<165 Buried Bloodlines
+8 Points >
165 Buried Bloodlines
Lucian
“Are we… family?”
The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
Katya, Lydia had called her-nodded slowly, then turned to her daughter. Lydia sighed, as if the truth she was about to speak had been weighing on her for years. Her hesitation was brief, but it spoke volumes. Finally, she reached for my hand and gripped it tightly, urging me to sit.
Denis brought over a chair, and I sat down beside her, still holding her hand, watching her eyes closely.
“My mother,” Lydia began quietly, “is your grandmother’s younger sister. Your grandfather was the one from Driftwake. Your grandmother-your mother’s mother-was from Neev. That’s where your thick, dark hair and beard come from. That’s
our blood, Lucian.”
Her words hit me like a quiet thunderstorm-rolling through my mind in waves. I stared at her, trying to absorb what I’d
just heard.
“If we’re related,” I said, voice low but steady, “then why… why was your mother my mother’s maid?”
Lydia’s face darkened instantly, and her voice snapped like a whip. “That’s a lie. A big lie.”
I blinked, stunned by her sudden flare of emotion.
“When your mother gave birth to you,” she continued sharply, “we came to care for her-and for you. It’s a tradition in Neev. If her own mother had still been alive, it would have been your grandmother who came instead. But she was gone.
So my mother went. She is not a servant. She never was.”
Her tone left no room for argument. I felt shame stir in my chest, not because I’d been intentionally disrespectful, but
because I hadn’t known. No one had told me. No one had ever cared to.
“I… I can’t believe this,” I murmured. “I can’t believe you’re my family.”
Lydia nodded, a sad smile on her lips. “We are.”
I turned to Katya, my voice cracking with buried anger. “Then why did you abandon me when my mother died? Do you
know what I went through in Martha’s hands? The horror? The beatings? The humiliation?”
Tears spilled from Katya’s eyes once more, silent and endless. She didn’t look away.
She couldn’t.
“It was beyond our capacity to ask for you at the time,” Lydia replied gently. “After your mother passed, too many things were beyond our control. We weren’t strong enough then.”
Katya shook her head, cutting her daughter off. The expression on her face said everything Lydia didn’t-regret, sorrow, guilt.
But still… she said nothing more.
And in that silence, I realised just how much pain had been buried in the past-how many truths had been swallowed so they wouldn’t choke the people left behind.
“I’m not here for pleasantries,” I said, my voice firm and raw. “I came for the truth. I want to know what happened to my mother-and why, if we’re really family, you never reached out to me.”
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< 165 Buried Bloodlines
Darian’s voice linked in my head almost instantly, his tone calm but urgent.
“Lucian, breathe. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment. Let them talk.”
I didn’t respond, but I clenched my jaw and tried to reel myself in.
Katya made a series of signs with her trembling hands, her face tightening with anger. Her eyes locked with mine.
“Your father is an i***t,” she signed sharply. “A fool for keeping you away from us.”
Then Lydiaexhaled and slowly walked to the foot of the bed, regaining her composure with effort.
Darian linked me again, more cautious this time.
+8 Points >
“Our father loved your mother, Lucian. But don’t trust them too easily. You don’t know the whole story. For all we know, they
could still hold a vendetta against him.”
“I’ll be careful,” I replied, cutting the link and turning back to Katya and Lydia.
Katya gave her daughter a small nod, and Lydia released a tired breath. The tension in the room shifted. Whatever came
next would not be easy to hear.
“I don’t care whether you believe what we’re about to tell you,” Lydia said, her voice steady but laced with years of
bitterness. “But it’s our truth. And it’s time you heard it.”
I said nothing, just met her gaze and waited.
“Your mother, Natasha, met Vander in Neev while he was on vacation,” she began. “They fell fast. Hard. My aunt-your grandmother-despised their union. She saw what many of us saw. Your mother was headstrong, yes, but Vander…”
She trailed off, choosing her words carefully.
“… Vander was from a proud name, but the Nighthorns were drowning back then. Financially crippled. And Natasha? She was a Redlock-next in line to lead the Driftwake Pack. She was powerful, respected… dangerous even. We all believed
Vander only wanted her because of who she was. Not what she was.”
I stared at Lydia, stunned. The world I thought I knew was cracking, piece by piece.
“She was smitten,” Lydia continued. “Blinded by love. They eloped. The Redlocks were furious-humiliated. But eventually, they accepted the union. After all, the Nighthorn name still carried weight, even if the wealth had faded. Their marriage united two dynasties… and opened doors.”
“Doors?” I asked slowly.
She nodded. “Through your mother, Vander gained access to everything. The Driftwake pack. Steel Corp. Your grandfather Lucian Redlock’s empire. It all became his.”
My brows furrowed. Everything I’d known about my parents’ love story had been… curated. Gentle. But this?
This sounded calculated. Strategic.
And I had a sickening feeling we were only just scratching the surface,
