Tears fell despite my efforts to hold them back. Elder Eamon hobbled over to me, looked into my face, and let out a heavy sigh.
"Kael, don't let your mind run wild. If your uncle didn't love you, why would he have set aside a substantial heir-seal trust for you?"
I froze, suddenly remembering the words my uncle had whispered to me on his deathbed.
"Kael, I've placed a significant sum in an heir-seal trust for you. Don't touch it unless you have no other choice. The blood-key... only the true heir knows it..."
I had been too consumed by grief at the time to grasp the meaning behind those words.
I had assumed he was simply leaving me a safety net in case I failed to manage the pack's affairs properly.
Now I understood—my uncle had been preparing for something.
My gaze cut toward Alaric Ravenhart like a blade, my voice carrying the weight of someone who had nothing left to lose.
"Alaric Ravenhart, one last time. Come with me to the Neutral Custodian House. Prove to me whether you're truly the rightful heir!"