Chapter 23 CHAPTER 23
The ride back to the Lycan court was unusually silent. The hum of the engine and the faint rumble of tires on gravel were the only sounds in the car. Ethan leaned against the leather seat, his gaze fixed on the forest rolling past the tinted windows. The city lights had faded behind them, swallowed by the dusky outline of the mountains. His thoughts, however, were nowhere near the road.
Celestine’s words replayed in his mind with a haunting rhythm.
“She is near… closer than you think.”
The priestess’s voice still echoed like a whisper from another realm. For years, he had sought something, anything, that could lead him to his mother and sister. Now, for the first time in nearly two decades, the Moon Goddess had spoken through Celestine with certainty. She was near. One of them was near. His chest tightened at the thought.
He wanted to believe it - gods, he needed to believe it.
Outside, the forest deepened, moonlight scattering through the branches like shards of silver. He remembered the last time he had traveled this road with his father, sitting in the back seat with his legs dangling, too short to reach the floor. His father’s laughter had filled the car then. His mother’s soft hum. That was before the witches came. Before fire consumed their world.
He turned his face toward the window, hiding the faint tremor of emotion that crossed his eyes. The memories were old, but grief never aged, it simply learned to sit quietly in the corners of his heart.
A voice from the front seat broke his silence.
“You’re quiet tonight,” Liam said, his tone casual but weighted with familiarity.
Ethan looked up. Liam’s reflection in the rear-view mirror showed a faint grin, that easy, teasing look he’d worn since they were boys training in the courtyard.
“Thinking,” Ethan replied softly.
“About what Celestine said?” Liam asked.
Ethan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he exhaled slowly, his breath fogging the cool glass. “She said she could sense her… that she’s in the city. For the first time, I feel like I’m not chasing ghosts.”
Liam nodded, his hands steady on the wheel. “Then maybe it’s finally time your search led somewhere.”
“I can’t afford to hope,” Ethan said. “Not again. Every time I’ve thought I found a lead, it ended in ashes.”
Liam glanced at him briefly. “And yet, here you are. Still searching.”
Ethan gave a small, tired laugh. “You make that sound noble.”
“No,” Liam said, smiling faintly. “Just stubborn.”
They both chuckled softly. It was an easy sound, the kind that belonged to two men who had once fought over practice swords and shared stolen loaves of bread as children. But beneath that warmth, tension hummed, the kind born from too many losses and too many responsibilities carried by one man.
The car turned through the great iron gates of the Lycan Court. Torches flanked the drive, their flames bowing low to the wind. The sprawling castle rose from the hill like a crown of black stone, its towers gleaming faintly under the moon. Home. Yet for Ethan, it never felt complete. Not without them.
The moment they stepped inside, the scent of burning wood and pine filled the air. The guards saluted sharply, bowing their heads. “Your Majesty,” they chorused.
Ethan gave a slight nod and continued walking. Beside him, Liam fell into step easily, though his posture stiffened in the presence of other wolves.
When the heavy doors closed behind them and the echo of footsteps faded down the hall, Ethan’s shoulders eased. “You can drop the formalities now,” he muttered.
Liam smirked. “Even in the castle?”
“Especially in the castle,” Ethan replied. “You’re my Beta, not my servant. Stop acting like one when no one’s watching.”
Liam gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. “You might be my childhood friend, Ethan, but you’re also my king. It’s hard to turn that off.”
“Try harder,” Ethan said dryly, though a ghost of a smile tugged at his mouth.
They entered Ethan’s private study—a vast chamber lined with books and moonlit maps. A single fire burned low in the hearth. Ethan poured himself a drink and motioned for Liam to sit.
“So,” Ethan began, leaning back against the edge of the desk. “You said you had something to tell me. What was it?”
Liam hesitated. “I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. But there’s something you need to know about what happened today.”
Ethan raised a brow. “Go on.”
“After you went to see Celestine,” Liam said slowly, “I took the men to Pauline’s Café for lunch - our usual spot. But this time… there was someone different there.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Different?”
Liam nodded. “A girl. A new worker, in the kitchen. She came to take our order.”
Ethan arched an eyebrow, amused. “And what about a café girl could possibly be worth my attention?”
Liam leaned forward, his tone sharpening. “Because she wasn’t human.”
Ethan froze. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely,” Liam said. “The moment she entered the room, we all sensed it - the wolf inside her. But not like any other. Her aura… it wasn’t ordinary. It was golden.”
Ethan’s breath hitched. “Golden?”
Liam nodded again. “The mark of royal blood.”
For a long moment, silence stretched between them. The crackle of the fire filled the space, loud and alive. Ethan’s heart began to race.
“Describe her,” he said finally, his voice low.
Liam closed his eyes, recalling. “She’s young - no more than nineteen or twenty. Dark hair, brown skin. Slim, but her presence… it’s strong, quiet, controlled. And yet she doesn’t seem to know who she is. No crest, no mark. Nothing to show her lineage.”
Ethan swallowed hard, his mind spinning. “Celestine said one of my blood was near. And you’re telling me this girl has a royal aura?”
“I am,” Liam said carefully.
Ethan ran a hand over his jaw, pacing slowly. “That means she could be…”
“Your sister,” Liam finished.
The words hit the air like a spark. Ethan turned to the window, his pulse thundering. For the first time in years, he felt the weight of something unfamiliar pressing against his chest - hope.
“Do you know where she lives?” Ethan asked abruptly.
Liam shook his head. “Not yet. But we can find her easily enough.”
Ethan turned, determination hardening his expression. “Then we go tomorrow morning. At first light.”
Liam hesitated. “Do you think that’s wise? We don’t even know if she is….”
“I’ve waited nearly twenty years, Liam,” Ethan cut in, his voice rough with emotion. “If there’s even a chance she’s my sister, I need to see her. I’ll know the moment I do.”
Liam studied him for a long second, then nodded. “Then I’ll have the cars ready by dawn.”
Ethan sighed, shoulders loosening slightly. “Good. And Liam…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Liam grinned faintly. “Just doing my job, your majesty.”
Ethan shot him a look, and Liam laughed, ducking out of the room before Ethan could retort.
Left alone, Ethan sank into the nearest chair, staring into the fire. His thoughts churned—images of a dark-haired girl with a golden aura, of his mother’s laughter, of his sister’s tiny hand in his when the night of fire swallowed them all.
He’d built his life on duty, on leadership, on the promise that someday he would make things right. And now, for the first time, the promise didn’t feel so impossible.
Still, beneath the fragile hope, tension coiled in his chest. If she truly was his sister, why had the Goddess kept her hidden all these years? And if she wasn’t…
He exhaled slowly, the firelight glinting off his eyes.
Either way, tomorrow, he would find out.