Chapter 12
1236 Words
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me out of my wandering thoughts. My wolf perked up, and I straightened slightly as Aunt Leila came into view.
She seemed neutral, and that brought a pang to my chest. Did he say no? My feet rose before she reached me.
“Aunt?”
She stopped in front of me, her gaze settling on my face, more observant than before, as if she were trying to read something beneath what I was showing.
Her expression turned serious, and I felt a flutter of worry.
Did he say no?
For a moment, she didn’t speak.
The silence stretched long enough for me to realize how much I was waiting.
“He agreed to speak with a witch on your behalf,” she said at last.
Relief came quickly, almost instantly—loosening something in my chest that I hadn’t realized had been so tense.
But it didn’t settle fully.
Because, of course, it wouldn’t be that simple.
“There’s a condition.”
The words didn’t surprise me. If anything, they felt expected.
Still, I drew in a small breath before asking, “What kind of condition?”
“He wants to understand why you’re asking,” she replied, her tone even but measured. “Not in detail, necessarily, but enough to know your intentions.”
I blinked, surprised by the change in her demeanor. This was Aunt Leila in official mode—calm, measured, precise. You’d never guess.
My gaze dropped briefly, returning to the main topic.
Of course he did.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request.
Someone like him—someone who valued knowledge and control over information—wouldn’t involve others, especially witches, without knowing exactly what he was stepping into.
Still…
That didn’t make answering any easier.
How could I explain things in a way that didn’t reduce everything to something fragile or uncertain?
I pressed my lips together, thinking.
“I can answer that,” I said slowly, more to myself than to her. I had to be able to.
Aunt Leila didn’t interrupt. She simply watched, giving me the space to work through it—somehow making it both easier and harder at the same time.
“It’s not… random,” I continued after a moment. “I’m not just asking out of curiosity.”
“I know,” she said gently.
I looked up. There was no judgment in her expression. Just quiet understanding.
And something else. Something close to concern.
I held her gaze for a second, then looked away.
“I just want clarity,” I said carefully. “If something exists… something real… then I don’t think it’s wrong to try and understand it properly.”
She nodded slightly, as if that made sense.
“That’s good,” she said. Then, after a brief pause, she added, “Let’s go.”
My eyes lifted immediately.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation in her voice this time. No room for delay.
Something about her demeanor, the way things were looking so official, sent a quiet ripple of anticipation through me.
I nodded once.
“Okay.”
As we walked back toward the house, I became aware of everything again: the path beneath my feet, the soft shift of air, the distant murmur of lingering voices.
Everything felt the same. And yet, not quite.
There was direction now. A next step.
Something tangible.
And along with it came a mix of emotions I couldn’t separate.
Curiosity, still.
But also something sharper. Something just beneath the surface, waiting.
Not fear, not doubt.
Something closer to…
Expectation.
I didn’t know what I was about to hear. Didn’t know if it would help or complicate things further.
But one thing was certain…
I wasn’t walking away from this without answers.
And whatever those answers turned out to be…
I would face them. I had to.
“Go in,” my aunt commanded.
My hand paused before the door.
“Alone?”
“You’re an adult now, Christy. Some things must be faced alone.”
I was a teenager, please. What happened to we are a family?
I opened the door and shut it quietly.
He was seated calmly, not writing this time, looking straight at me.
“Sir Graham.”
“Ms. Haven.”
“Your aunt has explained a bit,” he said, eyes sharp. “You are an exile.”
“Yes.” I swallowed as nerves surged; I hadn’t expected him to ask that
.
“No need to be nervous. I am very interested in knowledge. Your case is unique, so I am curious.”
“I do know a witch,” I said, “though she is eccentric. She cannot be called lightly.
“Your future Alpha denied being your mate.”
“Yes.”
“Celestial Moon’s future Alpha, Alec Jenkins. Describe your Alpha.”
“I don’t know Alpha Alec very well. I had very little contact with him when I was little. He seemed… okay. He is the future Alpha of Celestial Moon, so he had the best education, and he carried himself differently.”
He listened intently, eyes searching for any lapse in my words, so I chose carefully.
“All I know is generic. I wasn’t with my parents for a while, so I wasn’t present during his first Moon Calling.”
His gaze sharpened. “There was a previous Moon Calling?”
“Yes. After he returned from the Academy, he had a Moon Calling before the one I attended.”
“And in the next Moon Calling, where you were present, you discovered he was your mate?"
“Yes.”
“Did you have any expectation previously concerning him being your mate?”
What was this, an interrogation? I answered truthfully.
“I thought of the possibility because of the words of other girls. But I didn’t think too much about it. I just wanted to see a Moon Calling… then later I hoped to meet the next Luna of Celestial Moon.”
“Would you be willing to speak with the leadership of Celestial Moon and the Shaman again?”
“I have been exiled.” I bowed my head lower, concealing my emotions. “They wouldn’t want to see me.”
He let out a small smile. “I have my ways. I’ll invite your parents too.”
“Are you willing?”
I nodded before saying, “Yes.”
“After that, we can discuss meeting a witch.”
“Yes. Thank you, Sir Graham.”
He nodded. “Christiana, I rarely meddle… for your sake, I hope it’s worth it. A lie will be disastrous and make you several enemies.”
My face paled, and the scent of my fear thickened the air.
Steady, Christiana, I reprimanded myself. You wanted answers.
“I’m telling the truth.”
“Very well then. Go.”
“Thank you, sir.”
My legs shook the moment I shut the door. I paused to balance myself and walked next to my aunt.
She studied my face for a while. I kept my expression neutral, and she finally let out a bright smile.
I wondered if Sir Graham’s questions had made her suspicious. I hoped not. Aunt Leila’s home was my haven.
She smiled at me, "Don’t think too much, Christy. Everything will be fine. The truth will naturally come to light."
- Writer
