Chapter 196 Shocking truth

Chapter 196 Shocking truth
Lyra

The wall is filled with the legends of all shifters. My eyes widen as I trace the glowing letters until my gaze finds a section that details the origin of my own kind.

I lean closer, reading the words aloud in a breathless whisper. “The foxes…”

According to the wordings on the stone, foxes were once the top ruling species of the entire continent. We held the ultimate power, governing several kingdoms long before the Lycans ever rose to power and threw us off the throne. It also says that the chosen daughter of the sun god and moon goddess comes from the silver fox shifter line.

"The sun god and moon goddess," I murmur, my hand trembling against the stone. That means the Phoenix powers inside me isn't a curse or a mistake. It is a divine birthright.

I keep reading, my eyes moving down the next column as a wave of anxiety hits me. The script switches to the origin of the Lycans. My breath catches completely. It says outrightly that the Lycans aren’t divine creatures at all. They’re actually beasts created by the ancient demon king, Yaros, bred for absolute killing and destruction. That is why they're very powerful.

"No," I whisper, shaking my head violently as I step back from the wall. "This is a lie. This has to be a lie. I refuse to believe this."

If Kai is truly some kind of descendant of a demon, the moon goddess would not have made us fated mates. She wouldn't have sealed our bond or given us this beautiful, overwhelming love. The goddess doesn't make mistakes.

"The history is entirely correct, Lyra."

I gasp sharply, spinning around on my heel. Nick steps out from the shadows of the cavern, his dark eyes fixed completely on the glowing wall. He's been here, watching me silently?

My shock quickly turns into a fiery anger. I glare at him, my chest rising and falling. "You knew about this? Why didn't you tell me that foxes had several kingdoms just like the Lycans? Why did you keep me in the dark about our own people?"

Nick lets out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms as he steps into the circle of my light.. "I didn't want your plans to be derailed, Lyra. I knew that if you found out there are other fox kingdoms and survivors out there like you, you would immediately want to abandon everything to find them, wherever they are hiding. Especially because they come from your kingdom, not mine. We have a mission here…”

His voice trails off as his words hit my brain kike a cold splash of water. Did he just say… my kingdom? Not our kingdom? I narrow my eyes, and take a step closer. 

"My kingdom? What do you mean by that?" I ask, cutting him off from speaking further. My voice drops into a dangerous whisper as I step in front him. "Why do you keep speaking as if you aren't part of this? You are my brother, Nick. My blood."

Nick tightens up completely, his jaw clenched as his eyes quickly look away from mine. He clears his throat, suddenly looking nervous as if he was just caught saying the wrong thing. "I just meant that your safety as the Phoenix is the ultimate priority for our survival. I have to guard you."

"You're lying to me," I say in a dead tone. Something is not right. Is it possible that Marina is indeed right about him? Wyndra growls fiercely in the back of my mind, her instincts screaming that something is wrong. I step closer, glaring straight into his face. "Look at me and be completely truthful to me right now, Nick. No more secrets. What are you hiding?"

Nick stays quiet for a long, agonizing moment. He looks at the wall, then finally looks back at me, his shoulders sagging in complete defeat.

I'm not your brother, Lyra, he admits softly.

The words bounce harshly off the cavern walls. I freeze completely, my breath catching in my throat. 

"What?"

"Lyra, we are the same species, yes, but my kingdom is entirely different from yours," Nick explains rapidly, his hands shaking slightly as he steps closer. "We are not related by blood. I come from a different kingdom from yours. When I was just a small child, Lycan King Geo marched his armies into my valley. He slaughtered my entire family right in front of my eyes. The only reason I got away alive is that my mother put me in a tiny wooden box and hid me under the floorboards before they tore her apart."

My mind spins into absolute chaos. "If you aren't my brother... why the hell did you act like you were? Why did you lie straight to my face for months?"

"Because…I needed you to trust me completely!" Nick cries out desperately, reaching his hands out toward me. "I wanted you to feel free and secure enough with me so that we could build our strength. I needed us to take down Kai, King Geo, and their entire monstrous family together! I wanted vengeance for my kingdom, Lyra. But I never expected the damn moon goddess to make Kai your fated mate. That ruined everything."

A heavy wave of shock and intense hurt crashes over my chest. I look at the boy I called my brother, completely speechless and deeply upset by his deceit and betrayal. Everyone in my life keeps manipulating me for their own wars.

Feeling defeated, I turn and walk straight away from him. 

"Lyra! Wait!" he calls out loudly behind me.

I ignore him and storm up the stairs, desperate to get away. 

On my way back to the dorms, my mind is completely consumed by chaotic thoughts. Kai's heritage, Nick's lies, the ancient kingdoms…everything is fracturing around me. 

The sudden vibration of my phone inside my pocket breaks my thoughts. I pull it out to see an unknown number flashing on the screen.

I press the button and lift it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Well, well. You actually picked up," a cruel, incredibly familiar voice sneers through the line.

My jaw clenches instantly. "Daisy."

"Don't sound so thrilled to hear from your sister, brat," Daisy mocks, her tone dripping with her usual malice. But before I can slam the phone down and hang up on her, she speaks again, her voice dropping into a sudden, tense register. 

"Alpha Rafa is on his deathbed, Lyra. He is literally dying right now."

My heart suddenly lurches, and I feel a jolt that leaves my limbs frozen right in the middle of the hallway. "What? What happened to father?"

"He's been sick, and the pack doctors say he won't survive the week," Daisy says, letting out a sharp, bitter breath. 

"Listen to me carefully. I wouldn't have called your pathetic cell phone at all if father hadn't explicitly begged for you. He says he has something very important to tell you about your real heritage before he passes. So you'd better come back to Valeria Pack immediately." the line goes dead.

Oh goddess. Help me.