Broken Souls
Chapter 21: Secrets

Kay’s POV

I heard every word: they had traded my mother to him for power. They cared about alliance and power more than her happiness and her safety. I want to hate them; I want to be angry; I want to tell them how awful they were, but I can’t. I look at their faces. All I can see is the pain, the pain they carry in their hearts, and I know they are completely broken. I understand broken and pain and I can’t hate them. They know now they were wrong.

“I forgive you, and I know she would have too. She met my dad, and they had so much love. She was so happy and loved. I think she didn’t want the Boss, Seth, to come after you. I think she thought she was protecting everyone by staying hidden. I know she didn’t want to Seth to know about me. My dad loved me like his own daughter, and he loved mom so much.” I tell the Luna and Alpha what they clearly long to hear, and I believe what I’m saying is true. My mother was kind and loving. She wouldn’t have wanted them to suffer, and she would have forgiven them. She probably had forgiven them. That was just her sweet nature.

Luna Rana starts to sob while tears slip from Alpha Eric’s eyes,. He holds the Luna in a tight hug. Aaron scoops me up, sitting me in his lap, and looking at me with so much love.

“You are beautiful,” he whispers in my ear while he wipes a few tears from my own cheeks.

Luna Rana finally composes herself again, “Right. Now we have a granddaughter to get to know as well as her mate. I don’t plan on missing any more time with her, and I just hope you will let us, Kay?” Luna Rana’s words catch me a little off guard. Do they really want to know me? I look at Aaron, and he is beaming at me, waiting for me to answer the Luna.

“I would like very much to get to know you, Luna Rana, and Alpha Eric. Thank you.” I answer, trying to sort all these new feelings. I think about how many people I have in my life now. I glance at Grandma, and she’s smiling so wide and looking at me with so much warmth. I have a family again. They are mine; I have to keep them safe.

“Well, Kay, first of all, no more Luna and Alpha. We are just Rana and Eric and hopefully one day, just Grandma and Grandpa. Maybe we’ll have to wait for that ’til you and Aaron have a pup of your own?” Rana says, wiggling her eyebrows at me, and I know I’m bright red. I can hear Grandma giggling too, and I peek at Aaron, who looks just as shocked, but soon a little smirk is playing at his lips.

“Well, before any of that, Kay has some powers to develop, and there is her Luna ceremony. So many things.” Grandma says, still giggling a little.

“Wait, Kay has powers?” Rana now has a shocked look on her face.

“Does anyone know?” She asks, looking a little worried.

“No, Rana, and we may want to keep it that way,” Grandma says, slipping into a serious tone.

“How is it that no one knows about you, Luna Rana?” Aaron’s question even took me a little by surprise, and Rana blinks a moment.

“Firstly, it’s Rana, even for you, Aaron. Secondly, it took a lot of careful planning and magic to hide my scent and fake a transformation illusion. Most of the time, I just hide my scent, and that is easy to do once you know how. I don’t like to hide what I am, but some of the other Alphas and packs do not accept what I am. I was just glad that Eric loved me and didn’t reject me.” Rana says, giving Eric a warm smile.

“A few thought they knew that she wasn’t a wolf in the beginning, and we nearly had a pack war over it. That’s why we hid it. I’m not ashamed of her, and I love her for who she is, but other small-minded people have made it difficult. We did what we thought was best.”

Hearing this makes me a little worried that I won’t be accepted by the other Alphas or Aaron’s pack if they know about me. Aaron seems to sense my concern and pulls me into his chest more, planting a kiss on my head.

“I need to know what power does Kay have?” Rana asks, looking at all of us.

“She seems to have a power of healing, but it isn’t physical healing, though I think she’ll be able to do that as well. No, she was able to fix what was still emotionally broken in me. I have felt some of my magic even returning to me. I was hoping to replace something here about her power. I also have a feeling that something dark is coming. I can’t see it, but I can feel it,” Grandma says, and she looks at me. A little worry passes over her face before it’s gone, covered in her warm smile.

“Well, let me help. Maybe I can also help with the Luna ceremony?” Rana asks, looking at me with hopeful eyes. I look at Aaron, and he smiles, giving me a small kiss on the temple.

“Anything you want,” he says. I smile at Rana, and she’s glowing with happiness.

We spend a few more hours in the library looking through old and dusty books. Eric is called away, and Aaron goes to meet Eric in his office. I take a few notes on things I have read, and I am extremely glad that Grandma has always made sure that I was educated even though I never got to finish school.

