Chapter 30 — Fragments of the Unknown
Her eyes, however, fell on the picture frame on her table. It was her photograph with her son–Edward as a baby, wrapped in cloth, her arms cradling him with a smile. She reached out, her fingers brushing the glass.
“Thank you, Goddess,” she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, heavy with the night’s strain. “Thank you for keeping my son safe.”
The weight of relief washed over her face. No matter what else the world had stolen from her, Edward remained untouched. And for her, that truth alone was enough to steady her heart and bring quiet strength.
Down the hall, Kian and Damien had their own rooms within the mansion. They had no plans of leaving. Not tonight.
The forest still held too many shadows, and the rogues who had fled might still linger beyond the borders. Until morning came, both men decided, their place was here, under their Alpha’s roof.
The mansion quieted quickly after that. Doors closed. Lights dimmed. The great house became a place of silence once more, holding inside it wolves who had bled and wolves who had survived.
But Edward did not find rest.
Even behind the closed door of his chamber, the questions would not leave him. The image of the Moon Stone’s power healing others while leaving him broken replayed again and again in his mind.
His hands tightened against the arms of his chair. His chest rose with another restless breath.
And though the mansion slept, Edward remained awake–his heart heavy, his soul unsettled, his eyes searching the darkness for answers that the Goddess had yet to give.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the mansion windows, casting golden beams over the polished floors and draped curtains. For the wolves who lived there, the morning felt heavy after the bloody events of the sacred ground the night before. Yet life, as always, pushed forward.
In her room, Elara sat quietly on the edge of her bed, her fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of her blanket. She hadn’t slept well, and her dreams had been restless again–dreams she didn’t fully understand, yet they always carried the same weight, the same lingering whispers of something bigger. She rose when her phone rang, and as soon as she saw the caller ID, she pressed it to her ear.
“Elara,” Seraphina’s soft but urgent voice spilled through.
“Seraphina,” Elara answered, relief evident in her tone. “I was about to call you.”
“I wanted to come over,” Seraphina said. “I need to tell you everything that happened at the sacred ground last night.”
Elara’s heart skipped. She sat up straighter. “Come. Please. I was going to ask you to come anyway. There are some things I need to show you. Pictures… from the book.”
There was a short pause on the other end, and Elara could almost hear Seraphina’s breath hitch. “The book?”
“Yes,” Elara whispered, lowering her voice though no one else was in the room. “The one I took from Edward’s room. I managed to take some pictures of the pages before I returned it. I think they might connect to my dreams. I don’t know why, but I believe you might understand them better than I do.”
Seraphina didn’t hesitate. “Then I’ll be there by noon.”
When the call ended, Elara set her phone aside, her heart hammering. She felt both nervous and relieved. For once, she wouldn’t carry the weight of these strange signs alone.
Elsewhere in the mansion, the morning was stirring awake too. Kian was the first to rise. The warrior had slept little, his mind replaying the clash of fangs and claws from the night before.
He dressed quickly and marched straight to Damien’s room, knocking once before pushing the door open.
To his surprise, Damien was already awake, sitting at the small table in his room with papers scattered before him. His expression was sharp, his eyes heavy but focused.
“You’re up already,” Kian muttered. “I thought I’d be dragging you out of bed.”
Damien looked up, the corner of his mouth twitching into a tired smirk. “You should know better by now. I barely slept.”
Kian crossed his arms. “Neither did I. Last night was… a storm.”
Damien leaned back in his chair. “We’ve seen storms before. But this one... it felt different.”
Kian’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer. “Different, yes. Because they weren’t just looking to fight. They were after Edward.”
Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He gestured toward the door. “Let’s go. We should check on him.”
Together, they walked down the quiet hall, their footsteps echoing against the stillness of the mansion. When they reached Edward’s door, they knocked. No response. They waited, knocked again. Still silence.
Kian frowned, his hand hesitating only briefly before he turned the handle and opened the door.
The room was dim, the curtains still drawn, and Edward lay on the bed, and his body stretched out. He looked calm, almost peaceful, though there was always something restless beneath the surface of an Alpha like him.
Kian and Damien exchanged a look before Kian stepped closer. “Edward,” he called softly.
When the Edward didn’t stir, Damien approached and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Edward stirred, then opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the light.
“You’re both too early,” he muttered, his voice still thick from sleep.
Edward pushed himself upright, his muscles tense. “Fine. I’m awake.” He rubbed his face with his hand and looked at them. “What is it?”
Kian’s expression softened with concern. “How are you? After last night.”
Edward paused, then gave a faint nod. “I’m okay. I’ll be fine.”
Damien wasted no time, his tone practical. “We’ve already started investigating. We want to know who exactly attacked us last night and if there are others involved. But for now… we can’t say much. Their scents were masked on purpose.”
Edward leaned back against his pillows, his expression sharpening. “Masked?”
“Yes,” Damien confirmed. “They were careful. Too careful for ordinary rogues. But at the moment, we don’t know who they really were.”
Kian folded his arms, his voice heavy with suspicion. “I still think they were just rogues. Wolves exiled from their packs who banded together. They don’t need a greater purpose... they just thrive on chaos.”
Edward was silent for a long moment, his gaze thoughtful. Then he said, “Maybe. But maybe not. We should wait. Let the investigation play out. Then we’ll know our next step.”
Damien inclined his head. “As you say, Alpha.”