Bella’s mind raced as she paced back and forth in the woods just beyond the pack’s territory. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was running in circles, trapped in a web of secrets. Every step she took seemed to lead her further from the answers she needed, and yet she was no closer to understanding why Nyxthorn was after her—or why Kael was so determined to keep the truth hidden.
She couldn’t keep ignoring the growing suspicion that Kael knew more than he was letting on. There was something he wasn’t telling her, and if she had to tear apart the pack to find it, then so be it.
Ardyn.
The name came to her like a whisper in the dark. Ardyn, Kael’s Beta. He was the one person who might know something. He had to. After all, he was the one who had warned Kael about the dangers of rejecting Esmera, and he had been around long enough to know the history of Crescent Howl and its alliances.
Bella had avoided him as much as possible since the confrontation with Kael. But now, she needed him. She needed to know what he knew.
She found him on the outskirts of the pack’s training grounds, overseeing some warriors as they practiced their sparring. His piercing green eyes flicked toward her as she approached, his expression unreadable.
“What do you want, Bella?” he asked, his voice low and guarded.
“I need to talk to you,” she replied, her tone insistent. “About Nyxthorn. And about me.”
Ardyn raised an eyebrow, his posture stiffening. He was clearly wary of where this was heading, but he didn’t turn her away. Instead, he motioned for her to follow him, leading her further into the woods where they could speak without prying ears.
Once they were alone, Ardyn turned to her, crossing his arms. “You’re asking dangerous questions, Bella. Are you sure you want to know the answers?”
Bella nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. “I don’t care about the danger. I need to know why they’re after me. Why Nyxthorn wants me.”
Ardyn sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Kael hasn’t told you, has he?”
“No,” Bella answered, her voice tinged with frustration. “But I think he knows more than he’s saying. I need to hear it from you. Please, Ardyn.”
Ardyn hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering as if debating whether to trust her with this information. Finally, he spoke, his voice low.
“You’re not just some rogue, Bella,” he began, his words heavy with meaning. “You’re tied to something much bigger than this pack. Something Kael has known about for a long time. But he hasn’t told you, and I don’t know why.”
Bella’s breath caught in her throat. “What are you talking about? What bigger thing?”
Ardyn’s eyes flickered toward the distant trees, as if checking to make sure no one was listening. “Your bloodline,” he said softly. “You’re connected to the Crescenten bloodline, Bella. The same bloodline that Nyxthorn has been hunting for centuries. Kael knows this. He knows what you are. But for some reason, he’s keeping it from you.”
Bella took a step back, her head spinning. “The Crescenten bloodline? But… why would they want me? What does it have to do with me?”
Ardyn looked away, his expression troubled. “That, I don’t know. But I do know that Nyxthorn believes you’re a key to something important. Something dangerous. They’ll stop at nothing to get you, Bella.”
Bella’s mind raced with the new information. The Crescenten bloodline. Her connection to it. The medallion. It was all starting to make sense—but at the same time, it made everything even more confusing.
“I have to know more,” she said, her voice firm with resolve. “I can’t keep waiting for Kael to tell me. I need to find the answers myself.”
Ardyn eyed her warily. “Be careful, Bella. Kael will do anything to protect you, even if it means lying to you. If you dig too deep, you might end up losing more than you bargained for.”
Bella shook her head. “I’m already losing myself in all of this. I won’t stop until I know the truth.”
As she turned to leave, Ardyn called out to her. “If you find what you’re looking for, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Bella didn’t answer. She couldn’t. The words he had spoken were already echoing in her mind, repeating over and over like a warning she couldn’t ignore. Kael had been keeping things from her. Ardyn was right. She needed to know the truth.
Later that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Bella found herself standing outside Kael’s quarters. The packhouse was dark and quiet, and she knew this was her only chance to uncover something—anything—that could explain what was really happening.
She hesitated at the door, her hand hovering over the handle. The weight of her decision pressed down on her, but she knew she couldn’t turn back now. With a quiet breath, she pushed open the door.
Kael’s quarters were exactly as she remembered—dark, cool, and almost clinical in their emptiness. The scent of him lingered in the air, and for a moment, she felt a pang of guilt for intruding. But she shoved it aside.
Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on a chest in the corner, partially obscured by shadows. It was old, made of dark wood, and locked. Bella’s pulse quickened as she approached it.
As she drew closer, she noticed something strange. The chest was faintly glowing, a soft light coming from the cracks in the wood. Bella reached out, her fingers brushing against it, and she felt a jolt of energy surge through her, similar to what she had felt when the medallion had glowed.
Her heart raced. The markings on the chest—they were the same as the ones on her medallion.
“Kael…” she whispered under her breath, feeling a cold rush of fear. What had he been hiding?