While in the library, I read an interesting story about the wizard Hadeon that Grandma mentioned earlier. He lived hundreds of years ago. He was dark and cruel and thought all the other creatures other than witches and wizards were less than him. He wanted to enslave them and claim his race as the dominant force. He enslaved and killed so many but the other races fought against him, led by the witch that was once his mate. They beat back his darkness casting him to the darkest reaches of the underworld bound for all time. The story was chilling and something from nightmares. I hope that it was just a story, but Grandma tells me it was very true. This is the reason that other races don’t trust witches and magic. He hurt so many and cast a bad light on all magic. The story didn’t mention his mate’s name, and when I ask Grandma, she shrugs it off, saying she doesn’t recall. I don’t miss the look Rana gives her, but I can’t decipher it. It passes so quickly that I think maybe I didn’t see it all. Finally, Rana stands up, stretching,

“I think we should go and have a nice dinner,” Rana says, looking tired.

I look up just to realize the sun had set a long time ago.

“I think dinner is a very good idea,” Grandma says, standing and joining Rana. I look at all the books and the pages of notes.

“How do I learn to hide my powers? Am I going to have to hide my scent as well?” I can’t help but ask. Grandma gives me a smile.

“Well, I think tomorrow will be a good time to start that training. But for right now, I’m old and tired and starving.” I giggle at Grandma as we make our way to the dining room.

We join Eric and Aaron in the main pack dining room, and it is massive with long tables spread around the room. There is a small stage at the front of the room and a large table for the Alpha and important guests. We walk to the table, and Eric is speaking to a large warrior. We join them as the man leaves, and Eric hugs Rana close to him. As Aaron wraps me up in a hug, taking time to hold me close, I can tell that something seems to be bothering him.

I want to ask him what’s bothering him, but Eric’s booming Alpha voice stops me. We sit in our seats quickly as he begins to address his pack.

“Good evening, everyone. I have a few things I would like to say before we enjoy our meal. First, I want to thank Alpha Aaron for reaching out to us and coming here. I will be forever grateful to him. He brought with him the most precious gift. I was once so caught up in my ambitions that I forgot the greatest gift I had. I will never make that mistake again. Alpha Aaron has brought our beautiful Mira’s daughter to us. I would like to introduce you to my granddaughter, Kay. She is every bit her mother, and I know she will be the most exceptional Luna.”

With that, the room explodes in cheers and howls. Aaron pulls me to my feet and wraps one arm around my waist. I look up at his face, and I must look shocked because he’s chuckling at me. He gives me a soft kiss making the crowd howl louder.

When the crowd dies down, Eric continues, “Thank you, my friends, for indulging this old Alpha. We look forward to Kay’s Luna ceremony and many happy years as a family.” Eric is beaming as we all sit again.

“You knew that was going to happen, didn’t you?” I whisper to Aaron. He puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses my forehead.

“He may have mentioned something about it,” Aaron says, grinning playfully.

Dinner begins, and everyone is chatting happily. They are talking about my Luna ceremony, but I can’t seem to focus on what they are saying. The strangest feeling of foreboding and panic is starting to build in me, and I don’t know why. Aaron seems to sense my rising panic and takes my hand in his. He’s about to say something when a siren begins to sound. Eric, Aaron, and all the warriors jump up.

“What’s happening?” I ask, jumping up with Aaron.

“It’s an attack. Go with Rana and get everyone to safe rooms. I’m going with Eric. It’s probably nothing but a few rogues.” He says, kissing me quickly and running out with Eric. Rana and Grandma are gathering the older and younger wolves to the safe room, I’m sure. I start helping them collect a young pup out of the warriors’ path.

Grandma is with me suddenly, “Come on, Kay, we need to get the room locked,” she says, and I nod at her hurrying off to the safe room with the pup clinging to me. I know this must be more than a few rogues. They wouldn’t have used the siren to alert everyone for just a small attack. I see a small child near the front of the pack house, and I pass the child to Grandma.

“Here, take the little one.” I take off for what I think I saw by the front door.

I get to the front, and a small boy is a face to face with a snarling rogue. The boy is too small to shift, and the rogue is terrifying with his matted coat. It’s hard to tell the color of his fur. He’s so covered in gore and filth, but I know who it is, John. Thank God Oriel insisted I train because I shift quickly. John takes his eyes off the boy, and I leap forward, taking him by surprise and knocking him out of the door and away from the boy. I see Rana come and scoop up the terrified child.

John is back on his feet, snarling and snapping at me, but I won’t back down from him; I won’t be afraid of him. He lunges for me, but I’m faster than him, and he slams into the wall of the pack house, missing me completely. He shakes it off and goes to charge me again, but again he misses skidding and hitting the ground.

Before he can get up, I jump at him. Diana is aching to sink her teeth into him. We both want to make him pay for everything he did. I can feel my teeth sink into his shoulder, and I can taste the metallic blood filling my mouth as he howls out. He manages to kick me off him, and I skid across the ground. I’m just getting up when I see something that makes my heart stop: the Boss, Seth. He’s not in his wolf form, and he’s smirking at me. I vaguely register the gun he raises at me. I feel the sharp bit long before I hear the sound. The silver bullet burns through me, causing me to shift and fall to the ground in pure agony. I hear Aaron’s wolf howl, but everything is fading out, and darkness takes me away.