CHAPTER 8
Verity's POV
The rogue's words haunted me. The key.
What did it mean? Why were they so desperate to find it?
Darek's reaction only fueled my suspicions. He knew something—something he wasn't telling me.
I wasn't going to wait for answers anymore.
The pack house was quiet as I slipped out of my room, my footsteps light against the wooden floors. I made my way to Darek's office, the place he always retreated to when he thought no one was watching.
The door was locked, but that didn't stop me. I'd picked up a few tricks over the years, and within seconds, I was inside.
The room was dimly lit, the scent of leather and pine filling the air. Papers were scattered across the desk, maps and reports detailing rogue activity.
And then I saw it.
A small, ornate box tucked away on a shelf. It was unassuming, but something about it called to me.
I reached for it, my fingers brushing the cool metal. The moment I touched it, a surge of energy coursed through me, warm and electric.
"Verity."
I spun around, the box still in my hands. Darek stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
"I could ask you the same thing," I shot back, holding up the box. "What is this? And what aren't you telling me?"
He stepped closer, his eyes locked on mine. "Put it down."
"Not until you tell me the truth," I said, my voice shaking but firm.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. For a moment, I thought he might actually tell me.
"It's the key," he said finally.
"To what?"
"To everything," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "To power, to destruction, to salvation. It's what the rogues are after—and it's tied to you."
My breath caught. "What do you mean, tied to me?"
"I don't know how," he admitted. "But the moment you stepped into this pack, everything changed. The attacks, the visions..."
Ii"Visions?" I pressed.
He hesitated, then nodded. "Dreams. Warnings. They all point to you, Verity. You're the key."
His words hung in the air, heavy and impossible.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.
"Because I wasn't sure about it yet I'm trying to understand everything" he said looking at me wearily.
The vulnerability in his tone caught me off guard. For the first time, I saw the man behind the Alpha—the man who was just as scared as I was.
But there was no time to process his confession.
A deafening howl echoed through the night, followed by the sound of crashing wood.
The rogues were here.
Darek's eyes darkened, his Alpha instincts taking over. "Stay here," he ordered, shifting into his wolf form in an instant.
But I wasn't about to let him face this alone.
Gripping the box tightly, I followed him into the chaos, ready to fight for the answers—and the freedom—I deserved.
The pack house erupted into chaos. Wolves darted through the halls, their movements a blur of fur and fury as the pack prepared to defend their territory.
But I couldn't stay behind. Not this time.
I clutched the ornate box in my hands, its weight both literal and metaphorical. Darek's words still rang in my ears: "You're the key."
The rogues were here because of me. And if I had any chance of understanding why, I needed to face them.
I slipped out of the office and followed the sound of snarls and growls into the main hall. The air was thick with tension, the scent of fear and adrenaline mingling as wolves clashed in a brutal dance of teeth and claws.
In the middle of the chaos, Darek stood, his massive black wolf towering over the others. He fought with unmatched ferocity, his movements a deadly combination of precision and power.
But the rogues weren't backing down.
I tightened my grip on the box, my pulse pounding in my ears. There had to be something I could do.
"Verity!"
I turned to see Caleb running toward me, his expression a mix of anger and concern.
"You need to get out of here!" he shouted over the noise.
"I'm not leaving," I said firmly.
"You don't understand," he said, his voice dropping as he grabbed my arm. "The rogues—they're not just here to fight. They're here for you."
"I know," I said, holding up the box. "And I think this is why."
His eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"
"Darek's office," I admitted. "He said it's the key they're after, and it's tied to me somehow."
Caleb looked torn, his loyalty to Darek warring with his instinct to protect me.
"Stay close," he said finally, his voice grim. "If they want you, they'll have to go through me first."
I was behind Caleb when a rougue grab my hands. I try to break free from it grip but the rogue's grip on me was like iron, but I refused to let go of the box.
A strange warmth spread through my hands, growing stronger with each passing second.
And then it happened.
A burst of light erupted from the box, blinding and powerful. The rogue released me with a pained snarl, stumbling backward as the light consumed it.
The chaos around us came to an abrupt halt. The wolves—both pack and rogue—stared in stunned silence as the light faded, leaving me standing alone in its wake.
"What... what just happened?" I whispered, my hands trembling as I stared at the now-closed box.
Darek was at my side in an instant, his expression a mixture of shock and fear.
"You activated it," he said, his voice hoarse.
"Activated what?" I demanded.
"The power of the key," he said. "It's been dormant for centuries, but somehow... you woke it up."
Before I could respond, a deep, guttural laugh echoed through the hall.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a man with piercing eyes and an aura of darkness that sent chills down my spine.
"Well, well," he said, his voice smooth and menacing. "It seems the key has finally chosen its bearer."
Darek stepped in front of me, his body tense and protective.
"Who are you?" he growled.
The man smirked. "Someone who's been waiting a very long time for this moment."
His gaze shifted to me, and for the first time, I felt the weight of my role in this war.
The key wasn't just a symbol or a tool.
It was me.