Chapter 9
Ruby’s POV
Imally escaping the suffocating presence of the Lycan King.
- My mind racing with thoughts of Martha
How had it come to this!
The question burned as me as I found the guards stationed near the entrance of the manor. They straightened at my approach, their expressions wary as they took in my disheveled state.
“Have you found anything! Anything at all about Martha’s death?” I demanded.
One of them, a wiry man with a nervous twitch, cleared his throat, “Luna, we, we’ve been investigating, but so far, there’s no clear evidence. No signs of forced entry or unusual activity.”
I narrowed my eyes, my anger boiling over. “Nothing! You’re telling me that Martha–a woman who has served this pack faithfully for decades- just happened to end up hanging in a warehouse without cause! Brutalized like that! And you’ve found nothing!!”
They exchanged uneasy glances, their silence more damning than any words. I clenched my fists, trembling with frustration.
Incompetent, the lot of you! If you can’t do your jobs, I’ll find someone who can.” I snapped
Before they could respond, I felt another presence behind me. Turning. I saw my parents. My mother’s face was drawn with worry, while my father’s expression was stem. But their concern felt hollow, as if Martha’s death was merely an inconvenience.
“Baby,” my mother began, her tone soft. “You must take care of yourself. You’ve been through so much-
“Don’t.” I interrupted, my voice, icy. “Don’t pretend you care. You didn’t care when Alicia died. You didn’t care when Dominic humiliated me. And now you treat Martha’s death like it’s nothing more than the loss of a wild bird.”
My father bristled, his jaw tightening “Watch your tone. Ruby. We’re your parents.”
I met his glare with one of my own. “Parents? The most useless ones I’ve ever known. Go back to Camilla. She needs you more than I do.”
The words hung heavy in the air, my father’s face reddening with anger. But I didn’t care. I turned on my heel and walked past them, my mind set on finding answers for myself.
Reaching Martha’s quarters, I unlocked the door with trembling hands and slipped inside. The room was as I remembered it: neat and unassuming But now, it felt hollow, like a shell of the woman who had once inhabited it
I tore through her belongings, searching for anything that might explain what had happened. Drawers were emptied, linens tossed aside, and still.…….. nothing. Frustration gnawed at me as I stood in the center of the room, surrounded by chaos,
Just as I turned to leave, something caught my attention. A faint shift beneath my feet. Frowning. I knelt and pressed against the floorboards, my fingers searching for the source of the movement. To my surprise, one of the tiles lifted, revealing a hidden compartment beneath.
Inside was a small, worn chest. My heart pounded as I lifted it out, the wood cool against my palms. The lock was simple, and it took little effort to open Within. I found a stack of yellowed letters tied with twine and an aged journal with a cracked leather cover.
At first, it seemed ordinary, the kind of personal keepsakes anyone might have. But as I thumbed through the journal, a sense of unease crept over
My hands trembled as I unfolded the first letter, the parchment crinkling beneath my touch. The words blurred before my eyes, but I forced myself to focus, to read. Each line was a dagger to my chest, slicing deeper with every revelation. The letters spoke of secrets, betrayals, and lies–a world I had never known existed within the walls of the Ravenhold Pack
Sickened, I pushed the letters aside and reached for the journal, its cracked leather cover cold against my fingertips. Martha’s neat, deliberate handwriting filled the pages, and as I read, the words began to warp my reality
‘Ruby, if you are reading this, I am gone. There is no easy way to tell you the truth I’ve hidden all these years. The people you call Mother and Father are not your real parents Your real parents were the former Alpha and Luna of Ravenhold, and they loved you more than life itself. But their love could not save them.”
My breath caught in my throat. I blinked, my mind reeling. Not my… real parents!
The room seemed to tilt, and 1 gripped the edge of the desk to steady myself. I forced my eyes back to the page, desperate for answers.
They were murdered, Ruby. Your parents–the true leaders of this pack–were betrayed. It was no accident, no rogue attack, as you were led to
1/2
Chapter 4
bchieve Nathaniel Lacienne, the man you call Father, orchestrated their deaths. He wanted the Alpha’s throne, and he was willing to kill for it.
Trasped. My chea tightened as the words etched themselves into my memory. The journal continued, unraveling a web of treachery
that spanned
Martha, why did you keep this from me for long time? Why did you let him…..
You were spared, Ruby, not out of mercy but out of greed. You were the legal heir to your parents‘ wealth, and Nathaniel needed you alive to solidify his claim I knew, Ruby I knew and I said nothing I am guilty of silence, of cowardice. But I could not let you live your life never knowing the truth.
The words blurred as tears filled my eyes, dripping onto the page. My entire world had been a lie. The man who raised me, who claimed to protect nie, had been the architect of my parents‘ murder. The betrayal was so profound that it left me hollow, my heart shattering into pieces I couldn’t kather
I slammed the journal shut, my hands trembling as I clutched it to my chest. Martha’s guilt, her silence, her love for me–it was all tangled together in a mess of emotions I couldn’t untangle. My breaths came in shallow gasps as the weight of the truth bore down on me.
My parents. My real parents. Murdered.
Nathaniel.
A surge of anger flooded my veins, hot and uncontrollable. I had to confront him. I had to know if it was true. But even as the rage consumed me, a small voice whispered in the back of my mind: What if it is true? What then?
However, rather than that if it’s the truth. That means Camilla is not my sister?
AD
