Chapter 21 The Mother’s Warning
Amanda's hands trembled as she clutched the journal to her chest. Her heart hammered so hard she could feel it in her throat. She had to find Derek. Now.
She ran through the corridors of the estate. Her bare feet slapped against the cold stone floors. Servants jumped out of her way, startled by her disheveled appearance. She didn't care. Nothing mattered except getting to Derek.
The training yard. He'd be there. He always went there when he was angry or frustrated.
Amanda burst through the heavy wooden doors. The morning air was crisp and cool against her flushed skin. The sound of fists hitting leather echoed across the yard.
Derek stood in the center, shirtless and covered in sweat. His muscles flexed with each brutal punch he delivered to the training dummy. The force of his blows made the heavy bag swing violently on its chains.
He didn't stop when she entered. Didn't even look up.
"Derek." Her voice came out breathless.
Another punch. Harder than the last.
"Derek, please. I need to talk to you."
"Not now." His voice was cold. Distant.
Amanda moved closer. She could see the tension in his shoulders. The way his jaw clenched between strikes. He was punishing himself. For last night. For letting her in.
"It's about your mother."
That made him pause. His fist hung in the air, inches from the bag. Slowly, he turned to face her. Sweat dripped down his chest. His eyes were guarded but curious.
"What about her?"
Amanda held up the journal. "I found this. In a hidden room in the library. It's hers."
Derek's expression didn't change. "So?"
"So she knew, Derek. About us. About the curse. About everything." Amanda's words tumbled out faster now. "There's a prophecy. About you. About me. About what we're supposed to do together."
Derek grabbed a towel from the nearby bench and wiped his face. "My mother believed in a lot of things. Prophecies, fate, moon blessings." He tossed the towel aside. "I don't."
"Just listen to me." Amanda opened the journal with shaking hands. She found the passage she'd memorized. "When the silver wolf falls, only the blood of the forgotten line can raise him. United, they will forge a new reign. Divided, darkness will consume both lines."
Derek's jaw tightened. "That could mean anything."
"She drew this." Amanda turned the page and held it up. The sketch of the crescent moon stared back at them. "That's my birthmark, Derek. She drew it before I was born. Years before."
Derek took the journal from her hands. His fingers traced the delicate lines of the sketch. Amanda watched emotions flicker across his face. Disbelief. Confusion. Something that looked almost like hope.
"This is insane." His voice was quiet now. Strained. "You expect me to believe our marriage was prophesied? That my mother somehow saw you in visions?"
"I don't expect you to believe anything. I'm just showing you what I found."
Derek flipped through more pages. His eyes scanned the elegant handwriting. The training yard was silent except for the rustle of paper and the distant call of birds.
"She thought she could change it." His voice was rough. "She thought if she left clues, if she prepared for it, she could stop what was coming."
"She tried to save you."
"She failed." Derek closed the journal with more force than necessary. "I still got cursed. I still lost my wolf."
"But you're not alone in breaking it. That's what the prophecy means. United. Together."
Derek's eyes met hers. For a moment, the walls came down. She saw the raw vulnerability beneath. The fear. The desperate hope he was trying so hard to suppress.
"What if it's not real?" The words came out barely above a whisper. "What if this is just coincidence? What if you can't actually break this curse and we're both just fooling ourselves?"
Amanda's heart clenched. She reached for his hand. "Then we keep trying anyway."
Derek's fingers tightened around hers. The connection sparked between them. Warm. Electric. Real.
"There's something else. A warning."
Derek's expression hardened. "What kind of warning?"
She pulled her hand away and opened the journal again. Found the passage that had made her blood run cold. "The betrayal will come from within. Someone close to Derek. Someone he trusts. They wear loyalty like a mask. They smile while they sharpen their blade."
The color drained from Derek's face.
"Read it again." His voice was flat. Dangerous.
Amanda read the words slowly. Each one seemed to hit Derek like a punch to the gut. "Beware the friend who smiles, for his blade is already drawn. The betrayer walks beside my son, wearing the face of loyalty."
Derek stumbled back a step. His hand went to his chest. Right where the curse mark lay hidden beneath his skin.
"No." The word came out choked. "No, that's not possible."
"Derek..."
"Someone I trust? Someone close to me performed the binding? Someone I..." He couldn't finish the sentence.
Amanda watched him struggle. Saw the moment the truth sank in. His breathing quickened. His hands clenched into fists.
"The ritual hunt." The words came out slowly. Like he was piecing together a puzzle he didn't want to solve. "I wasn't alone that night. There were others with me. Friends. Pack members."
"Who was there?"
Derek's eyes went distant. Remembering. "Elder Moira. She was overseeing everything. My father. Old Ambrose." He paused. "Silas."
The name hung in the air between them.
"Silas has been your closest friend since childhood."
"Exactly. Which means it can't be him." But Derek's voice lacked conviction. "Silas would never betray me. He's been there through everything. He's the only one who didn't turn his back on me when I lost my wolf."
"Or maybe that's exactly why he stayed close."
Derek's head snapped toward her. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying your mother warned you. The betrayer wears the face of loyalty. Who better to hide behind than the face of a best friend?"
"No." Derek shook his head violently. "You don't know what you're talking about. You've been here a few weeks and you think you understand my pack? My friends?"
The anger in his voice made Amanda flinch. But she stood her ground. "I'm not saying I know for certain. I'm saying we need to consider it."
"Consider what? That the one person who's stood by me is actually the one who destroyed me?" Derek's laugh was bitter. Broken. "Do you have any idea what that would mean?"
"I know it's painful. But Derek, if there's even a chance..."
"There's not." He cut her off. His walls were back up. Solid and unbreakable. "Silas didn't do this. And I'm not going to accuse him based on some vague prophecy my mother wrote in a journal."
"Your mother saw things, Derek. Real things. She saw me. She drew my birthmark. She knew about the curse before it happened."
"Then why didn't she stop it?" Derek's voice cracked. "If she knew so much, if she saw everything coming, why didn't she save me?"
The pain in his voice shattered something inside Amanda. She stepped forward and grabbed his hand again. This time she didn't let go when he tried to pull away.
"I don't know. Maybe she couldn't. Maybe some things have to happen for the prophecy to be fulfilled. But Derek, she left us these clues for a reason. She wanted us to find the truth."
Derek's shoulders sagged. The fight went out of him. He looked down at their joined hands. At the journal still clutched in Amanda's other hand.
"I don't know if I can handle this." His voice was barely audible. "If what you're saying is true, if someone close to me performed the binding, someone I trust..." He met her eyes. The pain in them made her chest ache. "How do I live with that?"