper.

“I’m glad you sent me to Scotland,” Elizabeth said softly. “Everything reminds me of Father. Knowing he grew up here eased away all my anxiety. It feels like he’s always with me. And I see him in Uncle Victor, the way he walks, the way he uses his hands when he speaks. And worst or best of it all… did you see Sean? He’s the splitting image of Father.”

Gloria just smiled as her daughter continued, speaking as if she had been holding the words in for months.

“And Sean is always looking out for me. Both do. And Grace and I are best friends.”

Her mother turned, still smiling gently. “I do not sense your wolf, dear. I’m glad she hasn’t appeared yet. Your birthday is in two days, and the ceremony has been planned.”

Elizabeth’s face went pale.

“I… I have my wolf,” she whispered. “She’s beautiful. Pure white. Her name is Elana. We’re keeping her a secret. Only Aunt Marie knows… and her servant.”

The stunned look on Gloria’s face said everything.

Elizabeth continued, her voice trembling. “I’ve been training to hide my wolf.”

Concern and worry mapped themselves across Gloria’s face. “Go,” she said quietly. “Go get dressed for supper.”

Everyone made their way to the dining room. Great Aunt Marie walked side by side with Gloria, her words landing like a blow.

“So… she told you,” Marie said.

Gloria’s body stiffened. She could only nod.

Marie smiled, calm and assured. “You do not have to be so concerned, dear. You will see, she has it under control.”

Gloria managed a soft smile, though worry still clung to her. “Aunt Marie… having your wolf before the time is very dangerous. It’s not natural.”

Marie’s lips tugged upward. “Not unnatural. Uncommon, yes, but not unnatural.”

Gloria swallowed. “The last time something like this happened, the history books say the wolf turned into a vicious killer.”

Marie corrected her with the grace of a matriarch. “That happened once in our history. The times before and after, the wolf and her human ascended to the throne.”

Gloria exhaled, slightly eased but still full of concern.

At the supper table, everyone chatted excitedly, laughter filling the room. Gloria tried to enjoy the atmosphere, but her mind was elsewhere. Victoria, watching her friend and sister closely, noticed the distress. She mouthed silently, What’s wrong?

Gloria only shook her head and smiled.

“Victor,” Samuel said, drawing his attention. “We have to talk after supper.”

Victor nodded. They all knew what it concerned, the threat they had felt for some time now. Random, unprovoked attacks. No rogue had ever set foot in Blood Moon Territory, a land held by the Reid family for generations.

As supper concluded, Gloria and Victoria walked out with their arms intertwined. Gloria’s somber expression returned.

“She already has a wolf,” she whispered. “Meet me in Aunt Marie’s room in fifteen minutes. I’ll bring Elizabeth.”

Victoria nodded and walked off.

In the drawing room, large, immaculate, warm with lamplight, Samuel and Victor sat chatting over coffee. Declan, Sean, and Christopher Williams entered, followed by the Reid beta.

Victor raised a brow. “You brought two of your betas with you?”

Samuel grinned. “This one I had to; he’s mated to your sister.”

The men burst into laughter.

Samuel’s face was serious. “Barrington will join us in Italy.”

Victor’s expression shifted into his Alpha mask. “That is good. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

Sean leaned forward. “We had one incident… a rogue tried to enter the territory but fled the moment he saw our patrols.”

Every face turned somber.

Declan looked around, confused. “Why does everyone look like it’s the end of the world?”

His father answered quietly, “No rogue has ever attempted to enter Blood Moon Territory in over a century.”

Declan’s brows rose. “You seem skeptical, young one,” Christopher said. “The first bloodline to hold the Alpha King was the Reid line, and you are standing in his castle.”

Declan’s expression shifted from confusion to awe.

Samuel added, voice steady with pride, “The Reids and the Abrassis have strengthened the old bloodlines so much, they will endure forever.”

Victor pushed the history aside. “The ascension ceremony is in two days. We have one more day to prepare, then we leave the day after.”

Samuel nodded. “By then, Barrington will have completed his business.

Back in Aunt Marie’s room, a space so large you could fit two small houses inside it, Elizabeth sat on the enormous bed. The mattress was so wide and long that her small, cross‑legged figure looked almost like a delicate Buddha figurine placed at the center of a vast altar. The contrast made her seem even smaller, even calmer.

Aunt Marie stood before them, regal and composed, her voice carrying the weight of old bloodline authority.

“We have been working on her,” she said. “Teaching her how to control her shift… and her wolf.”

She walked them through the training step by step, her tone proud and precise.

“When we began, she needed an hour of meditation each day. Now she requires only fifteen minutes.”

Elizabeth remained perfectly still on the massive bed, her posture flawless, her breathing steady, a tiny figure mastering a power far larger than the room itself.

Marie continued, “Her wolf responds to discipline. To calm. She listens. She understands restraint. That is why we kept her emergence quiet, she is not unstable. She is… exceptional.”

The bed dwarfed her, the room dwarfed the bed, and yet Elizabeth’s presence filled the space with quiet strength.

Victoria spoke, relief softening her entire face. “Her wolf is white.”

Aunt Marie’s lips tugged into a smile she held back with effortless grace. “Yes,” she said, voice warm with pride. “Like I told you… she is exceptional.”

Elizabeth remained seated on the massive bed, small and serene, the contrast making her presence feel almost sacred. The mention of her wolf, a white wolf, settled over the room like a revelation.

Marie continued, her tone carrying the weight of old knowledge. “White wolves are rare. Blessed. Marked. They are born once in a generation, sometimes once in an era. Her control, her discipline… it is not accidental. It is her bloodline.”

Victoria exhaled, shoulders finally relaxing. “We were worried she would struggle. But seeing her like this… it’s a relief.”

Marie nodded. “She will not struggle. She will lead.”

The room felt suddenly smaller, as if the walls themselves leaned in to listen, because a white wolf was not just a rarity… it was a sign.

A sign the Blood Moon line was awakening.