13: Shadows of the Truth
Kaelen’s POV
The ride back to Shadow Keep was silent, except for the soft hum of the car’s engine. Celeste sat beside me, her gaze out the window, lost to her thoughts. She hadn’t been very talkative since the meeting with the Elders, and as much as I wanted to probe her further about her decision, I kept quiet.
She had decided to search for the survivors of Thornclaw before looking for revenge. A noble decision, one that spoke a lot about her strength and her compassion, but there was just something incomplete in the way she said it.
I had asked her why. The response, that she had her reasons had been evasive, at best. She wasn’t lying, but neither was she telling me everything.
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Her shoulders were tense, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Whatever was weighing on her, she wasn’t ready to share it.
Vedmus stirred in the back of my mind, his growl low and insistent. “She’s hiding something.”
“I know,” I muttered internally, my jaw tightening.
“You should demand answers.”
“Not now.”
He huffed, withdrawing into the darker recesses of my mind, yet his presence still lingered there, restive and vigilant.
When we reached Shadow Keep, the heavy iron gates slowly creaked open. The royal building of the pack was before us, its stone walls bathed in the warm orange light of the setting sun.
Dorian was waiting for us near the entrance, his posture as rigid as ever. His green eyes flicked to Celeste briefly before settling on me, his expression unreadable.
“Alpha, he said, inclining his head as I stepped out of the car.
“Dorian,” I acknowledged, my tone brisk. “Come inside. We need to talk.”
Celeste looked at us both and spoke in a soft, even voice. “I’ll just go to my chambers
now.”
I nodded as she vanished through the main doors.
Dorian raised his brow as we entered into the war room. “Something on your mind?
I didn’t answer immediately, wait successfully unlocked! moved to the large table in the certo me, its edges weighed down by silver markers.
……
ors had closed behind us.
map of Eldrun spread out before
“Find out everything you can about the attack on Thornclaw,” I said finally, my voice
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13 Shadows of the Truth
low but firm.
Dorian’s brow furrowed. “I thought we already had all the information. Rogues”
“It wasn’t just rogues,” I interrupted, my tone sharp. “There’s more to this than we’ve been told.”
Dorian studied me for a moment, his gaze calculating. “What makes you think that?”
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “Celeste knows something. She won’t say it outright, but I can sense it. She’s holding back.”
Dorian’s expression didn’t change, but I could practically see the wheels turning in his mind. “You think she knows who’s responsible?”
“I think she has suspicions,” I said. “And I think she’s trying to protect someone.
Dorian leaned against the table, his arms crossed. “Protect someone? From what? Revenge?”
“Maybe,” I admitted, my jaw tightening. “Or maybe she doesn’t want to face the truth herself.”
Dorian fell silent for a moment, his gaze fastened on the map. When he finally spoke, his voice was level with underpinned wariness: “If Celeste does know something, why not simply confront her with your suspicions?
I clenched my fists, the veins in my hands standing out starkly against my skin. ” Because she won’t tell me. Not yet. She’s too guarded, too unsure of her place here. If I push her too hard, she’ll retreat even further.”
Vedmus growled in the back of my mind, his voice laced with impatience. “You’re letting her hold secrets. That’s dangerous.”
“Then what do you want me to do?” I snapped inside.
“Find the answers yourself. Protect her, even if she doesn’t want you to.”
Dorian’s voice pulled me back into the present. “And you want me to handle this quietly?”
I nodded. “No one else can know. Not the council, not the warriors. If word gets out that I’m investigating Thornclaw’s attack, it could raise questions, questions Celeste isn’t ready to answer.”
Dorian frowned, his gaze sharpening. “You’re asking me to go behind the Luna’s back.”
“I’m asking you to protect her,” I said evenly. “Even if she doesn’t realize she needs it.
Dorian straightened, his face inscrutable. “What exactly am I looking for?”
“Everything,” I said, my tone low, even. “The full story of how Thornclaw fell. The names of every rogue involved. Any alliances they might have had.”
Dorian nodded once, slowly. “And the culprit?
My jaw clenched. “Whoever ordered the attack. Whether it was rogues, another pack,
13 Shadows of the Truth
or someone inside of Thornclaw.”
Dorian’s eyes slightly narrowed. “You think it’s an inside job?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But the way Celeste was acting during the Elders‘ meeting like she was hesitant, the way she answered, it wasn’t just grief or anger. It was personal.
Dorian didn’t argue, but I could see the skepticism in his eyes.
“And Dorian,” I added, my tone dropping even lower. “Keep this out of everyone’s ears. No one else can know, not even Celeste. I don’t want her feeling like she’s being watched.”
Dorian’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “You’re protective, I’ll give you that.
”
“This isn’t about being protective,” I said, though even I wasn’t sure if that was true. This is about understanding what we’re up against. If there’s a threat tied to Thornclaw‘ s fall, I need to know what it is. For her sake, and for the pack’s.”
Dorian nodded, his smirk fading. “I’ll handle it.”
As Dorian left the room, I leaned against the table, my hands braced on the edges. The weight of the conversation settled over me heavier than I had expected.
Celeste’s silence was like a puzzle with missing pieces, and every instinct in me demanded answers. But I couldn’t force her to speak, not when she was still finding her footing as Luna.
Vedmus growled softly, a low warning in his voice. “Secrets have a way of destroying
trust.”
“I know,” I muttered. “But if I push her now, I could lose her.”
“And if you don’t push her, you could lose more.”
The thought sent a shiver through me, but I shook it off. Dorian would find the answers. He always did.
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