Chapter 228

Chapter 228
CASSIAN

The hallway outside Wren’s room buzzed with noise. I’d barely taken two steps away when a crowd seemed to materialize out of nowhere, Reed at the front, followed closely by my mother, Christina, and a handful of pack members, their faces bright with curiosity and excitement.

“Alpha!” someone called. “Is it true? The Luna has given birth?”

I barely had time to breathe before Reed clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Cassian, congratulations, man! How’s she? How’s the baby?”

I should’ve expected it. Word traveled fast around here. Still, I was too wired, too emotionally raw to handle the swarm of questions all at once. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my composure.

“They’re both fine,” I said, forcing a small smile. “Mother and baby are safe.”

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the group.

My mother pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes welling up. “Thank the Goddess,” she whispered. “You don’t know how long I’ve been praying for this moment.”

“She’s strong,” I said softly. “Both of them are.”

Reed leaned closer, grinning. “So what’s her name, huh? Don’t leave us hanging.”

I couldn’t help it, the corner of my mouth lifted into a genuine smile. Just saying the name felt like warmth spreading through my chest. “Eliana.”

There was a moment of silence before the pack members began murmuring, repeating the name as if it were sacred.

“Eliana,” Christina repeated, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s so beautiful.”

“She’s beautiful,” I said quietly. “Looks like her mother, small, but fierce already.”

Someone laughed softly, and the tension in the room eased. Reed patted my back. “Congratulations, Alpha. The pack’s been waiting a long time for this day.”

I nodded, glancing at the door behind me. “We’ll celebrate in a few days. But for now Wren needs rest first. She’s been through a lot.”

The pack members all nodded in understanding, but I could see the spark of excitement in their eyes, the joy that came from hope, from new life.

Christina dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she said softly. “My grandchild.”

“Soon,” I promised, smiling faintly. “Once Wren’s strong enough you can go and see her. She's with the priestess now."

For a few minutes, the chatter continued, talk of feasts, gifts, and how Eliana’s birth symbolized a fresh start for the pack. But all I could think about was getting back to Wren, my mind on whatever she and the priestess were talking about."

Just as I turned to head back into the Annex, Reed cleared his throat. “Cass,” he said cautiously, holding up Wren’s phone. “You might want to take this.”

I frowned. “What is it? I don't have time..."

“It’s been ringing non-stop for hours,” Reed said. “It’s Denise.”

Denise. My mind flashed back to the fox who Wren had helped. Who almost put us in big trouble and was still largely wanted by majority of the wolf population.

“Why would she be calling now?” I muttered, taking the phone from Reed.

He shrugged. “She said it was urgent. I figured you’d want to know.”

I sighed and pressed the answer button. “Denise?”

There was a pause, then a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “Alpha Cassian! Finally! I’ve been trying to reach Wren for hours. Where is she?"

“She’s resting,” I said quickly, glancing toward the door. “She’s exhausted. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“I really need to speak with her,” Denise insisted. “This is about her family...”

“Denise,” I interrupted, my tone firm. “Please. She just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. If it’s important, tell me, and I’ll tell her later.”

There was a long silence before she spoke again, her voice quieter, almost hesitant. “Oh congratulations! All right. But you need to listen carefully.”

I straightened, something in her tone prickling at the back of my neck. “I’m listening.”

“When Wren was with us in Artemisia,” Denise began slowly, “we were tracing her family line. Trying to find her parents and her family tree."

“Yes,” I said. “You told me she was able to find the name of her father. A Roman Archer. And that she's distant relatives with Alexander. ”

Denise let out a humorless laugh. “That’s the thing. The old fox lied. Well, she was forced to lie."

My stomach tightened. “What do you mean, lied?”

“She told Wren that she and Alexander were distant relatives,” Denise said. “That’s not true. I’ve found records, old archives, sealed family scrolls. Alexander and Wren share a grandmother. She had lied to Wren that they weren't in any way blood related. But it was all a lie. Their grandmother's name was Maelys. Wren is her direct descendant too."

Everything inside me went still. “You’re saying…”

“I’m saying,” Denise continued, “Wren and Alexander are blood. Direct blood. Half of the same lineage. Lupita only lied because Alexander forced her to, but when I found out the truth and confronted her about it, she confessed she lied."

My mind went blank for a moment. The background noise faded, the air felt heavier. “Denise…” I managed. “Does that mean...”

“Yes,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “It means Wren can break the curse too. She has the same bloodline as Alexander. The same right. The same power.”

I couldn’t breathe. My heart hammered in my chest as the truth sank in.

Denise went on, her words spilling fast now. “Alexander knew it. That stupid crazy bitch knew it. That’s why she was after Wren for so long, not just to hurt you, but to stop her. She couldn’t risk Wren learning the truth or breaking the curse before she could use it for herself.”

I clenched the phone so tight it creaked in my hand. “You’re telling me that Alexander, she knew this all this time?"

“Yes,” Denise whispered. “She’s been lying from the start.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, my pulse pounding in my ears. Everything, the alliance, the threats, the deal, it all made perfect sense now.

Reed’s voice broke through the fog. “Cassian? What is it?”

But I couldn’t answer. My throat felt tight, my chest constricting with something sharp and burning.

Denise’s voice came faintly through the phone. “Cassian? Are you there?”

I barely managed to whisper, “You’re sure?”

“I wouldn’t call if I wasn’t,” she said softly. “Cassian, if Wren ever decides to..."

I didn’t hear the rest. My vision blurred, my balance slipping. The phone slid from my fingers and clattered to the floor.

“Cassian?” Reed grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong? Hey!”

A sudden, stabbing pain tore through my chest, white-hot, merciless. My knees buckled. I gasped, clutching at my ribs as the world tilted.

“Cassian!” Reed’s voice sounded distant, warped. “Get the doctor! Now!”

My mother screamed my name, but it was fading. Everything was fading.

I fell hard to the ground, air refusing to enter my lungs. Every heartbeat felt like fire. My body trembled violently, and I couldn’t even cry out.

Reed knelt beside me, shouting something I couldn’t make out. My mother’s hands were on my face, her tears falling onto my skin.

And then, everything went dark.