The attic was suffocating. Dust hung in the air like tiny motes of static, swirling through the dim light of Ariana's flashlight. The room was filled with the weight of forgotten things—old memories, old secrets—and Liam's words only added to that crushing pressure.
"You're a part of this now."
Ariana stared at him, her heart pounding so hard she thought he might hear it. He was close, too close, and the intensity of his gaze made it hard to breathe. She could feel the warmth of his presence, but there was something dangerous about it, too. Like standing too close to the edge of a cliff.
"This curse…" she began, her voice a little unsteady. "What does it have to do with me? And with my family?"
Liam hesitated, his jaw tightening as though he were wrestling with how much to tell her. His eyes flicked down to the journal clutched tightly in her hands. "Your mother knew about it," he said quietly. "She knew there were forces at play far beyond what you've been told."
Ariana swallowed, her throat dry. "Forces like the wolves? Like you?"
Liam's gaze darkened. "Yes. But it's more complicated than that. Your family's bloodline is… unique. It's tied to a power that both my kind and others have sought for centuries."
Her mind reeled. **Her family's bloodline?** She thought back to the strange dreams she'd had recently, the heightened senses, the growing feeling that she was changing in ways she couldn't explain. Was that all connected to this?
"What kind of power?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Liam exhaled slowly, his expression hardening. "The Moonstone," he said, his voice low. "An ancient artifact that has the power to shift the balance between werewolves and… others. Your bloodline is tied to it. You're part of a legacy that goes back generations, to a time when wolves and humans weren't at war."
Ariana's breath caught in her throat. _The Moonstone._ The word echoed in her mind, the same word she had read in her mother's journal. Her mother had been trying to protect it, protect **her**. But why?
"And now it's been lost," Liam continued, his tone dark. "Stolen by those who seek to use it for their gain. And if they find out who you are, they'll come for you."
Ariana's chest tightened, her mind spinning with a thousand questions. "Who took it?"
Liam hesitated, his jaw clenching as if he were holding back something painful. "My stepbrother, Yulian," he said finally. "He's been working with rogues, seeking to overthrow me as Alpha. But that's not all. He's also tied to an older power—something darker."
Ariana blinked, trying to process the flood of information. Liam's stepbrother? Dark forces? It all sounded like something out of a twisted fairy tale, but the look in Liam's eyes told her this was very real.
She took a step back, shaking her head. "This is insane," she muttered. "I'm just a law student. I don't have anything to do with werewolves or… or ancient curses."
"You didn't ask for this," Liam said, his voice softening. "But you're in it now. Your mother tried to keep you out of this world. She knew the danger, but now… now, you're the last link to breaking the curse."
Ariana felt a surge of panic rises in her chest. This was too much—too much to process, too much to believe. But even as her mind screamed at her to reject it, something deep inside her knew he was telling the truth. She had felt it for weeks now, the growing tension, the changes in her body. The night of the wolf attack had been the tipping point, and now there was no going back.
She gripped the journal tighter, her knuckles white. "What happens now?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Liam's eyes softened, and for the first time, there was something almost vulnerable in his gaze. "I protect you," he said quietly. "Until we find a way to break the curse, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
Ariana's stomach twisted. "And what if they find me first?"
Liam stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his gaze locked onto hers. "They won't."
She wanted to believe him, but doubt gnawed at the edges of her mind. She barely knew Liam, and now she was supposed to trust him with her life. The thought was terrifying, but the alternative—being hunted by those who sought the Moonstone and whatever power it held—was even worse.
Ariana glanced down at the journal in her hands. Her mother had known. She had been trying to protect her from this fate, and now it was all falling apart.
"What about my parents?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Were they… involved in this?"
Liam's expression darkened. "Your mother was. She was a wolf healer—part of a rare bloodline that was said to have the ability to heal both wolves and humans. That's why she was targeted."
Ariana's heart raced. _A wolf-healer?_
Her mother had never told her any of this. Growing up, she had always thought her mother was just an ordinary woman. But now, it seemed like there were layers of secrets buried beneath the surface of her family's history.
"And my father?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Liam hesitated for a long moment before answering. "Your father… he made a mistake. One that cost your family dearly."
Ariana frowned. "What kind of mistake?"
Liam's gaze hardened. "He betrayed the Blackstone Pack. He gave information to the enemy. That's why your family was hunted."
Ariana's breath caught in her throat, the weight of the revelation hitting her like a punch to the gut. Her father had betrayed the pack? Her family had been hunted because of it?
She stumbled back, her mind spinning. This was too much. Too many secrets. Too many lies.
"I need to get out of here," she muttered, her voice shaking.
But as she turned to leave, Liam's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. His grip was firm but not painful, and when she looked up, his gaze was intense, filled with something she couldn't quite name—concern, protectiveness, something deeper.
"You can't run from this," he said softly. "It'll only make it worse."
Ariana swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She wanted to run, to escape this nightmare, but something in Liam's eyes held her in place. There was a truth there, something she couldn't ignore.
"What do I do?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Liam's expression softened, and he slowly released her wrist. "We find the Moonstone," he said, his voice low but steady. "And we break the curse."
Ariana's chest tightened as the weight of her new reality settled over her. The curse. The Moonstone. Her mother's legacy. It all felt like too much to bear, but she had no choice now. The past had come crashing into the present, and there was no turning back.
She nodded slowly, her mind still reeling. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll help you."
Liam's gaze lingered on hers for a moment, and she could see the relief in his eyes. He gave a small nod before stepping back, his usual stoic expression returning.
"We start tomorrow," he said quietly. "I'll explain everything you need to know."
Ariana's heart pounded as she watched him disappear into the shadows once again, leaving her alone in the attic with nothing but the weight of her mother's journal and the secrets it contained.
She was in deep now. And whatever was coming, she would have to face it head-on.