Zara’s POV
“I am sorry for taking so long,” Alpha Jack said, settling into his desk chair. “And for the way Luna Mary behaved.”
I stood up and nodded, but Luke motioned for me to remain where I was.
“We will be over to sit with you shortly,” Alpha Jack remarked.
Andrew hurried to answer a knock that was rather softly coming from the office door.
“Who would bother us in the middle of the night?” With a growl, Luke cast his gaze downward at his watch.
“An omega,” Andrew retorted, oblivious to his sibling’s rage.
“What does she want?” Luke growled, clenching his teeth and putting his hands across his chest.
“She is bringing food,” Andrew replied as he pulled open the door.
“What for?” Luke asked.
“So that your precious Zara can stuff her face.” Luke’s eyes darted to me as Andrew sarcastically answered. “She did not eat, and her hunger sounds apparent.”
“When was the last time you had any food?” Luke asked.
“Yesterday at ten o’clock,” I answered.
“In the evening?” he inquired.
“No, morning,” I replied.
“Why would you put yourself through starvation?” Luke became enraged. “You know better than to do that.”
“Things did not go as planned,” I replied. “I attended a meeting.”
I took a deep breath, my heart thumping with the memory of that awful meeting with Nicolas. I remained upset and furious with him.
“With whom?” Alpha Jack inquired, showing an abrupt interest in our exchange.
After expressing his gratitude to the omega and shutting the door, Andrew set down a plate on the tiny coffee table in front of me and took off its cover. It was just a simple mac and cheese, nothing special, but it smelled good, and my stomach rumbled in agreement.
“I am grateful, Andrew,” I said a little awkwardly.
“Happy to assist,” he uttered. “Go ahead and eat.”
I ducked in and stuffed a scoop full of the rich, cheesy food into my mouth, letting out a small sigh as I enjoyed the delicious flavor.
After taking my third spoonful of food, I answered Alpha Jack’s question, “Alpha Nicholas,” feeling a knot in my throat.
“From the appearance of things, I assume that the meeting went less smoothly than expected,” Alpha Jack remarked.
I shook my head and turned my eyes back to the floor, feeling tears well up behind them. “Not at all.”
I did not want them to witness my tears. I did not want them to understand how deeply he had wounded me.
“I thought so,” Alpha Jack replied. “And I know why, too.”
I was shocked by that, and I quickly looked up to meet Alpha Jack’s face.
Did he know something that I did not know?
Was there a problem of any kind for my mate?
Luke and Alpha Jack approached the seating area and each took a seat.
“You eat,” Luke said. “And my dad will give the details.”
I nodded.
Alpha Jack let out a sigh and fixed his gaze on the distance and the window. He appeared to be thinking deeply.
Has something occurred that I was unaware of?
Was the situation really that bad?
I started getting nervous to find out what Alpha Jack was concealing.
For what reason was it so crucial?
The office’s air got stuffy and unbreathable, and I started to feel as though someone was gradually poisoning me and stopping my oxygen supply.
“Father?” Alpha Jack shifted his attention back to me as Andrew’s voice suddenly released the tension in the room.
“There is a myth, a tale that has been transmitted through the ages concerning wolves who were not granted the Goddess’ blessing,” Alpha Jack began. “According to legend, the goddess herself entered the mortal world in search of her own mate. After finding him, she discovered that he showed no interest in her.”
“He did not accept her?” I inquired, my heart heavy with the knowledge that the goddess herself had been rejected.
“Yes,” Alpha Jack replied, squeezing his lips together. “But he begged her to forgive him and give them another chance after learning who she was and the power she held.”
“Did she offer him one more chance?” Astonished, I let out a gasp.
“Back then, things were really different,” Alpha Jack remarked melancholy. “The right to deny their fated mate another chance was not something that she-wolves had. All she could do was give him another chance.”
“So what happened?” I inquired.
“He destroyed his enemies with her powers,” said Alpha Jack. “And after that he betrayed his allies and destroyed them as well. He was out of control and needed to be stopped.”
“How did she manage to stop him?” Fascinated by the tale, I inquired.
“She requested assistance from the nearby packs,” Luke remarked.
“But?” I questioned.
“Just five brothers were prepared to back her cause,” Alpha Jack stated. “They overcame him in the end, and they were then bestowed with extraordinary abilities.”
“Are you talking about the silver blessed packs?” inquired.
“Yes, I am,” Alpha Jack answered.
“What is the purpose of sharing this story with me?” I asked. “It’s just a story. The five packs were described to me as the guardians of the immoral world.”
“That is accurate,” said Alpha Jack. “But there is another side to the story that nobody wants to hear, and now is the right moment to share it with you.”
“Why are you telling me about this instead of my dad?” I asked.
“Your father does not believe in the prophecy,” Luke said.
“Is that the reason you decided to support Alpha Noah?” I grew irate. “Due to some prophecy?”
Alpha Jack gave a dismissive shake.
“No, not really,” was his response. “Alpha Noah is aware of the prophecy, and by supporting him in his cause, I will be able to keep an eye on him and predict his next move.”
“So you are operating undercover?” I asked as I leaped to my feet and approached the window. I could not handle this at all. “What is my connection to this prophecy?”
“After the fall of the goddess’s fated mate,” Luke said. “She found one of the five brothers to be her second chance mate.”
“That’s good; she ended up happy,” I said. “How does this relate to me?”
I could feel my irritation building into anger. I was not sure if all the bad things that happened during the day or just my general tiredness was to blame.
I spun around to confront Luke and his father, who fell silent.
“Her fated mate killed her second chance mate,” Alpha Jack said.
That caught me off guard.
“How?” My breath caught. “You mentioned that…”
“I never said her fated mate was killed,” he stated.
I silently just stared at Alpha Jack.
“You are telling me that you think I am the Goddess’ reincarnation?” I asked.
“No,” replied Alpha Jack, rising to his feet and approaching his table. He picked up a scroll and held it out to me.
“You are something completely different,” Luke remarked.
“You are something more special,” Alpha Jack went on.
“You are something all wolves were waiting for…” Andrew commented.
Can I believe anything that Luke and Alpha Jack say, and what secrets are written on the scroll they gave me?
*****