Chapter 37: The Price of Truth
Celeste's scream echoed through the forest as Rowan clutched the water key in his hand. Her eyes widened with shock, then narrowed with anger. "You fool!" she hissed, dark energy sparking around her fingers. "Do you want to suffer forever?" Pain shot through Rowan's body, his veins burning like fire beneath his skin. He stumbled backward but kept his grip tight on the key. "Run, Liana!" he gasped, throwing the crystal toward her. Liana caught it midair, her golden light immediately flaring to shield them. The shadow warriors holding Kael paused, confused by the sudden shift in power. Kael grabbed his chance. He twisted free, his elbow striking with one warrior's jaw while his leg swept the other off balance. In seconds, he was beside Liana and Rowan, making a protective triangle. Celeste's laughter cut through the stress. "How sweet. The loyal puppy returns to his lady." "I'm nobody's puppy," Rowan growled, trying to stay upright as the curse pulsed through him.
Red veins crawled up his neck, reaching toward his face. "Let's find out." Celeste's smile turned nasty. She snapped her fingers, and Rowan collapsed, howling in pain. "Stop it!" Liana cried, stepping forward with both keys clutched to her chest. "I'm not doing anything," Celeste said simply. "This is his curse gaining full power, thanks to the first convergence. But I can help him." She walked toward Rowan, ignoring Kael's dangerous growl. Kneeling beside the writhing wolf, she put her hand on his forehead. Instantly, the red lines receded, and Rowan gasped with relief. "See?" Celeste whispered. "I know how to control it." Rowan's eyes cleared, the pain disappearing. For the first time in years, his mind felt fully his own. No dark whispers. No burning rage. "How?" he asked, his voice barely audible. "Your bloodline and mine are connected," Celeste explained, helping him sit up. "The curse was never meant to destroy you. It was meant to control you." Kael moved closer, suspicious. "What are you talking about?" "Did your father never tell you?" Celeste's eyes gleamed. "The curse on your bloodline was placed there by my ancestors—to prevent what's happening now." "Which is what, exactly?" Liana demanded. "A triplet bond." Celeste stood, circling them like an animal. "Three Alpha boys sharing power with one Luna. My ancestors saw this possibility centuries ago and feared it would unite all packs under one rule—ending their power forever." Rowan stood shakily, the lack of pain making him dizzy with relief. "So they cursed us." "Just one bloodline in each generation," Celeste nodded. "Usually the third kid. The quiet one. The peacemaker.
The one who bridges the gap between the others." Her words hit Rowan like physical blows. His entire life—his suffering, his isolation—had been by plan. "Why tell us this?" Kael asked, moving protectively closer to his brother. "Because I'm offering Rowan a choice." Celeste stepped back, gesturing to her shadow soldiers. "Come with me. Help me finish the convergence. I'll keep the curse at bay permanently." "And if I refuse?" "The pain returns—worse than before. The merger has amplified everything." Liana slipped her hand into Rowan's. "We'll find another way to break the curse." "There is no other way," Celeste said firmly. "Ask your precious Elder Mira. She knows the truth." Doubt flickered across Rowan's face. The brief relief from pain was intoxicating—a taste of normality he'd never known. "I need to think," he said eventually. Celeste smiled. "A wise pick. I'll give you until moonrise." She pressed something into his palm—a small purple rock. "A sign of good faith.
This will hold back the pain for twelve hours. Consider it a sample of what I'm offering." With a wave of her hand, she and her shadow soldiers melted into the darkness, leaving the three alone in the forest. "You can't seriously be considering her offer," Kael growled as they made their way to the hunting house. Rowan clutched the purple crystal, feeling its cool energy holding the curse at bay. "I'm not. But we need information." "And if she's telling the truth about the curse?" Liana asked softly. "Then I'll deal with it," Rowan answered, his jaw tight. "I've lived with it this long." But the words felt hollow. For the first time in his life, his mind was quiet. No battle. No dark urges. Just... peace. The hunting cabin came into view as dawn broke. Talia and Elder Mira waited eagerly on the porch, relief washing over their faces at the sight of the three. "Where's Jace?" Talia asked instantly. Kael's face darkened. "Celeste said he fell into the falls. We need to send a search party." "Already done," Elder Mira nodded. "Our men found him downstream. He's inside, resting." Inside the cabin, Jace lay on a makeshift bed, his chest rising and falling slowly. When he saw them, he tried to sit up. "Easy," Liana said, running to his side. "You nearly drowned." "Better wet than dead," Jace croaked, his trademark grin weak but present. His eyes found the crystals in Liana's hands. "You got them both." "Thanks to Rowan," she said, looking at the quiet brother. Jace noticed something different about Rowan immediately. "What happened to you? Your eyes... they're normal."
Before Rowan could answer, Elder Mira stepped closer, her eyes sharp and knowing. "The curse is silent. How?" Rowan opened his palm, showing the purple crystal. "Celeste gave me this. Temporary relief, she called it." Elder Mira's face paled. "That's impossible. The curse can only be controlled by—" "The bloodline that created it," Rowan finished. "She told us everything, Mira. About my bloodline. About the triplet bond promise. About why I was cursed." The old woman sank into a chair, suddenly looking her age. "I had hoped to spare you this knowledge." "So it's true," Kael said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Yes," Mira whispered. "The third son of every third generation carries the seed of the curse. It starts at maturity unless..." "Unless what?" Liana pressed. "Unless the triplet bond is broken." Mira looked away. "One must die, one must lead, one must serve. That's how it's always been." Silence fell over the cabin as the truth sank in. Their father had known. He'd raised them according to this pattern—grooming Kael to rule, Jace to serve as fighter, and Rowan... "He was preparing me to die," Rowan said hollowly. No one could deny it. Talia suddenly gasped, her body going rigid. Her eyes rolled back, showing only whites as she fell to the floor. "Talia!" Liana cried, running to her friend's side.
The young seer convulsed, her lips moving in quiet words. Then, as quickly as it began, the seizure stopped. Talia's eyes snapped open, glowing with strange light. "The quiet one will betray you all," she whispered, her voice not her own. "When the second convergence comes, blood will choose blood over bond." Her eyes returned to normal, and she blinked in confusion at the terrified faces surrounding her. "What?" she asked. "What did I say?" Five pairs of eyes turned slowly to Rowan, who stood frozen, the purple gem pulsing gently in his palm.