*NEW* Chapter XXX

"Am I late for the coronation?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.

One of the elders stood immediately. "How dare a witch show her face here? There are no longer alliances between us—you are not welcome."

Arabella tilted her head. "If witches aren't welcome, then tell me, why is Alpha Derek allowed to bring one?"

Silence fell over the room. The murmurs of confusion began to rise.

Arabella's eyes landed on Derek as she took slow steps forward. "Tell me, Derek," she purred. "Did you really not know that your new mate is a witch?"

Derek's jaw clenched. "Stop talking nonsense and get out."

Before Arabella could respond, the same alpha who had dared to touch Lydia days ago stepped up. His expression darkened with suspicion.

"How convenient," he sneered. "A man who was crippled for years suddenly gains unfathomable strength. He hasn't trained in ages, yet he shattered stone, outpaced the best warriors, and endured the wilderness without issue. Isn't it obvious? He used his mate's magic."

Lydia stepped forward, eyes blazing. "I'm not a witch! I'm just a human."

Arabella threw her head back in laughter. "Oh, dear, do you think it's just a coincidence? That Derek miraculously recovered the moment he got close to you? That his legs healed, his wolf resurrected after he marked you?"

Lydia shook her head. "I am not a witch!"

The elders turned to one another, unsettled by the murmurs now growing into fear.

"Remove her!" one of them ordered. Guards stepped forward, but Arabella raised a hand. "Wait!" she called. "If you don't want to believe me, at least let me prove it."

Derek's patience snapped. "Enough! You're just bitter that I rejected you."

Arabella's smirk widened. "And you're just blind to the truth. If you don't listen to me, you'll be crowning a fraudulent king."

The room fell silent.

"Not all witches can wield their power," Arabella continued. "Particularly those born of a human and a witch. Just like werewolves, if one parent is human, the child's chances of inheriting supernatural abilities are slim."

She turned her piercing gaze on Lydia. "You were born to a witch mother and a human father. You cannot wield power, but you can carry it. And you are carrying something more dangerous than you can imagine."

Lydia's breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"

Arabella's expression darkened. "When the last kingdom fell, and the witch who aided the evil king was finally executed, there was a problem. She had amassed power illegally—stealing it by slaughtering hundreds of witches. She was the most powerful sorceress in existence. Such power cannot be destroyed... but it can be locked away."

Lydia took a shaky step back. "No..."

"Yes," Arabella whispered. "And the safest way to lock that power was to place it inside someone who could not access it, but could carry it." Her eyes gleamed with wicked satisfaction. "Your mother was one of the witches who sealed it away. And she sealed it... inside you."

The entire room erupted in chaos.

Derek's voice cut through the noise. "So she cannot use the power? Then she is not a witch."

Arabella let out a sharp laugh. "You still don't get it, do you?" She stepped closer, her voice dropping. "Do you have any idea how much power is inside her? Power enough to destroy the world. And it seeps out, bit by bit. That's what healed your legs. That's what resurrected your wolf. And you haven't even mated yet." Her smirk was pure venom. "Imagine what happens when you do."

Lydia gasped, horror dawning in her eyes.

Arabella turned to the crowd, raising her hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, like father, like son. This king is a fraud! He only wants to continue what his father started."

Fear swept through the room like wildfire. The murmurs turned into panic.

Derek's hands curled into fists. His greatest fear—the shadow of his father—was now a weapon against him.

And Lydia? She stood there, frozen, as if the ground beneath her had just cracked open and swallowed her whole.

Fabian's POV

I had finally gathered information about the white wolf. Her name was Lea. Ironically, she lived with the two witches who had taken Lydia in. Since when did witches and wolves cohabitate? The alliance was suspicious at best.

I observed her movements closely—her routine was predictable. From the house to work, then back, and when she decided to invade our territory. And here she was again.

I found her sitting in the field, a book open in her lap, giggling softly to herself. Or was she talking to the tree in front of her? I stepped forward, my voice breaking the calm.

"There you are again."

She stood abruptly, defensive, her eyes sharp and wary.

"You're trespassing," I accused, arms crossed over my chest.

She scoffed. "I'm not trespassing. You stole my land."

I frowned. "Stole your land?" Was she crazy? A rogue playing victim? "You have no pack. You live with witches and keep crossing into our territory. What else would you call it?"

Lea's expression shifted. This time, she understood—I had done my homework.

"So what?" she countered, eyes blazing. "That doesn't change the fact that you're thieves."

I clenched my jaw. "Your accusations are offensive."

She shrugged, completely unaffected. "I don't care. After all, you're just a Beta who will soon be demoted."

My patience snapped. "You don't know anything."

"Oh, but I do," she said confidently. "You also have a witch in your pack. That doesn't make you rogues."

I stilled. "Our pack?"

She turned slightly, glancing at the tree she had been talking to earlier. Her voice softened. "My parents are buried under that tree. This was our land before your pack took it. I will do everything I can to reclaim it and rebuild my pack."

I had no words. For the first time, I saw something beyond her defiance—pain.

She swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes. "I know I'm not the only survivor. There are others out there. I feel it."

She turned abruptly, collecting her things, ready to leave. Shame burned in my chest. What if she was telling the truth?

"Wait." The word left my lips before I could stop it. I moved toward her, hesitating. "Which pack were you part of?"

She paused, debating whether to answer.

I sighed, trying to ease the tension. "We keep records of packless wolves across the world. If you tell me, I can check for you."

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, barely above a whisper, she said, "The Mountain Wolf Pack."

My stomach twisted. That pack had been wiped out years ago.

She let out a shaky breath. "Even if they are alive, they might never return. There's no ascending Alpha." Her voice cracked. "I'm just the daughter of an Alpha without a mate."

My chest tightened. "You haven't found your mate?"

She looked down, and in that moment, I knew.

She had the same fate as me.

Her mate had died before she ever got to meet him.