When The Moon Hides Her Crown novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187 The Hidden Chamber

RONAN

The deeper I descended, the colder the air grew, every step echoing like a warning against the stone walls of the underground passage. The map had led me here, a labyrinth beneath Lupine Academy, one no official record marked. Only that ancient map had known of it.

My breath fogged against the black scarf wrapped around my face, hiding everything but my eyes, as the passage widened into a cavernous chamber. My boots slowed, instinct tightening in my chest. The silence here was heavy. Watching.

That was when I saw it.

The door.

An ancient monolith of wood, taller than any man, its surface carved with symbols older than memory. Wolves raised their heads toward a silver–etched moon, their howls frozen in the grain. Between them, stranger things writhed, creatures neither beast nor spirit, their hollow eyes shifting with the flicker of torchlight. For a moment, I swore the engravings breathed.

Mace’s voice pierced my head, a cautious thread through the mind–link. “Alpha, Felix has started the ritual. But the seal is old magic, older than any of us. He may not be able to keep it open long. If something goes wrong, you could be locked in forever.”

He wanted me to hesitate. To doubt.

“Open the door,” I ordered.

He went silent. Then he replied slow and hesitantly: “Okay.”

The massive wood groaned as it began to part, shadows bleeding from the gap. Darkness met me, deep and endless. Without hesitation, I stepped through.

The moment I crossed the threshold, energy slammed into me. My wolf snarled under my skin. The scent here was rot and sin, filth long buried. Memories clawed their way from where I’d forced them down.

The chamber was vast, sealed stone walls with not even a sliver of a window. Dust choked the air, old and thick, yet the shelves that lined the walls overflowed with scrolls and relics, secrets the Academy had hidden for centuries. Truths buried. Power hoarded.

Though my eyes sought only one thing.

A flash of red drew me down. My fist clenched and when I opened it the diamond in my mother’s ring glowed sharper, hotter, almost alive.

My breath slowed. My grip tightened so hard the gem cut into my palm, and my eyes bled crimson. “So this is where you’ve been hiding all these years.”

I strode forward, handed it out, and tore open the box meant to hold it.

It was empty.

I froze. For one stunned second, my mind went blank.

No.

I shoved my hand inside, clawing through the hollow, but it was true. The Blood Petal wasn’t here.

“What the fuck is this?!” I roared, the chamber vibrating with the force of my voice. My ring burned, the diamond pulsing brighter, proof it should have been there. Proof I wasn’t wrong. So why the hell was it gone?

1

“What’s wrong Alpha Felix’s shaky slow voice came through the mind link. The ninety nine year old wizard had finally spoken after decades

It was even the first time I heard his voice. 1 gripped the box wanting to tear it apart as I growled, “it’s empty. there is no Blood Petal

“Then that means, it has been used, Felix’s claim stunned me.

“What?”

“It is now alive, Alpha, he cleared.

My mind went blank. The Blood Petal was now alive? The sin was breathing and walking? My clenched fists shook with fury as veins popped from my neck and arms.

“So it is like that… an enraged smile curled in my lips.

That’s when a sound cut through the chamber.

The Academy’s silver bell.

Its toll shattered the air, sharp and punishing, vibrating straight through my bones. Forged entirely of silver, its resonance forced every wolf in earshot to stiffen, to submit, to recognize intrusion.

Back inside the Academy building, chaos erupted. Dormitories, corridors, the cafeteria every Alpha jolted to attention when Alpha Hugo’s furious command split through the air.

“Everyone, move your ass and catch that intruder! Whoever brings him down will climb the hierarchy list without facing the next trial!” he barked, his voice raw with authority.

Excitement ignited like wildfire. The promise of skipping a brutal trial sent the Alphas scattering in every direction, each determined to claim the prize.

Healer Aran stepped into the hall, hands shoved into his pockets. His voice was low, skeptical, but carried enough weight to be heard. “Such a grand reward for one intruder? That can’t simply be because the Academy lacks manpower.” His gaze slid meaningfully toward Alpha Hugo.

Alpha Hugo’s jaw tightened, a muscle ticking as he growled under his breath. “The intruder entered the hidden chambers, rooms no one is ever permitted to set foot in. They preserve centuries of the Academy’s history. Not even we are allowed inside. Only the royal family and the council have that right. We’re already walking a razor’s edge with the rogue attacks, the Moonstone’s curse plaguing the Alphas, and now this violation. Even if nothing has been stolen, we must catch the intruder to avoid the Alpha King’s wrath. Otherwise, this Academy won’t survive past tomorrow.”

Without another word, Hugo strode off, mind–linking furiously as his boots echoed down the hall. Aran remained where he was, his sharp eyes lifting toward the balcony above.

Finn stood there in silence, his gaze cutting briefly toward Aran before shifting downward. Below, Asher moved quickly, his steps clipped and purposeful as he pushed open the door to Seraphina’s dorm room.

Empty

Asher froze, his expression blanking.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify