Chapter 19 The Little White Wolf

The silver blade touched Leo’s neck and my heart stopped beating.

The library was dark. Only a little moonlight hit the floor. Seraphina stood by a tall desk, holding my son like a shield. She looked like a ghost. Her red dress was torn. Her hair was a messy nest around her face.

"Don't move, Elena!" She pulled Leo back. The knife made a thin red line on his skin. "I’ll do it! I’ll kill him right now! I won't let you take my crown!"

My blood turned to ice. I put my hands up, palms out. "Let him go, Seraphina. He’s just a child. This is between us."

"It’s about everything!" Her voice was high and crazy. She was shaking. "Valerius doesn't look at me. The pack hates me. If I have the boy, I have the power. He won't kick me out if I have his heir!"

Leo didn't cry. He didn't even scream. He looked at me with his big, golden eyes. He looked like he was waiting for something.

"You're a mean lady," Leo said. His voice was small but steady.

Seraphina growled. She reached out and pulled a hidden book on the wall. Click. A part of the bookshelf swung open. It was a dark hole leading deep into the castle.

"Follow us and he dies!" Seraphina shoved Leo into the dark. She ducked inside and the door began to shut.

I lunged. My fingers caught the edge of the wood just before it locked. I yanked it back with a loud groan. I didn't care about the trap. I didn't care about the dark. I ran into the tunnel.

It was cold inside. The walls were wet and smelled like old dirt. I could hear Seraphina’s boots hitting the stone ahead. Thud. Thud. Thud.

"Seraphina! Stop!" I shouted. My voice bounced off the walls.

I ran past spiderwebs. I hit my shoulder on a sharp rock. I didn't stop. I could hear Leo's breathing. He was gasping as she dragged him faster.

The tunnel twisted. It went down into the belly of the castle. We passed iron doors and old crates. The only light came from the small torch Seraphina had grabbed from the wall.

I turned a corner and saw them at a dead end. It was a small stone room with no way out. Seraphina was backed against the wall, holding the knife to Leo’s chest now.

"Stay back!" She was panting. Her eyes were wide and red. "I mean it! If I can't be Luna, then no one gets to be happy!"

I stopped ten feet away. I was shaking. My wolf was screaming in my head. Kill her. Tear her throat out.

"You've lost, Seraphina. Valerius is looking for you. The guards are coming. Just give me my son."

"No!" She raised the knife high. Her hand was trembling. "He is my ticket to the throne! Or he is a dead boy! Choose now, Elena!"

She moved her arm. She was going to plunge the silver into his heart.

"NO!" I screamed. I jumped forward, but I was too far away. I was too slow.

Suddenly, the room turned bright. It was a white light so strong I had to cover my eyes. The air felt hot, then freezing cold. A loud sound filled the room—not a human scream, but a deep, sharp growl.

I looked through my fingers.

Leo was gone. Seraphina wasn't holding a boy anymore.

A small wolf stood on the floor. His fur was white like snow. It shined like it was made of stars. He had big, golden eyes that glowed in the dark.

He was small, but he looked like a god.

Seraphina was on the floor. She had been thrown back by the light. She was gasping, her eyes staring at the tiny beast. The silver knife was in the dirt, broken in two.

The little white wolf didn't wait. He moved like a flash of light. He didn't bite her. He jumped and hit her chest like a heavy rock.

Thud!

He pinned her to the stone wall. He held her shoulders down with his paws. He was much stronger than a puppy. He was a Spirit Wolf. He let out a low growl that made the very floor shake.

Seraphina was sobbing. She was so scared she couldn't even move. She looked at the white wolf and her face went white. She realized the truth. He wasn't just a bastard. He was the True King.

The white wolf turned his head. He looked at me. His golden eyes were soft and happy. He wagged his tail once.

Then he looked back at Seraphina. He gave a sharp, loud bark.

Seraphina’s head hit the wall. Her eyes rolled back and she went limp. she fainted from the pure terror of looking into the eyes of a god.

The white wolf stepped off her. He walked to me, his paws silent on the stone. The white light came back, wrapping around him like a warm blanket.

The fur disappeared. The paws turned back into small hands.

Leo was sitting on the floor. He looked at his shirt and then at me. He looked a little tired, but he was smiling.

"Mama," he said. "The mean lady went to sleep."

I fell to my knees and pulled him into my arms. I checked his neck. I checked his chest. He was fine. He was perfect. The red line on his neck was already gone. He had healed in seconds.

"You were so brave," I whispered. I was crying now. "My little King. You were so brave."

"I felt big, Mama," Leo said. He leaned his head on my shoulder. "Can we go find Silas now? I'm hungry."

I stood up, holding him tight. I looked at Seraphina. She was lying in the dirt like a pile of old rags. She was not a Queen. She was a broken snake.

I walked back through the tunnels. I didn't look back. I found the library and walked out into the main hall.

The palace was in chaos. I could hear guards running and shouting. Valerius was there, standing with Silas and a dozen warriors. He looked like he had been through a war.

When he saw me carrying Leo, he ran forward. "Is he okay? Where is she?"

I didn't let him touch Leo. I stepped back, my eyes cold.

"He is a King, Valerius. He doesn't need your protection," I said. My voice was like a stone.

Valerius looked at Leo. He saw the glow in the boy's eyes. He saw the white fur on Leo's shirt. He stopped. He looked like he wanted to drop to his knees.

"He shifted," Valerius whispered. "A white wolf..."

"Seraphina is in the tunnels," I said. "Deal with her. Or don't. It doesn't matter anymore."

I walked past him toward the front doors. I didn't care about the palace. I didn't care about the gold.

I looked at the sky. The sun was starting to come up over the mountains. It was the color of fire.

"Where are you going?" Valerius called out.

I stopped at the top of the stairs. I looked at the Moonlight Altar in the distance. The place where he had broken my soul five years ago.

"The sun is up, Valerius," I said. "And I'm going back to the altar to end this."