Chapter 7: THE DESECRATION

The blood-red words carved into my mother’s tombstone haunted my every step as I made my way through the woods. The forest was eerily silent, the usual rustling of leaves and distant calls of wildlife absent, as if nature itself held its breath in anticipation of what was to come. The scent of the desecrated earth clung to me, a bitter reminder of Draven’s message and the stakes of the prophecy.

I couldn’t shake the image from my mind—the earth torn apart, the grave violated. My mother’s final resting place had been defiled, and the message left behind was clear: Draven’s vendetta was more than just a power play; it was deeply personal. The desecration was an assault not just on me, but on my entire bloodline, on everything my mother had stood for.

But why now? Why her grave?

I arrived back at the pack’s stronghold, my thoughts still a whirlwind of questions and half-formed suspicions. Ethan met me at the entrance, his face a mask of concern. “Did you find anything?” he asked, his voi