BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS

Chapter 35: THE SECRET CHAMBER

Chapter 35: THE SECRET CHAMBERChapter 35: The Secret Chamber

Jace hadn’t slept in three days. The silver light pulsed in his veins like a second heartbeat as he paced the Alpha’s study, eyes darting to shadows only he could see. "It’s getting stronger," he mumbled, stopping suddenly to press his palm against the wall. "There’s something... calling to me." Liana shared worried glances with Kael and Rowan. Since breaking Celeste’s blood spell, Jace had changed. Where he once moved with careless ease, he now seemed hyper-aware, flinching at invisible movements. "What exactly do you feel?"

Rowan asked, keeping his voice soft. Jace closed his eyes, silver light flashing beneath his eyelids. "Dark magic. Old magic. It’s everywhere in this house, but strongest... here." His fingers drew a pattern on the wooden wall. Kael stepped forward, studying the spot. "There’s nothing there." "Yes, there is." Jace pressed harder. "You just can’t see it yet." Without warning, he slammed his hand against the wall. Silver light burst from his fingers, spreading in spiderweb cracks across the seemingly solid surface. Ancient marks appeared, glowing faintly blue. Talia gasped from the doorway. "What is that?" "Protection runes," Elder Mira whispered, stepping into the room. "Hidden by magic." The symbols pulsed once, then faded. Where solid wall had been moments before, a narrow doorway now stood open, showing a spiral staircase leading down into darkness. "How did you know?" Liana breathed, looking at Jace in wonder. He flexed his fingers, the silver light fading. "I didn’t. But she did. Celeste was looking for this." Kael grabbed a torch from the wall. "Let’s find out why."

The staircase descended deep beneath the Alpha’s estate, the air getting cold and damp with each step. Liana shivered, staying close to Rowan as Kael and Jace led the way. Talia had insisted on coming despite their protests, holding a bag of herbs Elder Mira had prepared for protection. "This shouldn’t exist," Kael muttered, touching the old stone walls. "No Alpha has ever mentioned a secret chamber." "That’s the point of secrets," Jace answered, his new intensity making him seem older. "They’re kept." The stairs stopped at a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Strange symbols were carved into its surface—similar to the runes that had hidden the entry, but darker somehow. "Blood lock," Elder Mira said, pointing to a small bowl in the door’s center. "Only Alpha blood will open it." Without pause, Kael drew his claw across his palm. Crimson drops fell into the basin, disappearing quickly. The symbols glowed red, then green. With a heavy groan, the door swung open. "Whoa," Talia whispered. The chamber beyond was massive—far bigger than should have been possible beneath the house. Bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with old tomes and scrolls. Tables covered in maps and artifacts filled the center area. At the far end stood a big desk, papers still arranged as if someone had just stepped away. "Your father’s," Rowan realized, recognizing former Alpha Thorne’s handwriting on a nearby paper. Kael moved toward the desk like a man in a dream. "Why would he keep this from us?" Jace didn’t answer. His attention was fixed on a specific bookshelf, silver light pulsing frantically in his fingertips. "Here," he called, pulling down a leather-bound notebook. "This one reeks of secrets." The journal’s cover bore the Alpha seal and the name Thorne Shadowfang. "His private journal," Kael said, taking it with reverent hands.

They crowded around as he opened it to a marked page. The scrawl was hurried, almost frantic: "The omega girl comes tomorrow. After all these years of