<h4>Chapter 372: At HollowCrest Pack</h4>
<strong>Eira’s POV</strong>
After traveling smoothly through the entire night, we finally reached the boundary of the HollowCrest Pack in the early morning.
The moment we crossed into their territory, the difference was unmistakable.
"This pack feels different from ours," I said quietly, my gaze tracing the ancient inscriptions carved into towering stone pirs and the tall statues that lined the road.
"Because they have preserved their ancient values," Kael told me.
"Ancient?" I asked, turning toward him with curiosity.
"HollowCrest is the oldest pack in werewolf history," he exined with calm. "Alpha Gerald is the only living descendant of the royal family, the Alpha King’s bloodline. He descends from the first rare she-wolf ever born and from the most powerful Alpha who ever existed in our world."
I felt genuinely intrigued now. "I’ve read stories about the Alpha King and his family," I said thoughtfully. "But I thought their bloodline went extinct. And if Alpha Gerald carries that lineage, shouldn’t he be the King of the werewolf world?"
"The great war changed everything," he replied, his expressions serious as he too was observing everything along the way. "Powerful Alphas no longer wished to serve beneath a single crown. They wanted autonomy. The King of that era allowed it, and thus the council was formed. Packs began governing themselves."
He paused before continuing.
"Even so, the royal family never truly lost influence. Their bloodline, their power, and their wealth ensure that. They chose peace over domination. Alpha Gerald only intervenes when the council fails to uphold justice.
"Despite the presence of many formidable packs, no one dares challenge HollowCrest. Even council members tread carefully around him. No Alpha dares look down upon that bloodline."
"So Alpha Gerald is the most powerful Alpha?" I asked quietly. "Even more powerful than you?"
"That may be so," he admitted. "In our world, bloodline ys a significant role in one’s strength. My father came from a top tier Alpha lineage. But Gerald’s bloodline is considered the highest."
He looked at me steadily. "Still, remember this. No one is invincible. Not even me or Alpha Gerald."
I hummed softly. "Then his children must carry that bloodline as well."
"Yes," he replied. "Which makes him fiercely protective of his son. Enemies would see that child as leverage and also use him for his blood."
"That is another thing to worry about," I murmured.
My attention shifted to Raven, who sat beside her, staring silently out the window. My son had paid for having a powerful blood as well.
"It is better to be ordinary," I said said what’s in my heart, "than to suffer for being special."
Kael understood the ache behind those words. It was the pain of a mother who had already seen her child suffer.
"What happened to him will shape him," his hand gently caressed mine. "It is tragic, yes. But our son has already learned about evil at an age when most children know nothing of it. That knowledge will make him stronger. He will know how to face darkness."
I gave a small nod. Sometimes eptance is the only way to survive a parent’s fear.
As we passed through the city and approached the pce gates, our convoy was halted. Only a single caravan and immediate family members were permitted beyond that point.
"Will it be safe to leave our security behind?" I asked cautiously.
"Do not worry," he assured me. "This is one of the safest ces we could be."
He gestured toward the gates of the pce.
"We are being allowed into their private family pce itself. That alone is proof. Other guests are not permitted inside this one due to the security reasons of Alpha Gerald’s son and they have to stay in the guest pces away from here. The fact that he has allowed us entry, to be close to his family, that means he trusts us as well. And in a ce like HollowCrest, trust is not given lightly."
As we entered the huge pce gate opened by the royal guards in their armours, I and Raven had our eyes widened in awe.
"I never saw a pce before," I mumbled, "It’s beautiful."
"We are staying here for a few days. You can take your time to look around," Kael said.
"Will it be fine," I asked anyways.
"Alpha Gerald wouldn’t mind it," Kael said with a surety.
"We would love to," I then looked at Raven, "Right?"
Raven nodded quickly. The curiosity and excitement that should be in a child’s eyes, was finally showing up in him these days.
Kael smiled and stared at us both.
"What are you looking at?" I asked.
"Both their eyes and expressions looked the same, innocent and cute," his face entirely delighted. He looked at Raven, "Mommy is cute, isn’t she?"
Raven nodded quickly.
I couldn’t help but smile. These two were totally in sync. Whatever Kael had to say, Raven would always agree to it as if it was some writtenw that his father always said the right thing.
"I held in him in my arms, almost squeezed him. "My son is the cutest," and I pecked on his both cheeks.
It was the first time I was behaving like a typical mother towards her child. And I swear I wanted to keep doing it. Surprisingly, Raven didn’t mind it either. Instead, his face lit up touch of being loved.
Our caravan stopped in front of avish manor inside the pce premise, which was away from Alpha Gerald’s main residence.
Once we stepped out, tall middle aged man dress perfectly in dark suite, with tiny crest mark attached to thepel it’s coat, came to us.
"Alpha Kael," he offered Kael a polite bow, and did the same with others. His gaze then stopped at me, lingered more than it should.
Realising it quickly, he bowed to me, "Please ept my greetings, Luna."
Not used to such formalities, I simply offered him a light nod.
He turned back to Kael, "I am Leon, incharge of this manor, and will be serving your family until you are here. Wee to the HollowCrest pack."
Kael offered him a light nod and he guided our way inside the manor.