Chapter 39
Abigail's POV
"What?"
"The Alpha King." He was silent for a second or two, as if weighing how to phrase it. "At the banquet, I noticed the way he looked at you. It wasn't how a king looks at an 'ordinary pack leader's daughter.' There was... recognition in it. Concern."
My heart skipped half a beat. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm not making assumptions," he said, his tone measured. "I'm just telling you what I saw. Elias Bennett doesn't casually direct his attention to someone. If he's watching you, there's a reason behind it."
"The Moon Revelation Ceremony will be held next month," Nicholas continued. "All the young wolves from the major packs will attend. The ceremony is at the Temple, presided over by Harper. If you want answers, that will be your opportunity."
He paused, then added, "Use that chance to get close to her. Win her trust. Maybe she'll tell you the part of the truth she knows."
"What if she doesn't?" I asked.
"Then we'll find another way. No matter what, you will find out who you are. I promise."
His "I promise" didn't sound like casual reassurance, but more like some silent vow. He said it as if my truth mattered just as much to him.
"Thank you," I said.
He looked up at me, and for a brief instant, some unguarded emotion flashed across his face. The next second, it was covered again by his usual composure.
"Don't thank me yet," he said. "We're still far from the truth."
I nodded, but my thoughts had already raced far ahead—the Moon Revelation Ceremony, Harper, the Alpha King. In that intricate web woven from power and secrets, there was a thread quietly pulling toward me.
---
The ride back from the valley felt like it would never end. Nicholas's words played over and over in my head, like a broken record, repeatedly scraping against the same wound—Matthew isn't your father, Evelyn isn't your mother, someone erased your records.
By the time I dismounted at Crimson Fang's stables, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely grip the reins. Autumn immediately sensed something was wrong and hurried forward.
"Miss?" She steadied my elbow, helping me down. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter and astringent as it rolled off my tongue. "Just tired from riding all day."
She clearly didn't believe me, but she didn't press further. We walked back to my room in silence, and the moment the door closed, I collapsed into the chair by the window, staring blankly at the distant forest.
The Moon Revelation Ceremony.
Nicholas said that was my chance. One month until the ceremony—one month to prepare, to plan, to figure out how to approach Harper and ask questions that might completely overturn my entire life.
I needed intelligence. I needed to know what kind of person Harper was—what she valued, what she despised, what approach would be neither abrupt nor raise her suspicions.
"Autumn." I snapped back to attention, turning to look at her. "I need you and Orchid to do something for me."
She immediately straightened. "Of course, Miss. Just tell me what you need."
"Find out everything you can about the Matriarch," I said. "Her schedule, her habits, her preferences, what she values most, what she can't tolerate. Talk to anyone who's been to the Temple—servants who accompanied delegations, warriors who stood guard, merchants who delivered supplies up the mountain... anyone who's had contact with her. I want to understand her as much as possible before I meet her."
Autumn's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't ask a single question, only nodded efficiently. "I'll get started right away."
Over the next two days, Autumn and Orchid practically disappeared from the estate, like two silent shadows moving through the pack, quietly gathering whispers and rumors. Servants who'd traveled up the Sacred Mountain with delegations, warriors who'd stood guard outside the great hall, even a few merchants who'd delivered supplies to the Temple—anyone who might have seen Harper up close, they managed to contact.
On the third evening, they came to my room together, their expressions more serious than usual.
"We've learned quite a bit, Miss." Autumn sat down across from me. Orchid stood beside her, hands unconsciously wringing together.
"Tell me." I gestured for them to begin.
"Everyone says the Matriarch is... intimidating," Autumn said, choosing her words carefully. "Not in a crude, violent way, but—she's fair, yet extremely strict. She absolutely cannot tolerate any lies or deception."
"Her devotion to the Moon Goddess is unmatched," Orchid added softly. "They say she prays at dawn and dusk every single day, without fail. And during ceremonies, she can... sense things. Intentions, dishonesty, and hidden malice."
Autumn leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "There's one more thing, Miss. Almost everyone who's met her says the same thing—the Matriarch can see through people. When she looks at you, it's like she's reading your soul. Lies simply can't hide in her presence."
A chill slowly crept up my spine. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to suppress that cold feeling, and simply nodded.
"Good," I said. "That's exactly what I needed to know."
Orchid bit her lip, finally unable to hold back. "Miss, are you sure about this? If she really can see through lies—"
"I'm not planning to lie," I interrupted her. "I just need her to notice me, to trust me enough to answer my questions."
Autumn and Orchid exchanged a glance, neither trying to persuade me further, though their expressions grew even more tense.
That night, I lay in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, my mind unable to rest for a moment. Getting a Matriarch who could see through lies to "notice" me would require far more than just honesty. I needed a reason—a reason that would make her unable to ignore me. Preferably, the kind she herself couldn't overlook.
I ran through various possibilities in my mind: standing out during the ceremony? Acting out during prayers? Or perhaps creating some small "incident" to force her hand? These ideas emerged one after another, only to be rejected one by one.
Then I remembered the Moon Revelation Ceremony from my previous life.
That time, there had been an attack during the ceremony. Someone had attempted to assassinate the Matriarch Harper. Though she survived, she was severely injured. After that blow, her body never truly recovered. Within a few years, she was dead.
I sat up abruptly, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
This was it. If this time I could prevent that attack, if I could save Harper—maybe, just maybe, she would agree to tell me who I really was.