Chapter 54 The Hidden History of War

Chapter 54 The Hidden History of War
The library at Pack House had become one of Ruella’s favorite places to spend time, aside from the garden. Just like now, it had been quite a while since she’d run away from Calix and hidden in the library, accompanied by Claire.

There, in one corner, Ruella sat on the floor. Her back was leaning against a bookshelf, her knees bent, and both hands pressed against her chest.

The pounding was still there, and much faster than usual.

Chaos.

Her heart wouldn’t cooperate. If it kept beating that fast, she was afraid Calix would be able to hear it. That’s why she’d quickly backed away before Calix got any closer.

But now she regretted it. She should have taken advantage of that moment and pressed closer to him. But she was too nervous. She’d thought she could tease Calix into making her his officially, but her courage had failed her. Instead of teasing him, she ended up being teased herself.

"Claire…" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper lost among the tall shelves.

Claire sat cross legged in front of her, her body leaning slightly forward, her eyes watching every change in Ruella’s expression with keen interest.

"Yes, Your Highness? Are you ready to tell me?" she replied softly, though there was a hint of curiosity she couldn’t hide.

Ruella swallowed. "He… suddenly came closer. So fast, and this close, just a fist’s length away…" she continued.

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Who? You’ve been beating around the bush this whole time. I don’t understand."

Ruella looked straight at her, as if the question were absurd because the answer was obvious.

"Calix. You know he’s the only one who can make my heart race," she murmured softly.

"Oh… I thought you had moved on to Sir Kyle," Claire joked.

Ruella furrowed her brow. "Why do so many people think that? Calix asked the same thing earlier. He thought I had special feelings for Kyle."

"Really? That’s great!" Claire exclaimed.

"What’s so great about that?"

"It means Alpha Calix is starting to notice you. He’s even getting jealous seeing you close to Sir Kyle," Claire explained.

Ruella fell silent. "Is that really true?"

Claire rested her chin in her palm, a smile slowly spreading across her lips.

"That’s exactly it."

Ruella closed her eyes for a moment.

The memory came flooding back with crystal clarity.

The way Calix had looked down at her with such an intense gaze, as if Ruella would vanish if she so much as blinked.

Ruella’s face flushed instantly.

"You’re even blushing like this, come on, tell me more."

"He was so close," Ruella murmured. "I could even… feel his breath."

Claire fell silent for a second.

Then, her laughter burst out.

"Hahaaa!"

"Claire!" Ruella protested quickly, her cheeks growing even redder.

"Sorry, sorry…" Claire waved her hands, trying to hold back her laughter, though she clearly failed. "But this is too funny. I can just picture your panicked face when it happened."

"That’s not funny."

"It is. It’s really funny, wle!" Claire replied, sticking out her tongue teasingly.

Ruella turned her face away, annoyed.

Claire kept watching her with a meaningful smile. There was a special kind of happiness in seeing the young lady she’d known since childhood receive even the smallest of blessings.

Claire hoped that even greater happiness would soon come Ruella’s way.

"The prayers you offered to the moon goddess seem to be coming true, one by one," Claire said.

Ruella smiled. "It seems so."

"Calix has changed for the better, of course," said Claire. "He’s no longer pushing you away or trying to keep you at a distance. Alpha Calix doesn’t say hurtful things anymore, and now he’s even starting to flirt with you."

Ruella chuckled softly. "That last part is a bit of an exaggeration, haha. But yes, I’ve noticed the change too. He used to tell me to be as quiet as a dead rat, but now he’s even going to accompany me to the banquet later."

"Even so, you still need to be careful. I feel that the closer Alpha gets to you, the more people will try to get rid of you. It seems keeping your distance isn’t such a bad idea," Claire reminded her.

"Of course it’s bad. I want to get closer to him." Ruella smiled widely, showing her teeth.

"Ah, you really like Alpha Calix that much, huh? All I can do is wish you the best."

Ruella looked down. Her cheeks were still red.

"I still can’t believe it," she murmured softly.

Claire gave a small smile. "But you like it when he teases you, don’t you?"

"Oh come on, Claire, not that again!"

Claire just gave a small smile. "Alright, I’ll be quiet now."

Then Ruella took a deep breath, as if trying to distract her mind from something too embarrassing to think about any longer.

Ruella stood up.

Claire lifted her head as well.

"Where are you going?"

Ruella scanned the room, looking for something. Then she walked over to another bookshelf.

"Come on, help me find a book about the history of the Silverpaw Pack," she said.

Claire frowned, but complied and followed Ruella’s lead.

"A history book about this pack? But why all of a sudden?"

Ruella stopped in front of the shelf, a shelf dedicated to information about the Silverpaw Pack, from its founding to the war around twenty years ago. Her hand began to run along the spines of the books, one by one.

"I’m just curious," she said. "And who knows, I might officially become Luna one day, so I need to know about this pack, right?" Ruella winked.

Claire stood up and moved closer. "Of course you do."

Ruella pulled out a thick book, flipped it open quickly, and turned a few pages. "This one, and…"

Claire leaned her shoulder against the shelf. "What are you actually looking for? That’s a history notebook you’re holding."

"Now help me find a book about the war. Even though I’ve already read about it at home, there must be differences from the Silverpaw Pack’s perspective," Ruella replied.

"Alright…" Claire walked lazily toward another shelf.

Ruella fell silent. "I saw a book on Calix’s desk. Maybe there’s a copy here. The title is The History of the War and the Downfall of Alpha Rhett’s Golden Age. Find the book with my father in law’s name in the title."

"I’ll look on this shelf over here," said Claire.



Meanwhile, still in his private office, Calix stood behind his desk, one hand resting on the arm of the chair, while the other held the same thick book he’d been holding all along.

He even reread the same page several times to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

But nothing had changed. He finally gave up and closed the book gently.

His jaw tightened, and he growled in frustration. "Damn it. Why am I even like this? Why do I have to be bothered by that rogue’s words? But…"

Calix massaged his temples, which felt throbbing. "But if it turns out to be true that my father started the war, maybe their view of Ruella will change. And... since when have I cared about that?" he muttered under his breath.

He roughly rubbed his face, then took a few steps away from the table.

"No. I’m looking into this because I want to prove to that rogue or any other like minded rebels that they’re wrong. My father wasn’t the one who started the war. No." He continued, looking restless.

Calix recalled his father’s attitude from the past. He had been too young, and at the time, he was still hurting because the war had broken out not long after his mother left.

Yes, twenty years ago, he was only ten years old. An age where he had to lose his mother because she ran off with another man. A few months later, war broke out between the Bluemoon Pack and the Silverpaw Pack.

His hands clenched, holding back his anger.

These books and notes won’t give him the answers.

"I have to find another source."

He grabbed the royal outter attire hanging on the rack, then hurried off as a name popped into his mind.

Niels, the elder who led the mate selection ritual. A man who’d lived long enough to know about the war.