Chapter 25 Aeliana
ARYA
“Then I’ll pick the lock.” Bardon’s voice was amused. “May I enter?”
“Please.”
He came in carrying a massive leather bound tome that looked older than some countries. “I thought we should begin your education.”
“Now?” I raised a brow, my eyes widening.
“No time like the present. And you deserve to know the truth about who you are before dinner with the Lycan King becomes an interrogation.” He settled into one of the chairs by the fireplace. “Come, child. Let me tell you about the Moonbornes.”
I joined him, curling up in the opposite chair. Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding. Finally, I was going to learn something about my originality. The truth about my history. My family’s story.
“Your family didn’t just rule,” he began, opening the tome to reveal pages covered in elegant script and detailed illustrations. “They were the FIRST. Before Lycans and wolves split, before territories were divided, there was one unified kingdom under the Moonborne dynasty.”
He showed me a drawing of a massive palace under a full moon, creatures of all kinds gathered before it.
“Your great-great-many-times-over grandmother was called Aeliana the First. She was born under a blood moon with marks on her skin that glowed silver. The Moon Goddess herself blessed her, giving her the power to speak to all shifters, wolves, Lycans, bears, cats, all of them.”
“What kind of power?”
“The power of unity. Of understanding. She could feel what others felt, understand their needs, bridge conflicts before they became wars.” His finger traced over the illustration. “She ruled for two hundred years, and under her reign, all supernatural beings lived in harmony.”
“What happened?”
“What always happens. Someone wanted more.” He turned the page to show a darker illustration. A figure shrouded in shadow. “Thaddeus Nightshade. A Lycan of pure bloodline who believed Lycans were superior to wolves. He saw the Moonborne mixing of species as weakness. Like kings dining with peasants.”
“The same Thaddeus that—” I remembered what they’d said before. “The one who orchestrated the massacre?”
“The very same. Though he’s gone by many names over the centuries.” Bardon’s expression was grim. “He started a rebellion. Convinced other pure-blood Lycans that they were being held back by lesser species. The resulting war lasted fifty years and killed thousands.”
“And my family?”
“Fought to maintain peace. But Thaddeus was clever. He turned public opinion, made the Moonbornes seem like tyrants holding Lycans back from their true potential.” He showed me another image. A family being hunted. “One by one, they were assassinated. Hunted down. Executed publicly as warnings.”
My stomach churned. “All of them?”
“Your grandmother Elara was the last of the main line. She was pregnant with your mother when the final assault came. Her mate died defending her escape.” His voice softened. “She fled with nothing but the clothes on her back and that amulet. It is a Moonborne royal seal that she spelled with suppression magic.”
“To hide my mother.”
“And eventually you. The suppression wasn’t just about hiding your wolf, Arya. It was hiding your very essence. Your bloodline. The unique signature that all Moonbornes carry.” He closed the book. “That’s why you never shifted. Why you always felt cold. The suppression magic was dampening everything about you that made you OTHER.”
“And now that it’s broken?”
“Now every supernatural being with the senses to feel it knows a Moonborne lives. Including Thaddeus’s descendants and allies.” He met my eyes seriously. “You’re in more danger now than you’ve ever been.”
“Great.” I laughed shakily. “Anything else cheerful to tell me?”
“Actually, yes.” He pulled out a smaller book. “This is your grandmother’s journal. She left it with me before she died, with instructions to give it to you when you were ready.”
My hands trembled as I took it. The leather was worn, the pages yellowed with age.
“I’ll leave you to read it privately.” Bardon stood. “But Arya? Your grandmother’s last words to me were these: ‘Tell Arya that hiding kept her safe, but only embracing who she is will keep her alive. She’s stronger than all of us. She just needs to believe it.’”
Tears burned my eyes. “Thank you.”
After he left, I opened the journal.
The first page was in my grandmother’s familiar handwriting:
‘My dearest Aeliana—
If you’re reading this, I’m gone. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you everything while I lived. Sorry I had to hide so much from you. But I did it out of love, out of desperate hope that you might have a normal life.
I know now that was foolish. You were never meant for normal. You are Moonborne. You are the bridge. You are the hope our family died trying to protect.
By now, you’ve learned about the suppression magic. About the amulet. I know you must feel betrayed, learning I caged your wolf all these years. But my darling girl, I did it to save you. Thaddeus’s people were still hunting. One whisper that a Moonborne child lived, and they would have found you.
I hid you with the Blackthorne pack because the old Luna owed me a debt. I made her promise to keep you safe, to raise you when I died. I didn’t know she’d arrange your marriage to her grandson. If I had…
But perhaps it was meant to be. Perhaps you needed those hard years to become strong enough for what’s coming.
There are things you need to know:
1\. Your father was Lycan. High-born. Third in line to the throne. He met your mother during a peace summit and fell in love despite the danger. When Thaddeus’s people discovered their relationship, they killed him.
2\. This makes you not just Moonborne, but royalty on both sides. Your blood is the purest hybrid that has ever existed.
3\. There is a prophecy. I’m sure they’ve told you about it by now. But what they don’t know—what only the Moonborne line knew—is that the prophecy has a second part:
“The bridge will unite through love or death. Through choice or conquest. But only love freely given will bring lasting peace. Forced unity will crumble like ash.”
4\. The Lycan King will feel your mate bond. He’s been waiting centuries for his mate to be born. But darling girl, just because the bond exists doesn’t mean you must accept it. The prophecy requires your CHOICE. Not your submission.
5\. Trust your wolf. I named her Lean before I caged her, whispered to her every night that she was loved and would one day be free. She’s been waiting for you. Listening. Learning. She knows things I taught her that your conscious mind doesn’t remember.
6\. Beware Thaddeus’s bloodline. They have infiltrated every level of supernatural society. Some wear friendly faces. Trust very few.
7\. And finally, my darling Aeliana, your real name, the one your mother gave you at birth—you are ENOUGH. You were always enough. Never let anyone make you small again.
I love you beyond words. Beyond time. Beyond death.
May the Moon Goddess guide you.
Your Grandmother Elara