Chapter 17: The Vault Beneath the Estate

The old Wren estate stood beyond the eastern boundary of Greenridge.

I had never been there before.

The house was smaller than the Calder Pack House, but every stone carried the quiet dignity of a family that had once ruled without fear.

The moment I stepped through the gates, the black stone in my hand began to glow.

A faint pull came from beneath the ground.

I followed it to the back of the estate, where an old stone staircase disappeared beneath the earth.

At the bottom was a metal door covered in dust.

In the center was a small silver lock.

I took out the key my father had left behind.

It fit perfectly.

The lock clicked.

The door opened with a deep groan.

Inside was a narrow chamber filled with old documents, sealed boxes, and shelves of family records.

At the far end stood a stone pedestal.

A message had been carved into it.

"Only the blood of Elias Wren may open what lies beneath."

I placed my palm against the stone.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the black stone in my other hand cracked open.

A drop of my blood fell onto the pedestal.

The entire chamber trembled.

A hidden section of the wall slid aside.

Behind it was a second room.

There was only one object inside.

A wooden chest.

I opened it carefully.

Inside were dozens of letters tied together with black ribbon.

The first letter was addressed to the Greenridge council.

I unfolded it.

My father's words revealed everything.

The Calder family had approached him years earlier with an offer to merge the Wren and Calder estates.

Elias had refused.

He believed the Calder family wanted control of the council and planned to use the Wren bloodline to strengthen their claim.

Then I found the final letter.

It contained a name.

The name of the person who had helped Kane's father alter the records.

I stared at it in disbelief.

It wasn't Kane's father.

It was someone still alive.

Someone who had remained on the Greenridge council for seventeen years.

Councilman Richard Vale.

My hand went cold.

He had been one of the people who welcomed me when Kane first brought me into the Pack House.

He had attended my Luna ceremony.

He had signed the papers dissolving my bond.

He had watched me lose everything.

And all this time, he had known exactly who I was.

A sound came from outside.

I quickly closed the chest.

Footsteps approached the entrance.

I reached for the documents and hid them beneath my coat.

The door opened.

I froze.

Richard Vale stood on the other side.

His expression was calm.

Almost too calm.

"You found it," he said.

I stepped backward.

"You knew this vault existed."

He smiled.

"Of course I did."

"You knew who I was."

"From the day you entered Greenridge."

My stomach twisted.

"Then why did you let all of this happen?"

His smile disappeared.

"Because Elias made one mistake."

"He believed the council would protect his daughter."

Richard took another step toward me.

"Your father left behind more power than he realized."

"And I wasn't willing to let that power fall into the hands of someone who didn't understand how to use it."

I clenched my fists.

"You helped Kane's father erase me."

"Yes."

The simple admission made my blood run cold.

"And Vera?" I asked.

Richard's eyes narrowed.

"Vera was useful."

I suddenly understood.

Vera had never been the mastermind.

She had only been a piece on someone else's board.

Richard reached toward me.

"Give me the documents, Evelyn."

I stepped away.

"No."

His eyes hardened.

"Then you'll never leave this vault alive."

Before he could move, a powerful Alpha command shook the chamber.

"Step away from her."

Richard turned sharply.

Kane stood in the doorway.

His eyes were filled with fury.

For the first time, I didn't know whether his arrival meant salvation or another danger.

Kane looked at me.

"Evelyn, get behind me."

I didn't move.

I had spent too many years being protected by men who eventually became the reason I needed protection.

This time, I would decide for myself how the story ended.