His Queen, Her Alpha

Chapter 9

(Lex POV)

When I get back to the orphanage, I still haven’t figured out what to do about Ms. Mary. I could confront her about being a werewolf — I mean, if she wanted to hurt me she could have a long time ago. Does she know my parents? Does she know why I’m at the orphanage? I need answers. I walk slowly toward my room, rehearsing how to even start the conversation.

I open the door and find Ms. Mary already there. Great. She’s sitting on the edge of my bed. My bed is against the wall by the door; across the room is a chair and several windows. When I was little I’d lie on that bed and watch for shooting stars. As I got older I stared at the moon and wondered where my parents had gone.

“Hello, Lex. Take a seat. We need to talk,” Ms. Mary says, looking at me.

I cross the room and sit in the chair by the window. Worst case, I think, we can always jump out. Calm down.

“Lex, I would never hurt you. You’ve been my charge for fourteen years, and I would never harm you. But your life — as you know it — has changed, correct?”

“Yes.” That’s all I can say. I don’t know what she’s going to tell me.

“I know you’re a werewolf and that you probably shifted last night. By the way — nice cover story about the late project,” she chuckles. “But I understand why you lied, so we’ll move past that. I knew your parents, Lex. I was your nanny from the beginning.”

My mouth drops open. She knew my parents.

“I know you’re confused. When you arrived here you slipped into a small coma and woke up with no memories. I figured telling you bits at a time would be better than breaking you all at once, like that night did.”

“What happened to my parents? Snow said they’re dead.”

“Snow must be your wolf,” Ms. Mary nods, and then she begins.

“When you turned four, people started noticing you were like your father. Your parents were the Alpha and Luna of the White Moon Pack — one of the largest in the kingdom. Your father was an exceptional Alpha, always caring for his people and protecting them. Your mother was everything a Luna should be: compassionate, fierce when she had to be. She loved the pack and would speak up when something was wrong.”

“When you were four, your powers began to manifest. Your dad could command water and wind; your mother had fire and earth. Your mother wasn’t considered ‘special’ until she mated with your father — that bond gave her access to some elemental power. You took after your father and showed the ability to control water early on. It was just after your birthday, near Christmas. You thought it would be funny to make a family of snowmen. You didn’t touch the snow — you willed the water to you and froze it into shapes. Your parents were stunned.”

“That night someone saw you. A traitor from within our pack tried to take you. They grabbed you from your bed and began to steal you away. Your father caught them; in the chaos they panicked and struck you over the head because you kept throwing water at them. While your father tended to you, they shot him — a silver bullet. Because mates are linked, your mother felt his pain so deeply that she died that night when he was shot. I didn’t see everything; I woke to the commotion, and they were checking on your father.”

“I grabbed you and ran, knowing I had to protect the future Alpha. While we fled through the house, I decided the only way to stop them was to burn the place down so they couldn’t catch us. It was just your family and me in that house. I set the fire in the kitchen and ran out the back door with you. I’m sorry I lied about the details, but I had to keep you safe.”

She’s been talking the whole time staring down at her hands, rubbing them together. Then I notice something I’ve never seen in fourteen years: her hands are scarred and burned. She must have hurt herself when she set the flames. Even after all this time, the scarring remains.

I can’t process it. All I want is to run. So, I jumped out of the window, shifting into wolf form on the way down, and started to run. I glance back once. Ms. Mary stands at the window and nods at me — I understand. This is something I have to do. I let Snow take control because I just want to wake up from this nightmare.

“My parents died because of me,” I whisper in the back of my mind.

“No, Snowflake,” Ms. Mary’s voice echoes in my head. “They died protecting what mattered most to them.” Her tone is gentle, steady. I let the words fade as I sink into the back of my mind, unable to think anymore.

A few hours later, I’m still in wolf form, sitting at my waterfall. The sound of water helps. Snow nudges me.

“I knew this was your safe place. I figured you’d come back when you were ready,” she confesses.

I lift my head and look at the moon. A distant howl answers it, and Snow starts prancing. “Mate is coming. Howl back.”

So we do. We lift our head and howl together, hoping that soon — finally — I won’t be alone.