Chapter 251 The Lost Royal

Chapter 251 The Lost Royal
The frozen air burned my lungs as Mason and I stumbled through the dense northern forest. Each breath felt like swallowing shards of glass, but stopping wasn't an option. Not with Hawk's guards somewhere behind us.

"We need to reach the border," I gasped, pulling Mason's arm tighter around my shoulders. The narrow tunnel we'd escaped through had led us deep into the wilderness, but I had no idea how far we'd actually traveled. All I knew was that we needed to put as much distance as possible between us and that hellish underground prison.

I tried reaching for Nora, feeling my recently reunited inner wolf stir weakly within me.

'Nora, I need your strength. Just a little.'

I felt her consciousness brush against mine—a faint whimper of exhaustion. She wanted to help, but she had nothing to give.

Mason's weight against me grew heavier with each step. The torture he'd endured had left him in worse shape than I'd initially realized. His breathing had turned ragged, and his skin felt clammy despite the freezing temperature.

"Elena," he wheezed, "I need... just a minute."

"We can't stop," I insisted, though my own legs trembled with exhaustion. Without Nora's full strength, I was barely stronger than an ordinary human. "They'll find us."

We pushed forward as snowflakes began drifting down, gradually thickening until I could barely see ten feet ahead. The wind picked up, howling through the trees and drowning out any sounds of pursuit. Under different circumstances, I might have considered this a blessing. Now, it just meant we couldn't hear if someone was gaining on us.

Mason's steps faltered, and suddenly his full weight collapsed against me. I staggered, barely managing to keep us both upright.

"Mason! Stay with me!"

His eyes fluttered, unfocused. "Can't... sorry..."

Then he slumped forward, unconscious. I caught him as best I could, but with Nora too weak to lend me her strength, I couldn't hold him up. We both tumbled into the snow.

"Shit! Mason, wake up!" I shook him desperately, but he didn't respond.

'Nora, please. Just a moment of strength.'

I felt her trying, a weak surge of warmth in my muscles that faded almost immediately. She was simply too drained from our recent ordeal.

The snowfall intensified, quickly covering us in a thin white blanket. I tried to drag Mason forward, my muscles screaming in protest. Each step became a battle against both his dead weight and my failing strength. The cold seeped through my clothes, numbing my extremities.

"Just... a little... further," I panted, though I had no idea where "further" was supposed to lead us.

My foot caught on something hidden beneath the snow. I lurched forward, losing my grip on Mason as we both crashed into a snowdrift. This time, I couldn't find the strength to get back up. The white world around me blurred, darkness creeping in from the edges of my vision.

'I'm sorry, Elva. I tried...'

As consciousness slipped away, I felt Nora curl up tightly within me, preserving what little warmth and strength we had left.

Warmth. That was the first sensation that registered when consciousness returned. I was lying on something soft, covered with thick blankets. A fire crackled nearby, casting dancing shadows across unfamiliar walls.

I bolted upright, heart pounding. The small cabin was rustic but well-maintained. Animal pelts hung on the walls alongside weapons that looked distinctly... bear-like.

'Oh god. They found us.'

A man entered the room, tall and broad-shouldered with a thick beard. He carried a steaming mug and stopped when he saw I was awake.

"You're finally up. Good," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle for someone his size.

I shrank back against the headboard. "Stay away from me. I won't go back with you."

His brow furrowed. "Go back where?"

"To Hawk. To Jane." My voice quavered. "I'm not your bear princess. Just let us go."

The man's eyes widened in shock. He set the mug down carefully and took a step back, studying me with new intensity.

"Bear princess?" he repeated slowly. "How do you know about that?"

I clamped my mouth shut, realizing I might have said too much.

He studied me carefully, his eyes narrowing. "You have her eyes. The same unique shade as King Rowan's."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, but my voice lacked conviction.

"Were you raised among wolves?" he asked suddenly. "That would explain why you've been hidden for so long. The bears would never think to look there." His eyes flicked to my chest, as if he could see Nora within me. "Though I sense your wolf is quite weak right now."

My silence seemed to confirm his suspicion.

"Do you have a birthmark? On your neck?" he pressed. "A small moon and bear claw shape"

I felt the blood drain from my face. How could he possibly know about that?

I felt the blood drain from my face. How could he possibly know about that? My hand instinctively rose to my throat, where a jagged scar now masked the faint mark I’d carried since birth. That scar had disappeared after the underground exchange.

The birthmark beneath it had always been a secret, something even I barely thought about. Yet this stranger knew.

Garrick nodded at my reaction. "Only the royal family carries that mark. And only a handful of us ever knew about it." He hesitated before speaking again. "My name is Garrick. You and your friend were half-frozen when we found you. We're not working with Hawk or Jane, I promise you that."

"Then who are you?" I demanded, scanning the room for Mason. "And where's my friend?"

"Your friend is resting in the next room. He needed medical attention." Garrick sighed heavily. "As for who we are... we're what's left of King Rowan's loyal guard."

I froze. "King Rowan?"

"The rightful Bear King. Your father." Garrick's eyes held mine steadily. "After he died, his brother took over as regent. Those of us who remained loyal were stripped of our positions and branded as traitors."

My head spun with this new information.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because we're both enemies of Hawk, who serves the regent. And because you just confirmed what we suspected." He leaned forward. "When you were an infant, before you disappeared, the queen used to sing you a lullaby about the northern stars. Do you remember any of it?"

A fragment of melody suddenly surfaced in my mind—something I'd always thought was just a dream. Five notes that had sometimes comforted me on my darkest nights, even during the years when Nora was gone.

"The stars guide the bears when paths grow dark," I whispered, the words coming from somewhere deep in my memory.

Garrick's eyes filled with emotion. "Those words were never recorded. They were passed only within the royal family." He knelt before me. "You 'are' her, aren't you? The lost princess."

I swallowed hard, weighing my options. The truth seemed unavoidable now. Finally, I nodded. "Yes."

"By the ancient mountains," Garrick breathed, looking like he might weep. "We've searched for you for so long."

The door opened, and Mason stumbled in, looking pale but determined. "Elena, don't trust them. They're just using you."

Garrick straightened. "We offer protection and help against Hawk and Jane's forces. But yes, we need something in return. When you reclaim your identity, you must support our cause. The elders' council has corrupted our clan for too long. We need a complete restructuring."

Mason limped to my side. "They don't care about you," he whispered urgently. "You're just a political tool to them. Once they get what they want, who knows what they'll do?"

I understood Mason's concern. I'd be trading one form of control for another. If I accepted their help, I might gain temporary safety but lose my freedom to choose my own path. If I refused, Hawk would eventually find us.

"I'll work with you," I told Garrick finally, ignoring Mason's frustrated sigh. "For now."

But as Garrick smiled and left to inform the others, I met Mason's eyes and gave him a subtle nod. I wasn't surrendering my agency. I was buying us time. This alliance was temporary—just until I could find a way out that didn't end with us back in Hawk's clutches.

I'd escaped one prison. I wasn't about to walk willingly into another.