Chapter 38 A new character?
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat as the sun fractured through the crystalline walls. I turned to Alpha Thorne, my voice hardening. “But beauty doesn't explain why you kidnapped us. I am the Luna of the Hollow Knigh pack. Being here isn't just a mistake it’s a declaration of war.”
I stepped further into the glass palace, the floor cold beneath my boots. Behind me, Elio and Kelvin stood frozen, their mouths slightly agape as they tracked the shimmering architecture.
“I don’t think this place was a bad idea after all,” Kelvin murmured, his eyes wide.
Thorne didn't even look at him. “Listen to your subordinate, Aurora. Besides, who truly knows your identity? You’ve been a ghost your entire life the hidden daughter of Malissa Lieu.”
The mention of my mother’s name felt like a physical blow. I spun around, my heart hammering against my ribs. “How do you know my mother?”
Thorne stepped into my space, his presence looming and dark against the transparent walls. “What if I told you I know exactly what happened that night?”
“You’re trying to manipulate me,” I snapped, stepping back. “I remember that night vividly. I remember every shadow, every scream. You weren't there.”
“That’s because your memories are a lie,” Thorne said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous vibration. “This pull... this tether I feel whenever I’m near you? I felt it that night, too. I went to the Lieu chambers to warn your mother. The King had already slaughtered my family I knew yours was next.”
“The King?” I scoffed, though my hands were shaking. “The King wasn't even there. What kind of nonsense are you spilling?”
We moved deeper into the heart of the glass house. Two people in crisp, modern attire stepped forward to greet us.
“You have servants here, too?” I asked, looking for any sign of the chains or brands I was used to seeing.
“They’re my staff, Aurora. Not servants,” Thorne corrected.
Staff. A new word, a new world. “So... they’re paying off a debt?”
The blonde jerk behind Thorne let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “No, he pays them. Is this the brain you were going to use to survive the human world? Gosh.”
“Watch your tone when speaking to our Luna,” Kelvin growled, stepping forward, but his defense was cut short.
A woman was descending the grand staircase. She was pale, with brunette hair that flowed behind her like a silken shroud. She didn't just walk; she commanded the very air in the room. I
Smelt a spirit a strange, familiar hum in my chest—a spirit that mirrored my own, even as my wolf remained locked behind a wall of silence.
Thorne’s expression shifted instantly, his mask of indifference cracking into something uneasy.
The woman reached the bottom and extended a hand toward me. Her eyes were piercing. “Welcome to the Thorne household. I heard you were one of us.”
I hesitated, then slowly reached out. “Thank you. But... how could you possibly know what I am?”
She gripped my hand, her skin unnervingly cold. A chilling smile touched her lips. “Because I can smell the blood of our enemies thickening inside you.”