The Alpha King And His Chosen Luna novel Chapter 285

The keeper’s mark

The keeper’s mark

(Isla)

Claire

Wraithbone came into view after hours on the road. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until I saw the familiar land ahead. Frostvale had given me my mother and answers I never expected to find. Still,

returning here felt good.

Caius glanced at me.

“Happy to be back?”

“Very.”

He continued toward the pack house. Zeron and Raith followed behind us with the warriors. Wolves noticed our return as we crossed the grounds. Several stopped what they were doing to watch us arrive.

I reached for my bag before Caius could take it. Lyrienne’s book was inside with the wooden wolf Darius had made for me. I had checked both several times during the journey. They were pieces of the life my parents had planned for me.

Sera came outside before we reached the steps. Pryor and Lira followed behind her, but Sera was already coming toward us. Her face changed when she saw me, and I smiled. I had missed her.

She stopped in front of Caius first.

“Welcome back, Alpha King.”

Caius nodded.

“It’s good to be back.”

Sera turned to me and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back immediately. Seeing her again made being home feel real. When she released me, she noticed my necklace.

“That’s new.”

“It belonged to my mother.”

Sera stared at me. Her eyes widened as she understood what I’d said. She knew we’d left Wraithbone looking for answers about my past. I smiled before she could ask.

“You found her?”

“Alive.”

Sera hugged me again. I laughed and held her for a moment. There would be time to tell her everything later. Right now, her happiness was enough.

Pryor came closer after Sera released me. His attention moved between Caius and me. Lira remained beside him with several papers in her hands. They had clearly been working before we arrived.

“You found something.”

<The keeper’s Mark

“Several things.”

tap

Caius looked toward the pack house. There was too much to explain while everyone stood outside. What we’d discovered about Varen needed Pryor’s help. We also needed to discuss Derek.

“Meet us in the council room in thirty minutes.”

Pryor nodded.

“I’ll have the records ready.”

Lira followed him inside. Caius reached for my bag, and I moved it away from him. He gave me a look. I already knew what was coming.

“I can carry it.”

“I know.”

He took it anyway. Sera smiled at us before leaving. I followed Caius inside without arguing. Some things hadn’t changed while we were gone.

The familiar halls felt good after so much traveling. I’d left Wraithbone searching for answers about my mother. I’d returned knowing her face, her wolf, and where she was. Vaela was pleased too.

‘We found Seraya.’

‘You knew before I did.’

‘Of course.’

I smiled. Vaela was tired from using her new ability, but she felt better than she had beneath the mountain. I wanted her rested before we tried anything else. We still didn’t understand everything her gift could do.

Caius carried my bag to our quarters. I placed Lyrienne’s book somewhere safe and set the wooden wolf beside it. Seeing them here made me stop. Yesterday they had still been with my mother.

Caius noticed.

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

I picked up the wooden wolf, its uneven ear made me think about Darius trying to carve it before I was born. Lyrienne had laughed while telling me about everything he’d made for me. I wished I had memories of him instead of stories.

“We’ll find the tree too.”

I looked at Caius.

“You remembered.”

He came closer.

“I remember what matters to you.”

<The keeper’s mark.

put the wolf down. There would be time to return to Silvermere and search for the tree Darius planted. Right now, Varen and the Keeper needed our attention. Derek did too.

A knock came at the door. Zeron stood outside when Caius opened it. Pryor had already gathered several old Council records. Apparently, he hadn’t planned to waste any of the thirty minutes.

“We might as well go.”

Caius looked at me.

“You need rest.”

“I salt in a vehicle most of the day.”

He knew I wasn’t changing my mind. I wanted to hear what Pryor found. We left together. Zeron followed us toward the council room.

Pryor had covered the table with records by the time we entered. Lira stood beside him while Raith had already taken a seat. Sera was there too. I sat beside Caius.

“Tell me what you found in Frostvale.”

I looked at Pryor.

“I found my mother.”

He stared at me.

“Your mother is alive?”

“Yes.”

Sera smiled from across the table. She had managed to keep the news to herself long enough for me to tell Pryor. His surprise told me he hadn’t expected our journey to end with anything this big.

I told them about Lyrienne and how she’d spent centuries searching for me. Then I explained what we’d. discovered beneath the mountain. Varen had been connected directly to Corvin. Garron Thorne’s naine had appeared in one of the memories Vaela showed me.

“The Keeper will know when the child wakes.”

Pryor looked at the copied page.

“Varen wrote this?”

“Yes.”

I told him about Vaels’s new ability. The Celestial Stone had shown me where I’d been kept during my protected sleep. A hidden wolf had stood beside the chamber. A symbol had been carved into the wall behind them.

“You saw it clearly?”

“Clearly enough to recognize it.”

The keeper’s mark

Pryor reached for a book containing old Council seals. He opened it and began turning the pages. I watched every symbol. Nothing looked familiar at first.

Then Vaela moved inside me.

‘Wait.’

“Stop.”

Pryor stopped. A circle surrounded three narrow lines with a small mark through the center. I remembered seeing it behind the chamber. Vaela recognized it too.

“That one.”

Pryor read the information beside it. His expression changed before he looked at Caius. Whatever he’d found wasn’t something he expected. Caius leaned closer.

“Who did it belong to?”

“An old Council order.”

I looked at Pryor.

“What order?”

He continued reading. The order had been responsible for protecting restricted Council knowledge. Membership passed through chosen families instead of elected positions. Most records about them had disappeared centuries ago.

Pryor looked up.

“The Keepers.”

I stared at the symbol again. Varen hadn’t been referring to one wolf whose secret died with him. He’d been referring to something that could have survived for generations. Someone could still carry that responsibility now.

Caius looked at Pryor.

“Find the families.”

Pryor gathered several records.

“I’ll start tonight.”

I remembered the other person we needed.

“And Derek’s exile records.”

Pryor stopped.

“Derek Thorne?”

“Yes.”

<The keeper’s mark.

Claim

He nodded and reached for another record. My connection to the Thorne family had begun centuries before Derek raised me. If something had been passed through his family, Derek might know more than he’d ever admitted.

Caius took my hand beneath the table. We finally knew what Pryor needed to search for. One path led to the Keepers, while the other ted back to Derek. Both could bring us closer to the truth.

This time, we knew where to begin.

princess jody

Sorry for the late updates. I am moving into my new apartment and haven’t settled down as yet, I have been so busy

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<The road to Berek.

Clash

The road to Derek

(Isla)

Pryor pulled the exile record closer and opened it. Several pages had been added after Derek was removed from Ashcrest. Caius’s warriors had recorded every part of the escort. I moved closer to read

with him.

“Where did they take him?”

Pryor turned to the final page.

“Greyhaven.”

I looked at Caius. I didn’t recognize the name, but he clearly did. His attention remained on the record. Zeron moved closer to the table.