Chapter 13: Hidden Chambers
Liana's heart pounded as they raced through the trees, the scroll clutched tightly in her hand. Celeste's laughter followed them like a ghost.
"Keep moving!" Kael shouted, half-carrying Rowan whose face was already showing thin black lines again.
The witch's cure was wearing off faster than they'd hoped. As dawn broke, they reached the Alpha's farm.
Guards rushed forward, faces tight with worry.
"Get Elder Mira," Jace ordered. "And lock down the land. Celeste is working with Darius."
They carried Rowan to his room. The black veins had slowed their spread but hadn't stopped altogether.
"The scroll," Talia reminded Liana.
"What does it say?" Liana unrolled it with shaky fingers. The silver runes glowed, then changed into words she could understand.
"'Only one true mate exists among three brothers,'" she read aloud. "'Choose wrong, and all will die.' But how do I know which one?"
