Chapter 8 - The Man in the Northern Woods|
Rowan Ashford had vanished from public records before Hazel was born.
The royal archive described him as a traitor who attempted to overthrow his brother. His title had been stripped, his lands seized, and his name removed from official ceremonies.
If Lydia's letter was true, Hazel's father was not an ordinary wolf.
He was the younger brother of a king.
Adrian ordered a search of the northern territories. Eleanor warned that the council would interpret the operation as a threat, but Adrian refused to delay.
“If Rowan is alive, he deserves to speak for himself,” he said.
Hazel agreed to accompany the search party, provided she could leave if she felt unsafe. Adrian accepted the condition without argument.
They traveled north through snow-covered forests to a remote settlement near the old border. Commander Ward led the security team, while Eleanor carried copies of Lydia's letter and the archived records.
The settlement's residents were wary of royal insignia. Several refused to speak until Hazel showed them her mother's photograph.
An elderly woman studied the image for a long time.
“Lydia,” she whispered. “I wondered if she ever made it out.”
“Did you know my father?”
The woman looked toward the woods.
“I knew the man who came here under another name. He lived alone, repaired fences, and never attended pack gatherings. He said he had a daughter he could not protect.”
“Where is he now?”
The woman pointed toward a ridge beyond the settlement.
“He went to the old watchtower three days ago. He knew someone was asking questions.”
Adrian immediately ordered a cautious approach. They found the watchtower empty except for a warm fireplace, a bedroll, and a small wooden box.
Inside the box lay a child's drawing of a woman holding a little girl beneath a silver moon.
On the back, someone had written:
For Hazel, when she is old enough to know the truth.
A floorboard creaked behind them.
Commander Ward turned, but Adrian raised a hand to stop him.
A man stood in the doorway.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and gray at the temples. His face bore an old scar along the jaw, but his eyes were the same pale silver as Hazel's.
She knew before he spoke.
“Hazel.”
She could not move.
“Are you my father?”
The man nodded slowly.
“My name is Rowan Ashford. And I have spent twenty-four years trying to find a way to reach you without bringing the people who hunted your mother to your door.”
Hazel felt anger rise through the shock.
“You let me believe I was alone.”
“I thought you were safer without me.”
“Everyone keeps saying that. Everyone decides what I can survive without asking me.”
Rowan accepted the accusation with lowered eyes.
“You're right.”
The simple admission robbed Hazel of the speech she had prepared.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Rowan, why were you declared a traitor?”
Rowan looked at him.
“Because I discovered that Edmund planned to use the Moonveil bloodline to bind every Alpha in the kingdom to his will. Your father wanted an empire no wolf could challenge.”
Adrian's face tightened.
“And you stopped him?”
“I tried. Lydia helped me escape with the records. But Edmund's advisers caught up with us. I was forced to disappear while your mother raised Hazel under a false identity.”
“Then why didn't you return after Edmund died?”
Rowan looked at Hazel.
“Because Edmund didn't die when the kingdom was told he did.”
The fire crackled.
Hazel gripped the back of a chair.
“What do you mean?”
May you like
Rowan's voice fell.
“The former Alpha King is alive. And he has been waiting for his granddaughter to awaken.”
