Chapter 2: The Name That Shook the Pack
Chapter 2: The Name That Shook the Pack
Not a single voice broke the silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Aria stared at the woman standing before her.
The words echoed through her mind.
The last heir of House Vale.
She had dreamed of hearing someone call her family.
She had never imagined it would happen like this.
"You... you're my mother?"
Selene's eyes softened.
"I am."
"I wanted to tell you years ago."
"I wasn't allowed."
Aria tightened her grip around the old iron key.
"Then tell me why."
"Tell me why I grew up believing no one wanted me."
Selene took a slow breath.
"Because loving you meant letting the world believe you had disappeared."
Confusion spread across the courtyard.
The elders exchanged uneasy glances.
Kael stepped forward.
"You've entered my territory without permission."
Selene finally looked at him.
Her expression was calm.
"You rejected my daughter before asking who she truly was."
Kael crossed his arms.
"My decision concerns my pack."
"It concerns every territory now."
The sentence landed like thunder.
One of Selene's guards approached with a leather case.
He opened it.
Inside rested dozens of ancient documents sealed with silver wax.
The oldest elder gasped.
"I know those seals."
His hands trembled.
"They belong to the First Council."
Murmurs swept through the crowd.
House Vale was more than an ordinary bloodline.
According to old stories, its leaders had helped establish the earliest alliances between wolf territories centuries before.
Most people believed the family had vanished.
Others believed they had become legends.
No one expected one of them to appear in Blackridge.
Selene spoke without raising her voice.
"House Vale never disappeared."
"We stepped away after betrayal nearly destroyed every family under our protection."
She looked at Aria.
"When enemies discovered you had been born, they hunted every member of our house."
"I made the hardest decision of my life."
"I left you where no one would think to search."
Aria felt anger and hope collide inside her.
"You left me alone."
"I watched from farther away than you can imagine."
"I attended your school ceremonies."
"I saw every birthday."
"I wanted to hold you."
"But one mistake would have led our enemies straight to you."
Tears filled Aria's eyes.
"You expect me to believe that was love?"
"No."
Selene lowered her head.
"I only hope one day you'll understand it."
Behind them, Lydia finally broke her silence.
"This is ridiculous."
She forced a laugh.
"Anyone can invent a noble family."
Several guests nodded.
Kael remained silent.
He was watching the elders instead.
Every one of them looked frightened.
The oldest elder slowly approached Selene.
Then, to everyone's shock, he bowed deeply.
"I never thought I would see the Crest of the Silver Moon again."
Lydia's smile vanished.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"This changes nothing."
"I chose my Luna."
Selene answered immediately.
"You are free to choose."
"No Alpha can be forced."
She paused.
"But choices carry consequences."
Another black vehicle entered through the gates.
This one carried no guards.
Only a polished wooden chest.
Two attendants carefully placed it before Selene.
She handed the iron key to Aria.
"It belongs to you."
With shaking hands, Aria unlocked the chest.
The lid creaked open.
Inside lay an elegant white cloak embroidered with silver thread.
Beneath it rested an ancient sword unlike any weapon in Blackridge.
There was also a folded letter.
Her name was written across the front in graceful handwriting.
Aria opened it.
The ink had faded with time.
If you are reading this, it means the day I feared has finally arrived.
Never measure your worth by the people who failed to see it.
A wolf does not become weaker because others mistake her for prey.
At the bottom of the page was a signature.
Your father.
Aria's hands began to shake.
"My father is alive?"
Selene's eyes filled with sorrow.
"I don't know."
"He disappeared protecting our family."
Before anyone could speak again, a loud explosion echoed from the forest beyond the estate.
Flames burst above the tree line.
One of Selene's guards pressed a hand against his earpiece.
His face drained of color.
"My Lady..."
"Our eastern convoy has been attacked."
Another explosion followed.
Then another.
Selene's calm expression hardened instantly.
"They found us."
A chilling howl rolled through the mountains.
May you like
It did not belong to any wolf in Blackridge.
And every warrior present realized the real battle had only just begun.
