CHAPTER 183: CHAPTER 183: THE SHADOWED ROOM

The night was quiet.

Alpha Drevan’s boots echoed against the marble floor as he walked down the corridor. The noise from the club had faded behind him; only the sound of his footsteps and the faint hum of the city outside filled the silence.

The direction written on that torn note pulled him here...to this long, dark hallway that smelled faintly of dust and old perfume. The lights flickered weakly, barely pushing back the shadows that clung to the walls.

He stopped once, scanning the darkness ahead. Nothing...there is only silence.

Still, he kept walking. Whoever had dared to send him that note had to be somewhere close.

His instincts were sharp. Someone was watching him. He could feel it. That subtle weight in the air, that cold prickle at the back of his neck.

He reached the end of the corridor. A single door was slightly open. And all other doors are closed.

Drevan’s hand moved to his belt where his dagger rested, though he didn’t draw it yet. Slowly, he pushed the door open.

Inside was a dimly lit room...empty at first glance. The curtains were drawn, the air still. A faint scent of lavender hung in the space, mixed with something metallic.

He stepped in carefully, eyes sweeping every corner. There was no movement.

But when he moved further inside, something caught his attention.

A figure was sitting on the edge of the bed. Facing away from him.

He froze, his pulse tightening.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The silence was so thick that he could hear his own breathing. Then, his temper snapped.

"You," he said sharply, his voice low but dangerous. "You sent that note."

The figure didn’t move.

"Who are you?" His voice hardened. "Speak."

Still no reply.

Anger surged hot and fast. He took a step forward, then another, until he was right behind the figure. With one swift motion, he grabbed the person by the shoulder and turned them around, only to find a young girl staring back at him.

Her eyes went wide with terror the moment she saw him. She didn’t even scream...just gasped, frozen like a deer caught in the dark.

For a heartbeat, he blinked, surprised, but his anger quickly swallowed it.

"You," he hissed, slamming her down onto the bed, pinning her wrists with a rough grip. "Who are you? What do you know about Alpha Navien’s attack?"

She struggled, her breath trembling, eyes shining with fear, but she didn’t answer. Not a word.

That silence enraged him even more.

"Speak!" he barked, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "Who sent you?"

The girl only shook her head, tears starting to well up. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

Drevan’s jaw clenched. His grip tightened, pressing her wrists into the sheets. The bed creaked under the force.

"You dare play games with me?" He growled, his face inches from hers now. His eyes burned with fury, but beneath that fire was something else; it was unease. Something about her scent, her trembling, and the faint familiarity in her features.

It made his anger falter for a second.

But the rage returned just as quickly.

"You think you can send me threats and stay silent?" His voice dropped lower, colder. "I’ll ask one last time: what do you know about Navien’s attack?"

The girl’s breath came fast and shallow. Her wide eyes looked at him like he was a monster.

Then she whispered, barely audible, "I... don’t know what you’re talking about."

Her voice was small and full of terror.

That only made him angrier. He hated lies.

"Liar!" Drevan roared, slamming her wrists harder against the bedframe. The wood cracked beneath his strength. "You dare lie to me?! Do you know who I am?!"

The girl shook her head desperately, tears running down her face. But he wasn’t listening anymore. His wolf was rising, hungry for blood.

His eyes began to glow faint gold, the mark of his wolf stirring inside him. His claws pushed through his fingertips, sharp and ready. The air thickened with his power.

"You think you can toy with me?" His voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "You think you can send threats to an Alpha and walk away?"

Her terrified sobs filled the room, but it was too late. His rage had taken hold.

He pressed one clawed hand against her throat.

She gasped, choking, her fingers clawing at his wrist, but his grip only tightened. His claws grazed her skin, drawing a thin line of red. Her eyes went wide with fear, her lips trembling as she struggled for air.

He leaned closer, his breath hot and furious against her ear. "Tell me...who sent you?"

She tried to speak, but only a strangled sound came out.

His other hand slammed down beside her head, claws sinking into the sheets. His fangs began to show. His wolf was seconds from breaking through.

"Answer me..."

But before the words could leave his mouth...

CRACK.

A powerful blow struck him in the side.

Drevan was thrown backward, the air ripping from his lungs. He hit the floor hard, his claws retracting for a split second in shock.

He coughed, eyes wild, and when he looked up...he froze.

Prince Vaelen stood before him.

The prince’s expression was cold as ice, his jaw set, his eyes glowing faintly with royal power. "Enough," he said, his voice sharp and commanding.

Drevan growled, clutching his side. "You..."

Before he could rise, a second punch came.

right to his gut. He folded forward with a pained snarl.

"Did you lose your mind, Drevan?" Vaelen’s tone didn’t rise, but the force of his authority filled the room like thunder. "You dare attack a girl under my roof?"

Drevan staggered to his knees, fury and humiliation twisting his face. "She...she sent me a note! She knows about Navien’s attack..."

"I don’t care!" Vaelen snapped. His eyes flared with golden fire, and suddenly, the weight of his royal Lycan aura slammed into the room like a storm.

But suddenly it died down by a small cry.

Vaelen turned sharply, and there, still on the bed, clutching her bruised throat and gasping for breath, was Serena.

His sister.

For a moment, he couldn’t move. His heart stopped. His mind couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. Then it hit him all at once: the sight of her tear-streaked face, the red marks blooming along her neck, and her hands trembling as she tried to speak.

"Serena..." Vaelen’s voice cracked as he rushed forward, pulling her into his arms. She let out a choked sob and buried her face against his chest, shaking uncontrollably.

"Brother..." she gasped, her voice raw and broken.

Vaelen’s jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ached. His hand went to her back, holding her close as if to shield her from everything in the room. His other hand curled into a fist. He looked up, his eyes burning gold.

And his gaze fell on Drevan.

The Alpha, still kneeling, froze under that stare.

Vaelen’s eyes were no longer just angry, they were murderous.

"You..." His voice was calm, too calm. "You laid hands on my sister."

Drevan’s chest tightened. His wolf inside him went still. Shock rippled through him like ice.

Your... sister?

He stared at the girl clinging to the prince, the same girl he’d just held beneath his claws. His mind reeled.

A princess?

He had just attacked a royal-blooded Lycan princess.

"No..." he breathed, almost to himself. "That’s...impossible..."

Vaelen rose slowly, still holding Serena, his aura flaring hotter with each breath. The warriors stepped back instinctively; they could feel the storm building.

"I should kill you where you stand," Vaelen said, his tone low and controlled, but every word burned. "An Alpha who dares touch royal blood doesn’t deserve to live."

Drevan’s hands tightened into fists. "Wait," he said quickly, his voice rough, desperate. "Prince...You don’t understand...someone set me up. I was told to come here. I received a note...an order...to meet the person who knew about Alpha Navien’s attack. That’s why I came!"

Vaelen didn’t move. His expression stayed cold. "A note?"

"Yes," Drevan said, trying to steady his breathing. "A piece of paper. I found it on the terrace...it had a message. It told me to come here, to this very room." He looked toward the floor, searching, then quickly reached into his coat and pulled out a folded slip. "Here. This is it!"

Vaelen took it, his hand shaking with barely contained fury. He opened the note slowly. The room held its breath.

But when his eyes scanned the page, his face darkened.

There was nothing there. It was blank white paper.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Vaelen’s tone dropped to a growl. He held the paper up for Drevan to see. "Are you mocking me now?"

Drevan’s eyes widened. "No...no, that’s not possible!" He reached for it, snatching the note from Vaelen’s hand, staring at it in disbelief. "It was here... I swear to you...it said, ’The past is not buried. It’s coming for you.’ I saw it with my own eyes! I didn’t write this...someone’s playing with me!"

Vaelen’s gaze didn’t soften. His power pressed heavier, thickening the air until it was hard to breathe.

Serena clutched her brother tighter, her tears soaking his jacket. Her voice was small and broken. "Brother... he...he almost killed me..."