Chapter 35: The Secret Chamber
Jace hadn't slept in three days. The silver light pulsed in his veins like a second heartbeat as he paced the Alpha's study, eyes darting to shadows only he could see. "It's getting stronger," he mumbled, stopping suddenly to press his palm against the wall. "There's something... calling to me." Liana shared worried glances with Kael and Rowan. Since breaking Celeste's blood spell, Jace had changed. Where he once moved with careless ease, he now seemed hyper-aware, flinching at invisible movements. "What exactly do you feel?"
Rowan asked, keeping his voice soft. Jace closed his eyes, silver light flashing beneath his eyelids. "Dark magic. Old magic. It's everywhere in this house, but strongest... here." His fingers drew a pattern on the wooden wall. Kael stepped forward, studying the spot. "There's nothing there." "Yes, there is." Jace pressed harder. "You just can't see it yet." Without warning, he slammed his hand against the wall. Silver light burst from his fingers, spreading in spiderweb cracks across the seemingly solid surface. Ancient marks appeared, glowing faintly blue. Talia gasped from the doorway. "What is that?" "Protection runes," Elder Mira whispered, stepping into the room. "Hidden by magic." The symbols pulsed once, then faded. Where solid wall had been moments before, a narrow doorway now stood open, showing a spiral staircase leading down into darkness. "How did you know?" Liana breathed, looking at Jace in wonder. He flexed his fingers, the silver light fading. "I didn't. But she did. Celeste was looking for this." Kael grabbed a torch from the wall. "Let's find out why."
The staircase descended deep beneath the Alpha's estate, the air getting cold and damp with each step. Liana shivered, staying close to Rowan as Kael and Jace led the way. Talia had insisted on coming despite their protests, holding a bag of herbs Elder Mira had prepared for protection. "This shouldn't exist," Kael muttered, touching the old stone walls. "No Alpha has ever mentioned a secret chamber." "That's the point of secrets," Jace answered, his new intensity making him seem older. "They're kept." The stairs stopped at a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Strange symbols were carved into its surface—similar to the runes that had hidden the entry, but darker somehow. "Blood lock," Elder Mira said, pointing to a small bowl in the door's center. "Only Alpha blood will open it." Without pause, Kael drew his claw across his palm. Crimson drops fell into the basin, disappearing quickly. The symbols glowed red, then green. With a heavy groan, the door swung open. "Whoa," Talia whispered. The chamber beyond was massive—far bigger than should have been possible beneath the house. Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with old tomes and scrolls. Tables covered in maps and artifacts filled the center area. At the far end stood a big desk, papers still arranged as if someone had just stepped away. "Your father's," Rowan realized, recognizing former Alpha Thorne's handwriting on a nearby paper. Kael moved toward the desk like a man in a dream. "Why would he keep this from us?" Jace didn't answer. His attention was fixed on a specific bookshelf, silver light pulsing frantically in his fingertips. "Here," he called, pulling down a leather-bound notebook. "This one reeks of secrets." The journal's cover bore the Alpha seal and the name Thorne Shadowfang. "His private journal," Kael said, taking it with reverent hands.
They crowded around as he opened it to a marked page. The scrawl was hurried, almost frantic: "The omega girl comes tomorrow. After all these years of searching, Liana Moon holds the blood we need. My sources confirm she bears the ancient Silverlight bloodline, though she doesn't know it herself. If the prophecy is true, her blood combined with my sons will return balance to the packs. But Darius knows too. He's been watching her since birth." Liana's heart stopped. "He knew? About my bloodline? Before I even arrived?" "There's more," Kael turned the page, his face getting darker. "Meeting with Darius tonight at the border. He says he only wants to observe her, not interfere. I don't trust him, but I need his understanding of the old magic. The curse on Rowan gets stronger each day. Without help, he'll turn rogue by his twenty-first birthday. The omega girl is our only hope." Rowan stumbled backward, knocking into a shelf. "Father was meeting with Darius? All this time?" "Not just meeting," Jace said sadly, flipping forward several pages. "Look at this." A deal, signed in blood. Alpha Thorne had decided to share pack territory with Darius after something called "The Convergence" in exchange for a cure for Rowan's curse. "He was going to give away our land," Kael growled, his wolf rising to the surface. His eyes flashed dangerously.
