Kiara's pov
The meeting ended soon after. One by one, Grey's people left the room until it was just the two of us again. The silence between us felt heavier than it had all night.
"Do you really think Xander could do something like that?" I asked finally.
Grey sighed. "I don't know."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the truth," he said. "I trust him with my life. But this…" He shook his head. "This isn't just about trust. It's about survival."
I looked at the floor. "I hate this."
"I do too."
"Everything feels different now," I said quietly. "I don't know who to trust. I don't even know if I can trust myself."
Grey stepped closer. "You can trust yourself and you can trust me."
"Can I?" I asked, meeting his eyes. "Because you're still not telling me everything."
He froze. "What are you talking about?"
"The curse," I said. "You know more than you're saying. I can feel it."
Grey's jaw tightened. "Now is not the time."
"Then when?" I demanded. "When I'm dead? When whoever sent that man tries again?"
"Kiara.."
"No," I cut him off. "I almost died last night. I deserve the truth."
His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to snap at me. But instead, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.
"There's a prophecy," he said finally. "Older than any of us. It speaks of a bond born under blood and moonlight. A bond that could save the lycan race or destroy it."
I stared at him. "And you think that's us."
"I know it's us," he said quietly. "Draven thinks the bond will destroy us. Kaine thinks it will save us. I don't care what either of them think. All I care about is keeping you alive."
"And if the prophecy is true?" I whispered. "If I'm the curse?"
"You're not," he said fiercely. "You're the one thing in this world worth fighting for."
I looked away, tears burning behind my eyes. "Then why does everyone want me dead?"
"Because they're afraid," he said. "And fear makes people dangerous."
We stood there in silence for a long time. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to believe. All I knew was that nothing was the same anymore.
Finally, Grey spoke again, his voice low. "I need you to promise me something."
"What?" I asked.
"Don't be alone. Not until we find out who's behind this. If I'm not here, stay with Mara or Xander or anyone I assign."
I nodded slowly. "Okay."
"And Kiara?" he added softly.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"If anything ever happens again, call for me. No matter what."
I swallowed hard. "I will."
He stepped closer and brushed his fingers against my cheek. "I swear, I won't let anyone hurt you. Not while I'm breathing."
******
I couldn't sleep. No matter how many times I turned on the bed or pulled the blanket over myself, the scene of that knife flashing in the dark kept replaying in my head. The sound of Grey's snarl, the way he moved faster than anyone I'd ever seen, the blood pooling on the floor… it all looped over and over.
I gave up and sat up in bed. The room was silent except for the faint crackle of the fireplace. I slipped on a cloak and stepped into the hallway. Maybe walking would clear my head.
That's when I heard voices.
I froze.
It was Grey. I'd know that deep voice anywhere. He was speaking low and serious. Another voice answered, older, steady. Probably Magnus, his advisor.
I hesitated. I shouldn't listen. I knew I shouldn't but the way Grey's tone shifted, heavy, almost troubled made me inch closer until I was right by the slightly open door.
"She doesn't know," Magnus was saying. "Not yet."
"She can't," Grey replied. "Not until the signs align. If she learns too soon, everything we're building could fall apart."
My heartbeat jumped. Were they talking about me?
Magnus sighed. "You're underestimating her. The girl survived an assassin in her own room. She deserves to know what she is."
What I am?
Grey's voice dropped lower. "And if she panics? If she runs? Magnus, you know what's at stake. Her bloodline is not just wolf. It's something older. Something that hasn't walked this land in centuries. If the wrong ears hear it before she's ready…"
My breath caught. Older? Not just wolf? What were they talking about?
"You're talking about the Catalyst," Magnus said. "You think she's the one."
There was a pause. Then Grey said, "I don't think. I know."
I pressed my palm against the doorframe to steady myself. Catalyst? The word meant nothing to me, but the way they said it like it was something powerful, something dangerous made my chest tighten.
Magnus spoke again. "If she's the Catalyst, others will come for her. They'll try to take her, kill her, use her. Are you ready for that?"
"I'm already preparing for it," Grey said. "That's why she needs to stay here, where I can protect her."
"And what if she doesn't want your protection?" Magnus asked quietly. "What if she wants the truth?"
"She'll get it," Grey said, his voice softer now. "When the Moon wills it."
I didn't mean to move, but I shifted slightly, and my shoulder bumped the door. It creaked.
The voices stopped.
"Who's there?" Grey demanded.
I stepped back, panicked, but it was too late. The door swung open, and there he was, standing in the dim light with that unreadable look in his eyes.
"Kiara," he said. It's not a question. A statement.
"I wasn't, I mean, I was just…" I stammered.
"Listening?" Magnus finished for me, raising an eyebrow.
I swallowed hard. "I couldn't sleep. I was just walking, and I heard voices. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Grey stepped toward me, and for a second, I thought he was angry but his expression was calm.
"How much did you hear?" he asked.
"Enough," I said, crossing my arms. "Enough to know you've been hiding something from me."
Magnus shot Grey a look. "I told you she'd find out."
Grey ignored him. "Kiara, this isn't a conversation we should have here."
"Then where?" I snapped. "In another room where I'm not supposed to hear the truth about myself?"
His jaw tightened. "It's not about keeping you in the dark. It's about keeping you safe."
"Safe from what?" I demanded. "You said my bloodline isn't just wolf. What does that mean? What am I?"
Grey glanced at Magnus, then back at me. "Not here," he repeated. "Come with me."
I followed him down the hall, anger buzzing in my chest. He led me to the war council room, the same one where I'd heard them talking. The long table was covered in maps and scrolls, the walls lined with shelves of books.
"Sit," he said.
"I'll stand," I replied.
"Suit yourself." He leaned against the edge of the table and crossed his arms. "You heard part of the conversation. You know there's more to your bloodline than wolf. That's true."
I stared at him. "And you were planning to tell me when? After I've been killed because I didn't know what I was?"
He sighed. "It's not that simple. There are things about your lineage that even you might not believe right now."
"Try me," I said.
Magnus stepped forward. "Your mother, she wasn't just a wolf. She carried the blood of something far older. Something most people believe went extinct long before any of us were born."
I frowned. "Older? Like what? What kind of creature?"
Grey's eyes locked on mine. "We don't know everything yet. But what we do know is that your blood carries a power that hasn't surfaced in centuries. Power that could change the balance between all species, wolf, vampire, fae, all of them."
I stared at him, my mind racing. "You're saying I'm some kind of weapon?"
"Not a weapon," Magnus said. "A key."
"To what?" I asked.
"Everything," Grey said simply. "Peace, war. The future itself. Your bloodline could unlock power none of us have seen before."
I laughed a short, bitter sound. "You expect me to believe that? That I'm suddenly some ancient prophecy?"
Grey didn't flinch. "I expect you to understand that your existence is bigger than you ever imagined."
"And you weren't going to tell me?" I asked.
"I was going to tell you when it was safe," he said. "Right now, if that information gets out, every kingdom, every rival Alpha, every creature with ambition will come for you. Some will want to use you, others will want you dead."
"So your solution is to keep me ignorant?" i asked angrily.
His voice softened. "My solution is to keep you alive."
The room went silent. I stared at him, trying to process everything. Part of me wanted to scream. Part of me wanted to believe him and part of me didn't trust a single word.
"I deserve to know the truth," I said finally.
"You will," Grey said. "When the Moon wills it."
I shook my head. "Stop saying that. I'm standing right here. I'm alive right now, i want the truth now."
Grey stepped closer. "Kiara, if I tell you everything tonight, you will not sleep. You will not eat. You will not think straight and the people hunting you will have an easier time finding you. Do you understand?"