Chapter 23: The Attack Beneath the Cedar

The blast wasn't fire.

It was silver dust.

My lungs burned the instant I inhaled.

Werewolves collapsed around me.

Rowan grabbed my arm and dragged me behind the stone pedestal.

"Don't breathe deeply."

"A little late."

My eyes watered.

Footsteps rushed down the stairs.

Masked figures entered wearing filtered respirators.

Cassian shifted first.

His wolf exploded forward with a roar.

Garrick followed.

The chamber became chaos.

I tried to shift.

Pain tore through my muscles.

The silver dust interfered with transformation.

"Nessa!" Rowan shouted.

One attacker lunged toward the archive chest.

I kicked his knee.

He went down.

Another grabbed me from behind.

My wolf surged violently.

Golden light burst from my skin.

The attacker's grip loosened.

I turned and struck him across the face.

His mask broke.

Silver dust touched his own skin.

He screamed.

Rowan's Alpha power erupted.

Even weakened by silver, it slammed across the chamber.

Two attackers dropped to their knees instinctively.

That moment was enough.

Cassian and Garrick took them down.

The remaining attackers fled up the stairs.

"Don't chase," Rowan ordered.

Cassian snarled but stopped.

We needed to protect the evidence.

Mom was coughing badly.

Dad helped her upstairs first.

Lyra followed with Mireya.

Rowan checked me from head to toe.

"Where are you hurt?"

"Nowhere."

"You're bleeding."

I looked at my hand.

A shallow cut crossed my palm.

"That's barely anything."

"Still bleeding."

"Rowan."

"Humor me."

I let him wrap it.

Outside, Nightvale security finally arrived.

The attackers had vanished into the forest.

But they had left one vehicle behind.

Inside were forged Council badges.

Weapons.

Silver dispersal devices.

And a burner phone.

Cassian wanted to destroy it immediately.

Rowan stopped him.

"Evidence."

"Or tracking device."

"Both can be true."

We sealed everything.

Then I noticed one captured attacker still conscious.

Garrick had pinned him beside the courtyard wall.

I walked over.

"Who sent you?"

The man laughed.

"You really think becoming Alpha will save you?"

"I didn't ask for philosophy."

"Lunaris should've stayed dead."

My wolf surged.

Golden light flashed in my eyes.

The man's confidence cracked.

"Who sent you?" I repeated.

He looked away.

Rowan stepped beside me.

"The Council will identify him."

The attacker laughed again.

"Council? That's cute."

Cassian's expression sharpened.

"What does that mean?"

The man smiled through blood.

"Ask Vale."

Every eye shifted toward Rowan.

His face became ice.

"Which Vale?"

The attacker said nothing.

Hours later, after the site was secured, Rowan's father arrived personally.

Supreme Alpha Adrian Vale.

I had seen photographs.

None captured the pressure of meeting him.

Tall.

Silver-black hair.

Eyes almost identical to Rowan's.

He walked directly to Rowan.

"Are you injured?"

"No."

Then his gaze moved to me.

"Nessa Arden."

"Sir."

"You don't need to call me that."

"I'm definitely not calling you Dad."

Silence.

Then, unexpectedly, Adrian laughed.

Rowan covered his face.

"Please ignore her."

"No. I like her already."

The humor disappeared when we showed him Aurelius's recording.

Adrian watched without moving.

When Marcus Vale's name was spoken, his expression broke.

"My great-uncle," Rowan said quietly.

Adrian nodded.

"He disappeared fifteen years ago."

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

"Disappeared?"

"Officially died during a rogue conflict."

"Officially?"

"His body was never recovered."

The air went cold.

I thought of the attacker.

Ask Vale.

"Could Marcus still be alive?" I asked.

Adrian's gaze hardened.

"Until tonight, I would have said no."

"And now?"

"Now I think my family has been living with a ghost."