I stay still, letting him speak..

    “He used the Queen’s ne. The real one. Not the illusion. During the fight, it glowed–pulsed with this… ck energy. I expected it to burn him. He’s not royalty but it didn’t.”

    I stiffen. “It didn’t burn him?”

    “No,” he says darkly. “It fueled him. Like he was feeding off it somehow. His eyes… they weren’t even wolf eyes. They were hollow. Twisted. Like something was living inside him.”

    I shiver.

    “He said he’s using a form of dark magic this world hasn’t seen before,” Fury continues. “He was too strong, Kali. Too fast. My legs–he crushed them with a spell, not even his hands. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t fight back.”

    “Moon Goddess,” I whisper, my throat tight with fury and dread.

    “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Fury says, his voice low and thick with disbelief. “He’s not just dangerous. He’s unnatural. And if he still has the ne… no one is safe.”

    I nod slowly, feeling the storm rise within me again–rage, fear, desperation. A deadly mix threatening to boil over.

    “Don’t worry,” I say quietly, needing to believe my own words. “Jack’s gone to find him—and to end him once and for all, before he can hurt anyone else. He’ll make him pay with his soul for everything he’s done. And I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to retrieve the Queen’s ne before that monster can feed on it any further with his dark magic.”

    “He has to be careful,” Fury murmurs.

    I let out a small chuckle, brittle but genuine. “He’s the future Alpha King, remember? He can handle himself. Dark magic or not.”

    Fury’s lips quirk at that. I press on, keeping my tone light, even as my chest tightens with anxiety.

    “And you- you have the Alpha King’s blood in you now. You’re stronger than most alphas. If you ever cross paths with that bastard again, you’ll take him down. But for now, your only focus should be finding your family.”

    His head tilts slightly, his brows drawing together. It’s as if the idea hadn’t fully dawned on him until that moment.

    “If you were born to protect me, and my parents are the Alpha King and Queen,” I continue, “then your parents must be close too. They worked in this very pce where we used to y. I’m sure they’re nearer than you think.”

    His tense jaw rxes as he nods slowly, the corners of his lips twitching as the memory stirs something deep within him.

    “Yeah… you’re right. My parents should be around.” He swallows Hard. “I’m freaking nervous now.”

    I giggle at his sudden vulnerability, finding it endearing. But before either of us can say more, the door creaks open, and the Queen steps in, her presence like a calming tide. Regal andposed, but her eyes search the room frantically–until theynd

    on meb. /b

    “Maya,” she breathes.

    Without hesitation, I leave Fury’s bedside and walk toward her. She reaches out, and I ce my hands in hers….out a second thought.

    “Mother,” I whisper, the word catching on the lump in my throat.

    She squeezes my hands tightly, her expression flooded with warmth and worry.

    Before I can say more, another figure rushes past–Jasmine. She barrels straight into Fury’s arms, hugging him so tightly he staggers back a step.

    “Fury!” she sobs, burying her face in his chest “How could you go after such a dangerous bman /balone? Do you have any bidea /bwhat I would’ve done if something had happened to you? If you had died-”

    Her voice breaks. “I don’t know how I’d live without you.”

    Her hands clutch his tunic like a lifeline. The raw emotion in her voice slices through the room, and even I feel it in my chest.

    Fury looks stunned, frozen for a moment. Then, slowly–almost awkwardly he lifts his arms and wraps them around her. I try not to read into it. Maybe it’s gratitude. Maybe she’s just overwhelmed. After all, he’s been protecting her since she lost her wolf. That kind of bond can create a pull between them. And Jasmineb… /bshe’s always been sensitive–especially now that she’s vulnerable, now that she’s hunan.

    A soft throat–clear cuts through the moment. The Queen raises her eyebrows slightly. Jasmine jolts and lets go of Fury, cheeks reddening furiously.

    “I–I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” she stammers, stepping back. Fury bows his head, straightening like a soldier before royalty.

    “Tom,” the Queen says, her voice unexpectedly tender. “That’s what we used to call you. Though I doubt you remember meb./bb” /b

    He lifts his head slowly, voice raw. “I… I remember the name, Your Majesty.”

    She lets out a soft, breathy chuckle, though her eyes shine with unshed tears. “You’ve grown so much. You used to run through these halls barefoot, chasing Maya and knocking over flower vasesb” /bHer voice falters as a wave of emotion ripples through her. “We’d scold you, but you’d just sh that cheeky smile, and all would be forgiven.”

    She pauses, staring past him into the shadows of the room as if they still held echoes ofughter long gone. It’s clear that our sudden disappearance still haunts her.

    “The day you both vanished…i” /iHer voice trembles as the pain of the past flickering in her eyes. “I thought I’d go mad. There were search parties, warriorsbing every corner of the realm. We feared the worst. And still, I held on to hope.”

    Fury lowers his gaze, the guilt sinking into his chest like a stone.

    “I’m sure you’re curious about your parents,” the Queen continues, the softness fading from her voice. “Your father was my personal bodyguard. A man of honor. Just as you were born to protect Kali, he was born to protect me. Fiercely loyal. Fearless in battle.”

    She takes a slow breath, steadying herself.

    “But after you and Maya vanished, something inside him broke. He med himself. Said he should’ve died before allowing anyone to touch his children. He retired shortly after. He’s still alive–taken care of by a kind omega maid in the countryside… but he’s only a shell now. He hasn’t smiled in years.”

    Fury swallows hard. “And my mother?”

    The Queen’s eyes shimmer with sorrow.

    “She died three winters ago,” she says, voice hollow. “The pain was too much. She never stopped waiting. Every day, she sat by the window… watching the road, hoping to see your face. She stopped eating. Stopped speaking. She withered from grief. Herst words…i” /iShe trails off, voice cracking. “She said, ‘He’s still out there. My little boy. He’lle home.“”

    A heavy silence falls over the room.

    “She was right,” the Queen adds with a bitter smile. “You dide home. But… she’s not here to see it.”