Page 256 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

Night chuckled and clasped my hand. “Bryn, you don’t understand how important this is for him. We all believed you’d died with your mother. We mourned both of you for weeks. We’d all forgotten about Blossom and you over time, but the minute Dom remembers, he’ll be over the fucking moon to learn that you’re alive.”

I flushed at the thought. To think, mybrotherhad been right by my side for weeks. In some ways, I should have known he was here with me because we shared the same blood. From the minute I’d met Dom, I’d felt close to him, but obviously, therewould’ve been no way for me to know we were related without conducting a blood test—or performing a ritual that allowed me to see my mother’s memories through her eyes.

“Violet, I have another question,” I said. “Is it possible to be fated to someone?”

“Of course. That’s what makes you and Night soulmates. Some wolves are destined for greatness, and the love of their mate helps them achieve it. Fated mates always find each other, but it doesn’t always happen at your age. Your mother must have sensed that you and Night were fated even before you were born because you two were in close proximity.”

“Wow,” I breathed. It was a lot to take in—not just for me but for Night as well. We’d need to talk more about this when we were alone.

Elder Sage cleared his throat, and I almost jumped. The three Kings’ elders had stayed quiet while we talked amongst ourselves in their cabin. I appreciated that they had given us that space, though they must have been curious about what I’d experienced.

“What do you remember about the room your mother was held in, Alpha Hunter?” Elder Sage asked.

“There was a small bed, and the walls and ceiling had strange symbols all over them. I’d never seen that room before.”

“Can you draw those symbols?”

“I can try, but I’m not that great at drawing.”

“That doesn’t matter. Anything you can remember would be helpful. We never knew that the last pack mother was in our territory. We had heard that the Wargs blamed us for her death,but we weren’t sure if there was any truth to it. Now that we have proof, I am ashamed that we couldn’t prevent her death. Her loss was a great blow to everyone.”

He lowered his head, as did everyone else. Killing a pack mother had left such an ugly stain. Blossom had deserved to live, and yet someone—likely a King wolf—had taken it upon themself to murder her. It was needlessly cruel.

“Can you think of any reason why there would be a room covered in symbols on your territory?” Elder Woods asked. “A place for rituals, maybe?”

Elder Forsythe shook his head. “No. As far as we know, there is no reason for a room like that to exist. Perhaps when we see the symbols, we’ll be able to discern more. For now, we’re just as unsure as all of you.”

“I’ll do my best to draw them,” I said. “I’ll do that tonight while it’s fresh on my mind. I should have the drawings ready for you by tomorrow afternoon.”

They bowed to me, and the gesture was so respectful that my cheeks heated. “Thank you, Alpha Hunter,” Elder Forsythe said. “You are giving us the opportunity to atone for the tragedy that befell a pack mother. Your mother.”

They asked a few more questions—what the quality of the visions were, and whether I could hear my mother’s thoughts in addition to feeling what she felt—but their questioning lasted only a few minutes, and then Night and I were free to head home.

Before we left, I turned to Elder Woods to say my goodbyes. “Safe travels on your way back.”

Her lips turned up at the corners. “Thank you, Bryn. I know Neil and Jacob will be eager to hear about what happened tonight.”

“I’m sure they will. I’ll be happy to answer any questions they have.”

“Oh, believe me, they will have them. Once things calm down here, I’d love for them to come and speak to you in person.”

“I’d like to go see them. It’s been too long since I’ve seen Warg territory.”

“I’m sure they will be happy to see you.”

After Night said his goodbyes to Elder Woods, we headed out. I gazed at the sky as we walked. When the ritual started, the moon was high above us, but it had sunk from that position. Hours had passed since I’d entered my mother’s memories, but I’d had no idea so much time had gone by.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Night said, pulling my attention. “I should have listened to you and my mother and trusted that you knew what you were doing.”

I hadn’t expected an apology, but hearing it made me smile. It felt like we’d gotten through something difficult and come out stronger. “Thank you,” I said.

He smiled back. “Well, where to now? I’m sure you’re exhausted after all that.”

“I am really tired,” I said. “But I don’t think Dom should have to wait to hear that he has a sister.”

“I understand, but you look like you could fall asleep on your feet.” He took my hand, intertwining our fingers. “Telling him can wait until tomorrow morning.”

“Is that an order?” I joked.