Chapter 15 The Hidden Passage

Chapter 15 The Hidden Passage
Clara's POV

I find the passage by accident.

After training with Mira, I'm exploring the mansion's lower levels, trying to find the library Damon mentioned. The hallways down here are narrower, older. Stone instead of fancy wood and wallpaper.

I'm running my hand along the wall when I feel it, a draft of cold air coming from somewhere it shouldn't.

I press against the stone, and a section of wall clicks. It swings inward silently, revealing darkness beyond.

A secret passage.

One side of me says to close it and walk away. But curiosity wins. I turn on my phone's flashlight and step inside.

The passage is narrow, barely wide enough for one person. Rough stone walls press close on both sides. The air smells damp and old, like no one's been here in years.

I follow it down. The path slopes gently, twisting and turning until I lose all sense of direction. My phone says I've been walking for ten minutes when I see light ahead.

The passage opens into a small cave. Natural rock surrounds me, and across the space, I see the exit, a narrow opening hidden behind thick bushes and trees.

Outside. The passage leads outside.

My heart pounds as I move toward the opening. I push through the bushes carefully and find myself in the forest, half a mile from the mansion. I can barely see the rooftops through the trees.

I could leave right now. Just walk away and never look back.

The thought hits me harder than expected. I could go back to my apartment, clinic, and normal life. No more pack politics, death threats, and watching Kael tear himself apart trying to protect everyone.

My phone has signal out here. I could call a cab, be back in the city in an hour. By tonight, this whole nightmare would be behind me.

I take a step toward freedom.

Then I hear voices.

I freeze, dropping low behind a fallen log. Through the trees, I see movement. Wolves, three of them, but they're not Shadowclaw. I recognize the different energy, the way they move like they own this forest.

Bloodfangs.

"...told us to watch this spot," one says. Male, young, bored.

"Waste of time," another complains. "Who's gonna use some old tunnel?"

"The human might." The third voice makes my blood run cold. It's Viktor, the wolf from the pack meeting who challenged Kael. "If she's smart, she'll try to run eventually. And when she does, we'll be waiting."

Viktor. He's working with the Bloodfangs.

"Your Alpha won't be happy if she escapes," the first Bloodfang says.

"Marcus will get his prize," Viktor replies. "One way or another. The girl can't hide in that house forever."

They're hunting me. Not just watching, hunting. And Viktor, a Shadowclaw wolf, is helping them.

I back away slowly, careful not to make any noise. My hands shake as I retreat into the passage. The cave's darkness feels safer now than the open forest.

I run back through the tunnel, not caring about being quiet anymore. My phone's flashlight bounces wildly off the walls as I race upward, away from the exit and the wolves waiting outside.

A spy. There's a spy in the pack.

How many others are there? How many wolves pretend to be loyal while feeding information to the enemy?

I burst out of the passage back into the mansion's basement, letting the hidden door swing shut behind me. My breath comes in gasps, and I lean against the wall trying to calm down.

I need to tell Kael. Right now.

But as I hurry toward the stairs, I hear footsteps above. Someone's coming down.

I press back into the shadows, watching as a figure descends. It's Samuel, the old healer who hates me, who argued against my presence at every council meeting.

He walks past me without looking, heading straight for the hidden door I just came through. He knows about the passage.

My blood turns to ice as I watch him disappear inside.

How many secrets does this place hold? How many ways in and out that the enemy knows about?

I wait until his footsteps fade, then run upstairs. I need to find Kael, need to warn him. But who can I trust? If Viktor is a traitor, if Samuel uses secret passages, how many others are working against us?

I'm halfway to Kael's study when I nearly crash into Mira.

"Clara?" She grabs my arms to steady me. "What's wrong? You look terrified."

The words catch in my throat. Can I trust her? She's been kind to me, training me when no one else would. But what if that's just an act?

"I need to see Kael," I manage.

"He's in a security meeting. The attack yesterday has everyone on edge." She studies my face. "Did something happen?"

"I just... I need to talk to him. It's important."

She nods slowly, but I see suspicion in her eyes. "I'll take you to him."

We walk through the mansion in silence. My mind races with everything I just learned. The passage, the waiting Bloodfangs, Viktor's betrayal, Samuel's secrets.

But beneath the fear, another feeling grows. Anger.

These wolves want me gone so badly they're willing to betray their own pack. They'd rather see Kael fail than accept me as his mate.

And I almost gave them what they wanted. Almost ran away like they knew I would.

Well, not anymore.

If there are traitors in this pack, if enemies are literally waiting at the gates for me to run, then running is exactly what I won't do.

I'll stay. I'll fight. And I'll make sure Kael knows who his real enemies are.

Mira leads me to a meeting room where Kael sits with Damon and several warriors. They're studying maps spread across the table, marking patrol routes and defensive positions.

Kael looks up when we enter, and his face immediately shifts to concern.

"Clara? What's wrong?"

Everyone turns to stare at me. I scan their faces, wondering which ones can be trusted. Which ones might be feeding information to the Bloodfangs.

"I need to talk to you," I say. "Privately. Now."

He sees the urgency in my expression and stands. "Everyone out."

The warriors file out, some giving me hostile looks. Damon pauses at the door.

"Should I stay?" he asks Kael.

Kael looks at me. I nod. Damon's been loyal since the beginning. If anyone can be trusted, it's him.

Once the door closes, Kael crosses to me. "What happened?"

I take a deep breath. "There's a spy in the pack. Maybe more than one. The Bloodfangs know about a secret passage under the mansion. They're watching it, waiting for me to run."

"How do you know this?"

"Because I found the passage. And I heard them talking." I meet his eyes. "Viktor is working with them. And Samuel knows about the tunnel too."

Kael's face goes dangerous. His wolf shows in his eyes for a moment before he gets it under control.

"Show me," he says quietly. "Show me this passage."

As we head back downstairs, I realize something important. I'm not running anymore. Not from David's betrayal, the pack's hatred, or the danger surrounding us.

I'm staying. And I'm fighting back.

The Bloodfangs think I'm weak. That I'll break and run.

They have no idea how wrong they are.