Chapter 134
Chapter 134
Valencia’s POV
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I listened intently as Caius explained everything he had uncovered. Even with all the responsibilities we each had, all of us- including Seven–had managed to find time to scour the library in search of useful information.
We had spent weeks diving into ancient texts, flipping through delicate pages filled with an almost forgotten language, and cross–referencing myths with historical records.
It was painstaking work, but we were desperate for answers.
Initially it had been easy to find basic information due to the few recently–within the couple hundred years–written books. However after that, finding the right facts from the false and translations from the older books became difficult.
One discovery I had already confirmed was that Caius’s initial theory had been correct: Castor was feeding from me. It explained my constant fatigue, the frequent naps that felt less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
Bare skin contact with the egg not only comforted Castor but also strengthened the bond between us, deepening the .connection between parent and child. This, in turn, significantly increased the chances of a successful hatching.
But there was still so much we didn’t know.
Caius tapped his fingers against the ancient tome in front of him, his sharp eyes scanning the cursive script. “However, there’s something I still don’t quite understand myself,” he admitted, his brow furrowing. “You said Dante’s rut started earl after your attempt to mark him?”
I nodded slowly, the memory still fresh in my mind.
Caius continued, “That reaction is a known side effect that occurs when a dragon is marked.” He traced his finger over a line of the script, then pointed at a specific passage for me to see. “However, according to this text, dragons–being superior shifters–can only be marked by another dragon. Or, in rare cases, by a shifter whose power surpasses theirs.”
A tense silence settled in the room as I processed his words.
I frowned. “Then… how did he experience a side effect of being marked if he wasn’t actually marked?” My pulse quickened. “If I’m a wolf, that means I shouldn’t have been able to mark him in the first place, right?”
Caius sighed heavily, rubbing his temple. “That’s exactly what doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe one of these texts is wrong?” Marcy offered from her seat near the bookshelves, her fingers fidgeting with the corner of a leather–bound volume.
I exhaled, feeling frustration coil in my chest. If the book’s claim was correct, then there were only two explanations–either there was another unknown reason for Dante’s rut to have triggered early, or there was something else entirely preventing me from marking him.
Neither answer felt reassuring.
Slumping back in my chair, I let out a slow breath, trying to think through the puzzle logically.
That’s when Marcelene once again spoke, frowning. “That doesn’t add up, though. Wasn’t your mother a dragon? How come she was marked by your father–a wolf- and recognized as Luna?”
A sudden tension crackled in the air.
From the beginning of werewolf history, there had always been a clear, unwavering rule: only marked omegas could be considered true mates and officially recognized as Luna.
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Chapter 134
I swallowed hard, glancing at Dante, but it was Caius who answered first.
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“I think I have a theory about that,” Dante finally spoke, his voice quiet yet firm. “I don’t think mother was actually marked.” Caius’s eyes widened slightly, but then his expression darkened as realization settled over him. “…That does make sense.” His fingers tapped against the book cover as he thought aloud. “Now that I think about it, I can’t recall ever seeing the nape of.
her neck bare.”
My breath hitched.
But I had.
I had seen her before my rebirth and then later in my dreams, often seeing the same scene of before like a broken record.
rebirth my
on repeat
In my dreams where I had seen her standing in a flowy dress, her long hair pushed to the side, revealing smooth, unblemished skin.
There had been no mark.
But was that truly her?
Or had I been seeing something else entirely?
This question was something I couldn’t help but ponder for some reason.
A witch could disguise appearances, manipulate dreams. Could someone have been using her image to deceive me? Could my visions even be trusted?
I clenched my fists.
If Aurora Steele had never been marked, then that meant there was little to no hope of me ever marking Dante. As a dragon who had lived for around three hundred years, as Dante had told me, she should have been more well informed about all of this than either of us.
So if she truly loved Raiden, wouldn’t she try her hardest to find a way to become his true mate? But she hadn’t, so she either failed, or she hadn’t tried.
Dante sighed, breaking the silence. “We can ask the head maid. She’s been here the longest and closest to her, she might know the truth.”
Caius gave a firm nod and shut the book, passing it to me in case I wanted to read it later. He then stood, stretching. “We should get going. We have a meeting with the pack elders.”
Dante nodded, and the two of them made their way toward the door.
Just as they exited, the butler–Tanaka–walked in, carrying a trash bag and a set of cleaning supplies.
I shifted uncomfortably as I watched the sixty–year–old man begin tidying up. I knew it was his job, but I still felt guilty. It was fine seeing younger people do this stuff, but an elderly? Instinctively, I started to get up to help him.
He immediately halted me with a small bow. “Luna, it is unseemly for someone of your position to do such tasks.”
I pursed my lips, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
To be fair, he wasn’t aware that a lot of the time, even as Luna of the Wolfe pack, I was the one who cleaned my own room. So picking up trash, brushing or dusting wasn’t really a huge deal for me.
But I let it go and instead turned my attention to Marcelene, who was staring off into the distance, clearly lost in thought.
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Chapter 134
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She blinked, shaking herself out of her daze. “Caius will be leaving for Dubai soon. We’ll have to stay there for a long time.” She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table as she stood up. “I’m just… skeptical about leaving my mom here for so long.”
I frowned and got up alongside her as we made can. She’ll be fine.”
But then, realization hit me.
In my past life–Marcelene’s mother had died.
After Marcelene died.
our way out. “Why? Isn’t Auntie recovering now? I check on her as often as I
Marcy’s expression darkened. “Yeah, well Mario was doing just fine too wasn’t he?” Her voice was tight. “But he’s still dead. So is Raiden. The deaths that were supposed to happen, happened. Maybe not exactly the same way, but in a roundabout way.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
I hated how much sense that made.
“But your mother wasn’t supposed to die before you,” I pointed out. “If you’re worried about her, you should be worried about yourself first. Your death was what caused her decline.”
Marcelene swallowed, and
the first time, I saw true panic flicker in her
eyes.
“I–I want to go,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I don’t want to waste my life worrying about stupid ‘death flags.‘ But I can’t help it.” Her fingers dug into her arms. “I keep having these…. these dreams.”
I stiffened.
“What dreams?”
She swallowed hard. “Mario’s body on the battlefield. My own dying body–struck by arrows–lying beside you.”
My breath caught in my throat.
I stared at her, my mind racing.
Wait.
Had I ever told her exactly how she died?
A creeping sense of dread curled around my ribs.
Trying to stay calm, I asked, “How many arrows?”
She met my gaze. “Three.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Two in my back. One in my side.”
The room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating.
Her eyes widened. “That’s how I actually died, isn’t it?”
I nodded slowly, my throat too dry to speak.
A heavy silence settled between us.
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Chapter 134
“So Dante isn’t the only one,” I murmured finally. “He told me he’d been having strange, realistic dreams for months.”
I met Marcelene’s gaze.
“And now you, too.”
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