Freya’s POV
76%
+8 Pearls
I stepped out of the mansion, cradling my parents‘ ashes tightly. Every step toward the Stormveil Primal Hall carried the weight of my promise: today, their remains would finally rest among our ancestors, and their memorial tablets would take their rightful ce. From this moment on, their spirits would join Grandfather, Grandmother, and the lineage of the Thorne family in the Hall–a ce steeped in centuries of wolfblood legacy.
The car came to a smooth stop at the gates. My pulse quickened at the sight of the hall. Solid ebony beams, etched with age, loomed above, and the polished wood que gleamed faintly in the dawn: “Stormveil Primal Hall.”
On either side, inscriptions read: “Honor your bloodline. Uphold the pack.” The air itself felt heavy with expectation, the weight of generations lingering like the scent of old wolfhide.
I swallowed hard. This was the hall Grandfather had sworn to defend with his life, and now I would step in
as his kin.
I lifted my foot to step forward, and a sharp voice stopped me. “This is the Stormveil Primal Hall. Unauthorized personnel may not enter.”
“I am Freya Thorne of the Fifth Branch,” I said steadily, pressing the ashes closer to my chest. “My parents have passed. By family custom, their ashes are to remain here for three days, and their memorial tablets installed within the hall.”
“The Fifth Branch?” the guard asked, brow furrowing. “Isn’t that line extinct?”
I squared my shoulders, letting my wolf senses sharpen. “Our branch has long resided in The Capital. I’ve already informed Seventh Uncle James by WolfComm–he is aware of today’s arrangements. Please let me speak to him.”
The guard hesitated. “He… is not here today.”
I arched a brow. “Not here?”
Before he could answer, a voice rang out,manding and low: “Uncle James is unavable. I will be in charge. Any issues, speak to me directly.”
I turned. Jocelyn Thorne, her presence radiating control and authority, nked by several others. Her scent carried the faint trace of pack arrogance, sharp as iron.
The guard rxed. “Miss Jocelyn, this is Freya Thorne of the Fifth Branch. She wishes to ce her parents‘ ashes and memorial tablets in the hall today.”
Jocelyn’s gaze swept over me, icy and contemptuous. “The Fifth Branch? Everyone knows that line is gone. And the Primal Hall isn’t for just anyone.”
I met her stare evenly, letting my wolf instincts anchor my confidence. “Whether the Fifth Branch survives can be verified. Any Thorne of the pack may check.”
“Verify?” Jocelyn scoffed, a derisive curl of her lips. “You think you can just walk in and challenge the
family’s authority?”
? /6%<b># </b>
+8 Pearls
I held my ground, calm but firm. “The Thorne lineage is a matter of blood, scent, and pack recognition. I am family. You may test it if you wish.”
Her entourage tittered, their amusement sharp and predatory. “Family? You really think sharing a surname makes you Thorne–blood?”
I ignored their sneers, turning back to the guard. “Contact Uncle James. He will confirm my im.”
“Freya, Uncle James is not someone you can summon,” Jocelyn snapped, her voice tight with superiority.
“I am his niece,” I said evenly. “Why would I not call him?”
A round–faced woman at her side snorted. “You im the bloodline, but the pack would never recognize you without a proper lineage im. Trying to stick your nose in the Primal Hall… you’re dreaming.”
The others erupted inughter, cruel and mocking, but I tuned them out. My blood, my loyalty, my wolf instincts gave me every right to be here.
I tightened my grip on the ashes, letting the scent of my parents anchor me, letting the weight of generations guide me. My body pulsed with low, controlled feral energy.
I would not be turned away. The wolfblood in me, even from a branch thought long gone, had every right to reim its ce in Stormveil Primal Hall.
Send Gifts
。
筒 40
H
A Warrio