The Secret That Refused to Stay Buried and That Followed Us Home 2

The Secret That Refused to Stay Buried and That Followed Us Home 2 Summary

At dawn on Skyfall Ridge, a desperate scream shatters the quiet, drawing Scott and the narrator’s attention. Melissa, Joanna’s second-in-command, appears frantic, warning that Joanna is losing control of her wolf after discovering Scott has chosen a human mate. Scott immediately rushes into the forest to find Joanna, leaving the narrator standing alone, resigned to Scott’s unwavering loyalty to Joanna over the past decade.

 

Later, the narrator prepares to leave the pack lands, revealing a hidden forged ID and bus ticket, arranged by the Old Shaman who seems to know everything. At the Elder Council Hall, she confronts Scott’s parents, announcing her departure and warning them of a prophetic dream from the Moon Goddess. She foresees Scott’s brutal death if he is forced into a bond with her, urging the elders to let Scott and Joanna be together instead, proposing an Alliance Blessing to create political harmony rather than a Severing Ceremony.

 

Despite the elders’ skepticism and cold reception, the narrator leaves feeling a bittersweet relief for finally standing up to them. Returning to Skyfall Ridge at night, she admires the moonlit landscape but senses Scott will not meet her, suspecting he remains with Joanna. Her thoughts are interrupted by Scott’s furious arrival; he accuses her of betraying him by telling the elders the truth, which led them to ease pressure on Joanna’s family.

 

Scott reveals Joanna’s desperate act of using forbidden Soul-Devouring Sorcery, blaming the narrator’s warning for pushing Joanna to such extremes. The tension escalates as Scott’s anger and protective instincts flare, demanding to know how they can save Joanna. The chapter ends with the narrator facing Scott’s intense demand, highlighting the deep conflicts and emotional turmoil surrounding their intertwined fates.

“Scott! Help me!”

The scream shattered the dawn’s stillness like a jagged knife cutting through silence.

Scott and I stood at the precipice of Skyfall Ridge, our climbing gear ready as the first light crept over the horizon. The sudden, desperate cry made Scott freeze instantly, every muscle tensing.

“Joanna?” he called out sharply, spinning around toward the sound.

Emerging from the shadowed trees, a disheveled female werewolf stumbled toward us—Melissa, Joanna’s trusted second-in-command, her face streaked with tears and panic.

“Alpha! It’s terrible! Joanna’s completely unraveling! Her wolf is on the verge of losing control!” Melissa’s voice trembled with urgency. “She found out you’ve chosen a human mate. Her mental defenses just shattered.”

Scott’s face darkened with concern. “Where is she?” he demanded.

“In the family territory,” Melissa gasped, struggling to catch her breath.

Without sparing me more than a glance, Scott turned on his heel and sprinted toward the dense forest. After a few strides, he stopped abruptly and called back over his shoulder, “Wait for me.”

Then he disappeared into the thick undergrowth.

I remained standing there, rooted in place, shaking my head with a bitter, resigned smile. Same old Scott. For ten years, your loyalty has always been to Joanna—always.

Later, alone in my small, temporary quarters, silence pressed heavily around me. I reached under my pillow and pulled out the hidden items—a forged ID card and a bus ticket. The bus was scheduled to depart at eight that evening, bound for a distant coastal town nearly five hundred miles away.

A small slip of paper fluttered out from beneath the ticket. “Ticket confirmed, window seat. Safe travels, Elena.” It was signed by the Old Shaman.

He knew I was leaving. As always, he knew everything.

I took a long, steadying breath. The hardest part was just beginning.

The Elder Council Hall was thick with tension and cold formality. Standing before Scott’s parents, I felt their steely gazes cut through me like knives.

“You requested this private meeting. What is it about?” the former Alpha asked, his voice clipped and frosty.

“I’ve come to say goodbye,” I said, meeting his eyes without flinching. “I’m leaving the pack lands tonight, and I won’t be returning.”

Scott’s mother let out a harsh, derisive laugh. “So you finally realize your place? Do you truly believe the Severing Ceremony will be so simple?”

“I’m not here to debate the Severing Ceremony,” I replied firmly, shaking my head. “I’m here to warn you.”

“Warn us?” Both exchanged skeptical, doubtful looks.

“The Moon Goddess sent me a prophetic dream,” I said solemnly. “If Scott and I are forced to bond, ten years from now, he will die a brutal, bloody death.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Scott’s father bellowed.

“He will die saving me,” I whispered, my voice trembling with sorrow. “The Bloodfang Pack’s silver bombs will detonate right here.” I pressed my hand over my heart. “They will tear him apart from within, and his death will be slow and agonizing.”

The vividness of my vision stunned even Scott’s father into silence, the anger in his eyes replaced with disbelief.

“I don’t know if you believe in prophetic dreams,” I continued, “but I cannot take that risk. Let Scott and Joanna be together. I’ve already prepared for an Alliance Blessing Ceremony, not a Severing Ceremony. Even if they aren’t true mates, it will create a strong political alliance.”

Scott’s mother, the former Luna, nervously gripped her husband’s hand. “Such a warning… we can’t simply ignore it.”

“Where will you go?” the former Alpha asked coldly.

“As far away as possible,” I answered with a sad smile. “So Scott can forget about me—the human.”

As I walked out of the Elder Council Hall, a wave of relief washed over me. The second regret—the regret of not standing up to the elders’ plans—was finally addressed.

Night had fallen by the time I made my way alone back to Skyfall Ridge. The moon hung low and silver, its light spilling like liquid over the rugged landscape.

This was the time Scott and I had agreed to meet. But deep inside, I knew he wouldn’t come. He was undoubtedly still with Joanna.

“It’s so beautiful…” I murmured, my eyes fixed on the shimmering aurora dancing across the night sky. “At least in this life, I get to witness it with my own eyes.”

A cold voice broke through the silence behind me.

“You betrayed me.”

I whirled around, heart pounding fiercely.

Scott stood there, eyes blazing with furious heat. The moonlight caught the wild gleam in his gaze, making his golden eyes glow like a predator’s.

“What exactly did you tell the Elders?” he demanded, stepping closer, his voice sharp and cutting. “They suddenly dropped all their pressure on Joanna’s family and even agreed to the Alliance Blessing!”

I took a cautious step back. “I only told them the truth—”

“Lies!” he roared. “Do you have any idea what state Joanna’s in right now? She was so desperate she resorted to Soul-Devouring Sorcery! That’s forbidden magic!”

My eyes widened in shock. Soul-Devouring Sorcery? The kind of dark magic that consumes the caster’s very soul?

“Why would she do that?” I whispered, barely able to believe it.

“It’s all your fault!” Scott’s eyes burned with bitter accusation. “Those stories you fed the Elders crushed Joanna’s hope. She knows she’ll never have you!”

I froze. Something was wrong. If the Elders had agreed to the Alliance Blessing, Joanna should feel relief, not be driven to such extremes.

Scott’s fist slammed against a nearby rock, the impact echoing through the still night. “If anything happens to Joanna, I swear, you will pay!”

Under the cold moonlight, his gaze was as sharp and merciless as a blade, piercing straight through me.

“Tell me…” he advanced, his breath hot against my face, “how do we save her?”