Nicolas POV
I returned to my pack at the break of dawn. Ronan waited for me in the cave with a set of new clothes.
“Your father is angry,” he said as we entered the SUV.
“Let him be,” I casually replied, gesturing for him to drive. “There isn’t much my father could do to me at this moment.”
Fury at what he had done to me coursed through my body, and I tightened my fists in response. I had discovered the truth.
“Are you going to take him on about it?” Ray listened in on my thoughts. “Or could I do the honors?”
“When the time is right,” I responded. “I will see that he suffers the consequences for his actions.”
After a brief ride, we returned to the pack, and I barely noticed when we came to a halt.
I dropped my duffel bag on my office floor, walked straight to the alcohol cabinet, and poured myself a drink.
Ronan silently observed me.
“You have changed,” he stated, taking a seat at my desk. “I am uncertain whether this change is beneficial or detrimental.”
Furious, I peered out the window and let out a bitter chuckle.
If only Ronan knew how much I had changed. Mating and marking Zara was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me.
“I assumed you had managed to find Luna?” he asked.
“I indeed did,” I replied, gulping down the golden liquid. “She was in heat.”
“Oh, that is interesting,” Ronan chuckled. “Did you manage to do the deed?”
My bitter chuckle surfaced once more.
“What is it to you?” I turned towards him and posed the question.
Ronan defensively raised his hands in response. “I was hoping you did. At least then, the conflict with Alpha Noah will finally be over.”
As I made my way to my desk in the office, I mumbled, “I seriously doubt that. I think this is just the beginning.”
I debated whether to inform Ronan about what had transpired.
“I don’t understand,” Ronan said, his expression betraying his bewilderment. “Usually, the attraction to a marked she-wolf would go away. What makes you think that it would be different?”
As I weave my fingers together, I slump forward on my desk. No amount of convincing would persuade Ronan. The facts, not some mystical notions, were what he believed in.
“However, we are creatures of the supernatural,” Ray begged for patience. “You know he is clever; he might have a solution for your problem.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” I stated, turning my attention back to Ronan.
“What did Terra tell you?” I asked, changing the subject.
“She believes you are the chosen one, and she believes that you and she are destined to be,” he replied, his expression turning horrified.
“It seems like Terra kept Ronan busy for a while,” Ray pondered, amused by the irony.
“Did she share where she learned about the prophecy?” I inquired.
“Not really,” he responded. She did mention the practice of passing down tales from one generation to another. She was to be born a queen, or so her family thought.”
Realizing there was more to the story than simply bearing the next royal, I nodded in agreement.
My mind raced, recalling Beta John’s discussion just before we entered the magical realm for marking. It was important to Zara to get answers to her questions.
“I laid your brother’s body to rest at the temple,” John said. “I buried him myself.”
“Was he ever alive?” She asked. “Did I know him?”
Beta John swallowed hard. It must have been difficult for him to be honest with Zara.
Beta John remained mute, heightening the tension. Zara wanted to say something, but I stopped her.
“You and your brother were born in the immortal realm,” he abruptly said.
The remark perplexed us both.
“When you reach legal adulthood,” Beta John stated, fixing his gaze on Zara. “You could not find your mate…”
“Why not?” I asked. “The Goddess created us; why not…”
“Her mate wasn’t born as an immortal,” he clarified. “She was left with no alternative but to journey to the mortal world in search of him!”
“And my brother?” Zara asked. “Did he ever find his mate?”
Zara reached out and gently caressed Beta John’s shoulder as he paused.
“I want to know,” she said.
Beta John nodded his head. “He indeed did,” he admitted.
The expression on Zara’s face changed; she looked like she was on the verge of passing out.
“He loved you so much that he agreed to return with you,” he replied.
“And give up his life and mate?” She growled bitterly.
“Your fate and the prophecy were both known to him. He has faith in you to bring harmony back to the world and fulfill the prophecy.”
Zara muttered bitterly, “But now his soul’s trapped.”
“Only until the war has ended,” Beta John stated.
“The whole prophecy is still a mystery. No one knows the actual meaning of the prophecy,” I added with an air of sourness.
Beta John locked eyes with me.
“On the war’s first anniversary, Celia had a vision,” he stated.
“Will you please tell me what she saw?” With a plea in her eyes, Zara inquired.
“She noticed that you’d be killed while you’re looking for a mate,” Beta John said.
“Is that the reason why Mother Moon left with the pups?” I asked.
“And is it due to the gatekeeper’s warning?” Zara whispered beside me.
“Indeed, those are among the reasons,” he responded, his expression growing more menacing. “She and her mate agreed that it would be safer for her to leave with their pups.”
“But there were consequences for the goddess’s action,” I muttered. “When she departed, she took the two unborn pups back to the immortal realm…”
“She went back on her word about paying off her mate’s debt,” Zara muttered.
Beta John nodded.
“So what happened?” I asked. “Why did Zara receive permission to return when there was a warning not to do so?”
“Zara was depressed,” Beta John remarked. “Having her own mate was her desire. The kind of mate who would shower her with constant, undying love was what she sought. She asked for clearance to go to Earth.”
“But Mother Moon refused?” Zara spoke as if she could recall something similar.
Were her memories returning? Surely it’s impossible!
“That was true before your brother intervened,” Beta John said. “Despite knowing the outcome, he was unable to face the thought of you feeling sad and alone when you longed for a mate of your own,” Beta John said. “He consulted Celia about the potential consequences of going back with you.”
“What did she tell him?” Zara asked.
Beta John’s face turned serious, and a cold feeling traveled down my spine.
“The prophecy was born,” I muttered under my breath.
“Indeed,” Beta John said. “Among the silver packs, royal twin pups will be born-one of each gender. Encircled around his sister to protect her in their substitute mother’s womb, he would sacrifice himself to pay Mother Moon’s debt, while his sister would become the first-ever Alpha she-wolf.
Her gift will be that of moonlight, so pure it can conquer darkness. Her performance will be highly anticipated.
However, be aware that no matter how diligently others try, only her true and fated mate will be able to unlock her gift. However, she fears that her mate, living in a corrupt and evil world, will succumb to evil and turn heartless and merciless.
If he wants to know the truth, he has to feel her touch.
They join as one, exact revenge on those who have harmed the goddess, and bring harmony back to the packs, all while elevating everyone to goddess status.
Ronan suddenly cleared his throat, grabbing my attention; the memory slipped from my mind as I followed his stare.
My father stood at the door, his eyes blackened out in rage.
With reluctance, I moved my palm to my nape, where the exquisite imprint of Zara’s mark lay deeply buried. Nevertheless, it triggered recollections of what my father did to me, and rage filled my heart and mind.
Ray grabbed control, and the situation descended into chaos.
****