Chapter 13: Hidden Chambers
Liana's heart pounded as they raced through the trees, the scroll clutched tightly in her hand. Celeste's laughter followed them like a ghost.
"Keep moving!" Kael shouted, half-carrying Rowan whose face was already showing thin black lines again.
The witch's cure was wearing off faster than they'd hoped. As dawn broke, they reached the Alpha's farm.
Guards rushed forward, faces tight with worry.
"Get Elder Mira," Jace ordered. "And lock down the land. Celeste is working with Darius."
They carried Rowan to his room. The black veins had slowed their spread but hadn't stopped altogether.
"The scroll," Talia reminded Liana.
"What does it say?" Liana unrolled it with shaky fingers. The silver runes glowed, then changed into words she could understand.
"'Only one true mate exists among three brothers,'" she read aloud. "'Choose wrong, and all will die.' But how do I know which one?"
Elder Mira burst into the room, bringing herbs and potions. "The witch bought us time, but not much," she said, studying Rowan.
"We need answers, and quickly."
"The Alpha's library," Kael offered. "Father keeps ancient pack records there."
The library was massive, with shelves stretching to the sky. Dust danced in sunbeams coming through tall windows. They split up, looking for anything about curses, triplets, or Moon Priestesses.
Hours passed. Frustration grew.
"There's nothing here!" Jace slammed a book shut. Liana leaned against a bookshelf, tired. Her chain clinked against something metal. Curious, she looked closer and found a small silver moon lodged in the wood. It matched her necklace exactly.
"Guys," she called, pushing her necklace against the mark. The bookshelf shifted with a groan, showing a narrow passageway.
"Hidden chambers," Kael whispered, eyes wide. "Father never mentioned this."
They crept down stone steps into a circular room. The walls were covered in paintings of wolves and old runes. Glass cases held scrolls, guns, and jewelry. In the middle stood a stone table with a map carved into its surface.
"Look," Talia gasped, pointing to a picture. A woman who looked exactly like Liana stood surrounded by wolves, wearing a crown of moonstones. The silver marks on her skin matched Liana's perfectly. "That's... me?" Liana touched the painting in disbelief.
"Not you," Elder Mira said softly. "Your ancestor. Luna Silverblood, the first Luna."
Kael picked up a scroll from a nearby case. His face paled as he read. "According to this, Luna Silverblood wasn't just powerful—she created the entire pack system. Before her, wolves fought endless fights. She united them through blood bonds and magic."
"So I'm not just from a Moon Priestess bloodline," Liana realized. "I'm... royal?"
"The highest royalty," Elder Mira confirmed. "The Silverblood line was thought extinct after the great betrayal."
"What betrayal?" Jace asked. Elder Mira pointed to another painting—dark and violent, showing wolves striking a silver-eyed woman.
"Luna's mate's brother grew jealous of her power. He led a revolt, killing most of the ruling line. The survivors went into hiding, masking themselves as omegas—the lowest rank, where no one would look for royal blood."
Liana felt dizzy with discovery. All her life, she'd believed she was nothing special. Now she learned she was descended from the most powerful wolves in history. While the others studied scrolls, Jace drifted to a corner of the room. His sharp eyes spotted something unusual—fresh cuts around a small drawer. He pried it open. Inside lay a small book and a silver knife.
"Guys," he called, voice tight. "Someone's been here recently."
The book held coded messages. As Jace flipped through it, a small piece of paper fell out—a map of guard movements with notes in familiar handwriting.
"This is Celeste's writing," he growled. "She's been communicating with Darius for months, planning how to get into the estate."
"But why?" Talia asked.
"The royal blood," Kael realized. "If Liana is truly a Silverblood, her blood holds power. Mixed with the right magic..."
"It could destroy the pack system," Elder Mira ended.
"Or rebuild it under a new rule." Liana found another paper.
This one showed three wolves circling a silver-eyed woman, with lines connecting all four.
"The triplet bond," she whispered.
"It says here that when triplets are born to an Alpha line, it signals great change coming. The Moon Goddess makes triplets only when the pack system needs... renewal."
"So we were born to meet you," Rowan said from the doorway. Everyone jumped. He leaned heavily against the wall, pale but standing.
"You should be resting," Kael scolded, moving to support him.
"I felt something calling me," Rowan explained, looking around the secret chamber with wide eyes. "Like the room itself was pulling me here."
He pointed to the paper in Liana's hands. "What else does it say about the true mate?"
Liana read further. "'The true mate bond can only form when hearts connect in perfect truth. Deception, even well-intended, will poison the link.'" She looked up, meeting each brother's eyes.
"We've all been hiding things," Kael revealed. "I've been fighting the bond because I was afraid of the prophecy."
"I've been acting like nothing matters when everything does," Jace admitted.
"And I..." Rowan paused. "I've known about the curse since I was thirteen. I just never knew what caused it."
A deep voice echoed from behind them. "And I've known about all of this from the beginning." They whirled around to find Alpha Thorne filling the opening.
His massive frame stopped the exit, his face a storm of anger. His eyes locked on Liana. "You've caused quite the commotion in my absence, omega," he growled. "Or should I say, Princess Silverblood?"
"Father," Kael stepped forward. "We can explain—"
"Explain why my sons are entangled with the last heir of a bloodline that nearly destroyed us all?" Alpha Thorne stalked forward.
"Explain why Celeste, our most potential Luna candidate, has fled to join forces with Darius? Or perhaps explain why old magic is awakening across our territory?" His eyes softened slightly as they landed on Rowan. "And you, my son. The curse grows stronger."
"You knew?" Rowan whispered, betrayal in his voice.
"I've always known. It's the price our bloodline pays for what we did to the Silverbloods ages ago."
The Alpha turned back to Liana. "Your ancestor cursed my grandfather. Only a true mate tie can break it."
"Then let her try!" Jace argued.
Alpha Thorne shook his head. "It's not that easy. A forced bond will kill you all." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn photo—a young woman with Liana's eyes, smiling beside a younger Alpha Thorne. "Your mother," he said softly to Liana.
"She was my brother's mate." The room went quiet. Liana stared at the Alpha, understanding dawning.
"That makes you..."
"Your uncle," Alpha Thorne confirmed. "And the reason Darius hates our pack so deeply. He loved your mother, but she chose my brother instead."
A howl ripped through the night outside—not a normal wolf, but something darker, twisted. Alpha Thorne's head snapped toward the sound.
"They're here. Darius has breached our limits." He turned to the group, his voice authoritative.
"The time for lies is over. Darius wants Liana's blood, Celeste wants payback, and the Moon Goddess wants balance restored." He held out his hand to Liana. "Are you ready to claim your birthright, niece?"
Before she could answer, the house shook with an explosion. Dust rained from the roof.
"Too late for talk," Kael said, drawing a blade.
"War has come to our door." Liana looked at the three brothers—strong Kael, fierce Jace, wise Rowan—and felt her heart pull in all directions.
According to the scroll, she had to choose just one. But how could she, when they each held a piece of her heart?