Chapter 118
Adrian Valehart.
After we worked out the details about the so-called “backup” we’d have on the day of the dinner, I told Cael and Cedric to continue their communications with the Council and keep an eye out for any unusual movement. Edgar, on the other hand, would deepen the investigation, especially into Andrew. If there was a crack anywhere, he would find it.
Now, more than ever, I needed certainty in every step. I couldn’t afford a single mistake.
On the way back home, I kept watching Sofia. She stayed quiet, staring out the window, her fingers restless in her lap. I could smell the worry in her—mixed with something else. It wasn’t fear. It was purpose. Her wolf was alert. And mine was constantly on edge.
Every day that passed, she became more desperate for her father. And I understood. That was exactly why I knew I couldn’t stop her from acting, from fighting.
Even now… knowing those filthy goals the Hines had.
I couldn’t hide these things from her anymore.
I just couldn’t.
When we got home, the place was calm.
Most of the staff had already left, leaving behind that elegant, cold emptiness the house always had when it felt too big for just two people. Sofia went straight to the kitchen and grabbed orange juice from the fridge. I watched her for a few seconds, trying to organize the words in my head.
This was the moment—I couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Sofia…” I called, my voice low and deliberate.
She turned around, leaning slightly against the counter, the glass in her hands.
“What is it?”
I took a deep breath. My chest felt heavy with everything I had to say.
“There’s something I need to tell you. Something that happened that day… at the council meeting.”
Just mentioning that day made her shoulders tighten.
“About the conversation I had with my mother.”
“Your mother?” she asked, straight to the point.
I nodded.
Just hearing about my mother, I could see the quiet disgust in her eyes. And I didn’t blame her. She had every reason.
“When I went to talk to her,” I continued, “she told me she had something for me—information only her family would have enough power to uncover.”
Sofia frowned, confused, but didn’t interrupt.
“You don’t know this,” I said, “but my mother’s family isn’t… ordinary. They’re not just wolves. They have an old, deep connection to something much bigger.”
She took a sip of her juice, as if it would help her process my words.
“Bigger, like what?” she asked.
“With the Moon,” I replied. “Or rather… with the Moon Goddess.”
She nearly choked.
“Moon Goddess?”
“There are many gods,” I explained, trying to keep my voice steady. “But for us—for wolves—she is the main one. The one who rules cycles, blood, destiny. My mother’s family has been known for generations for their oracles. Revelations. Prophecies. Truths no one else can see.”
Silence settled between us, heavy, awkward.
“My mother…” I continued, “reached out to them after many years. She asked the goddess for permission to consult the oracle.”
Sofia set her glass down on the counter—too carefully.
“To consult the oracle?” she repeated, suspicious.
I hesitated.
“Yes… about threats to power. About those who are moving in the shadows. People who are seeking the position of Supreme Alpha.”
Her gaze darkened.
“About Andrew?” she murmured.
“And about the Hines… or rather, Luke Hines,” I added. “Coincidence or not… both are connected to your mother.”
She stepped away from the counter and slowly sat down, like her legs were losing strength.
“So she asked for revelations about my mother?” Sofia asked, sounding more and more confused.
“Not exactly,” I said. “But somehow… she found out some things about you. About your family. About the intentions of those who are… after you.”
She stared at me, her eyes widening with worry.
“Adrian…” she whispered. “What did she find out?”
I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I looked straight at her.
“The oracle revealed why your mother ran away.”
She froze.
“But we already knew that, right? She ran away because of the marriage with my father…” she said, still incredulous.
“No,” I replied. “That wasn’t the reason…”
Sofia’s eyes widened. The glass of juice trembled in her hand.
“Then why?” Her voice cracked. “Why did she run?”
“Because of the fate they were trying to force on her,” I said. “The role they wanted her to play.”
“What? I… I don’t understand…”
Damn it. I had no idea how to explain it.
How the hell was I supposed to tell her?
How was I supposed to tell her that her own grandfather wanted Serena to get pregnant by her own brother? That he wanted to use the child to gain power, to take the throne?
And that now—after failing the first time—he was considering doing the same thing to Sofia?
Shit… would she even believe me?