Chapter 27 Facts from the Past
Seara was feeling hungry after their “morning workout.” In front of her, fried bacon and strong black coffee had been served by the Omegas Austin had specifically asked to bring breakfast to her room.
Austin sat with his legs crossed, tearing into his whole-wheat bread with an annoyingly casual air. Beside him, Seara struggled to focus her attention on her bowl of porridge, even though the heat in her neck and cheeks hadn’t subsided yet.
“You know, Seara,” Austin broke the silence with a low tone laced with teasing. “I didn’t expect a Healer like you to have such a… let’s say, very ‘enthusiastic’ side in the morning. Your wolf, Arach, seemed to be in high spirits earlier.”
Seara choked on a piece of strawberry. She pretended to be fascinated by the grain of the wooden tablecloth, desperately trying not to be distracted by Austin’s teasing, which usually made her stomach flutter.
“If only you’d been docile from the start, I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to hold back,” Austin said again with a teasing expression.
“Can’t we just eat in peace? My stomach’s going to be full of water because I’ve been having trouble swallowing this whole time,” she said, making a annoyed face, though her flushed cheeks were hard to hide.
“I like aggressive women.” Austin winked at her.
In reality, Seara was melting too, even though she didn’t show it. She liked that Austin was teasing her. She also hoped Austin would always pay attention to her, but his bluntness never synced with her introverted nature.
Seara finished her breakfast and was ready to serve Austin.
“Oh, I started it, but you were the one who snatched my lips first until I almost forgot how to breathe,” Austin chuckled, his shoulders rising and falling. “You’d make a great warrior lycan who likes to take the initiative.”
Austin ate quickly because Alex had been waiting outside his room since they started breakfast.
As soon as he finished eating, Beta Alex reached out to him via mind link, \[The council meeting with the conservative faction will begin in ten minutes. Elder Stroud is already in the hearing room. I respectfully ask that you keep your emotions in check, Alpha.\]
Austin sighed, his narcissistic expression shifting to that of a bored leader. He stood up, briefly ruffling the top of Seara’s head. “Enjoy your breakfast, Sweetheart. I have to go listen to those old men ramble on about tradition and etiquette.”
Austin stepped out of the room, leaving behind a silence that suddenly felt empty to Seara. As she was about to stand up, Seara’s eyes caught a thin object on the table. Austin’s phone. It had been left right next to his coffee cup, still half-full.
Seara picked up the phone. She intended to keep it and give it to him later, after Austin was done with his meeting. She decided to go back to her room, change out of her nightgown into her ivory-white healer’s uniform, before starting her routine training with Winona.
However, in the hallway leading to the pavilion, her steps came to a halt. Lionra was standing there, leaning against a stone pillar, her face as pale as a sheet of paper. Her usually sharp eyes now looked dull and anxious.
“Seara,” Lionra whispered. His voice trembled.
“Lionra? Are you sick?” Seara stepped closer, her healing instincts immediately on high alert.
Without answering, Lionra closed his eyes. Seara felt intense mental pressure as Lionra established a long-distance mind link with Winona. \[Winona, lend me Seara for a moment. This is urgent.\]
Seara had no choice but to follow the Seer into the cold room. As soon as the door closed, Lionra immediately gripped Seara’s shoulders.
“Your bond with Austin… it’s unlocked a past that’s been locked away all this time,” Lionra said quickly. “I’m seeing a new vision. It’s about your past. About why you ended up on the fringes of this pack.” Lionra tightened his grip.
“What do you mean?” she asked. Seara’s heart was pounding.
Lionra said nothing more. He pulled Seara’s hand, pressing it against the crystal ball in the center of the room. Static energy erupted.
Seara’s vision blurred, replaced by an image so vivid she could almost smell the scent of wet earth.
In that vision, a female Lycan with silver-gray fur was running through a blizzard. On her back, a small child wrapped in thick cloth clung tightly to the wolf’s neck. Behind them, a pack of black Lycans with bloodthirsty red eyes pursued them relentlessly.
They managed to reach a hidden cave behind a frozen waterfall. The female Lycan shifted into a beautiful woman with eyes exactly like Seara’s. She was gasping for breath, her body covered in lacerations.
“Mama… where’s Papa?” little Seara asked in a hoarse voice.
The woman didn’t answer. She simply hugged Seara, trying to soothe her daughter’s crying. From the darkness of the cave, footsteps could be heard. A tall figure wearing a long black hood emerged. Her face was shrouded in absolute shadow.
Seara’s mother stood up, pushing little Seara toward the hooded figure.
“Please take care of Seara for me,” her mother sobbed, her voice breaking with despair. “Take her as far away as possible. Make sure she isn’t touched by the Wolfe family. Don’t let them know she’s still alive.”
“What about you?” The hooded figure’s voice was heavy, unlike anyone Seara knew.
“I’ll distract them. Go!”
Little Seara cried hysterically as the hooded figure carried her away, leaving her mother—who had transformed back into a wolf—to face the death that loomed before her.
The vision suddenly shattered. The light in the room dimmed drastically. Lionra collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath as her energy was completely drained from projecting the sealed memories of the past.
Seara stood frozen, tears streaming down her face without her realizing it. That name, the Wolfe family—the family name Austin bore.
Still in a state of shock, Seara remained hyper-aware of her surroundings. Her healing instincts compelled her to act.
She knelt beside Lionra, placing her hand on the Seer’s chest. Her golden light shone brightly, channeling Vis Sanatrix energy to restore Lionra’s stamina.
“Thank you,” Lionra whispered after a moment, his face beginning to regain its color. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t see who that hooded figure was. It was as if something was blocking my view—something I couldn’t penetrate.”
The door to the meditation room suddenly burst open. Austin stood there, still wearing his formal council attire, but his face looked deeply worried. He stared at Seara, who was kneeling, and at Lionra, who looked weak.
“What happened? I felt your emotions surging through our bond.” Austin stepped closer, helping her to her feet. His sharp eyes scanned Seara, searching for injuries. “You’re so pale.”
Seara tightened her grip on Austin’s phone, which she was still holding. Her mind was in turmoil. If she told him about the Wolfe family and that vision now, Austin would surely be affected.
The Lycanisius Pack was about to hold Luna’s coronation.
“It’s just a side effect of Lionra’s power that I haven’t adapted to yet,” Seara lied, trying to offer a faint smile. “I haven’t eaten much, and my head’s a little dizzy. Lionra’s just helping me.”
Austin narrowed his eyes. He was perceptive. He knew Seara was hiding something behind her voice, which was trying to sound calm. However, seeing the cold sweat on the girl’s temples, Austin decided not to press her here.
“Rest. Winona is waiting for you in the upper pavilion for the healing class,” Austin said softly, though his authoritative tone remained. “I’ll catch up with you after I speak briefly with Lionra.”
Seara nodded quickly, almost as if fleeing. She stepped out of the basement room with her heart still pounding from the secret she had just learned.
As soon as Seara disappeared down the corridor, the atmosphere in the meditation room turned tense. Austin turned toward Lionra, his golden eyes glowing dimly, radiating an inescapable Alpha pressure.
“Now, tell me everything, Lionra!” Austin commanded in a dangerously low voice. “Don’t even try to lie to me. What did you show my Luna that made her look at me as if I were a stranger?”