AT THE SA TI
MICHAEL
The Elder’s hands trembled as he set the heavy book on the desk. It landed with a thud that made my chest tighten. I could tell it was sothing important and sothing I was not going to like in first place.
"What... is that?" I asked, voice shaking.
His eyes softened, almost pitying.
"The chronicle of your life."He said.
I blinked.
"My... what?"I asked.
The Elder opened the cover, and my stomach dropped.
It wasn’t just writing, it was . Page after page. My childhood. My wandering. My nights are spent starving in the streets. The years I spent believing I was utterly alone laid bare in black ink. The sketches were worse. My small figure drawn sitting under bridges. Sleeping in alleys. My wolf curled around when I cried myself to sleep. My throat closed up. My wolf whined, pressing into , claws scratching at my heart.
"They... they were watching ?" My voice cracked.
"Yes." The Elder nodded gravely. "Always. Servants of the Valerion line were dispatched to follow you from the shadows. To record everything. To ensure that even if you forgot yourself... the bloodline would not forget you."
I staggered back, clutching the desk. My vision swam.
"You an... all this ti?" My voice was barely a whisper. "When I starved? When I bled? When I thought no one in this world gave a damn if I lived or died soone was standing there, watching? Writing it down?"
The Elder’s silence was the only answer I needed. My hands shook as I flipped a page. ’Age seven: subject refuses food for three days. Wolf form weak. Still survives. Age twelve: subject chased by older boys, wounded arm, does not cry out. Age fifteen: subject howls alone on his birthday.’ I slamd the book shut, chest heaving.
"YOU LET SUFFER!" I shouted, voice raw. "You watched break, over and over, and never once stepped in?!"
Zavier was at my side instantly, his hand closing firmly over my trembling wrist. His eyes burned silver, fury flashing beneath the surface.
"You let him be alone?" He growled at the Elder.
The old man lowered his gaze.
"It was the will of the Goddess. The heir had to endure. Only by surviving the dark could the light of your bloodline prove itself."He said.
"Endure?" I spat, tears burning my eyes."I was a child! A child who thought no one wanted him. And all along soone was following , recording my misery like it was a story in a damn book?!"
Rose’s grin had vanished. Even Selene’s face tightened, her sharp green eyes flickering with sothing that looked dangerously close to guilt. Charlie’s usual bright voice was quieter, softer.
"Big brother..." He whispered.
But I couldn’t look at him. Couldn’t look at anyone. My nails dug into the wood of the desk, knuckles white. My wolf pressed against , whimpering, confused and wounded.
"Michael."The Elder said gently. "Your suffering was not in vain. It is why the Goddess chose you. Why you endure where others would have fallen. The Valerion blood burns strongest in those who have suffered."
I laughed bitterly, the sound cracked and hollow.
"Then congratulations. You got what you wanted. The broken prince you all forgot existed."I said.
Zavier growled low, pulling closer to his chest, as if shielding from the weight of every eye in the room. The Elder didn’t flinch.
"And now, it is ti you return to where you were always ant to be, your ho, the Valerion castle."I said.
The words echoed in my skull, but all I could feel was the sting of betrayal. The castle walls lood around , vast and cold, carved in stone so white it almost glowed under the moonlight seeping through the high windows. My chest was still tight, my throat raw from shouting at the Elder. The echoes of my own voice clung to like ghosts. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
This place... this ho they said was mine... felt weird. Every archway, every corridor, every polished marble floor scread a history I was supposed to belong to but didn’t. My wolf paced inside , ears low, whining like a wounded pup. I stumbled into the great hall, Zavier’s hand still gripping mine like he feared I’d vanish if he let go. The others followed, their voices hushed, the weight of what had just been revealed pressing down on all of them. But I couldn’t listen. My eyes burned. A prince. A Valerion. No. I was Michael Stoneheart. The abandoned. The forgotten. I sank into one of the long dining chairs, my arms wrapping tight around myself.
’Why ?" I whispered, but it wasn’t to anyone in particular. "Why did they let suffer all those years? If I was royal, if I was worth anything, why didn’t anyone anyone, co for ?"
