Chapter 16: The Brother Waiting in the Palace

The moment I said the palace, Emmett's expression changed.

He looked at the pendant glowing against my chest, then at the dark night beyond the broken windows of the Jennings villa.

“If your brother is under royal protection, then the palace is the safest place to start,” he said.

Robert's face turned pale.

“You can't go there.”

I slowly turned toward him.

“Why not?”

He opened his mouth, but no answer came.

For twenty-four years, my family had hidden pieces of my life from me.

Now every silence felt like another confession.

“You told me my brother was protected by the royal family,” I said. “So take me to him.”

Robert lowered his eyes.

“I don't know where he is.”

“But you know who does.”

His silence was enough.

Emmett stepped closer to me, his presence steady and reassuring.

“We are going to Aldwyn Castle tonight.”

No one dared argue.

The journey to the capital was quiet.

I sat beside Emmett in the Ironwood carriage, staring at the silver pendant in my hands.

Its glow had faded, but I could still feel a strange warmth beneath my fingers.

“Do you believe he's alive?” Emmett asked.

I looked out at the moonlit road.

“I have to.”

After everything I had lost in my first life, I couldn't bear the thought of losing someone I had never even known.

Emmett reached over and covered my hand with his.

The moment his skin touched mine, my wolf stirred again.

This time, I didn't fight it.

A soft warmth spread through my chest.

For the first time, the awakening didn't feel frightening.

It felt like coming home.

By dawn, the towering walls of Aldwyn Castle appeared beyond the hills.

The royal guards immediately recognized Emmett's carriage and opened the gates.

But before we could enter the main courtyard, a royal messenger hurried toward us.

“Alpha Shaw,” he said breathlessly, bowing. “His Majesty is expecting you.”

My heart tightened.

“Does the king know about me?” I asked.

The messenger looked at me for a long moment.

Then his eyes fell to my pendant.

His expression changed instantly.

“Yes,” he whispered. “He has been waiting for you.”

I froze.

Emmett's fingers tightened around mine.

“Waiting for her?” he asked.

The messenger nodded.

“For many years.”

We were escorted through the castle's grand halls.

Every step made my heart beat faster.

At the end of the corridor stood a pair of enormous silver doors.

Two royal guards opened them.

Inside, Alpha King Dominic stood beside the tall windows, his expression unusually solemn.

But he wasn't alone.

A young man stood beside him.

He was tall, with dark hair and sharp features.

Around his neck hung a silver pendant almost identical to mine.

The moment our eyes met, the pendant on my chest began to glow.

The young man took one step forward.

His face went completely still.

“Laurel?” he whispered.

My breath caught.

I didn't know his voice.

I didn't remember his face.

Yet something inside me recognized him instantly.

My wolf surged forward with overwhelming certainty.

Brother.

One word echoed through my mind.

Tears blurred my vision.

“Are you…” I struggled to speak. “Are you my brother?”

His eyes filled with tears.

“I've been looking for you my entire life.”

I took a trembling step toward him.

For twenty-four years, I had believed I was alone.

Now the person I had never known was standing only a few feet away.

And he was crying for me.

King Dominic stepped forward.

“Laurel Jennings, there is something you must know before you hear the rest of this story.”

My brother looked at the king, then back at me.

“You weren't the child who was supposed to disappear,” he said softly.

I frowned.

“Then who was?”

His expression hardened.

“No one.”

He glanced toward Emmett.

“Because the person who ordered our deaths never intended for either of us to survive.”

The room fell silent.

King Dominic's voice was cold when he finally spoke.

“Twenty-four years ago, someone inside the royal council tried to erase an entire bloodline.”

I stared at him.

“And that person is still alive.”

The king nodded.

“Yes.”

My brother stepped closer and looked at my pendant.

“And they've already realized you're alive.”

A chill ran through me.

Suddenly, the palace bells began to ring.

One.

Two.

Three times.

A royal guard rushed into the chamber, his face pale.

“Your Majesty,” he said. “We've just received an urgent message from Riverbend.”

He swallowed hard.

“Elder Marcus Hale has disappeared.”

Emmett's eyes narrowed.

The king's expression turned grim.

“Then the final piece of the conspiracy has begun to move.”