Chapter 25: The Power She Could Not Control

The silver light around me grew brighter.

Eveline's confident expression finally cracked.

“Stop her!” she shouted.

The frozen royal guards suddenly broke free from her control.

They stumbled backward, confused and terrified.

Emmett immediately moved in front of me.

“Laurel, stay focused.”

I could barely hear him.

My wolf was no longer beneath my control.

It stood inside me like a second heartbeat, ancient and powerful.

Elias reached for my hand.

Mira took my other hand.

The instant our hands joined, the entire chamber shook.

A wave of silver energy spread through the palace.

Eveline stumbled backward.

“No!”

The royal crest above the throne began glowing.

King Dominic stared at it in disbelief.

“The original seal…”

Eveline's face turned pale.

“You don't understand what you're doing.”

I looked at her calmly.

“For the first time, I understand exactly what I'm doing.”

The three-star crest appeared beneath our feet.

Elias's wolf stepped forward in his eyes.

Mira's silver aura surrounded her body.

And mine rose between us like a wall of light.

Eveline raised both hands.

Dark energy exploded across the chamber.

Emmett immediately shifted and stood beside me.

His wolf collided with Eveline's power, protecting us from the blast.

“Emmett!” I shouted.

He held his ground.

“I'm not leaving you.”

I stepped forward.

“Neither am I.”

Elias and Mira joined me.

The three of us released our power together.

The dark energy shattered.

Eveline was thrown backward and crashed against the throne.

The royal crown fell from its pedestal.

King Dominic picked it up.

“Eveline,” he said coldly, “your reign of shadows ends tonight.”

She laughed weakly.

“You think this changes anything?”

I walked toward her.

“Yes.”

She stared at me.

“You spent twenty-four years convincing everyone that I was powerless.”

I looked at Elias and Mira.

“But you forgot one thing.”

Eveline frowned.

“What?”

I smiled faintly.

“You separated us. You didn't destroy us.”

Eveline's expression collapsed.

Royal guards surrounded her.

This time, she couldn't control them.

“Take her away,” King Dominic ordered.

Eveline was dragged toward the doors.

Before she disappeared, she looked at me one final time.

“The kingdom will never accept you.”

I answered quietly.

“I don't need the kingdom to accept me.”

I looked at my brother and sister.

“I only needed to find my family.”

The doors closed behind her.

Silence settled over the throne room.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then King Dominic stepped forward.

He lowered his head before us.

“The ancient bloodline has returned.”

I immediately shook my head.

“I don't want a throne.”

Elias looked at me and smiled.

“Neither do I.”

Mira nodded.

“Then perhaps that's why we're worthy of it.”

I laughed softly.

For the first time in my life, the future didn't feel like something other people could decide for me.

Emmett came to my side.

He took my hand and looked at me with quiet certainty.

“What do you want now?”

I thought about my first life.

About Nolan.

About Chloe.

About the Jennings family.

About thirty years spent trying to earn love that should never have needed to be earned.

Then I looked at the man standing beside me.

“I want to go home.”

Emmett's eyes softened.

“Then let's go home.”

But before we could leave, a royal messenger rushed into the throne room.

He dropped to one knee.

“Your Majesty, there is one final matter.”

King Dominic frowned.

“What is it?”

The messenger looked at me.

“The Riverbend Pack has requested an emergency council hearing.”

My expression changed.

“Why?”

The messenger swallowed.

“Because Chloe Jennings has confessed to something.”

My heart stopped.

“What did she confess?”

He lowered his voice.

“She claims she knows exactly what happened on the night that destroyed your first life.”

The room went silent.

I had spent so long believing the past was finally behind me.

Now it was reaching for me again.

But this time, I wasn't afraid.

Whatever Chloe had to say, I was ready to hear the truth.