Chapter 141
Kane's POV
Old wolf Frank continued his tale, his voice echoing in the darkness.
"Then Alpha Louis struck me." His fingers brushed lightly over his ribs, as if the old wound still lingered there. "I fell from the cliff, certain I would die, but the branches halfway down caught me. I hung there in midair, unable to move up or down, listening to the sounds of battle above gradually fade away."
I held my breath, waiting for him to continue. Dorothy clutched my arm, her nails nearly digging into my skin.
"I hung in that tree all night." Frank's gaze drifted into the distance, as if seeing that faraway night. "At dawn, some hunters passed by and took me for prey, ready to shoot. I screamed for help with everything I had, and only then did they realize I was still alive. The days after that..." He smiled bitterly. "I became a madman, my mind filled with nothing but broken fragments of memory. Sometimes lucid, sometimes confused, couldn't even remember who I was."
"That's all I know." He looked up at me, a trace of clarity flickering in his clouded eyes. "About Chloe and Ivan's story."
My heart pounded violently.
My mother was the Alpha's daughter of the Lightning Wolf Pack—Chloe Flores. My father was the wielder of the lightning element, Ivan Price!
And this deranged old man before me, this rogue wolf barely surviving in a dilapidated shack, was actually my true grandfather.
The truth of my bloodline cut like a cold blade, slicing open everything I had ever known. The object of my vengeance, the family I saw as enemies, the Alpha position I desperately sought to claim—it all suddenly seemed so absurdly laughable.
"You..." My voice came out hoarse, barely audible. "You're my..."
Before I could finish, rough shouts erupted from outside the shack.
"Old man! Get out here!"
"Lord Draven gave strict orders—the project's behind schedule! Everyone has to report to the mines!"
"Stop hiding, we know you're in there!"
Dorothy looked at me in terror. I made a quick assessment—at least three or four Blood River soldiers outside, their footsteps suggesting well-trained warriors. If we fought now, protecting the defenseless Dorothy and the frail Frank, our chances weren't good.
More importantly, I couldn't alert them. If the Blood River Pack discovered Silver Moon wolves had infiltrated their territory, it would trigger an even larger conflict.
"Back door..." Frank suddenly spoke, his voice trembling yet strangely lucid. "Go underground..."
He struggled toward the corner of the shack, using surprising strength to shove aside a pile of moldy straw and rotten planks. A pitch-black opening appeared before us, reeking of dampness and decay.
"Hurry!" he urged.
Without thinking, I pulled Dorothy in after me. Frank followed, using his last strength to replace the boards above.
Darkness swallowed us instantly.
Below the entrance was a narrow passage, the walls rough and uneven, like some abandoned cellar or mine shaft. I could hear heavy footsteps and crude cursing overhead—the soldiers were searching the shack.
"Damn it, he's not here!"
"Think he ran to the mountains?"
"Forget it if we can't catch him. Let's hit the next house quick! They're still waiting at the mines."
The footsteps gradually faded. I exhaled in relief, only to find Dorothy gripping my hand tightly, trembling in the darkness.
"It's all right now." I whispered reassuringly, patting the back of her hand gently.
Her fingers were ice-cold, yet they gave me a strange sense of calm. In this unfamiliar and dangerous place, having just learned the truth that turned my entire world upside down, her presence made me feel I wasn't alone.
I was needed again.
The feeling was both foreign and familiar. Once, Ella had needed me like this. During those difficult years in Blood River, she relied on me, trusted me, and I drew strength from being needed. But later, I destroyed it all with my own hands.
"We need to keep moving." Frank said quietly from ahead. "This mine tunnel goes deeper. Should find an exit."
I nodded, though he couldn't see me in the dark. I extended my other hand to the wall, carefully feeling my way forward. Dorothy stayed close behind me, Frank leading at the front.
The tunnel descended deeper, the air growing thinner.
Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet trembled.
"Watch out!" I shouted.
But it was too late. The planks beneath us cracked with a sharp snap, and all three of us plunged into deeper darkness.
Instinctively I shielded Dorothy, my back taking most of the impact. Pain shot through me, but I bit down hard and made no sound.
"Kane?" Dorothy's voice shook.
"I'm fine." I struggled to my feet. "You?"
"I'm okay too."
Frank coughed beside us. "This is... the abandoned old mine shaft."
I blinked, gradually adjusting to the darkness. Faint light filtered through from the distance, accompanied by rhythmic hammering sounds.
We moved cautiously toward the light source. Rounding a bend, the sight before us made me suck in a sharp breath.
It was a massive underground mine pit. Dozens of small figures swung pickaxes in the dim torchlight. Their skin showed an unnatural gray-green hue, pointed ears and gaunt frames revealing their identity—goblins.
But these goblins clearly weren't working willingly. Heavy iron chains locked around their ankles, their backs covered in whip scars. Several Blood River soldiers stood watch from higher ground, their whips occasionally lashing out at any goblin who slowed.
"Faster! Lord Draven's Thunderstones are still far from enough!"
"Anyone who slacks off gets no dinner!"
Thunderstones? My heart sank. An extremely rare magical ore, said to amplify elemental magic power.
The Blood River Pack was mining Thunderstones on a massive scale here, and from the looks of it, they were desperately pressed for time.
Dorothy gripped my hand, trembling in the darkness. I could feel her fear, and her dependence on me.
I lowered my head, whispering in her ear, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
She looked up at me, faint light flickering in her eyes.
"We need to leave." Frank said quietly. "Through that side tunnel..."
Before he could finish, a piece of rubble suddenly rolled down from the rock face where we hid, making a sharp sound.
The mine pit fell instantly silent.
An overseer whipped around, his gaze sharp as a falcon's, sweeping toward our location.
"Who's there!" he roared!