novelxo Chapter 225
Chapter 225 AURORA Anything useful ? Dane whispered low so as not to disturb the silence in the room .
I scanned the next page , and the words blurred for only a second or two before snapping into place .
Its more personal than I expected , I said .
He speaks about the choices made as a first alpha , in respect to the weight he held for the security of his pack .
Theres much remorse in this .
Dane slanted his head , brow furrowing .
Remorse over what ? About the grove , I said , flipping to another entry .
About how he underestimated its power and the curse that came with it .
.
We read on in silence for a while , the dancing firelight casting long darkness around the room .
Then my eyes fell to one particular entry , and my breath caught .
The grove holds more than power , I read aloud .
It holds a key .
Dane straightened , his attention sharpening .
A key to what ? Chapter 225 2/7 I dont know , I said , tracing the words with my finger .
Maybe it had smudged most of the ink , but this sentence seemed to leap off the page as if it had been engraved there .
He leaned closer , interest now etched in his voice .
Does he explain ? I shook my head and flipped the page over .
He writes of a chamber hidden beneath its roots .
He was certain it housed something … something he called the source of life .
Dane furrowed his brow .
The source of life ? Of whom ? Of us , I whispered .
There , it hung in the air between us , unsaid , yet palpable .
That something so key could be buried here in this grove sent a chill down my spine .
Did he find it ? he asked .
I shook my head from side to side .
No.
He tried but couldnt reach .
He left it unfinished .
Dane leaned back in his chair , his eyes thoughtful .
Do we pursue this ? I moved , weighing the decision on my shoulders .
We have sacrificed enough , I said .
The pack requires stability now , not another mystery .
!! Dane nodded slightly .
Agreed .
I think we can do with some Chapter 225 peace .
The subject was changed then , and I felt some of that tension ease just a little bit .
3/7 As much as the journal made me curious , I wasnt blind to the exhaustion still residual from all theyd been through .
After that , the rest of the night was pretty low key .
Dane and I closed the journal , tucked it away , promising ourselves wed revisit it at some time when that felt right to do so ..
Morning came the following morning with all the noise of the packhouse .
Pups ran along the corridors , their shrill giggles echoing around ; wolves worked together as they prepared breakfast , the sound of roasted meat wafting across the house .
I found Piper in the kitchen , her hands stained with flour as she tried to teach Warrick to cook .
This is a disaster , he muttered , stirring a pot that smelled distinctly burnt .
Youre the one who wanted to impress everyone , Piper teased , nudging him with her elbow .
I didnt think it would involve smoke , he shot back , waving a towel in the air .
Teasing , their teasing put a smile on my face .
Amidst Chapter 225 4/7 destruction , something about his manner was lighter , freer than I had seen before .
Later that afternoon , I saw Trajan sitting with Joclyn at the edge of the grove .
She had a bunch of herbs in her lap , her fingers .
working nimbly as she explained their purposes .
These are for burns , she said , handing him a sprig of something green and fragrant .
And this one is for cuts and infections .
Trajan listened intently , his usual guarded expression softening .
It was rare to see him this relaxed , this open .
Youre a quick learner , Joclyn remarked , a small smile tugging at her lips .
He shrugged .
Ive had to be .
Slow , unspoken but it was a bond .
There were just things that were there between them , the quiet understanding grown out of time and respect .
Night had finally fallen , and the packhouse had quieted down once again .
I was on a couch in the main room of it , the journal lying across my lap , firelight dancing gently over its worn leather cover .
For a moment , my fingers steeled to reopen it , peering deeper into Kaels secrets .
But the weight of the day pulled at me , and I set it aside carefully on a nearby shelf .
Chapter 225 Another time , I whispered .
5/7 I stood up to leave , my broken pendant fragments lay on a table .
nearby , and in a flush of sun they flared into light a low hum of light , pulsing for a time , until , as it started , it was suddenly gone .
Of course , I saw nothing at all .
It was one of those silences that burrow into the marrow of bones .
I extended my arms up over my head , weighted with exhaustion , like some heavy cloak had been tossed over me .
It was predictably long and what I needed was some hours of sleep uninterrupted .
The murmur , at my reaching and would have turned to leave the room , was against my ears , soft enough I must have imagined it .
I froze , eyes running across the shelf on which I laid the journal ; it lay still within the worn leather , fire dancing across it .
Just tired , I said irritably , head shaking .
Still , I did nothing more .
There was something to that whisper ; it did feel like no trick of the mind .
It felt real .
I walked over to the table with the fragments of the pendant , still fresh in my head that slight radiance .
I bent closer to the pieces and took a close look at them .
They Chapter 225 6/7 were dulled now lifeless but something about that flashing light nagged at me .
What had made it do that ? For days , the pendant had lain in pieces , its energy low .
For that instant , it was alive , as if a heart were beating .
My hand hovered over the pieces , and my hesitation nipped at the edges of my mind .
Just pick it up , I muttered .
In an instant , the moment my fingers came into contact with the largest fragment , a sudden , sharp jolt shot down my arm .
I gasped , wincing as the pieces scattered onto the floor .
I was staring at it now , glowing faintly once more , its light soft but insistent , and my heart was racing .
What … I whispered , not finishing .
The light diffused , creeping along the floor as if liquid , then turning into forms I couldnt quite make out .
Circles .
Lines .
Symbols .
My chest constricted as the patterns finally coalesced into something I could almost recognize runes , just like those chiseled into the groves heart .
It disappeared just that quickly .
Only the broken pieces of the pendant stood on the floor .
The room was chill now the warmth of the fire didnt seem to reach even my side of the room .
Chapter 225 What was that ? I whispered , backpedaling .
My instinctive reaction was to call Dane , to warn him about what Id seen .
But there was something that whispered , Not yet .