Chapter 286 Special Totem

Chapter 286 Special Totem

Ella's POV

Owen nodded, then shook his head. "Yes and no. She said she left the tribe when she was really young for some reason and wandered around until she met your real dad, the former Alpha of the Wildheart Pack. That's when she settled here. But her bloodline couldn't be changed."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of reverence, worry, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

"Ella, you inherited her bloodline. That's what the 'Master' organization, or rather, that witch, really wants. They don't care about the Wildheart Pack's territory or power. They want you, the power in your blood from that ancient tribe. That might be the 'key' they've been searching for."

A key, again with the key.

The tragedy of the SilenceSpace Pack, the kidnapping of the guards and Beta, my mom's death... everything pointed back to me, to this so-called special bloodline of mine.

I was no longer just Ella. I had become an object of desire, a "key" to unlocking some great secret.

This realization filled me with an inexplicable fear, stronger than facing any enemy. It was a sense of helplessness over my own fate.

"What do they want to do with my blood?" My voice was dry.

"I don't know."

Owen shook his head honestly. "Maybe some kind of ritual, maybe they want to seize this power, or maybe they want to find that mysterious tribe through you. Their motives are unfathomable, but their methods are ruthless. Your mom's death was a warning. They cleared the first obstacle, and you are their next target."

"So," Owen's tone was filled with exhaustion and guilt, "I had to make those arrangements. I pretended to be the 'Master' they talked about to infiltrate them, investigate them, and find the real mastermind. I brought you back to protect you. I know my methods were extreme and caused you great pain and misunderstanding, but Ella, everything I did was to keep you alive."

His explanation sounded flawless, full of self-sacrificing heroism. But after so many lies, it was hard for my heart to trust anyone easily.

I stayed silent, my mind racing to process this vast and terrifying information. My origins, my mom's death, the mysterious tribe, the coveted bloodline—all of it felt like a giant web trapping me at the center.

Instinctively, I placed a hand on my swollen belly. Inside, our child was growing. A wave of unprecedented fear gripped me. If that organization was targeting me, would my child also be...

No, I would never allow it!

This thought sent a shiver through me, and a new strength surged from within.

I was no longer the naive Ella who could be manipulated. I had to protect my children.

Mason noticed my movement. He glanced at my belly, then placed his large hand over mine, enveloping it. His palm was warm and strong, as if conveying his determination to me and our child.

"Whatever they want, they won't get it."

Mason's voice was low and steady. He looked up, coldly staring at Owen. "We'll believe your story for now. But from this moment on, Ella's safety is my responsibility. The Silverblade Pack will be her strongest fortress."

I looked up, meeting his deep gaze. In those usually indifferent eyes, I saw undisguised love, determination, and a fire that could burn everything.

At that moment, my origins and my special bloodline seemed less important. What mattered was that he was by my side.

No matter what dangers lay ahead, no matter how powerful the enemies we would face, as long as Mason was with me, I feared nothing.

I leaned into his embrace, feeling his heartbeat, and tightly held his hand over my belly.

"Owen," I began, my voice still a bit hoarse but regaining calm, "tell me everything you know about that tribe and my mother."

I saw a hint of relief on Owen's face.

He nodded and walked back to the massive stone table, starting to piece together the distant and mysterious past from the mountain of documents.

And Mason, he kept me in his arms, his presence my strongest support against the unknown.

Anger burned like wildfire on the ruins of sorrow.

"Mother left behind a lot of scattered and fragmented things."

His voice echoed in the empty stone chamber, carrying a weight of history. "She seemed to have sensed something and began investigating quietly, but she scattered all the clues, hiding them in different places. This diary is the core, but many things need to be corroborated with these documents."

For a moment, the only sound in the stone chamber was the rustling of papers. Mason and I remained silent, watching Owen work.

I rested my head lightly on Mason's shoulder, feeling the solid lines of his muscles and the reassuring cool scent of his body.

"Mason," I murmured softly, my voice carrying a vulnerability even I hadn't noticed, "if... if they really want something from my body, I'm afraid..."

"They won't succeed." His response was firm, without a trace of hesitation. He lowered his head, his warm breath brushing my ear. "I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you, Ella. I promise."

"Found it." Owen's voice broke the brief silence.

I immediately looked up, and Mason and I turned our attention to the stone table. Owen pulled out an ancient-looking map and some yellowed letters from a pile of parchment.

"This is a rough map of the 'mysterious tribe' based on Mother's fragmented memories."

He spread the map on the stone table. It was a hand-drawn map, with rough lines and very vague markings. Most of the areas were labeled "unknown" or "land of mist."

Only one corner at the northernmost part of the map was marked with a special totem—a black crescent moon surrounded by ice crystals.