The Name They Feared
1827 Words
From everyone.
Lyra's warning echoed through my mind.
For one terrible second, I didn't know who frightened me more.
The strangers kneeling in the dirt.
Or Adrian standing between them and me.
The silver light beneath my skin slowly faded, but my hands continued to tremble.
The man on his knees lifted his head.
“My Queen.”
“Don't call me that.”
My voice came out sharper than I expected.
His expression didn't change.
Adrian took another step forward.
“You heard her.”
The stranger smiled.
It wasn't friendly.
“You have no authority over this.”
Adrian's eyes flashed gold.
“This is Blackwood territory. I have authority over everything that happens here.”
“Not over her.”
A growl rumbled from Adrian's chest.
The other two wolves shifted.
Within seconds, two naked men stood beside the first stranger.
All three were tall, muscular and scarred.
Warriors.
Not ordinary rogues.
I could feel it.
There was discipline in the way they moved.
The way they watched Adrian.
The way they positioned themselves around the man who had spoken.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The stranger turned his attention back to me.
“My name is Elias Thorn.”
“Why were you looking for me?”
His eyes moved briefly toward Adrian.
“Because the Silver Crown has awakened.”
I stared at him.
“That doesn't mean anything to me.”
“It will.”
Adrian grabbed Elias by the throat so quickly I barely saw him move.
“Enough.”
Elias didn't fight back.
Instead, he laughed.
“You're afraid.”
Adrian tightened his grip.
“I said enough.”
“Adrian.”
He looked at me.
“Let him go.”
“Elena—”
“I need answers.”
“You don't know who these men are.”
“And apparently I don't know who you are either.”
That hit him.
I saw it.
His expression hardened.
Then he released Elias.
The man rubbed his throat.
“You should listen to her, Blackwood.”
“Say her name again and I'll tear your throat out.”
Elias smiled.
“Still possessive after rejecting her?”
Adrian moved.
I stepped between them.
“Stop!”
Both men froze.
The strange thing was that they actually obeyed.
I looked at Elias first.
“What is the Silver Crown?”
His smile vanished.
“A bloodline.”
My heart beat faster.
“You said that already.”
“The oldest royal bloodline among our kind.”
I almost laughed.
Royal?
This was insane.
There were Alphas, councils, regional territories.
But kings and queens belonged in old stories.
Children's stories.
Legends.
“We don't have royalty.”
“Not anymore.”
Adrian's voice was low.
I turned toward him.
He looked like he regretted speaking.
“You know about this.”
He didn't answer.
“Adrian.”
“Yes.”
The word hurt.
Another secret.
“How long have you known?”
“Not long.”
“How long?”
His jaw tightened.
“Three years.”
I stared at him.
Three years.
He had known something about my family for three years.
And said nothing.
“You knew before tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Before you rejected me?”
His silence answered.
My chest tightened.
Elias watched us with obvious interest.
“You rejected her knowing who she might be?”
Adrian turned on him.
“I didn't know.”
“But you suspected.”
“Shut up.”
I looked between them.
“Suspected what?”
Neither answered.
My anger returned.
“No. I'm done with this.”
I pointed at Adrian.
“You rejected me.”
Then Elias.
“You attacked my home.”
“We didn't attack you,” Elias said.
“One of your wolves tried to bite my head off.”
“He was testing you.”
I stared at him.
“Testing me?”
“He would never have killed you.”
“That's supposed to make me feel better?”
A small hint of amusement touched his mouth.
“No.”
Adrian's fists tightened.
“You're leaving.”
Elias ignored him.
“Elena, listen carefully. We came because something happened tonight that hasn't happened in more than twenty years.”
I hated the way he said my name.
Not disrespectfully.
Almost reverently.
“What?”
“Your power revealed itself.”
My eyes dropped to my hands.
“The light?”
“Yes.”
“How would you know?”
“The moment Silver blood awakens, certain wolves can feel it.”
Adrian frowned.
“That's impossible.”
“Is it?”
Elias turned toward him.
“How do you think we found her?”
Adrian said nothing.
Elias looked back at me.
“The Blood Moon made it stronger.”
My thoughts raced.
The ceremony.
The rejection.
The pain.
My eyes changing.
The vision when I touched Vanessa.
Had all of it been connected?
“Why now?”
Elias's expression darkened.
“Strong emotion can trigger dormant abilities.”
I gave a bitter laugh.
“Well, tonight certainly qualifies.”
Adrian looked away.
Good.
Let him feel uncomfortable.
“What happened to the Silver Crown?” I asked.
Elias hesitated.
For the first time, he seemed cautious.
“They were destroyed.”
