Chapter 189

Chapter 189
Valencia’s POV
The question pierced me like a blade.
I thought about Logan. My mate. My partner. The man who had saved me from slavery. Who had protected me. Who had loved me when I thought I was unlovable.
I thought about Kai. My brother. The family I'd searched for.
"I don't know," I whispered. "I don't know if I could have chosen."
"But you did choose. In that moment of pure desperation, your heart chose Logan. That choice had consequences. Now you must live with them."
"How can I live with this? How can I face Logan knowing what my oath cost?"
"By accepting the truth. By not running from your responsibility. The power you now possess came at a terrible price. Honor that price by using it well."
I felt something changing. The darkness was becoming less dark. Or maybe I was becoming more solid within it.
"What happens now?" I asked.
"Now you decide. You can let go. Let death claim you. Join Kai in whatever comes after this life. Or you can return. Take up the burden of power and all it cost you. Fight the battles that are coming."
I thought about everything that waited in the world of the living. The war with Winston Ashwood. Elton's treachery. The chaos in Valdoria. All those people who would suffer if I wasn't there to fight.
But more than that, I thought about Logan. About the mate bond that still flickered faintly between us. About his face when he'd begged me to stay alive.
"I want to go back," I said. "I want to live. Even if it means carrying this guilt forever."
"Then we are in agreement. For the first time since you were born, Valencia, you and I truly agree on something."
Warmth spread through my consciousness. Not physical warmth. Something deeper. Like two separate pieces finally fitting together.
"You called yourself Alduin," I said. "Is that really your name?"
"It is the name I was given long ago."
"Will you talk to me like this again? Or will you go back to just roaring and fighting?"
"That depends on you. If you try to control me, I will resist. But if you work with me, if you see me as a partner rather than a prisoner, then we can communicate. We can be truly powerful together."
The warmth grew stronger. I felt my awareness solidifying. Taking shape again.
"It's time," Alduin said. "Your body is calling you back. The ring has begun its work. You will live, Valencia. And when you wake, we will be one. Not two separate beings fighting for dominance. But a single entity with two perspectives."
"I'm scared," I admitted.
"Fear is natural. But you are not alone. You will never be alone again. I am part of you. Forever."
The darkness began to fade. The void where Alduin and I had been talking started dissolving.
New images formed around me.
I found myself standing in a magnificent castle room. The walls were covered with Ogden family dragon banners. Through the windows, I could see the landscape of Aldermere kingdom.
Fear shot through me. Someone would see me. I needed to hide.
I moved toward the corner, but my hand passed straight through the wall.
I was transparent. Like a ghost.
This wasn't real. This was a memory. Or a vision.
Relief mixed with confusion. What was Alduin showing me?
Three people stood in the room. I recognized one of them immediately.
Ophelia.
She looked exactly like her portrait in Ravencrest Island. Purple eyes. Long red hair. That natural nobility in her posture.
But her face held no pride now. Only sadness and determination.
She held a baby in her arms. The baby was quiet. Big brown eyes looking around curiously.
The other two people in the room were Kevin and Sienna. My adoptive parents. The Alpha and Luna of Moonfall Ridge Pack.
They looked much younger than I remembered. But their gentle expressions were the same.
"Please," Ophelia said. Her voice was urgent. "I'm begging you. Take her. Keep her safe."
Kevin's face was troubled. "Princess Ophelia, what you're asking is dangerous. If Ashwood discovers we're hiding a child connected to you—"
"He won't discover it," Ophelia interrupted. "This baby has no official records. No one knows she exists except us. And she needs to stay that way."
Sienna stepped forward. She reached out and gently touched the baby's cheek. The baby smiled at her.
"She's beautiful," Sienna said softly. "But why us? Why bring her to our pack?"
"Because you're far from the capital. Far from the political center. They won't look for connections in the border regions."
Kevin exchanged a glance with Sienna. "What's her name?"
"She doesn't have one yet. I want you to name her. Raise her as your own daughter. Give her a normal life away from all of this."
"Princess, the situation is getting worse every day," Kevin said. "If Ashwood wins, nowhere will be safe. Not even the border packs."
Sienna held out her arms. "Give her to me. We'll take care of her. For as long as necessary."
Ophelia carefully transferred the baby into Sienna's arms. The baby made a small sound but didn't cry.
"Thank you," Ophelia whispered. Tears formed in her purple eyes. "Thank you for giving her a chance."
Kevin placed his hand on Ophelia's shoulder. "We'll protect her. I give you my word as an Alpha."
"I know you will. That's why I came to you."
Ophelia bent down and kissed the baby's forehead gently.
"Be strong, little one. Grow up brave. And when the time comes, remember what you are."
The baby looked up at Ophelia with those big brown eyes.
I watched this scene with my heart breaking. I wanted to reach out. To touch Ophelia. To tell her something.
But I was just a ghost here. A witness to the past.
The room began to fade. The images dissolved like smoke.
"Wait!" I called out as the scene began to fade. "Who is that baby? Did Kevin and Sienna adopt another child?"
Confusion filled me. I'd never seen or heard about another baby with brown eyes when I was growing up in Moonfall Ridge Pack.
"Why didn't I ever meet this child?" I whispered. "Where was she when I was little?"
The world reformed again. This time I stood in a completely different place.
An underground chamber. Cold and damp. The stone walls were covered in ancient dragon runes. They glowed with faint red light, illuminating the entire space.
An altar stood in the center. Made of dark stone. Covered in complex carvings.
Ophelia stood beside the altar. Kevin and Sienna stood across from her. The baby was placed carefully in a stone basin in the altar's center. Ritual items surrounded the basin.
Ophelia's face was pale. But her expression was determined.
"What you're about to witness must never be spoken of," Ophelia said. "No one can know what happened here tonight. Do you understand?"