Chapter 35: Another Lunaris Heir

The birth record changed the entire succession case overnight.

Cassian hated that I thought of politics first.

I hated it too.

But politics had already turned my family into paperwork.

Seraphina's daughter was listed only as Subject L-03.

No name.

No father.

No confirmed death.

Born seventeen years ago.

One year younger than me.

"If she's alive," I said, "she could have a claim."

Mireya nodded.

"Potentially."

Mom looked horrified.

"She's my niece. We're not discussing her like competition."

"Neither am I."

I took Mom's hand.

"If she's alive, I want to find her."

That mattered more than Lunaris.

Rowan returned that evening carrying copied files.

He looked exhausted.

I hugged him before thinking.

He froze, then wrapped his arms around me.

"You smell like dust."

"Romantic."

"And silver."

"Less romantic."

I pulled back.

"Did you find anything else?"

"Enough to make things worse."

"Naturally."

The L-03 file contained childhood medical data until age six.

Then it ended.

No death certificate.

No transfer order.

Nothing.

Cassian believed she had been moved.

"Marcus wouldn't destroy a successful subject."

"Successful?" Mom snapped.

Cassian grimaced.

"His terminology, not mine."

According to the notes, L-03 displayed unusually strong Alpha resonance.

Stronger than Seraphina.

Possibly comparable to me.

One line appeared repeatedly:

Candidate viable for Moon Crown pairing.

Pairing with whom?

The records never said.

Then Knox arrived with another piece.

"My grandfather mentioned a child."

We all turned.

He opened Edric Storm's journal.

"Nine years ago, he wrote that Marcus was moving a young Lunaris subject through western territories."

Mom's hands shook.

"Did he know where?"

"Maybe."

Knox traced the entries.

"There are references to an orphanage."

Rowan leaned over.

"Name?"

"Moonridge Children's Home."

Lyra gasped.

"I know that place."

Everyone looked at her.

"I lived there."

Cassian went completely still.

"What?"

"For six months."

"When?"

"I was nine."

The dates matched.

"Did you see another Lunaris girl?" I asked.

Lyra frowned.

"I didn't know what Lunaris looked like then."

"Gold eyes?"

"Lots of wolves have amber eyes."

"Anything unusual?"

She closed her eyes.

Then whispered, "There was a girl who never shifted."

My pulse jumped.

"What was her name?"

"Rhea."

Mom repeated it softly.

"Rhea."

"She barely spoke. Staff kept her separate."

"How old?"

"Maybe six."

Exactly right.

Cassian stood.

"Where is Moonridge?"

"Closed years ago."

"Where were the records transferred?"

Lyra shook her head.

Rowan was already making calls.

By midnight, Nightvale investigators located archived adoption records.

Rhea Moonridge.

Approximate age six.

No birth certificate.

Adopted by a couple from a minor northern Pack.

Elias and Mara Venn.

Current address unknown.

Then I saw the adoption photograph.

Dark hair.

Pale face.

And unmistakable golden eyes.

Mom started crying.

"Seraphina."

The resemblance was there.

Not identical.

But enough.

"She's alive," I whispered.

Rowan corrected gently.

"She was alive eleven years ago."

I refused to let the distinction crush the hope.

We searched.

School records.

Pack registrations.

Medical databases.

Nothing after age twelve.

The Venn family vanished.

No taxes.

No property.

No Pack transfers.

Cassian became increasingly agitated.

"They were hiding."

"Maybe protecting her," I said.

"Or working for Marcus."

We didn't know.

The next morning, the Moon Court contacted us.

News of L-03 had leaked.

Of course it had.

Silvercrest requested a delay in my recognition hearing until the second heir could be located.

I surprised everyone.

"I agree."

Cassian stared at me.

"What?"

"If she has a legitimate claim, she deserves to know."

"You could lose Lunaris."

"Then I lose it."

He looked frustrated.

"Nessa."

"No."

I stood.

"I'm not becoming Alpha by pretending another girl doesn't exist."

Mireya smiled.

Cassian noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're smiling."

"Because Aurelius would've said the same thing."

That ended the argument.

The search continued for four days.

Nothing.

Then Tessa walked into my dorm carrying her laptop.

"You need to see this."

"What now?"

"Remember the competitive werewolf game where you met Knox?"

"Unfortunately."

"I searched old tournament archives."

"Why?"

"Because you said Rowan recognized your gaming habits. And Lyra said Rhea was unusually good at strategy games at the orphanage."

I stared.

"That's a stretch."

"Maybe."

She turned the screen.

A player account had dominated junior ranked tournaments three years ago.

Username: MoonCrown03.

My skin prickled.

"03."

"Exactly."

The account had gone inactive.

But one profile link remained.

A private PackFeed account.

No photo.

No location.

Only one line in the bio:

You can't inherit what you can't find.

I immediately called Rowan.

He arrived fifteen minutes later.

We sent the account to Nightvale cyber investigators.

The profile had been accessed recently.

Yesterday.

From Hollowcrest University.

I stared at the location report.

"She's here?"

"Maybe," Rowan said.

Tessa scrolled through the university directory.

Then stopped.

"Wait."

A student name appeared.

Rhea Venn.

Second-year.

Department of Ancient Lycan History.

No public photograph.

My heart began hammering.

Rowan looked at me.

"You want security?"

"No."

"Nessa."

"If she's been hiding her whole life, surrounding her with guards is the worst possible introduction."

"Then I'm coming."

"Fine."

We found her afternoon lecture.

I waited outside.

Students began leaving.

One by one.

Then a girl stepped through the doorway.

Dark hair.

Black hoodie.

Headphones.

She looked up.

Gold eyes met mine.

She froze.

So did I.

My wolf surged with immediate recognition.

Family.

The girl's face turned white.

Then she whispered:

"You weren't supposed to find me."