The village had not moved on.
Even as dawn unfurled across the horizon in delicate strokes of orange and pink, the air remained heavy with grief. The remnants of Elias's funeral pyre still smoldered in the center of the pack's land—charred wood, fading embers, and the lingering scent of fire and sorrow. The Omega pack moved through the morning in near silence, as if afraid that sound itself might shatter the fragile remnants of their leader's presence.
Inside Kael's chamber, a different storm brewed.
Aira stood near the window, the early sunlight casting silver reflections in her watchful eyes. Her arms were crossed, fingers digging into the sleeves of her tunic. "Kael, we need to tell her."
Kael sat on the edge of his bed, golden eyes unreadable. "Tell who?"
"Your mother," Aira said, her voice taut. "I don't know how much longer I can hold my wolf back." Her jaw tightened, as if she were holding something volatile beneath her skin. "It's clawing at me. Every day, it gets harder."
Kael exhaled, rubbing his jaw in contemplation. "I know." His voice was steady, but the tension in his frame betrayed his unease. "But there's something I need to understand first." He looked at her then, his gaze darkening with thought. "Garrick said my mother isn't an Omega. If that's true… then who is she?"
Aira hesitated. That question, that uncertainty, settled like a stone in her gut.
Before either of them could say more, Asha's voice drifted up from below. "Breakfast is ready."
They exchanged a final glance before heading downstairs. The scent of warm bread and roasted meat filled the air, but even the comfort of food couldn't dissolve the unspoken questions weighing on them.
Then, the knock came.
One of the pack's Omegas stepped inside and bowed slightly. "Kael, someone is here to see you."
Kael set down his cup, his posture shifting, his senses sharpening. "Let them in."
The door opened, revealing an old man wrapped in a weathered cloak. His presence was unfamiliar, yet something about him tugged at Kael's instincts. There was a stillness to him, a quiet observation that felt calculated rather than hesitant.
Aira tensed. Her wolf stirred uneasily.
Kael gestured for him to enter. "Come in. Eat first." His tone was firm but respectful. "That is how we welcome guests." He glanced at Asha, seeking her silent approval.
Asha nodded, her voice gentle yet measured. "You said the right thing my son. Elias always believed in hospitality."
The old man hesitated before accepting the seat offered to him. He ate in silence, his gaze flickering toward Kael every so often, studying him with an intensity that was difficult to ignore.
Then, he finally spoke. "Kael." His voice was rough with age, yet steady. "I am Azriel, an herbal healer. Your father often sought me out—not just for his wounds, but to take medicine back to the pack." His sigh was heavy with unspoken words. "When I heard of his passing, I could not stay away."
Kael remained impassive. "You knew my father well?"
Azriel nodded. "Elias was strong. I struggle to believe that someone could bring him down." His gaze softened. "But he spoke of you, Kael. He had faith in you. He knew you would protect them."
Kael's hands curled into fists beneath the table. He willed himself to keep his emotions guarded. "Oh," was all he said.
Azriel's gaze shifted, settling on Aira.
She felt it immediately—that slow, deliberate assessment.
"Elias never mentioned a daughter," Azriel murmured.
Kael's voice was smooth but firm. "She is my mate."
A flicker of something passed through Azriel's eyes—surprise, understanding, something deeper that he quickly masked. Then, a slow smile curled at the corners of his mouth. "She is beautiful."
Aira didn't respond. She didn't trust this man.
And she could feel it in her bones—he wasn't here just to pay his respects.
He was here for something else.
The tension in the air hadn't yet settled when the front door opened again. This time, the presence that entered was familiar, commanding.
Sebastian stepped inside, the morning light catching in his silver eyes. He carried himself with the effortless authority of a warrior, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto the unfamiliar figure at the table. A flicker of something cold passed through his expression.
"Who is this?" he asked, his tone even, yet edged with quiet suspicion.
Kael leaned back in his chair, arms resting on the table. "Uncle, this is Azriel, a healer. My father often turned to him for medicine."
Sebastian's eyes lingered on Azriel, his instincts humming with something he couldn't quite name. The old man held himself in a way that was… too contained, too measured.
Azriel, however, refused to meet his gaze. A thin sheen of sweat gathered at his brow, and he subtly averted his eyes.
Sebastian didn't push. Not yet.
"Well," he finally said, his tone unreadable, "if you wish to stay, the guest house is available."
Azriel exhaled slowly, nodding. "That would be… generous."
But within, his thoughts coiled like a viper.
"It is what I wanted.
I wanted to stay.
Sebastian, I thought you would recognize me." Azriel thinks to himself.
Kael rose, his posture effortlessly composed. "Come. I'll show you the room."
Before they could leave, Aira spoke. "I'm coming too." Her voice was firm, unyielding.
Kael didn't argue. He merely nodded, and the three of them departed.
As they walked away, Sebastian exhaled a quiet chuckle. "She never leaves his side," he mused.
Asha, who had remained silent, folded her arms. "There's something strange about her Sebastian." She tilted her head slightly, studying the door through which Aira had just left. "She doesn't feel like an Omega."
Sebastian's jaw tightened, though he masked it well.
He knew the truth.
Aira was no Omega.
She was the daughter of the one man Asha had sworn to destroy.
Sebastian hesitated, then chose his words carefully. "Kael will tell you about her when the time comes, Asha." His voice was measured, soothing. "For now… be patient."
Asha studied him for a long moment, her sharp gaze searching his face. Then, finally, she gave a slow nod.
But the flicker of suspicion in her eyes did not fade.