Chapter 0499

Athena

'She might be right.' Nyx whispers softly. 'Others could exist out there.'

'Even if they do, they never came looking for me? You know they would have sensed it when my binding shattered. They would have heard my call when I linked every mind. Not a single one reached out. None of the Lycans here have even mentioned Silver Streams.' Alexander watches me as I adjust Evrin in my arms, seeking a comfortable position. I don't recall feeling this way so early during my pregnancy with the twins.

I frown when I sense Alexander probing my thoughts, searching for clues behind my silence.

"Do you truly believe that's where your parents met?" I finally ask Evelyn.

She pulls her shoulders up toward her chin and drops her gaze. “I'm not sure. I just." She frowns deeply. "When Zachary told me the name, it felt familiar. Like a forgotten memory hiding in the back of my mind. I hadn't thought about her until Dakota appeared, and now it's like an itch I can't ignore."

After a brief pause, she looks up at us. "You understand, right? To learn about her and discover that part of my heritage."

"We know exactly what you mean." Zachary speaks gently to her, and I notice her giving him a small smile. Her cheeks slowly flush pink. Quickly, she turns back to me, trying to hide the deepening blush.

"Don't you wonder? If it's truly a place where our bloodline runs deep, don't we deserve to know?" Evelyn presses, pointing toward my twins. "Don't they deserve to understand every part of themselves?"

I can't hide my scowl. I already know where this is heading. She wants to go to Silver Streams. And in a strange way, she's asking for my permission.

"I need time to think." I mutter. "It's not as simple as packing up and heading to a pack I've never heard of. I have children to consider."

"She's also pregnant." Alexander adds firmly. "And supposed to be resting." He gives me a look that dares me to agree to this idea.

"Theodore." I murmur to Zachary. "Go ask him if he can find any information about Silver Streams beyond it being up north. Take Evelyn with you."

"No dungeon?" Evelyn asks quickly.

"Not for now." I confirm. She played a part in her brother's death. Allowing her some freedom is the least I can offer. She smiles gratefully. "I won't let you down."

Zachary grins at her too, and it's not just a friendly smile. He clearly likes her more than that, but she seems completely unaware.

They leave together, and Alexander sits beside me as Logan climbs onto his lap. "Did you see what I saw?"

I nod. "They'll figure it out. It's not our business."

"I don't think they're mates."

I shrug. "Sebastian wasn't mated to his wife."

"True." He tosses a giggling Logan into the air and catches him easily. "You really don't want to know more about your background, do you?"

I shake my head. "If my parents' attempt to get rid of me is any indication, the others—if they exist—are probably just as bad."

"It might not be all of them. I'm not defending your parents' actions. But perhaps they weren't prepared for you. Maybe they didn't know early shifting was possible." He frowns thoughtfully. "This whole situation makes me think about what Seraphina said initially. How she wanted what was hers. To take the pack as the eldest, even though it was never your father's. It sounds like your mother might have left everything behind to be with him. To start a new life, and others followed."

"You think they were a forbidden couple?"

"Possibly. Maybe your father was nobody important, and your grandparents disapproved."

"Does that happen? They were fated mates." I ask.

"It happens more often than you think."

"That would explain why Silver Creek was always hidden."