Harley’s POV
I raised the jar of juice from the table with a trembling hand and drank a mouthful from it.
“Harley, are you okay?” Clyde asked softly.
“No, I am not fine,” I answered in a cracked voice after I had swallowed.
The hunger I had was gone, and all I felt was fear, on top of that, shock.
“Sky will come and explain the rest once he dresses up,” he said as I looked at him in disbelief.
“I’m sorry, Clyde, but are you blind? Why are you so calm when Sky turned into a beast right in front of us? How’s that even possible?” I asked at the top of my voice, then put the jar back.
He looked stunned for a few seconds but composed himself and smiled.
“I am this calm because I am his father, and I too am a werewolf. To be specific, I am a former Alpha of this pack,” he answered.
“You… You turn into a huge beast too?” I asked in a whisper.
“It’s not a beast; it’s a werewolf,” he answered.
I slowly moved and sat down before I could fall. I felt my knees become weak, my throat dry, and my body slightly trembling.
“So you turn into both a beast and a human?” I asked in a low tone, trying to understand what I had just witnessed.
“We do shift forms if that’s what you are asking me,” he answered.
“How?” I asked seriously.
“What Sky explained to you was the truth; he wasn’t lying to you. We are beings blessed and created by the moon goddess, who was kind enough to grant us the ability to shift, among other abilities that Sky told you about. Our kind usually lives in packs, and we are so territorial; that’s why we have our own territories. Sky is the acting Alpha of this pack, while I am the former Alpha. His mother died when he was just a young pup. To tell the truth, he had it rough when growing up. Everyone in this pack is under his protection, and they too are like us. No matter what, he can never hurt you because you are special,” he answered.
I was about to ask him how he was sure that he would never hurt me when Sky walked in. He was dressed in jeans and a vest, and as expected, he looked so handsome.
When he took the seat next to me, I quickly stood up and moved to the other side.
Now that he had told me his secret, what was he going to do to me? Imprison or kill me?
My heart was beating rapidly just having him next to me.
“Harley,” he called softly and then smiled.
“Do you think I’ll ever hurt you?” he asked softly.
I lowered my gaze to the ground and swallowed hard. When I looked back at him, I saw sadness in his eyes and expression.
“He would never hurt us; you can feel it,” Jade responded, surprising me.
Ever since I came here, she had been quiet and said nothing to me. Now she was responding out of the blue? But she was right; I was scared and thought he would hurt me when he walked in and sat next to me. However, now that I was looking at him, my heart felt calm, and for some reason, I didn’t believe he would hurt me anymore.
“No, I don’t think you will, but that doesn’t mean I’m not scared of what I have witnessed,” I answered.
“To be honest, it’s hard to accept that you can shift into something else despite seeing it with my own eyes, but that doesn’t mean I hate you,” I said seriously.
“I’m glad to hear that; it means a lot to me,” he said and then extended his hand to me.
I hesitated but then moved and took it.
“Sit, please,” he said softly.
I sat down and faced him.
“I told and showed you what I was not to scare you. If I wanted, I could have hidden it very well. I don’t know if you will believe me, but I wanted you to go back home knowing what I was. That way, you could never forget me,” he said as Jade rumbled.
She was upset over his words for some reason.
“You said whenever your eyes change color and turn red, that means the other side of you… um… the werewolf is present or in control, right?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered.
“I was asking this because… you see, I too change eye color, and I always hear a female voice, which I named Jade, talk to me. So I think I may be a beast… I mean, a werewolf too,” I said in a low tone.
Now, thinking back about what he had told me, it was clear that one of the reasons he showed me his other form was that he figured out I was like them.
He looked at Clyde and then at me.
“Harley, have you ever manipulated fire before? You know, like fire coming from your hands?” he asked calmly.
“Yes, how did you know?” I asked back loudly.
“That’s because you are not one of my kind but a dragon,” he answered seriously.
If it had been an hour ago, I could have laughed loudly and asked him if he was joking. But after witnessing what he was and hearing his words, I began to take him seriously.
“A dragon?” I asked, just to have him repeat his words.
“Yes, you are a very powerful mystical being whom every powerful high-ranking supernatural being can identify immediately after they look at you. My father knew too when we saw you,” he answered.
I was absolutely astonished and struggled to respond.
“He is not lying,” Jade said as I furiously stood up.
“Why! Why did you hide this from me?” I screamed angrily, startling Sky and Clyde.
“I was doing it for our sake! If you had gone on to tell everyone at the orphanage what we were, they would have branded us as witches, and I could have been forced to burn down the very place you thought of as home. Would you have been okay with us being homeless and wandering the streets at a young age?” she asked.
“No, but you should have told me what we were. How do you think I feel about finding out from a stranger what we are?” I asked in a cracked voice.
“He is not a stranger,” she responded.
“What do you mean he is not a stranger?” I asked loudly.
When she kept quiet, I yelled, “Answer me, Jade!”
“Harley,” Sky called softly.
I faced him furiously while breathing heavily.
“I will explain what she means by that, so please calm down and take a seat,” he said softly.
“No,” I answered firmly.
He stood up and moved in front of me, grabbing my hand. Instantly, I felt calmer.
“Please take a seat,” he whispered.
I found myself complying even when I wanted to do the exact opposite.