The night air suddenly felt colder.
“Destroyed by whom?”
“Enemies.”
“What kind of enemies?”
“The kind who believed no single bloodline should have the power your family possessed.”
My family.
Hearing those words made my stomach twist.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“We don't know that for certain.”
Elias laughed.
“Look at her eyes.”
“They're brown now.”
“They won't stay that way.”
I touched my face.
“What was my mother's real name?”
Elias became silent.
I immediately knew he had the answer.
“Tell me.”
His eyes met mine.
“Selene Ardyn.”
The name struck something inside me.
Not memory.
Something deeper.
Lyra stood suddenly alert.
We know that name.
My breath caught.
How?
I don't know.
Elias continued.
“She was the last known daughter of House Ardyn.”
“House Ardyn?”
“The bloodline that carried the Silver Crown.”
My knees felt weak.
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“Elena—”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“My mother was Evelyn Vale.”
“That was the name she used.”
“She was a healer.”
“She was hiding.”
“She died from an illness.”
Elias's expression changed.
Not pity.
Something worse.
Doubt.
“What?”
He said nothing.
I stepped toward him.
“What?”
“Elena.”
Adrian touched my arm.
I jerked away.
“Don't.”
His hand dropped.
I looked at Elias.
“You don't believe she died from an illness.”
He was silent for too long.
Finally, he said, “I believe you were told what someone wanted you to believe.”
The world seemed to tilt again.
I thought of my father's message.
If they ever find out who she is, run.
My throat tightened.
“Who killed her?”
Elias looked toward Adrian.
That was the wrong thing to do.
I followed his gaze.
Adrian's face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
“You know something.”
“Elena.”
“You know something about my mother's death.”
“I know rumors.”
“What rumors?”
“This isn't the place.”
I laughed.
The sound was almost hysterical.
“That sentence again.”
“Because we're standing outside your house with three armed strangers in the woods.”
“I don't care.”
“You should.”
“No. What I should've done was ask questions years ago.”
I stepped closer.
“What happened to my mother?”
Adrian's eyes softened.
“I don't know.”
“That's not the same as knowing nothing.”
“No.”
I waited.
He exhaled.
“There was an attack.”
My heart stopped.
“What attack?”
“Your mother died the night your home was attacked.”
“My father told me she was sick.”
“I know.”
“You're saying he lied?”
“I'm saying the official pack records say there was an incident.”
“Incident?”
“A fire.”
Images from my vision flashed through my mind.
A burning house.
Men in black robes.
Find the child.
My blood went cold.
“I saw it.”
Everyone went silent.
Adrian stared at me.
“Saw what?”
“When I touched Vanessa.”
“What?”
“I had some kind of vision.”
Elias went rigid.
“What did you see?”
“A woman screaming. White stone. A silver crown.”
I swallowed.
“A burning house.”
Elias's face lost color.
“And?”
“A man said, ‘Find the child.’”
Adrian looked at Elias.
For the first time, neither man seemed interested in fighting.
“What?” I demanded.
Elias spoke carefully.
“Silver blood can carry ancestral memory.”
I stared at him.
“Meaning?”
“Fragments. Images. Sometimes feelings.”
“You're telling me I saw my mother's memories?”
“Possibly.”
“That's impossible.”
“So was what you did to my wolf five minutes ago.”
I had no answer.
A sharp howl sounded in the distance.
Elias's head snapped toward the trees.
Another howl answered.
Then another.
Adrian cursed.
“What is it?”
Elias stood.
“We've been followed.”
Adrian's entire body tightened.
“By whom?”
“The reason we came tonight.”
The three strangers shifted almost simultaneously.
“Get inside,” Adrian ordered.
“No.”
“Elena, this isn't the time.”
“I'm tired of hiding.”
“You don't even know what you're facing.”
“Neither do you.”
His eyes locked onto mine.
“You think because you threw one wolf into a tree you're suddenly invincible?”
My jaw tightened.
“No.”
“Good. Because whatever power you have, you don't know how to control it.”
I hated that he was right.
Another howl came closer.
Elias's wolf growled.
Then he shifted back long enough to speak.
“They're here.”
Something moved in the darkness.
Not one wolf.
Many.
My heartbeat exploded.
Pairs of eyes appeared between the trees.
Five.
Eight.
Ten.
More.
Adrian stepped in front of me.
Elias and his men moved to either side.
For once, enemies stood together.
“What do they want?” I whispered.
Elias stared into the forest.
“You.”
A woman's voice answered from the darkness.
“No.”
The wolves parted.
Someone walked between them.
A woman.
Tall.
Black hair.
Long dark coat.
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