Chapter 25 —
The Scentless Wolf & The Spy in Chains"
Blue Awakens
Blue woke to the faint scent of lavender and the warm touch of a hand brushing his hair.
"Blue… wake up, son."
Selene's voice.
His eyes shot open.
He sat up so fast the room spun.
"—The werewolf! Ronan! Where are they?!"
Selene gently pressed a hand to his chest, easing him back down.
"Long gone by now, son. You've been asleep for two days."
"T–Two… days?"
"Yes." Her tone softened. "The others are fine. Gus woke up yesterday. Rito and Kin are still unconscious, but stable."
Blue exhaled shakily, relief and frustration mixing inside his chest.
The door creaked open.
X entered.
He looked exhausted, but his expression softened when he saw Blue awake.
"I'm glad you're finally up," X said.
Then his eyes moved to Selene.
A silent question.
Selene shook her head.
"…Still nothing."
Blue frowned.
"What do you mean? Have you been trying to track them?"
X sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I know you think I can find anyone with my senses," he said quietly. "But not him."
Blue blinked.
"…Why not?"
X's expression hardened.
"The Alpha is the only kind of wolf that is scentless. Perfectly invisible to anyone trying to track him."
Blue stared ahead as the truth sank in.
"That's why he treated us like a joke… like a game."
His fists tightened.
"Is he really that powerful? Are all of them like that? How are we supposed to stop something like that…?"
His voice cracked.
X crossed the room and placed a steady hand on Blue's shoulder.
"You don't have to carry that weight," he said. "I'll handle him. That creature isn't your burden."
Selene sat beside Blue, her hand warm on his back.
"Power grows with you," she said softly. "But power rushed becomes poison. You will become strong enough—in time. Don't doubt that."
Blue nodded, though sadness lingered in his eyes.
X stepped back.
"One more thing—what happened to Ronan?"
Blue lowered his eyes.
"…I defeated him. But the Alpha took him before I could stop it."
X smiled faintly and squeezed his shoulder.
"That means you're getting stronger. Handling Ronan alone isn't something many hybrids your age could do."
Blue managed a small smile.
"But… still not strong enough."
Selene brushed his hair back, smiling lovingly.
"You will be. Now rest."
She guided X toward the door.
They stepped out, closing it gently behind them.
Selene's Revelation
As they walked down the hall, Selene's expression shifted—calm turning to something colder.
"X… I need to talk to you."
X looked at her, concern rising.
"About what?"
"Follow me."
She led him through the manor, down into the stone cell beneath the estate.
The torches flickered.
The spy knelt in the center of the room—wrists bound, head bowed, crimson-red hair falling over her face.
X's eyes widened when he saw the emblem burned into her cloak.
The crimson sigil of the high vampires.
X turned sharply toward Selene.
"…Selene. Why is a member of the Crimson Court HERE?"
Selene folded her arms, gaze icy.
"Because she wasn't visiting Hollowfen."
Her voice dropped to a lethal whisper.
"She was sent."
X stared at the trembling spy, shock fading into fury.
"Sent… for what?"
Selene's eyes glowed faintly red.
"That," she said, "is what I'm about to explain."
The torchlight in the cell flickered, casting long shadows against the stone walls as Selene guided X closer to the captive vampire. Mira sat slumped on the floor, silver chains binding her wrists and ankles, her crimson court markings dulled after hours of Selene's ancient spellwork.
When X entered, Mira instantly looked away—fearful, but refusing to show it.
Selene folded her arms.
"Tell him," she ordered coldly.
Mira hesitated, swallowing hard. X's white eyes narrowed, sharp as cut glass.
"What is going on?" he repeated.
Mira finally lifted her head, voice trembling.
"It's civil war," she whispered. "Inside the Crimson Court."
X didn't react—just stared.
Mira continued, words tumbling fast now that the fear of Selene's magic gripped her throat.
"Your… your mate's sister—the queen—has lost control. Half the court wants her throne. She knew she couldn't hold power much longer. So she left the capital. She came looking for Selene."
X's jaw tightened. "Why?"
"Because," Mira said, "your wife knows a spell—one only a true queen can cast. A spell that forces traitors to reveal themselves. Anyone disloyal would burn from the inside out."
Selene looked away, guilt shadowing her face.
Mira kept speaking.
"The queen knew Selene wouldn't help her willingly, so she planned to take the next best thing. Her leverage."
X's voice dropped to a lethal calm.
"Blue."
Mira nodded slowly.
"She wanted the boy. She wanted the Prince of the Crimson Court in her grasp. She wanted to use him to force Selene to return… or watch him die."
A cold silence filled the cell.
Selene clenched her fists.
"She was going to come for him soon."
Mira shook her head. "No, she's already here. She just hasn't shown herself yet. She's waiting for the perfect moment—when you're stretched thin, when the wolf breaks your people, when your son is weakest."
X's wings unfurled slightly, reacting to his fury.
"She thinks Blue is that vulnerable?"
Mira dropped her gaze.
"She thinks you will be."
Selene stepped closer to X, lowering her voice.
"There's more," she said. "Mira told me the queen made a pact with outside forces. She's desperate. Desperate enough to join hands with creatures she once hunted."
X stiffened.
"What creatures?"
Selene met his eyes.
"Werewolves."
A chill swept through the cell.
Mira nodded.
"Your son isn't the only target. Hollowfen isn't the only battlefield. The queen wants a war that wipes out every threat to her crown."
"And she'll let the wolves destroy everything we built," Selene whispered.
X paced in the dim light, mind racing.
"So the werewolves working with Ronan… the slaughtered villages… the alpha—"
"—all manipulated," Mira finished. "All part of her plan."
Selene turned to X.
"This is bigger than Ronan. Bigger than the wolves."
X took a slow breath.
"We need Blue ready. Stronger. Faster. He can't face what's coming without—"
Selene placed a hand on his arm.
"He's growing, X. Stronger every week. You saw what he survived."
X's voice cracked with the weight of a father's fear.
"But will it be enough for her?"
Before Selene could answer, footsteps echoed down the hall.
Blue.
Standing in the doorway, pale but awake, leaning against the wall for balance.
"You don't have to whisper," he said, eyes trembling with exhaustion but burning with determination.
"If she's coming for me… then we'll be ready."
X turned, stunned he was up.
"Blue—"
"No," Blue said, pushing himself upright. "We're done being hunted. The wolves. Ronan. The witches. The Crimson Court… all of it."
His gaze hardened.
"From now on, we hunt them."
Selene stepped toward him, worry softening her expression.
"Blue, you're still recovering—"
"I don't care," he said quietly. "I won't let anyone take you. Any of you."
X steadied his son with a hand on his shoulder.
Blue looked between his parents, breath unsteady.
"So tell me… everything."