Chapter 43
Chapter 43
|| VANESSA'S POV ||
The moon hung high in the inky sky, its silver glow bathing the castle grounds in soft light. I stepped out into the cool night air, wrapping my shawl tightly around me. The weight of the day still pressed heavily on my chest, and Aria’s words echoed in my mind.
"You deserve to know where you came from, Vanessa. How you ended up here. The truth could change everything."
Tracing my origins? It felt like opening a locked door to a past I wasn’t sure I wanted to revisit. But deep down, I knew she was right. The uncertainty of my own history had haunted me for years, and now, with everything happening—with Cedric, with the dragons, with the strange shift in my life—I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I had to know.
I leaned against the stone railing, letting the night breeze brush against my skin. The castle gardens were quiet, a peaceful contrast to the storm brewing inside me. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, when suddenly, the faint crunch of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Who’s there?” I called, my voice sharper than I intended. My senses sharpened, and I turned toward the sound.
Out of the shadows stepped a man I recognized immediately—one of the spies from my old pack. He was cloaked in black, his face partially obscured by a hood, but his distinctive scar across his cheek gave him away.
“Kian?” I asked, my heart lurching. “What are you doing here?”
He glanced around nervously before stepping closer. “Luna Vanessa,” he said quietly, his voice urgent, “I don’t have much time. I came to warn you.”
“Warn me?” I frowned, my pulse quickening. “About what?”
Kian looked over his shoulder, scanning the area as if someone might be following him. Then he leaned in, his words dropping to a whisper. “Lord Cedric is planning to attack our pack tonight. His army is already moving.”
I stared at him, disbelief washing over me. “What? No, that can’t be true. Cedric wouldn’t—”
“He would,” Kian interrupted, his tone grim. “You know he’s been suspicious of Diego for weeks. He believes our pack is behind the dragon attack and other incidents. He’s using that as justification to strike. If you don’t intervene, it will be a massacre.”
My breath hitched. The thought of Cedric leading an assault against my pack—a pack that had sheltered me, raised me—was unbearable. “Why are you telling me this?” I asked. “Why risk coming here?”
Kian’s eyes softened, a rare glimpse of vulnerability. “Because you’re our Luna, Vanessa.No matter what’s happened, no matter where you are now, you’re one of us. And you’re the only one who can stop him.”
The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders. I turned away, gripping the cold stone railing tightly. Cedric is planning an attack? The idea was unthinkable, yet it made a horrible kind of sense. His anger, his mistrust of Diego—it had all been building to this.
“I can’t stop him,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Cedric won’t listen to me.”
“You have to try,” Kian urged. “If not for Diego, then for the pack. For the innocent lives that will be lost.”
I closed my eyes, fighting back the panic rising in my chest. The memories of my childhood in the pack came flooding back—running through the woods, laughing with the others, feeling a sense of belonging. Whatever Diego’s flaws, the pack was still my home. I couldn’t let them be destroyed.
“Where is he now?” I asked, turning back to Kian.
“His forces are mobilizing near the eastern ridge,” Kian said. “They’ll reach the pack borders by dawn.”
I nodded, determination hardening in my chest. “I’ll go. I’ll do whatever I can to stop him.”
Kian hesitated, then placed a hand on my shoulder. “Be careful, Luna. If Cedric finds out you’ve intervened, he won’t take it lightly.”
“I’ll handle it,” I said firmly. “Thank you for warning me.”
He gave a small nod before melting back into the shadows, leaving me alone once more.
\---
The journey to the eastern ridge was nerve-wracking. I rode one of the castle’s fastest horses, the night air whipping past me as I raced toward the point Kian had described. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—fear, guilt, determination. How had it come to this? How had I become caught between two worlds, two loyalties?
When I reached the ridge, the sight before me made my stomach drop. Cedric’s forces were already assembled, their armor gleaming in the moonlight. Cedric himself stood at the forefront, his commanding presence impossible to ignore.
I dismounted and approached him cautiously, my heart pounding. He noticed me immediately, his sharp eyes narrowing in surprise.
“Vanessa?” he said, stepping toward me. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same,” I shot back, struggling to keep my voice steady. “What are you planning, Cedric?”
His expression hardened. “You know exactly what I’m planning. Diego and his pack have crossed the line for the last time. They’re a threat to everyone, and I won’t let it continue.”
“Do you have proof?” I demanded, stepping closer. “Do you know for certain that they’re responsible for the attacks?”
“They’re the only ones who stand to benefit,” he said coldly. “I can’t afford to wait for more proof while lives are at stake.”
“Cedric, this isn’t the way,” I pleaded. “If you do this, innocent people will die. Wolves who had nothing to do with any of this. You can’t punish the entire pack for the actions of a few.”
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But then his resolve returned. “I can’t let emotions cloud my judgment, Vanessa. This is about protecting my people.”
“And what about me?” I asked softly. “Do my ties to that pack mean nothing to you?”
He hesitated, his gaze softening. “ Vanessa, you know how I feel about you. But this isn’t about us.”
“It is,” I insisted, stepping even closer. “Because if you do this, Cedric,I don’t think I can forgive you.”
The weight of my words seemed to hit him like a physical blow. He stared at me, his expression conflicted. “Vanessa…”
“Please,” I whispered, placing a hand on his arm. “Give me a chance to resolve this peacefully. Let me speak to Diego. Let me find another way.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re asking me to risk everything.”
“I’m asking you to trust me,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Please, Cedric.”
The tension stretched between us, the silence almost unbearable. Finally, he sighed. “Fine. You have until dawn. If you can’t convince Diego to come forward and take responsibility, I won’t hold back.”
Relief flooded through me, though it was tempered by the enormity of the task ahead. “Thank you,” I said softly.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he said, his tone gruff.
I nodded, already turning back to
ward my horse. The night was far from over, and the fate of my pack rested on my shoulders.