The palace was unusually quiet that afternoon, a silence that felt almost alive, like it was listening. Outside, the sun poured pale light over the grounds, but a chill lingered in the air, hinting at trouble. Damien had left at dawn, riding toward the borders after scouts reported rogue activity. It was nothing unusual for an Alpha to handle,yet Natalie felt his absence in a way she hadn't expected.
She stood by the arched window of her chamber, fingers trailing the cool stone of the sill, her mind restless. Ever since her arrival, one thought had been clawing at her: the truth about her background. The truth about the Blood Moon Pack.
It had always been a silent ache, a shadow in the corners of her mind, but lately, it was louder,unbearable. If she was truly the heir princess as Damien and the others claimed, then why did so much of her past feel... wrong?
When the sound of boots and hushed voices drifted past her door, she knew the guards were changing shifts. That meant the west wing would be empty for a short while,the wing that held the palace's library.
She didn't hesitate.
Natalie pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and slipped into the hallway, her slippers silent against the marble floor. The palace corridors were dim, the flickering sconces casting wavering shadows along the walls. She walked briskly, the hem of her dress brushing the stone, her heartbeat matching the rhythm of her steps.
The library was a cavernous room, tucked behind heavy oak doors that groaned as she pushed them open. The scent of parchment, leather, and dust hit her instantly. Tall shelves stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, filled with books whose spines bore the weight of centuries. Stained-glass windows painted the room in muted colors, reds and golds spilling across the worn carpet.
She moved toward the section marked Pack Histories. Her fingers trailed over titles: The Eastern Alliance Records, Laws of the Silver Fang Council, Warriors of the North. None of them called to her until she saw it;an old, frayed volume shoved awkwardly between two newer books.
It had no title on the spine.
Natalie eased it free, dust motes swirling in the sunlight as she carried it to a nearby table. The cover was cracked leather, the corners softened with age. She opened it slowly, the fragile pages whispering as they turned.
And then her breath caught.
The first few entries were about the Blood Moon Pack. Her pack. She scanned the words hungrily, eyes darting across the lines, piecing together the story. But almost immediately, something didn't fit.
According to the book, the true Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack had been a man named Alpha Vincent,a name she had never once heard in her so-called "family's" stories. The book described him as a fair leader, fiercely protective of his people. But then came the entry that made her chest tighten.
> "The reign of Alpha Vincent ended in blood. In the War of the Two Crescents, he fell, struck down during a siege led by Alpha Rowan, who claimed the throne soon after."
Alpha Rowan. The man she had grown up calling father.
Natalie's fingers trembled as she turned the next page,only to find the history abruptly broken. Several pages had been torn out, the jagged edges still visible. The rest of the text jumped ahead, speaking vaguely of peace treaties and reorganized borders.
She sat back in her chair, her pulse hammering. So... her supposed father hadn't been the rightful Alpha at all. He had taken the title after killing Alpha Vincent. And if that was true, what did that make her?
The door creaked behind her. Natalie's head snapped up, heart in her throat,but it was only the wind stirring through a half-open window. Still, the urgency in her blood doubled. She carefully slipped the book back where she'd found it, her mind a storm.
She needed answers.
When Damien returned that evening, his presence filled the halls before she even saw him. The heavy tread of his boots, the low murmur of his orders to the guards, the faint scent of pine and steel clinging to him,it was impossible to ignore.
Natalie found him in the council chamber, removing his gloves as he handed a report to his Beta,Maelor....she remembers his name as he was the one that came to her pack with the proposal. Damien's eyes, sharp as a wolf's in moonlight, flicked to her instantly.
"You've been busy," he said, his tone unreadable.
"So have you," she replied lightly, though her stomach knotted. "I wanted to ask you something. About my pack."
Something flickered in his gaze,something that looked suspiciously like caution. "Your pack? I thought you already knew its history. Didn't your tutors drill that into you as the princess?"
She forced a small shrug, keeping her expression neutral. "History classes were boring. I never paid much attention."
Damien's jaw tightened. He studied her for a long, unnerving moment, as if peeling back her words to see what she was hiding.
Finally, he said, "I'll tell you what you want to know. But only on one condition."
Her pulse quickened. "Condition?"
"You'll sleep in my chamber tonight." His voice was smooth, but the weight behind it was undeniable,Alpha command, wrapped in velvet.
Natalie froze. "I'm not ready for the mating," she said quickly.
"I didn't say we'd mate," Damien replied, stepping closer, his towering frame casting her in shadow. "I just want you by my side. I won't touch you if you're not ready. But I want you there."
She searched his face for any sign of deception, but all she saw was certainty. Still, the idea sent a shiver through her. "Why?" she asked.
"Because," he said simply, "I can't protect what isn't near me."
The silence between them stretched, thick and tense. In her mind, she weighed the risk. If she refused, he might shut her out completely,and those answers about the Blood Moon Pack would stay buried.
Her heart pounded. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. I'll stay."
A faint smirk curved his lips, though it wasn't mocking,more like he'd just won a battle she didn't know they were fighting. "Then tomorrow morning, over breakfast, I'll tell you everything you want to know."
She swallowed, forcing her voice steady. "You'd better keep your word."
"Oh, I will," he said, turning away, though she could feel the heat of his presence even as he walked toward the door. "My wolf…"
She looked up.
"Don't go digging where you can't handle what you find."
His warning followed her long after he left the room, settling into her bones like ice.
Natalie agrees to stay in Damien's chamber that night, knowing that in the morning, she'll finally learn the truth,yet wondering if the truth might be more dangerous than the lies she's lived with all her life.