Free Web NovelChapter 67: Chapter 67
Gunnar’s POV
I was walking fast through the quiet hallway that led to my mother’s chambers, and even though my face looked calm, my mind was not calm at all.
Every step I took felt heavier because of everything that had happened in the last few hours. Riley’s scent was still all over me, and it was driving my wolf restless in a way I had not felt in years. I hated that feeling because it made me lose control, and losing control was the last thing I could afford right now.
I stopped in front of the door and stared at it for a few seconds. My hand was already on the handle, but I did not push it open immediately. I was thinking about Riley again. About the way she had looked at me after I told her about the Rite. About the fear in her eyes and the way she still trusted it even when she did not fully understand what I was doing.
I tightened my jaw. I could not let emotions get in the way.
I pushed the door open gently and stepped inside.
The room smelled of herbs, old wood, and something faint but powerful that only wolves could sense. The scent of ancient magic. It had always been like that ever since my mother was brought here.
She was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling and chuckling to herself as if she were talking to someone no one else could see.
Anyone who saw her like this would believe she had truly lost her mind. That was what my father wanted everyone to think. That was what she allowed everyone to believe.
I walked closer slowly, and just as I reached the side of the bed, her laughter stopped. She turned her head sharply toward me. Her eyes, which had looked empty a moment ago, suddenly became sharp and clear.
She sprang up and stretched her hands toward me, her nose lifting as she began to sniff the air around me.
"Her scent is all over you again," she said quickly, her voice no longer sounding mad. "It is too much. Did you get intimate with her—"
"Yes."
I did not even let her finish.
She froze for a moment, clearly shocked by how quickly I admitted it. Then her expression changed into something deeper, something serious.
"Mother," I said, my voice low, "it is the bond. Sometimes I cannot resist her."
She stared at me for a few seconds before sighing.
"Listen to me, Gunnar," she said, her tone firm now. "You must understand something. You need a strong will. That is the only way you can protect her, even if it means keeping the truth from your brothers. You must have self-control."
"Nother—"
She lifted her hand to stop me.
"I am not against you satisfying your desires," she said calmly. "That is not my concern. My concern is that the bond will control you instead of the other way around. If that happens, you might hurt her without meaning to. And you must never forget who she truly is. Only a few people know her real identity. Your father must never know. Not even your brothers."
She had told me this many times. More times than I could count.
But this time, the weight of her words felt heavier because the situation had changed.
"I know," I said. "I remember everything."
But that was not why I had come.
I stepped closer to her, my expression becoming serious.
"I am here for something else," I said. "The mark on her wrist is becoming obvious. It is darker now. If Father sees it, he will take interest in her. I need something that can fade it, at least until she enters the cave."
The moment I said that, my mother’s eyes widened slightly. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"So it has begun," she murmured.
"You knew it would happen," I said.
"Yes," she replied. "But not this soon."
She stood up from the bed and began walking slowly around the room, her fingers brushing over the shelves filled with small bottles and strange objects.
"You bit her earlier than expected," she said.
"I had no choice," I answered. "The situation forced my hand."
She stopped and turned to look at me.
"Tell me everything."
So I did. I told her about the confrontation with my father. About the Rite. About the deal. About the conditions I had set.
When I finished, she was silent for a long time.
"You are moving faster than even I planned," she finally said.
"There is no time," I replied. "He is becoming suspicious."
She nodded slowly.
"Yes. Sebastian always becomes dangerous when he feels his control slipping."
I clenched my fists. I hated hearing his name.
"He will not touch her," I said.
"That is why you must remain calm," she said sharply. "Anger is what he wants. He knows how to use it against you."
She walked to a locked chest and opened it. Inside were items that were older than the pack itself. Ancient relics. Objects that carried power from a time before our kingdom even existed.
She took out a small silver box and opened it. Inside was a dark powder that looked almost black.
"This," she said, "was made by the first Lunas of our bloodline. It can hide marks, bonds, and magical traces."
I stepped closer."Will it completely erase it?"
"No," she said. "Nothing can erase what you did. But it will make it look like nothing more than a simple scar. Even your father will not sense the bond."
Relief filled my chest for the first time since morning.
"But it will only last for a short time," she added. "Three days at most."
"That is enough."
She closed the box and handed it to me.
"Apply it every night," she instructed. "And do not let anyone see you."
I nodded.
But then she looked at me with a strange expression.
"You truly care for her."
It was not a question.
I did not answer immediately.
Finally, I said, "She is important."
She smiled slightly."You are lying Son, I know you."
I frowned.
"You were never good at hiding your feelings, Gunnar. Even as a child."
I looked away."This is not about feelings mother, it’s just been the bond."
"It never is at first," she said softly. "But it will become that."
Silence filled the room.
After a moment, she stepped closer and placed her hand on my face.
"You are doing the right thing," she said. "Even if it feels cruel now."
"She will hate me," I said.
"Yes," she replied. "But if she survives, she will understand."
I nodded slowly. freewebnoveℓ.com
"I will make sure she survives."
My mother’s eyes became sharp again.
"You must. Because if she dies, everything ends. The prophecy ends. Our bloodline ends. The curse remains."
"I know."
"And Gunnar," she added, "the beasts in that cave are not what everyone believes."
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"They are not only monsters," she said. "They are guardians. They were once warriors who chose to protect the power hidden beneath Obsidian Veil. But the ritual corrupted them. Over time, their minds broke, and they became creatures driven by instinct."
"So they can still think?"
"Sometimes," she replied. "If the right person reaches them."
"Aemoria."
"Yes."
Hope and fear mixed inside me.
"If she reaches the right one," my mother continued, "he will not only protect her. He will help her awaken."
I frowned.
"Awaken what?"
She smiled faintly.
"You will see."
I hated when she spoke like that.
"Tell me."
"I cannot," she said. "Not yet. The fewer people who know, the safer she is."
I exhaled slowly."Fine."
She stepped back.
"You should go now. The longer you stay, the more dangerous it becomes."
I nodded. But before leaving, I stopped at the door.
"Mother."
"Yes?"
"If something happens to me..."
She looked at me sharply."Nothing will happen to you."
"If it does," I continued, "protect her."
Her expression softened.
"I will Gunnar."
