Chapter 7: Shattered Truths

The door exploded inward, sending splinters across the room as agents poured through the breach. Celia barely had time to process the revelation before chaos erupted once again. Lucian was already moving, a blur of raw power as he shifted halfway into his wolf form, taking down the first agent to step inside.

"Celia!" Evan's voice cut through the noise. "We need to get out of here, now!"

But Celia stood frozen, her eyes locked on the Blackwood family crest at the bottom of the ancient tome. Her family had known about the *Heart of the Moon*—they had been involved in this secret all along. For centuries, they'd hunted werewolves, branding them as monsters, yet here was proof that they had been hiding something far worse.

A sharp pain seared through her chest, the betrayal twisting like a knife. Her whole life had been built on a foundation of lies.

"Celia, move!" Lucian's voice was desperate as he pulled her out of the way just before a bullet whizzed past, shattering a nearby shelf.

Snapping back to the present, Celia slammed the book shut and shoved it into her bag. There was no time to process the truth—not here, not now. She'd have to deal with the implications later. Right now, survival was the priority.

"Get to the back exit!" Evan shouted, already clearing a path through the stacks, his fingers flying over his tablet, triggering the emergency locks to slow down the agents. "We need to disappear before reinforcements arrive."

Celia sprinted after him, Lucian at her side, his presence both a comfort and a reminder of how deeply her world had shifted. The pounding of footsteps behind them echoed through the vast space, agents hot on their heels.

As they reached the far end of the archives, Celia caught sight of the emergency exit—a rusted door barely hanging on its hinges. Lucian pushed past her, slamming into it with his full strength, tearing it off its frame. Moonlight poured in, casting long shadows as they escaped into the night.

The cold air hit her like a slap, but the sudden freedom was short-lived. More agents were swarming in from the street, their black vehicles blocking off any chance of a clean escape.

"Too many," Lucian growled, his amber eyes scanning the scene.

Celia's mind raced. The tome they had was powerful—dangerous in the wrong hands—but they couldn't fight their way through an army of trained agents and live to tell the tale. She glanced at Evan, whose face was pale but determined as he began pulling up maps on his tablet, looking for another route.

"There," Evan pointed toward an alley, hidden by debris and fire escapes. "That'll take us through the old sewer tunnels. It's the only way out."

Without a word, the three of them darted toward the alley. Bullets zipped past them, pinging off the walls as the agents fired indiscriminately. Lucian moved like a shield, always staying between the bullets and Celia, while Evan lagged just behind, breathing hard.

They reached the alley, ducking into the shadows just as the agents converged on the street behind them. For a moment, Celia let herself hope they had managed to escape. But as soon as they reached the entrance to the sewer tunnels, they heard a slow, deliberate clap from behind them.

"Well done, Celia," came a cold voice. "But you can't run forever."

Celia turned slowly, her blood turning to ice as her eyes locked on the figure standing at the mouth of the alley. She recognized the man immediately—**Marcus Blackwood**, her uncle. The most feared hunter in her family, and someone who had taught her everything she knew. He stepped into the moonlight, a cruel smile on his face.

"You're in over your head," Marcus said, his gaze flicking to Lucian with barely concealed disgust. "Teaming up with one of them? I expected better."

Celia's stomach churned. This was worse than she could have imagined. If Marcus was here, it meant the Blackwood family was involved far deeper than she ever thought possible.

Lucian stepped forward, baring his teeth. "Get out of our way."

Marcus didn't flinch. "You think you can just walk away with that artifact? You have no idea what you've stumbled into." His voice was dripping with disdain, but there was something else, something darker in his eyes.

"This isn't about the artifact anymore," Celia snapped, her voice shaking with anger. "You've lied to me. My whole life. About everything."

Marcus's smile widened. "Oh, Celia, there's so much you don't know. The *Heart of the Moon* was never just about controlling werewolves. It's far more powerful than that. And if you think you can stop this... well, you're more naive than I thought."

Celia's hand tightened around the blade at her side. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn't tell if it was from fear or fury. She wanted answers, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for the truth.

Marcus took a step closer, his eyes gleaming. "Come home, Celia. Leave this beast behind and reclaim your place. It's not too late."

The offer was a poisoned blade, tempting in its simplicity. But she couldn't—she wouldn't—go back. Not after everything she had seen, everything she had learned. Lucian stood beside her, solid as a rock, his presence grounding her.

"No," Celia said, her voice steady. "I'm done with the lies."

Marcus's expression hardened. "So be it." He turned and waved a hand, signaling the agents behind him. "Take them."

Before Celia could react, Lucian was pulling her toward the tunnel. "We'll deal with him later. Right now, we run."

As they disappeared into the darkness, Celia's mind whirled with the weight of her choices. She wasn't sure what terrified her more—facing Marcus again or uncovering the full truth of what her family had done.

Behind them, the sound of pursuit grew louder.

**To be continued...**