Chapter 253
Elara’s POV
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“Stay close, men,” I muttered, eyes scanning the rugged terrain ahead. The northern wind bit through the fabric of my cloak, but my focus was solely on the task at hand: Judith. My son.
I had once thought it would be simple to find an eight–year–old child. A few tracks, a few whispers, and we’d have him. But the reality? Far from it.
We were always just a hair’s breadth too late.
Every turn, every sign that suggested Judith might be nearby led us closer and closer to the Blood Moon Pack’s border. I didn’t know why he was heading this way, why he’d chosen to run toward this place. Was it a coincidence? Did he hear something that drove him here?
The questions gnawed at me, but I couldn’t find the answers. Not yet. Not until I found him.
Eight years. It had been eight long years since Dorian took me away. And now, after everything, I was back.
Back in my hometown.
I wondered, not for the first time, what had become of the people I left behind. My old friends. Cael. Vessa- was she still carrying that child when I left? And Thorne. Would Judith ever meet them? Would I?
My thoughts churned, but the soldiers‘ voices cut through, pulling me back to the present. We had lost the trail completely. Once Judith crossed int
Blood Moon territory, there was nothing more to follow.
“Should we go in?” one of the soldiers asked, his eyes filled with hesitation.
No. We couldn’t. Not with the entire city swarming with werewolf soldiers.
I nodded sharply. “We’ll stop here.”
And that’s when she arrived. Elder Medline. As if I didn’t already have enough on my plate. She was sent to keep an eye on me, but I couldn’t help but feel like a child again in her presence–just waiting for her judgment.
“Have you found him yet? What are you doing, Elara?” Medline’s voice pierced the air, loud and sharp.
I couldn’t stop the snort that escaped my lips. Eight years. Eight long years of this woman picking apart every little detail of my life. She found fault with the way I ran the castle, the way I spoke, the way I dressed.
Every. Single. Thing.
But not this time. Not with Dorian nowhere to be found to defend me.
Her voice rose, laced with venom. “This is the heir of the Lycans! If anything happens to Prince Judith, do you know what will happen to you?”
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Chapter 253
My hands clenched at my sides. “I don’t need you to remind me of my responsibilities, Medline
Medline sneered. “Oh, I don’t think you understand, Elara. Domestic violence is often why children ruit away, I’m sure the prince must have been suffering with you-”
Before she could finish, my hand slammed on the table, rattling the soldiers and silencing her.
“What. The. Hell?” Medline stepped back, eyes wide with shock. “What are you going to do? Hit me now?”
“How about we stop talking nonsense and get back to finding my son?” I shot back, my voice colder than I intended.
I didn’t give her a chance to argue. I turned to the soldiers. “Still no sign of Judith?”
A soldier shifted uncomfortably, his voice low. “We can’t get any closer, Your Majesty. It’s too risky. The city’s surrounded by soldiers, and we don’t want to draw attention.”
Medline scoffed. “Afraid of a bunch of werewolves?” She waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s spill blood, take back the prince.”
“NO!” My voice rang out, the finality of it surprising even me.
Medline’s sharp eyes locked onto mine. “What’s this? You’re suddenly on their side?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, taking a step closer to her. “The King made it clear. No one touches the werewolves. Have you been deaf during the meetings, Medline?”
Her expression darkened, but there was something almost like hesitation in her eyes. She didn’t dare challenge me.
She muttered under her breath, but after a long silence, she finally spoke. “Fine. We don’t shed blood. What do you propose instead?”
I exhaled sharply, letting go of the tension that had built in my chest. “We go in undercover. Use false identities. We’ll sneak into the city and find Judith.”
Medline’s face contorted. “You want me to play nanny to you? A servant?”
I narrowed my eyes. “If it’s beneath you, stay out here. It’s your choice.”
She grimaced, but in the end, reluctantly agreed.
We underwent a full disguise, shedding everything that might reveal our true identities. Medline insisted on me wearing a mask–just in case. A burn victim, she suggested. It was a believable story. People would buy it.
The next morning, we approached the checkpoint to the Blood Moon Pack.
And that’s when I saw the crowd.
A sea of people, all gathered in one place. I stopped one of the passersby. “What’s going on? Why all these people?”
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Chapter 253
“The Annual Alpha’s Meeting,” the person explained, eyes wide with excitement. “It’s a huge event. All the important leaders are here!”
My heart skipped a beat.
The Alpha’s meeting.
I remembered. Nine years ago, it was the same gathering where everything changed. The meeting that led me to the Direstone Pack. The meeting that changed my life.
Just then, a sleek black car cruised past the crowd, heading straight toward the gate. Applause erupted from the people.
“That’s Alpha Cael’s car!” someone shouted.
I froze. My breath hitched.
Cael.
Without thinking, I moved to push through the crowd, but Medline grabbed my wrist.
“Behave yourself,” she hissed in my ear. “You’re a Lycan’s mate now.”
I could only watch as the car disappeared into the distance, my heart aching with the memory of a man I once called family.
“Where’s King Thorne?” someone asked, just as I felt my heart seize.
“Probably running late,” his friend replied. “But we’ll see him soon.”
My chest tightened, and I forced myself to hold it together. Thorne. He was so close, yet so far.
Could he feel it? Could he feel how close his son was to him?
Thorne’s car was speeding through the streets, trying to make up for lost time. His driver had taken a shortcut, but the route was rough. The car slowed, eventually coming to a halt.
“What’s going on?” Thorne asked, irritation lacing his voice.
“Apologies, my king,” the driver said nervously. “Some homeless people are blocking the way.”
Thorne’s frown deepened as he looked out the window. A crowd had gathered around the car, their hands pressing against the tinted windows, begging for food or money.
He was about to tell the driver to drive them off when his eyes landed on something–a child.
The boy was sitting on the curb, his arms wrapped around his knees. He wasn’t shouting like the others. Instead, he stared at the sign in front of him.
The words: Need food.
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Chapter 253
Something about the boy pulled at Thorne. Without thinking, he opened the door and stepped out, making his way through the crowd.
When he reached the boy, he stopped, looking down at him. “Where are your parents?”
The boy looked up, and their eyes met. Two identical smoky grey eyes.
Thorne’s heart stopped.
