Dinner at the Blackthorne estate was usually a stiff, awkward formal affair, but tonight the tension could have split the long mahogany table in two. The chandelier overhead gleamed, servants moved like shadows pouring wine and setting silver trays, but none of that polished elegance could disguise the storm simmering beneath the surface. Amanda sat beside her mother, silently pushing roasted carrots across her plate. She hadn't had an appetite since the ridge, the whispers at school still rang in her ears, and the weight of her latest dream pressed heavy on her chest.
Samuel cut into his steak with slow, deliberate motions. His silver hair glinted under the light, his sharp gaze shifting from Amanda to Skylar, who sat rigid across the table. His gaze lingered on the two of them. His expression was calm, but the weight behind his silver eyes made Amanda's stomach twist. Finally, he set down his fork with deliberate care.
"I think there is something we need to discuss", he said finally.
Amanda looked up at him confused, Skylar paused then continued eating while Samuel's gaze fixated on him. He turned to Celeste who gave him a small nod.
"Like what happened at Moonfall Ridge on your class' field trip", he explained.
Amanda's hand froze on her fork. Celeste's smile wavered, though she quickly masked it with a sip of her wine.
Skylar didn't look up.
"It's not important", he said flatly.
Samuel's brow rose.
"Not important? Skylar, half the school is already whispering. Your sister fainted in the middle of a sacred ritual stone flaring brighter than anyone's ever seen, and I hear about it from students instead of from you", he said, his voice slightly raised.
"I should have heard it from you Ryder!", he added, lightly banging on the table, he was irritated.
Amanda's chest tightened. Your sister, the words surprised her. He'd only been her stepfather for weeks, but hearing him say it out loud lodged something warm and strange in her chest.
Skylar's jaw flexed.
"I stayed with her. She was fine, what more was I supposed do?", he asked tightly.
"That isn't the point", Samuel's voice was measured now, not raised, but it carried the weight of authority.
"You were responsible for her, for Amanda. You should have told me, or at least your mother. You know better than to leave us in the dark", he stated.
Samuel clenched his fists, "She is not my mother", he said flatly, enunciating every word.
His words hung heavy in the air, the tension doubled until Celeste reached over and touched Samuel's hand lightly.
"Samuel, please. He did stay with her, didn't he? That has to count for something", she said softly.
Samuel gave her a small smile, softening slightly, before his gaze returned to Amanda.
"Still, I want to hear it from you. Are you truly all right?", he asked, his voice dropping.
Amanda swallowed.
"I… yes. I'm fine now", she responded.
His eyes lingered on her, as if assessing her, though his tone remained kind.
"Well it is a very curious incident, that stone doesn't react like that for no reason. You're not alpha-born, and yet…", he trailed off, his gaze sharpening just enough to make her skin prickle. "…well, I suppose there may be more to the stone than we understand but it is peculiar."
Her gripped her fork tighter, "I don't know why it happened", she said simply.
"What about your father?", he asked suddenly.
Amanda was taken aback. She blinked at him, unsure how to respond. Celeste reached out and squeezed his hand.
"Honey, I already told you..", she said softly.
He smiled at her.
"Ah, yes, yes... it must have slipped my mind", he said, waving his hand with a dismissive smile, but he leaned back in his chair, watching her, the perfect picture of composed authority, though his eyes never quite left hers, he was silent for a few minutes, until finally he spoke,
"Still, if anything unusual happens again, you come to me. Do you understand?"
Amanda nodded quickly, "Yes."
"Good, you're part of this family now. Your safety matters", he said his tone gentle.
Celeste gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand beneath the table. Amanda tried to return it, but unease pressed hard against her chest. For all Samuel's calm words, his gaze had been too searching, his interest too sharp. The rest of the meal dragged, each clink of silverware loud in the silence. Skylar finally shoved his chair back with a scrape, muttered something under his breath, and stalked out. The doors boomed shut behind him.
Samuel sighed, pressing his fingers to his temple.
"He gets that temper from me", he admitted with a weary smile. Then, softer, he said, "Don't let it frighten you, Amanda. He'll come around."
Amanda managed a small nod, though her thoughts were far from Skylar's temper. She couldn't forget the flicker of suspicion in Samuel's eyes, or the way her mother had stiffened when he'd mentioned her father.
---
Later that night, Amanda padded quietly down the long marble hallway toward her room. The house felt cavernous in the dark, each shadow heavy with secrets. She rounded a corner and stopped short. Skylar stood there, arms folded, his golden eyes glinting under the lantern light.
Amanda's breath caught.
"What are you doing here?", she asked.
He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between them in two strides.
"Why did the stone react to you?", he asked, his voice was low, tight with frustration.
Amanda's back brushed the wall.
"I already told you, I don't know", she responded.
"That's not an answer. That kind of reaction doesn't happen to just anyone. Something about you set it off", his voice sharpened.
Her pulse hammered.
"I'm not the one who's a mythical creature here, remember? Maybe the stone malfunctioned, maybe it had nothing to do with me", she retorted.
"Don't turn this around on me", he hissed.
"Do you have any idea what kind of storm you stirred up? The pack is already restless, rumors are spreading. You've put yourself in danger", his voice was low, dangerous.
Her frustration boiled over.
"And what do you expect me to do about it? Pretend it didn't happen? Apologize for touching a rock? Maybe you should be asking why your sacred relic is so unstable, instead of blaming me", she spat angrily.
His jaw tightened.
"You think the rune stone just malfunctions? That power has stood for centuries, and you-", his gaze flicked down, burning, before snapping back to her eyes. "You don't belong, and yet it recognized you."
Heat flushed Amanda's cheeks, a mix of anger and something she couldn't name. The words hung heavy between them.
Skylar's jaw worked, his breath harsh, and for a moment Amanda thought he might explode again but instead, he leaned closer, his face inches from hers. The tension snapped taut, the air between them charged with something she couldn't name. Her heart beat wildly, every nerve screaming at the proximity. His scent, wild, sharp, like pine and smoke wrapped around her, intoxicating.
"Don't play games with me", he murmured, his voice low, almost a growl. "If you know something, if there's something you're not telling me… it won't end well", he added.
Her breath hitched.
"I don't know anything, Skylar", she said, her voice low but firm, enunciating every word.
"And even if I did, maybe I wouldn't tell you."
His nostrils flared, his control visibly fraying. For one agonizing moment, it felt like he might close the gap, might give in to the magnetic pull sparking between them, instead:
"Stay out of my way", he snapped, his voice flat, final.
And as suddenly as he'd closed in, he pulled back. His face hardened into a mask of ice. Skylar stepped back, jaw set, eyes shuttered. Without another word, he turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Amanda pressed against the wall, trembling with the force of everything unspoken, her heart racing.
She pressed her back against the wall, sucking in a shaky breath. She had no answers for Samuel, none for Skylar but deep down, she knew one thing for certain: the stone hadn't just reacted, it had revealed.
And whatever it had awakened, it was only growing stronger.