The Lost Graystone Princess

Chapter 3

"Mother," Maison acknowledged with a slight bow of his head. "How did you know we were here?"

"A mother always knows when her son is in danger," she replied, but her gaze was fixed on me. "And the pendant... it's active."

I glanced down, startled to find my wolf pendant glowing with a faint blue light. I hadn't even noticed.

"What's happening?" I whispered, fighting the urge to rip it from my neck.

Luna Mara approached slowly, as if afraid I might bolt. "Mateo called. He said there was an incident at the diner." Her eyes flicked to Maison. "Where is the rogue?"

"Dead," Maison answered flatly. "He tried to take Daisy. Said something about her being royal blood from the Northern Territories."

Luna Mara's face paled. "Inside. Both of you. Now."

She turned without waiting for a response, her movements sharp and urgent. Maison followed immediately, but I hesitated, my hand closing around the pendant.

"I could run," I thought, staring at the dense forest beyond the clearing. But to where? And from what?

"Daisy." Maison had paused, looking back at me. For once, there was no contempt in his expression—just something that might almost be concern. "Whatever this is, running won't solve it."

I reluctantly followed them into the pack house. Unlike the public areas where pack gatherings were held, this section was private, reserved for the Alpha family and their closest advisors. I'd never been invited here before.

Luna Mara led us to a study lined with books and maps. Alpha Logan and Uncle Mateo were already there, but their usual easy-going demeanour had vanished, replaced by a tight-lipped grimness.

"Marabelle," Uncle Mateo breathed when he saw me.

I froze. "What did you call me?"

The room fell silent. Alpha Logan moved to stand beside his mate, both of them watching me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.

"Sit down, child," Alpha Logan said, gesturing to a chair. "It's time you learned who you really are."

"My name is Daisy," I insisted, remaining standing. "Daisy Louise Harmony Thompson."

Uncle Mateo shook his head. "That's the name we gave you fifteen years ago when we went into hiding. Your real name is Marabelle Daisy Graystone."

The name hit me like a physical blow. Somewhere deep inside, Star stirred in recognition.

"Graystone?" I whispered the name, echoing through my mind like a half-forgotten melody. "As in..."

"The royal family of the Northern Territories," Alpha Logan finished, his voice grave. "The last ruling pack before the Great Division."

My legs suddenly felt weak, and I sank into the chair despite my earlier resistance. "That's impossible. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was three. You told me they were ordinary wolves who got caught in a territory dispute."

Uncle Mateo's weathered face creased with pain. "That was a necessary lie, one of many I've told to keep you safe." He knelt before me, taking my trembling hands in his. "Your parents were King Edward and Queen Isobel Graystone. They weren't killed in an accident—they were assassinated."

The room spun around me. Star howled in anguish inside my mind, a sound of grief and recognition that told me the truth before my conscious mind could accept it.

"The pendant," Luna Mara said softly. "It's the Royal Sigil of the Northern Territories. It glows only in the presence of true Graystone blood."

I looked down at the glowing blue pendant. "But it's never done this before."

"Because it was dormant," Alpha Logan explained. "Mateo used an ancient spell to suppress its power until you came of age."

"Which was supposed to be next month," Uncle Mateo added, shooting Alpha Logan a pointed look. "On your twenty-first birthday."

Maison, who had been silently observing from the corner, finally spoke. "The bounty hunter said, 'dead or alive.' Why would anyone put a bounty on someone who doesn't even know who they are?"

Alpha Logan and Luna Mara exchanged a look that sent chills down my spine.

"Because as the last surviving Graystone," Luna Mara said carefully, "Marabelle is the rightful queen of the Northern Territories."

"And the holder of the deciding vote on the High Council," Alpha Logan added. "The territories have been in limbo for nearly two decades, with various factions fighting for control. If you were to return and claim your birthright..."

"It would upset the balance of power throughout all the wolf kingdoms," Maison finished, understanding dawning on his face. "That's why Nightshade has been so agitated around her. He sensed the royal blood."

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "This is insane. I'm not a queen. I'm a drive-through attendant at a burger joint who occasionally has to hide from rogue wolves!"

"A cover we carefully cultivated," Uncle Mateo said. "Hiding you in plain sight, where no one would think to look for royalty."

The pieces were starting to fit together—Uncle Mateo's overprotectiveness, the safe rooms, the weapon training, and the masking spray, among other medications.

“But why am I sensing there is more to all this? There has to have been a reason to kill my family beyond my royal blood and Council issues.” I stated.

“Your brother, Crown Prince Kenneth Arthur Graystone, was about to come of age and take the throne. A Sliver Stone pack that had been negating a pack alliance wanted a marriage argument between you and their heir, Marc Stone. Your father wouldn’t agree; he wanted you to find your true mate, not be forced into a political marriage, so the Silver Stone pack attacked ours.” Mateo replied.

"And my brother? What happened to him?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Uncle Mateo's face darkened. "He was with your parents when the attack happened. We thought everyone had been killed, until I found you, hidden in a secret compartment your mother had built beneath the nursery floor."

A memory flashed through my mind—darkness, the smell of smoke, my mother's tear-stained face as she whispered words I couldn't remember.

"The Silver Stone pack claimed responsibility publicly," Alpha Logan added. "They said it was retribution for broken promises. They've controlled most of the Northern Territories since then, though without a legitimate heir, they've never been able to claim the throne officially."

I touched the pendant again, feeling its warmth against my fingertips. "So, Thomas—"

"Was likely hired by them," Luna Mara finished. "They've been searching for you for years. There have been rumours of a surviving Graystone, but no one knew for certain. Until now."

"Which means we need to move quickly," Maison said, pacing the room with barely contained energy. "If one found her, others will follow."

I looked at him, surprised by his sudden concern. "Why do you care? Over the years, you've made it pretty clear that you don't like me."

Maison stopped pacing, his grey eyes meeting mine. "I didn't trust you. Nightshade sensed something different about you, something powerful that could threaten our pack. But now..."

"Now you know I'm just another political pawn," I said bitterly.