Chapter 79: The Wolf

The city seemed determined to remind Rowan that nothing about her life was normal anymore.

The roads moved.

The buildings glowed.

Ancient symbols appeared and vanished across black stone walls.

And somewhere beneath it all, a creature powerful enough to shake an entire city kept reminding her that it knew exactly where she was.

The walk toward the palace had become strangely quiet.

Not because there was nothing to say.

Because there was too much.

Elias's revelation continued to circle through Rowan's thoughts.

The creature had not been chasing them.

It had been following her.

Every strange event.

Every vision.

Every whisper.

Every impossible coincidence.

Somehow they all connected.

The realization sat heavily in her chest.

Beside her, Corvin's shoulder brushed hers.

The contact pulled her from her thoughts immediately.

His attention remained fixed on the streets ahead.

The mate bond carried a constant stream of emotions between them now. Concern. Protectiveness. Determination.

A ridiculous amount of determination.

She squeezed his hand.

His fingers immediately tightened around hers.

The tension in his shoulders eased.

Only

slightly.

"You know," Jess said from behind them, "for two people who claim they're fine, you both look extremely not fine."

Rowan sighed.

"We're being hunted by an ancient nightmare."

"Fair."

"Living city."

"Also fair."

"Dangerous secrets."

Jess nodded.

"Still fair."

Rowan looked at her.

"What exactly would qualify as not fine?"

Jess considered it.

"Crying."

"Jess."

"Screaming?"

Malric chuckled.

The sound echoed through the glowing street.

For one brief moment, things almost felt normal.

Then Elias stopped walking.

Instantly, every conversation died.

Lucien looked up.

"What is it?"

Elias didn't answer.

His attention remained fixed on a side street branching away from the main road.

Silver light flickered there.

Shadows moved.

The city seemed to hold its breath.

A low growl rolled through the darkness.

Every instinct Rowan possessed came alive.

Corvin immediately moved in front of her.

Lucien's hand dropped toward one of his weapons.

Malric shifted beside Jess.

The growl came again.

Something stepped from the shadows.

The creature was enormous.

Larger than any natural wolf should have been.

Dark fur covered a powerful body marked by countless scars. Silver streaks ran through his coat, catching the city lights as he moved.

Golden eyes swept across the group.

The wolf's gaze passed over Lucien, Elias, Malric, then Corvin.

For a moment, his attention lingered there.

Something almost like amusement flashed through those golden eyes.

Then he looked at Rowan.

Everything stopped.

A sharp pain struck behind her eyes.

Sunlight.

Laughter.

Green grass stretching beneath an endless sky.

A giant wolf racing beside her.

A voice.

The memory vanished before she could grasp it.

Rowan stumbled.

Corvin caught her instantly.

"What happened?"

"I..."

She couldn't answer.

The wolf continued staring.

As though searching for something, or someone.

The city lights brightened.

A strange ache settled in Rowan's chest.

The wolf took a step forward.

Corvin growled.

The sound was low and dangerous.

The wolf paused and looked at him.

Then very deliberately looked back at Rowan.

As though dismissing him entirely.

Jess immediately covered her mouth.

"Oh no."

"What?" Malric asked.

"He's ignoring Corvin."

The wolf took another step.

Corvin's expression darkened.

"He should stop."

"He absolutely should not stop."

The wolf reached Rowan.

The city had gone completely silent.

The wolf stood before her.

Close enough that she could see age in his eyes.

His gaze never left hers.

Then something unexpected happened.

The enormous wolf lowered his head.

Not in submission but grief.

The sight hit Rowan harder than any attack could have.

Because somehow she understood.

This wasn't a stranger.

This was someone who had lost something.

Someone who had been searching.

A memory flashed.

A younger version of herself laughing.

Hands buried in thick fur.

Golden eyes.

Loyalty.

Home.

The image vanished.

Tears burned unexpectedly behind Rowan's eyes.

The wolf's ears twitched.

His gaze softened.

And for the first time, Rowan realized the creature wasn't looking at her as though she were important.

He was looking at her as though she were familiar.

As though she reminded him of someone.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

The wolf's gaze shifted briefly toward Elias.

The silver-eyed man smiled.

To Rowan's surprise, the expression held genuine affection.

"Well," Elias said softly.

"I wondered when you would finally decide to stop watching from the shadows."

The wolf huffed.

A distinctly unimpressed sound.

Jess snorted.

"I like him."

Lucien rubbed his forehead.

"You like everyone."

"Not true."

The wolf slowly sat.

Still watching Rowan.

Still silent.

Elias folded his arms.

"Rowan."

His voice carried an unusual seriousness.

"This is Fenrir."

The name struck something deep inside her.

The wolf's eyes never left hers.

"He served your bloodline long before the Council existed."

Silence.

Even Corvin looked surprised.

Rowan stared.

"My bloodline?"

Fenrir inclined his head once.

The movement felt oddly formal.

Elias nodded.

"He knew your family."

The ache in Rowan's chest deepened.

The wolf remembered.

While everyone else had forgotten.

While the Council erased records.

While centuries buried the truth.

This creature remembered.

Fenrir rose slowly.

Then crossed the remaining distance between them.

Corvin tensed.

Fenrir ignored him.

The wolf stopped directly beside Rowan.

Then gently pressed his head against her shoulder.

The contact shattered another fragment of memory.

Laughter.

A garden.

A woman with silver eyes.

A wolf sleeping beside her chair.

Rowan sucked in a sharp breath.

The wolf remained where he was.

As though he understood exactly what was happening.

Far below the city, something roared.

The sound shook the streets.

Fenrir's head snapped upward.

The affection vanished.

His lips pulled back from his teeth.

The growl that followed made every hair on Rowan's arms stand on end.

Ancient hatred filled the sound.

The wolf looked toward the palace.

Then toward Rowan.

For the first time, real urgency appeared in his eyes.

Elias's expression darkened.

"He knows."

Rowan frowned.

"Knows what?"

Elias looked toward the distant palace.

"The same thing I do."

The city trembled.

Another roar echoed beneath the streets.

And Fenrir's growl deepened.

"The creature isn't waiting anymore."

Silence settled over the group.

The wolf remained beside Rowan.

And for the first time since entering the city, Rowan realized they were not walking toward answers.

They were walking toward a war.