At North Palace
Night had fallen, yet Althea couldn’t sleep. The bed felt too empty without Gavriel. It wasn’t the first night she’d been alone in his chambers, but this ti it carried a strange heaviness, an uneasy feeling that he might not return anyti soon.
With a sigh, she got up, slipped into a thicker dress, and pulled a cloak over her shoulders.
Instead of sneaking out through the balcony like before, she chose the main door. She had permission now to move freely around the North Palace grounds anyti, at least within its boundaries.
Trudis stood guard by the door. Althea offered her a faint smile. “I can’t sleep. I’ll just walk outside for a while.”
“I’ll escort you,” Trudis replied, her face showing clear annoyance.
Once again, Althea couldn’t read her thoughts. It was becoming botherso. Earlier she had easily caught the passing thoughts of servants and guards along the corridors—but not from Trudis, Ben, or Rudy. With them, it was as if her ability hit a wall.
The more it happened, the more she suspected the Alpha King had sothing to do with it.
Trudis followed her quietly down the corridor. Ben soon appeared, stretching and yawning.
“Go get so rest. I can handle her,” Trudis told him.
“I’ll sleep when Rudy cos back,” Ben answered stubbornly.
Althea ignored their back-and-forth and kept walking until she reached the Moonwell Cottage.
“Why are you going there?” Ben asked curiously. “That place is dark and eerie.”
Althea chuckled. “I didn’t know werewolves were afraid of ghosts.”
“Of course not!” both Trudis and Ben blurted out together.
“Well, I can’t sleep in the Alpha King’s chambers, so I’ll try resting here instead.” She stepped inside, gathering so wood. With a flick of her hand, flas sparked to life in the fireplace.
Ben’s eyes widened. “You can make fire? Are you an elental mage?”
Althea settled on the ground by the fire, smiling softly. “Maybe. Honestly, I’m not sure. My mother once taught , but I lost my mories when I was ten. I only started to rember after I fainted in the forest with the Alpha King.”
“So your mother wasn’t just a human slave,” Ben said in surprise.
“No,” Althea replied. “She told she was a healer, a mage. I guess I inherited her gift.”
“Then why did she hide it?” Trudis pressed.
Althea hugged her knees, resting her chin on them. Her voice turned quiet. “I don’t know. Maybe she wanted to protect herself... so no one could use her.”
“Like your father,” Trudis spat.
Althea didn’t answer, though she caught Ben muttering a scolding under his breath.
After a while, she turned to them again. “Did you both drink a potion this morning?”
“You an the one the Alpha King gave us?” Ben asked, only for Trudis to elbow him sharply.
“Think before you speak, dumb ass!” she snapped.
Althea chuckled softly, watching the two bicker. It struck her how different they were—Rudy seed like the steady eldest, Trudis the sharp-tongued middle, and Ben the talkative youngest.
Since she couldn’t sleep, she asked, “How old are you two?”
“I’m twenty-five, Trudis is twenty-seven, and Rudy’s twenty-nine,” Ben quickly answered.
“You talk too much,” Trudis grumbled again.
Althea turned her gaze on Trudis and asked directly, “Why do you hate so much?”
Trudis scoffed. “Do you really need to ask? Your father was a traitor. He killed countless innocents for his own greed.”
Althea’s chest tightened, but she held her composure. “I’m sorry for what happened,” she said quietly. “But I am not my father.”
Her eyes drifted back to the firelight as she continued. “I can’t undo the past. I could hide my abilities forever, like my mother wanted, but I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want to live under the shadow of being just the traitor’s daughter. I want to live a good life, to help others, and to do what’s right. I know trust won’t co easily—especially because of who my father was—but...”
Her voice trailed, the crackling fire filling the silence.
“Being my father’s daughter doesn’t an I’ll follow his wrong path,” Althea whispered, her voice trembling but firm. “This is my life. These are my choices. And I will walk the path I believe in—the path that seeks peace and order, to make sure no innocent people will ever be hard again.”
“Prove it then. You will go with and serve your purpose to make sure no innocent people are ever hard.”
Althea froze at Gavriel’s voice behind her.
She sprang to her feet, turned, and imdiately gave the Alpha King a curt bow. He was not alone. Beside him stood a man she had never seen before.
“Alpha,” Trudis and Ben greeted him, falling into respectful bows.
“Get lva,” Gavriel ordered. “She will co with Althea. Now.”
Althea turned her gaze to the man who had accompanied the Alpha King. She t his eyes and reached into his thoughts, hoping to grasp the situation before anyone spoke further.
‘How could that breeder possibly help in extracting information from the sorcerer? What use could a traitor’s daughter be?’
She quickly looked away, swallowing hard under the Alpha King’s piercing stare.
‘So... he wants to read the sorcerer’s mind? Is this so kind of test?’
The thought made her face tighten, and before she realized it, she had squinted at him in annoyance. But then her eyes widened in alarm at her own reaction. When she dared glance back, Gavriel’s frown was already fixed on her. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she imdiately lowered her head.
“There’s no ti to waste. Co here,” Gavriel commanded, his tone leaving no room for argunt.
Althea rose and obeyed, startled when Gavriel took her hand firmly as they walked outside.
lva was already waiting by the door.
“Create the portal,” Gavriel ordered as soon as they were outside.
Althea froze, stiffening as his narrowed gaze fell on her.
‘Is he instructing ?!’ Althea’s breath caught in her throat, panic rising like a tide. ‘He knows I can create a portal? But... that was only a dream, wasn’t it? I only dread of speaking to him about it! Of confessing that I could...’
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