Chapter 186
Braxton had just finished tucking his mother into bed. He drew the curtains carefully and turned off the light before turning to leave the bedroom.
His steps slowed when he realised Claudia was not waiting by the door as she usually did whenever he came up here to be with his mother. A small frown creased his forehead.
It was unlike her. He tried to mind-link her, but her link was closed. He pulled out his phone to call her and found two messages already waiting, one from Claudia herself, the other from his spy.
He opened Claudia’s first.
Alpha, I’ve left for Aethelwulf Centralis to meet the Queen. I’m going to tell her everything tonight. She deserves to know. Kill me later if you must, but we cannot keep taking these chances forever.
“This stubborn woman,” Braxton muttered under his breath, dragging a hand down his face. “How is she going to believe what you say p>
He read the second message quickly. It confirmed the same thing: Lady Claudia was already with the Queen at this very moment.
Without wasting another second, he opened his mind-link and reached out to his Beta. Get my car ready immediately. We are going to Aethelwulf Centralis.
In the hushed quiet of the hotel restaurant, Kira laughed.
It was a humourless sound. She shook her head as it left her. Then she looked at the woman across the table.
“You clearly have nothing real to tell me,” she said flatly. “So let’s stop dancing around it. What is it you actually want p>
“I don’t want anything, my Queen.” Claudia shook her head earnestly. “Nothing at all. I only want to tell you the truth. That’s all I’ve ever wanted p>
“And you think you can simply appear out of nowhere,” Kira said, “drop a few words in my lap, and I’ll believe every one of them just like that p>
She leaned forward. “Let me tell you about my own origins, then,” she said quietly. “Perhaps that will help p>
Claudia only stared at her without a word.
“I was born Kira Thornclaw,” she began, watching the woman’s face. “The daughter of the werewolf monster Rolf Thornclaw. My mother died giving birth to me p>
Claudia shook her head slowly. “That’s not true. None of it is. That monster was never your father p>
Kira stared at her, and despite herself, the pieces began to shift and fall into place inside her mind.
Her mother, who everyone said had cheated on Rolf. Her father, whom Lydia had told her had wrapped his hands around her mother’s throat and snuffed the breath out of her.
Her father, who had hated the very sight of her every single day of her life, who had beaten her, starved her, and tried severally to kill her.
She had always suspected she was not truly Rolf’s daughter. But hearing it said aloud, by a stranger who had no reason to lie, sent a tremor through her whole system.
“Are you telling me,” Kira said slowly, “that I might be a Lycan p>
“You’re a hybrid, my Queen.” Claudia’s voice was gentle. “Your father was a Lycan. And your mother was Alpha Thornclaw’s first wife, the true and direct heir of Moonfang p>
Kira stared blankly at her.
The true and direct heir of Moonfang?
Back in Dravengard, the night was still on fire.
Kai limped forward into the chaos after Nana, even as Jessica screamed his name behind him, lunging to catch his sleeve and missing.
“Kai! No p>
But he was already in it, abandoning his crutch.
He and Nana threw themselves at the Umbras swarming Angelica, the shadow creatures pressing in from every side, trying to tear the fallen russet beast apart while she was down.
Kai ducked a swinging limb, drove his knife deep into the spine of the creature, and the thing let out a high, awful squeal before shaking violently and crumpling to the floor.
Nana fought beside him with a speed that defied her years, wielding her staff-sword with quick reflexes, taking down Umbras left and right.
Jessica watched, frozen at the top of the stairs, her knife shaking in her grip. She had never in her life seen an old woman move like that.
How is she moving like that? She is supposed to be old!
With Nana and Kai carving the Umbras back, Angelica found her feet again. The russet Lycan surged up off the bloodied stone with a roar and threw herself back into the fight, fury in every line of her.
Kai, you need to get out of here this instant!
Angelica’s voice cracked down the mind-link as she swung one massive claw and sent an Umbra flying clean off its feet, smashing into another, and both of them crashing to the floor somewhere in the courtyard.
Don’t you worry about me, Mummy, Kai shot back, dodging a jab and burying his blade in another Umbra’s heart, drawing another squeak. You didn’t raise a weak son.
Jessica wanted to scream at him for being so reckless. She wanted to charge into that mass of teeth and shadow with her own little knife and stand at his side.
But fear had wrapped itself around her bones and locked them solid, and she could not make her feet move.
Kai sensed her fear and turned to her. He saw the terror frozen on her face and limped back toward her up the steps, wincing with every movement.
“Hey,” he said. “Don’t worry. Alright? Don’t worry about any of it p>
But Jessica was crying now, the tears spilling over before she could stop them.
“How can I not worry?” she choked out. “How can you stand there bleeding and tell me not to worry p>
“Because I’ve been a warrior my whole life, Jessica.” His voice was soft but certain. “Injured or not, I’m not the kind of man who sits in a corner and does nothing while his home burns. That’s not who I am p>
Jessica’s eyes flicked past him to where Nana was tackling two Umbras at once, her staff-sword whirling, pushing both of them off without giving an inch.
Kai followed her gaze and chuckled.
“Don’t be scared for her, of all people,” he said. “Nana was the very first female warrior in all of Dravengard.” He tilted his head. “Tell me. Have you ever heard the story of Gene, the Warrior Princess p>
Jessica nodded shakily. Of course she had. “Who hadn’t? It was a Lycan tale told to young werewolf girls to inspire them to take up the blade and learn proper combat p>
“Have you never wondered,” Kai went on, dodging back a step as the fight raged below, “why Nana holds so much power in Dravengard? Why an old woman’s word carries the weight it does p>
Jessica shook her head.
“Now think about it,” Kai said with a grin. “Her name is Lady Genevieve Wolfe, and people call her Gene for short p>
Jessica’s eyes went wide. “She’s… she’s Gene? The Gene p>
“You’re clever.” Kai grinned and patted her cheek fondly. “Now stop fretting over her and get yourself inside. We’re all going to be just fine, I promise you. Every one of us p>
He had barely finished the words when Jessica’s eyes snapped past his shoulder, and her heart stopped.
An Umbra was creeping up the stairs behind him, low and silent, gathering itself to spring straight at his unprotected back.
There was no time to shout or think.
The Umbra lunged.
Jessica moved.
She shoved Kai hard out of the way, and in the same instant her body broke and reshaped around her, fur erupting, bones cracking, a great ginger wolf bursting out of where the frightened girl had stood a heartbeat before.
She slammed into the shadow shifter mid-air, fur against fur, jaws snapping, and the two of them collided with force and went tumbling together down the terrace stairs in a snarling, rolling tangle.