Talia, who had been exploring the far corner, suddenly called out. "Guys, you need to see this!" A large table held a detailed map of Shadowfang territory and the nearby packs. Five locations were marked with red circles, connected by lines that made a perfect pentagram. Each circle marked a point where pack regions met. "Convergence points," Elder Mira breathed, her wrinkled hand shaking as she touched the map. "Places where territorial boundaries cross and magical energy concentrates." Liana leaned closer, noting small notes written beside each point. "Blood offering," she read aloud, a chill running down her spine. "What does that mean?" Jace's silver light flared suddenly. He grabbed another book from the desk and flipped it open. "Listen to this: 'The ritual requires royal blood from each lineage put at each convergence point during the Blood Moon. When the five points are triggered, the veil between realms will thin enough for the transfer of power.'" "Transfer of power?" Rowan echoed. "To whom?" Elder Mira's face had gone ashen. "The Ancient Ones. Spirits of the first werewolves who ruled before the Moon Goddess split the packs." "And that's what Celeste is planning," Jace said, his voice hollow. "I can see fragments in my mind—she's preparing blood offerings for each point." "But she'd need royal blood from each pack," Liana pointed out. "She can't possibly have that." "She doesn't need to," Kael said grimly, pointing to another page in Thorne's notebook.
"According to this, your blood carries traces of all five royal lines. You're a descendant of the original unified pack—before they split into different territories." The room fell silent as the meanings sank in. "That's why she wants me," Liana whispered. "And why Darius has been watching you," Rowan added. "You're the key to everything." Another journal caught Jace's eye. The silver light in his veins pulled him toward it like a magnet. He opened it to find not writing, but drawings—detailed sketches of five ancient objects. "The Keys of Binding," Elder Mira explained, looking over his shoulder. "Legend says they were used to lock away the Ancient Ones' power. Each Alpha family was given one to protect." "And the five points on the map," Kael realized, "they're where the keys are buried." Talia pointed to a date written at the bottom of the map. "Look! The Blood Moon is in three days!" "That's when Celeste will make her move," Jace agreed, the silver in his eyes flashing. "If she activates all five points with Liana's blood, the Ancient Ones will return." "And then what?" Liana asked, though she feared she already knew the answer. Jace looked up, his face grim. "They'll need bodies. Powerful ones. Three royal brothers would be perfect vessels." Kael slammed his hand on the table. "We need to secure these points before the Blood Moon." "It's not that simple," Elder Mira warned. "The convergence places are heavily guarded by old magic.
Only someone with royal blood can approach them." All eyes turned to Liana. "So I'm the only one who can stop this," she said quietly. Suddenly, Jace stiffened. The silver light raced up his neck, making his eyes glow. He grabbed the edge of the table, knuckles white. "Jace?" Rowan reached for his brother. "She knows we're here," Jace gasped, the silver light pulsing furiously. "Celeste—she can feel me using this power. She's—" A faraway explosion shook the house above them. Dust rained from the roof. "They're attacking the estate," Kael growled, already moving toward the stairs. Liana grabbed the map and papers, stuffing them into Talia's herb bag. "Wait," Jace grabbed Liana's arm, his eyes still glowing silver. "There's something else you need to know about the map." "What?" His face twisted with effort as he fought against some unseen force. "The middle of the pentagram—where all the lines meet—it's not just a meeting point. It's a—" Another blast cut him off, bigger than the first. The ceiling began to crack. "We need to go!" Rowan shouted, pulling them toward the stairs. As they ran, Jace's closing words chilled Liana to the bone: "It's a doorway. And something's already coming through."