Chapter 153 Get 5 >
Menu The car rolled to a stop in front of an old brick house. From my seat, I studied the place through the window.
A peculiar smell wafted from the house, one that instantly unsettled me. The scent confirmed my suspicionsâa wizard lived hereâ
but there was something else about it that didnât sit right. Something...off.
I didnât bother waiting for the driver to open my door. Instead, I unlocked it myself and stepped out, my boots crunching against the gravel driveway. Finn followed closely behind me as I made my way toward the house.
The daylight illuminated the faded exterior, the peeling paint making it clear the house hadnât been maintained in years.
âHe couldnât even afford a fresh coat of paint, yet he was working for the Royal Family?â I scoffed, rolling my eyes. âAlpha Magnus mustâve been a real miser if this is how he paid the man who did his dirty work.â
Stopping at the front door, I glanced at Finn, who was shifting uneasily behind me.
âKane,â he started cautiously, âare you planning to kill him?â
I didnât answer, my gaze fixed on the door. My mind was already made up. The man who helped Selene hide my children deserved to pay. How could he have dared to meddle in my life like that?
Ignoring Finnâs question, I lifted my hand to knock on the door.
Before my knuckles could make contact, the door creaked open from the inside.
Standing in the doorway was an old man. The sunlight streaming behind me contrasted sharply with the shadowy interior of the house. It was as though the darkness inside actively resisted the light from outside.
Our eyes met, and I froze for a split second.
This wasnât just a wizard. He was a werewolf tooâa hybrid. That explained the strange scent Iâd picked up earlier.
I frowned at the old man, who stared back at me without a hint of fear. Instead, his expression was one of quiet amazement, as though he had been expecting me.
âAll hail our new Alpha,â he said, his voice calm yet laced with something I couldnât quite place.
I raised an eyebrow, faintly surprised he already knew about the war. News mustâve traveled faster than I thought. But in a desolate area like this, who had informed him? From what Finn told me, this man lived here alone.
âRaven?â Finn asked, breaking the silence to confirm the manâs identity.
It was a valid question. I could tell Finn was just as surprised as I was to find out Raven was a hybrid.
The old man nodded at Finn before bowing to me.
I couldnât help but notice the way he moved. Despite his age, he still had enough strength to bow 11 21
= Menu But that scent hit me again, stronger this time. It was unlike any other hybrid Iâd encountered before, and I didnât like it. I had never been fond of witches or wizards. They werenât like us. They didnât live like us. They didnât have wolves.
Yet hybrids like this manâthose who wielded both a wolf and magicâwere something else entirely. They always abused their power. Just like he had, using his abilities to hide my children from me.
âHow dare you cast a spell on my children?â I demanded coldly, my voice like ice as I ordered him to rise.
Straightening up, the old man locked eyes with me. His gaze was unnervingly steady, and I could sense his power radiating from him.
âAlpha, letâs talk inside,â he said calmly, stepping aside and motioning for me to enter.
I glared at him, seeing through his calm demeanor. He was trying to appear strong, but I wouldnât fall for it. Still, I accepted his invitation. I wanted to see how long he could keep up this act.
Crossing the threshold, I stepped into the dimly lit house. Raven moved to the long glass windows at the far end of the room and opened the blinds, letting in just enough light to push the shadows back.
As the room brightened slightly, I began to glance around, taking in my surroundings.
But before I could truly examine the space, his voice from behind me stopped me in my tracks.
âI knew youâd come here one day,â he said, his tone calm yet laced with an eerie certainty. âIâve been waiting for you. Patiently.
For years.â
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