Chapter 48
Julian's POV
After a long while, I finally calmed down.
The moonlight in the courtyard was soft, falling on Mother's face like a veil of gauze draped over her. Mother pulled me to sit on a stone bench, and we talked intimately.
"Julian," Mother said gently, her gaze tender yet carrying a seriousness I rarely saw. "You can't keep putting so many shackles on yourself."
I looked up and saw the worry in her eyes.
"A person burdened with too many shackles is destined not to go far," she continued, her voice calm yet powerful. "A leader must have both the determination to lead his people and the spirit to never admit defeat. The way you are now... you're too exhausted."
I lowered my head and gave a bitter smile. "Mother, I'm just..."
"I know," she interrupted, placing her hand over my clenched fist. "I know what you're bearing. As Luna, the responsibilities I carry are no less than yours. But child, you cannot let these things crush you."
Her hand was warm, carrying that unique comforting power that only a mother possesses. I felt my throat tighten, unable to speak for a moment.
The courtyard was quiet for a long time, with only the soft tinkling of crystal tree leaves. I took a deep breath and finally asked the question that had been buried in my heart for so long.
"Mother... about your position as Luna..." I paused, looking into her eyes. "There's always been controversy in the pack. Because of Kane's mother, the former Luna Chloe's death, many wolves have accused you of being... the other woman. I've seen all the public pressure you've endured over the years."
Mother's expression didn't change. She just looked at me calmly.
After a moment, she asked softly, "So, in your heart, what kind of person am I?"
"I've never thought you would interfere in someone else's relationship!" The words came out almost involuntarily, my tone more firm than I'd expected. "You're not that kind of person. I've always believed that."
Mother's eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you, Julian," she said, her voice carrying a sense of relief. "Since you trust me so completely, I'll tell you the truth."
She began to speak slowly, her tone as calm as if she were telling a story that had nothing to do with herself.
"Your father's marriage to Chloe was actually a political alliance. At the time, Chloe was the daughter of an Alpha from another pack, and your father, as the heir to the Silver Moon Pack, was required to marry her to consolidate the relationship between the two tribes. But at that time..." She paused, her eyes becoming distant. "At that time, your father and I already had feelings for each other."
I held my breath, not daring to interrupt her.
"Chloe wasn't without a mate either," Mother continued. "The mark on her neck was left by a rogue wolf. Your father concealed this fact, and under pressure from the old Alpha, held a Luna ceremony for her. Chloe was grateful for his protection and concealment, and since her mate's fate was unknown... and her original pack had been absorbed by Blood River, she gradually settled down in Silver Moon."
My eyes widened in shock. "So... Kane, he..."
"To be precise, Kane is not your father's child," Mother's voice was soft but every word was clear. "But your father still took on a lot of responsibility. We suspect that when Chloe died from the mate bond backlash, it was likely because her missing mate had been killed or encountered some major crisis."
My mind was in chaos, countless fragments of information trying to piece together into a complete picture.
"That... what was the name of the pack that was absorbed?"
"Lightning Wolf Pack," Mother said. "There were rumors that Blood River absorbed the Lightning Wolf Pack because there was a Thunder Canyon there, which might contain the elemental power of lightning. But these rumors have never been confirmed."
I nodded, falling into thought.
This secret was too significant. It explained so many things I'd never been able to understand.
"Julian," Mother suddenly gripped my hand, her expression becoming serious. "Go see Kane. He's been unconscious for two days."
I looked up, somewhat surprised.
"This child has a fiery temper and a straightforward mind, completely different from your father and you," Mother sighed. "Although every parent has their own selfish concerns, we've always treated Kane as our own child. The inheritance of elemental power is no small matter... his volatile nature isn't suitable for inheriting the ice element—it could very well cause a backlash. On the contrary, that kind of aggressive element would suit him, but that dark flame is not pure elemental power. Black magic will slowly erode a person's sanity. Stella's madness is the best example."
Receiving so much information at once, I didn't know how to process it all. But Mother was right—with war imminent, Kane was also an indispensable force. Now that the ice element was sealed, his dark flame had become one of the few powers that could influence the outcome of battle.
And moreover... I had another doubt in my heart.
In the Three Claw General's words, Kane was an "informant." What was that about?
I stood up and bowed to Mother. "I'll go see him."
Mother smiled with relief and reached out to gently stroke my cheek. "Go, child. Remember what I said—don't put too many shackles on yourself."
I turned and left the courtyard, the moonlight casting a long shadow behind me.
Mother's words echoed in my mind, along with all those truths I'd just learned.
These clues were like scattered beads, waiting for me to string them together.
And now, I needed to face that "brother" who had been unconscious for two days and get the answers I sought.