Chapter 376: Blood Ties

Chapter 376: Chapter 110: Blood Ties

“Put it back!” Destiny urged.

The priestess instantly pressed the stone back against the princess’s sternum. Almost at once, Aurora’s chest settled back into a deep, rhythmic rise and fall.

Destiny watched the interaction closely. The stone wasn’t just sitting there like an inanimate piece of rock—it was actively tethering Aurora to life.

The priestess gently traced the faded gray lines along Aurora’s collarbone. “The curse remains inside her,” she noted softly, “but the spread has been halted.”

Destiny held her breath as the priestess continued watching Aurora’s chest, waiting for any sign that the fragile rhythm might falter again. Nothing changed. The princess remained still, and the stone stayed firmly against her sternum.

For several seconds, no one moved. The silence made every small sound seem louder—the faint movement of fabric, the quiet scrape of a boot against stone, the soft rhythm of Aurora’s breathing. Destiny found herself watching the stone more than the princess now, unable to forget how quickly Aurora’s condition had changed the moment it was removed.

Dane took a step toward the cot. “Can you keep her like this?”

“I believe so.”

“Then leave the stone where it is.”

The priestess nodded in silent agreement.

Before anyone could say another word, the sharp crunch of footsteps echoed from the outer hallway—multiple sets, moving quickly. Dane’s hand dropped instinctively to the hilt of his sword, his shoulders squaring as he turned to face the entry.

Henrik burst into the chamber first. “Alpha.”

Close on his heels were Ramon and Sonia. Destiny remembered seeing them arrive at the temple grounds earlier, though neither had dared enter the inner sanctum while Aurora hung between life and death. Now, Sonia’s face was drawn tight with anxiety, while Ramon swept his eyes across the crowded room, looking straight past the warriors toward the cot.

The moment his eyes landed on Aurora, he froze.

It was a fraction of a second, a reaction so subtle that Destiny would have missed it entirely had she not been staring right at him. His composure cracked. No dramatic gasp, no sudden leap forward—just a stark, absolute stillness as his gaze locked onto the unconscious girl.

Sonia caught the break in his guard immediately. “Ramon?”

He blinked, pulling his gaze away with deliberate effort.

“What happened here?” Sonia asked, hurrying past him toward the bed.

“The Heart Stone responded to Destiny’s blood,” Dane said, keeping his voice steady. “It stabilized Aurora.”

Sonia didn’t waste time asking questions. She stepped up beside the priestess, immediately inspecting the princess—checking her pulse, listening to her lungs, and examining the faded dark veins with practiced efficiency.

Ramon, however, stayed back near the doorway.

Destiny couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. The look he had given Aurora wasn’t the detached appraisal of a former Alpha assessing a rival pack’s princess. It was far too intense. Far too personal.

She looked at Aurora, quiet and pale on the cot, and then back at Ramon. But his mask was already firmly back in place, his face an unreadable shield.

Vance caught the exchange, his eyes locking onto Ramon. The two men traded a brief, silent look—a heavy, unsaid history passing between them before both looked away.

Marcus stepped into the center of the room, shattering the oppressive atmosphere. “If this mark truly belongs to your house, Vance, we are going to need a lot more than your word.”

Vance turned to face him. “I know.”

“The royal records are en route,” Marcus continued, his tone unyielding. “They should clarify who was moved on that wagon. They should tell us what became of the child who was supposed to be taken.”

Vance’s eyes guarded over. “They may.”

“And until those ledgers are in my hands,” Marcus declared, “we do not refer to Destiny as your daughter.”

Vance looked at Destiny, and for a fleeting, terrifying moment, the hardened king looked completely vulnerable. The stoic royal mask fell away, revealing a man utterly hollowed out by secrets. Then, just as fast as it had appeared, the shadow vanished.

“I agree,” Vance said softly.

Destiny blinked, caught off guard by his sudden acquiescence.

“I will not lay claim to her without undeniable proof,” Vance added, turning back toward Aurora’s bedside.

The words echoed in the stone chamber, settling deep in Destiny’s chest. A strange sense of gratitude washed over her—a feeling she wasn’t entirely ready to unpack.

Dane reached down, his fingers lacing through hers. Destiny squeezed back, leaning into his strength as his thumb caressed her knuckles in slow, soothing circles.

“You holding up?” he murmured close to her ear.

Destiny met his dark eyes. “I don’t know.”

It was the rawest truth she had in her.

She looked back at the cot. Aurora was still sleeping peacefully, her skin clearing by the minute as the gray traces vanished into nothingness. By rights, seeing the princess safe should have granted Destiny total relief. Instead, her mind raced back to the old woman’s cryptical warnings.

They took the wrong child.

Someone had arrived at the borders terrified, desperate for news of a wagon bearing a silver banner. A royal escort. A child snuffed out of the night.

And somehow, through all the blood and chaos, Destiny had ended up abandoned in the heart of the forest with an ancient relic tucked beside her.

She looked up. Vance was staring at the crescent on her neck again, his eyes wide and searching, though he kept his distance this time.

Destiny slowly lowered her hand, letting her neck remain exposed.

“If the records prove something,” Destiny said, her voice ringing clear and steady across the room, “then we will answer it when it comes.”

Vance gave a single, solemn nod. “Yes.”

Silence reclaimed the inner chamber.

For now, Aurora was breathing. The deadly curse had been held at bay. The royal ledgers were coming on swift horses.

And Destiny was left standing in the quiet, left to wonder if the mark on her skin was the key to unlocking her lost past, or just another thread in a web far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.

She tightened her grip on Dane’s hand. Whatever truth was riding toward them in the dark, she would face it on her own terms.

Not a second before.