Chapter 28 – The Man Who Knows
Raine wasn’t sure what she had expected when Xavier told her they were meeting someone—someone who might have **answers** about what she was.
But it sure as hell wasn’t **this.**
The car pulled up in front of an **old, abandoned hospital.** The windows were shattered, ivy crawling up the stone walls, and the entire place reeked of decay.
Raine frowned. “You’re joking, right?”
Xavier smirked, stepping out of the car. “Do I look like I joke?”
Ivy crossed her arms, shivering slightly. “Okay, but real talk—why does it feel like we’re about to get murdered in a horror movie?”
Reed snorted. “Relax, princess. If anyone’s getting murdered, it’s probably me first. I’m the expendable side character.”
Raine shot him a look. “Not funny.”
Xavier didn’t bother with explanations—he just walked toward the entrance, leaving them no choice but to follow.
The door creaked open with a slow, grating sound. The inside was even worse—**dark, damp, and eerily silent.** Dust clung to the air, and broken medical equipment littered the halls.
Ivy nudged Raine. “So… uh, who exactly are we meeting?”
Xavier glanced back. “A man who knew your father.”
Raine’s heart skipped. “My father?”
Xavier didn’t elaborate. He led them deeper into the hospital, taking a series of turns down hallways that all looked **the same.**
Until finally, he stopped in front of a rusted door.
With a hard push, it swung open.
Inside, sitting behind a cluttered desk filled with old research papers, vials of unknown substances, and what looked like **medical scans of werewolf DNA**, was a man.
**Dr. Elias Rowan.**
His silver-rimmed glasses caught the dim light, and his dark, sharp eyes flickered up at them as they entered.
“Well,” he murmured, leaning back in his chair. “It’s about damn time.”
\---
*
*The Truth Beneath the Surface**
Dr. Rowan didn’t look like a typical scientist.
He had the aura of a man who had **seen too much**, with dark circles under his eyes and a **calm, almost amused expression** that made Raine uneasy.
Xavier leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Talk.”
Dr. Rowan smirked. “You always were straight to the point, Draven.”
His gaze shifted to Raine, studying her like she was some kind of **specimen under a microscope.**
Raine stiffened. “You knew my father?”
Dr. Rowan tilted his head. “Knew him? I worked with him. He was one of the few who understood what you truly are.”
Raine’s throat went dry. “And what am I?”
Rowan’s smirk faded. He pulled out a **thick, leather-bound file** and tossed it onto the desk. “The last of a bloodline that should have never been erased.”
Raine hesitated before stepping forward. She flipped open the file—
And **froze.**
There were pictures. **Old documents.**
And **a photo of her father.**
She barely recognized him—his eyes were the same as hers, but he looked **haunted.**
Beside the picture, there were **medical records**—scans of werewolf DNA, but they weren’t like anything she had ever seen.
Her pulse pounded. “What is this?”
Dr. Rowan exhaled. “Proof that the Elders didn’t just kill your family out of fear. They killed them because of what they were.”
Ivy, peering over her shoulder, frowned. “Which is?”
Rowan’s gaze darkened. “Something beyond a simple Alpha or Omega. Something… ancient.”
Raine’s stomach twisted. “You’re saying my bloodline isn’t normal.”
Rowan nodded. “Exactly.”
Reed, who had been unusually quiet, scratched his head. “Okay, but if she’s supposed to be some powerful ancient wolf, why can’t she use her powers now?”
Rowan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pushed another document toward Raine.
She scanned it quickly—her breath caught.
**A suppression experiment.**
A formula designed to **bind** certain werewolf abilities.
Her hands trembled. “The Elders did something to me.”
Rowan nodded. “Not just you. Your mother.”
Raine’s chest ached. **Her mother.** A woman she had never known.
Rowan continued. “Your mother was the last of her kind. The Elders couldn’t allow her to live, but they also couldn’t risk her child inheriting her abilities.” He gestured to the file. “So they made sure you would never awaken them.”
Ivy’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”
Raine swallowed hard. “But I did awaken them. At the fight club.”
Rowan leaned forward, his sharp eyes piercing. “That was a crack in the suppression. Your life was in danger, and the binds momentarily loosened. But without a proper trigger?” He shrugged. “You won’t be able to use that power again.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Raine clenched her fists. **So that was it.**
Her power hadn’t disappeared.
It had been **taken from her.**
Reed let out a low whistle. “So… how do we undo it?”
Rowan smirked. “Now that is the real question.”
\---
\### **The Price of Truth**
Rowan steepled his fingers. “There are ways to break suppression.”
Raine’s breath hitched. “Tell me.”
Rowan’s gaze didn’t waver. “It won’t be easy. The Elders didn’t just block your power—they tied it to something deeper. If you try to force it open without understanding the full extent of what you are…”
He let the warning **hang**.
Raine’s jaw tightened. “I don’t care.”
Xavier, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “What’s the cost?”
Rowan’s lips curled into something too sharp to be a smile. “The cost is knowledge. And knowledge, as you know, is **never free.**”
Raine narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”
Rowan tapped his fingers against the desk, considering. Then, he said something that made everyone stiffen.
“I want access to Xavier’s underground research files.”
Xavier’s entire body went still. His eyes darkened **dangerously.**
“Not happening.”
Rowan shrugged. “Then neither is your power.”
The tension in the room spiked.
Ivy whispered, “Uh, is it just me, or does this guy give off major villain vibes?”
Reed muttered, “Big time.”
Raine ignored them. “What’s in those files?”
Xavier’s jaw tightened. “Things I’d rather keep buried.”
Rowan chuckled. “You’re not the only one who likes secrets, Draven.”
Raine exhaled. She had **two choices.**
Trust Xavier and let her power remain locked…
Or take the risk and **find out who she really was.**
Her fingers curled into fists.
**She had made up her mind.**
She turned to Xavier. “Give him the files.”
Xavier’s jaw clenched. “Raine—”
She met his gaze, unyielding. “I’m not going to live in the dark anymore.”
Xavier stared at her for a long moment.
Then, with a muttered curse, he turned to Rowan.
“You get your files. But if you double-cross us…” His golden eyes **burned.** “I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Rowan simply smirked. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
And just like that—
**The deal was made.**
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