Chapter 5 - The Wolf That Would Not Kneel|
Hazel refused to hide in the royal residence.
Adrian offered additional guards, but she insisted on meeting the independent physician again and reviewing the medical records herself. If someone had suppressed her wolf, she wanted to understand what had been done before anyone attempted to reverse it.
The physician explained that the substance in her old records appeared to have delayed her natural awakening. It might wear off gradually, but forcing a shift could be dangerous.
“Then we don't force it,” Hazel said.
Adrian nodded.
“Agreed.”
The physician looked surprised. Many wolves believed that a royal command could solve any problem if delivered with sufficient authority.
Hazel was beginning to suspect that Adrian's reputation concealed a more complicated man.
Later that afternoon, Eleanor brought her to a private training hall. Several royal guards were practicing controlled shifts, their wolves moving through the space with disciplined precision.
Hazel stood near the entrance, uncomfortable under their curious stares.
One guard whispered, “That's the latent?”
Another replied, “The king personally brought her here.”
Hazel turned.
“If you have a question, ask me directly.”
The men fell silent.
Adrian, watching from the upper gallery, said nothing.
A senior trainer approached.
“My name is Commander Elias Ward. The king asked me to assess your safety, not your strength.”
“Good. Because I don't know how to fight.”
“Most people who say that have learned how to survive something.”
He asked her to stand in the center of the training floor and listen for the movement around her. Hazel closed her eyes. At first, she heard only footsteps, breathing, and the faint hum of ventilation.
Then something deeper stirred.
A pulse moved beneath her ribs.
The room sharpened. She could distinguish every heartbeat, every shift of weight, every breath held too long. She opened her eyes, startled by the sudden clarity.
The guards had stopped moving.
A young wolf near the wall lowered his head involuntarily.
Commander Ward stared at her.
“Your Majesty,” he called.
Adrian descended from the gallery.
Hazel's hands trembled.
“What happened?”
“You released a trace of your aura,” Ward said. “You didn't consciously command anyone, yet the room responded.”
“I didn't do anything.”
“That may be precisely the point.”
Adrian approached but stopped several feet away.
“Hazel, can you hear me clearly?”
“Yes.”
“Can you feel my authority?”
She swallowed.
“Yes. Like pressure. But it doesn't control me.”
His eyes flashed silver.
“Then the records were correct.”
Before he could explain further, a bell sounded through the training hall. Eleanor hurried in, carrying a tablet.
“The council has called an emergency hearing. Preston Hale has filed a formal complaint claiming Miss Montgomery used forbidden influence against his pack.”
Hazel stared at her.
“He hit me, and now he's accusing me?”
“He claims your resistance to his command was an act of aggression.”
Adrian's expression turned cold.
“He wants to make her defend herself before a council he believes he can influence.”
“Can he?” Hazel asked.
“Some members owe him favors. Others fear the consequences of opposing him.”
Hazel looked toward the training floor.
For the first time, she understood why her mother had hidden her.
A wolf who could resist an Alpha command threatened every leader who relied on obedience.
Adrian offered her a hand.
“You may refuse to attend.”
Hazel looked at his hand, then at the doors.
“No. If he wants to tell the council what I am, I want to be in the room when he does.”
Adrian inclined his head.
“Then we go together.”
That evening, as the royal car approached the council hall, Hazel received a final message from the unknown number.
This time, it contained a scan of a birth certificate.
Her mother's name was listed.
Her father's name was not.
May you like
Instead, the space had been stamped with a royal seal.
FATHER: UNKNOWN—ROYAL BLOODLINE RESTRICTED.