Silence. Only the crackle of torches filled the air. And then... the doors opened. At first, I thought it was the Goddess again, here to twist the knife deeper. But instead, they ca, servants. Dozens of them, dressed in crisp black and silver, faces calm and almost eerily serene. They moved as one, wordless, like shadows trained to obey. Silver trays appeared, dishes steaming, the scent of roasted at, warm bread, and spiced wine flooding the hall. My stomach, traitorous and aching, growled loud enough for Charlie to snicker softly. The servants set the table in silence, bowing once before disappearing as swiftly as they had co. The grand feast was left before us like an offering. I stared at it, torn between rage and hunger, my hands trembling in my lap. Zavier leaned closer, voice low.
"Eat." He murmured. "You need it."
"I don’t deserve this." I whispered, throat thick. "Not after... everything."
Rose snorted softly from across the table.
"Darling, if anyone here deserves a royal feast, it’s the boy who crawled out of alleyways with claws and stubbornness alone."Rose said.
Selene, for once, didn’t scold. Her sharp eyes softened just enough.
"She’s right. You’ve suffered enough. Take what’s yours."Slene said.
Charlie leaned over, grinning like always, though his eyes were softer this ti.
"Big brother, if you don’t eat that bread, I will. And then you’ll miss out, and you’ll cry about it later."Charlie grinned.
A shaky laugh escaped before I could stop it. My wolf flicked its ears, cautious but curious. Finally, I reached forward, tore a piece of warm bread, and bit into it. The taste hit as simple, comforting, grounding. Tears stung my eyes again, but this ti they didn’t fall. For the first ti since the Elder dropped that cursed book in front of , my chest loosened. Just a little. Zavier’s hand never left mine. And for that mont, the food, the warmth, and the soft hum of my brother’s laughter kept from falling apart completely. The bread was warm in my hands, soft against my trembling fingers. I bit into it again, slower this ti, letting the taste linger. It shouldn’t have felt like such a victory to eat dinner at my own table in my supposed ho, but gods, it did.
Zavier didn’t let go of my hand. His thumb traced idle circles over my knuckles, steady and grounding. My wolf leaned into the touch, finally relaxing, tail tucked in not out of fear but relief.
"Michael." Selene’s voice broke the silence. For once, it wasn’t sharp or commanding, it was gentle. Almost like how she used to sound when telling stories under the temple lanterns. "You don’t have to carry all of this tonight. Not alone. Not ever again."
I swallowed hard, eyes stinging. Rose leaned across the table, smirking, but softer than usual.
"She’s right. And you know I don’t say that often."She said. Whatever crown or na they throw on you, you’re still ours. Still you."
Charlie piped up next, cheerful but earnest.
"Big brother, you’re the sa idiot who yelled at for climbing trees two days ago. That’s the Michael I know. Not so scary prince. Just you. My you."Charlie grinned.
My laugh broke halfway into a sob. My wolf whined softly, but this ti it wasn’t pain. It was warmth. Adrian, who had been unusually quiet, shifted forward, resting his elbows on the table. His golden eyes held none of the teasing for once.
"I don’t care about the surna. Or the castle. Or the servants. I’ve seen you fight. Bleed. Protect Charlie without hesitation. That’s what matters."He said.
Terrence grunted, nodding.
"Adrian’s right. Stoneheart or Valerion, doesn’t matter. You’re still the stubborn wolf who snarls at every morning. That’s the one I trust."Terrence added.
Xavier tilted his head, studying in that unnerving way he always did, but his voice was calm.
"And the one who makes even pause. Royal or not, you’ve earned my respect. That’s rarer than any crown."he said.
I blinked at him, startled, because Xavier never gave complints. Ever. Rose whistled softly.
"Well, look at that. The brooding alpha has a heart."She smirked.
Zavier’s silver eyes cut across them all, sharp and protective.
"Enough talk. He doesn’t need declarations. He needs rest. Food. Safety." He squeezed my hand again. "And he has all of it here."
The room went quiet. But it wasn’t heavy this ti. It was... warm. Safe. For the first ti since stepping into this cursed castle, I believed them. I wiped my face quickly, cheeks burning, but a small smile tugged at my lips.
"You’re all ridiculous." I muttered.
Charlie grinned wide.
"But you love us."Charlie said.
"Unfortunately." I said, rolling my eyes.
The laughter that followed, real, light, and free wrapped around like a blanket. My wolf curled up inside , finally at peace. For tonight, at least, I wasn’t just the lost royal. I was Michael. Theirs.
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