The white-golden wolf

The Council of Alphas - Part two

The meeting continued for another forty minutes.

I remembered almost none of it.

Patrols would be increased.

Borders monitored.

Information shared between packs.

No one was to engage unidentified groups without notifying the council.

I wrote everything down automatically.

My mind remained fixed on the silver crescent.

By the time Richard formally ended the meeting, my nerves felt stretched thin.

The Alphas rose.

Conversations began immediately.

Some left.

Others remained in small groups.

I gathered the folders as quickly as possible.

I wanted out.

I wanted Mary.

I wanted answers.

"Lara."

I stopped.

Richard stood behind me.

"Yes?"

His expression was unreadable.

"You handled yourself well today."

"Thank you."

I waited.

He didn't leave.

"Is something wrong?"

His gaze dropped briefly towards my collar.

Not again.

I resisted the urge to touch the pendant.

"Lara..."

He hesitated.

Richard Blackwood almost never hesitated.

"If you ever wish to talk..."

His expression softened.

"...my door is open."

My heart began beating faster.

"About what?"

A beat of silence.

"Anything."

That wasn't an answer.

Before I could press him, another voice interrupted.

"Richard."

Kael.

Richard looked between us.

Something almost amused flickered across his face.

"I have another meeting."

Convenient.

"Of course you do," I muttered.

Richard pretended not to hear me.

Then he left.

I turned towards Kael.

He stood several feet away.

For the first time all morning, we were alone.

Mostly.

Two guards remained outside the glass doors.

"Are all Alphas deliberately mysterious?" I asked.

Kael considered the question.

"Most."

"Is it a requirement?"

"It's encouraged."

I laughed softly despite myself.

He smiled.

Then his gaze dropped towards my chest.

The humour vanished.

"You recognised the pendant."

There it was.

I could lie.

Probably should.

Clarissa sighed.

"He's your mate."

"That doesn't automatically give him my secrets."

"No. But he's also not stupid."

Unfortunately true.

"I recognised the design," I said carefully.

"From where?"

My fingers curled around the folder in my hands.

"I've seen something similar."

"Where?"

I met his eyes.

"I'm not sure I know you well enough to answer that."

He was silent.

For a moment, I expected the Alpha in him to push.

Demand.

Instead, he nodded.

"Fair."

That surprised me.

"That's it?"

"Would you prefer an interrogation?"

"No."

"Then that's it."

Something in my chest loosened.

Kael took a step closer.

Not enough to crowd me.

Just enough that his scent wrapped around me.

Rain.

Pine.

Mountains.

Clarissa practically melted.

"Have some dignity," I told her.

"Never."

Kael studied me.

"Are you safe?"

The question caught me completely off guard.

"What?"

"Last night. You said nothing unusual had happened."

My stomach tightened.

"I remember."

"You didn't answer honestly."

I stared at him.

"How do you know?"

"Because you looked exactly like you're looking now."

"Which is?"

"Like you're deciding how much truth I can handle."

I almost smiled.

Almost.

Then I remembered the wolf.

"Something happened."

Kael became completely still.

"What?"

"I don't know what it means."

"Tell me anyway."

I hesitated.

Then—

"A wolf came to my house."

His expression changed instantly.

Every trace of warmth disappeared.

"When?"

"Last night."

"Pack?"

"I don't know."

"Did it cross the property boundary?"

"No."

"Did it threaten you?"

"No."

"What did it do?"

I swallowed.

"Watched me."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"What did it look like?"

"Large. Dark coat. Amber eyes."

Something flashed across his face.

Recognition?

It vanished before I could be certain.

"And?"

"A scar across its muzzle."

Kael went silent.

Too silent.

"You know who it was."

"I know of someone matching that description."

My pulse quickened.

"Who?"

He looked towards the closed doors.

"Not here."

Frustration flared.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Kael looked back at me.

"Everyone?"

I immediately regretted the word.

"Never mind."

"Lara."

"I said never mind."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

But he didn't push.

Instead, he reached into his jacket.

My body tensed.

He noticed.

Slowly, he withdrew a folded photograph.

"There's something else."

He placed it on the table.

My world stopped.

It was me.

Younger.

Terrified.

Smoke behind me.

My hair tangled around my face.

Blood staining my clothes.

And around my neck—

the silver crescent pendant.

My knees nearly gave way.

Kael caught my arm.

"Lara."

I couldn't hear him properly.

The room blurred.

Fire.

Screaming.

My father's voice.

Run, Little Moon.

I gasped.

Clarissa surged forward.

"Stay with me."

"Where..."

My voice barely worked.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was delivered to my lodge last night."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"We don't know."

I turned the photograph over.

Four words stared back at me.

SHE SHOULD HAVE DIED.

My blood turned to ice.

"No."

Kael's hand remained around my arm.

Steady.

Warm.

"Do you remember when this was taken?"

I stared at the photograph.

Smoke.

Fire.

Me.

Five years ago.

"No."

A lie.

Not entirely.

Fragments were returning.

A forest.

My father's hand pushing me forwards.

Someone shouting.

Amber eyes.

Then pain exploded behind my temples.

I cried out.

Kael caught me before I fell.

"Lara!"

The conference room vanished.

For one terrifying instant, I wasn't there anymore.

I was seventeen again.

Running.

Smoke burning my lungs.

My pendant blazing against my skin.

Someone behind me shouting—

"Find the girl!"

Then another voice.

Cold.

Furious.

"She cannot leave with the seal."

The memory shattered.

I came back gasping.

Kael was holding me upright.

His eyes had changed.

His wolf hovered near the surface.

"Lara."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not."

The words were quiet.

Certain.

For some reason, I thought of Mary saying almost the same thing.

I pushed myself upright.

Embarrassment rushed through me.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't usually collapse during conversations."

His expression softened slightly.

"Good to know."

A shaky laugh escaped me.

Then I looked at the photograph again.

The fear returned.

"Someone took this five years ago."

"Yes."

"And they know I'm here."

"Yes."

"And you received it because..."

Kael's jaw tightened.

"Because someone knows what you are to me."

The mate bond.

My stomach dropped.

"Kael."

"I won't let them use you to get to me."

"What if this has nothing to do with you?"

His eyes met mine.

"Then I'll help you find out what it does have to do with."

Something inside me broke open slightly.

Not love.

Not trust.

Not yet.

But perhaps the beginning of both.

Clarissa whispered.

"He's staying."

I looked at him.

At the Alpha I'd known for less than two days.

At the man who should have been a stranger.

Yet somehow didn't feel like one.

"Why?"

Kael frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why help me?"

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then his expression softened.

"Because whether fate chose this bond or not, helping you is still my choice."

I didn't know what to say.

So naturally, Clarissa chose that exact moment to speak.

"I love him."

My eyes widened.

"Clarissa!"

"What? I said it to you, not him."

I nearly laughed.

Kael looked confused.

"Everything all right?"

"Fine."

He clearly didn't believe me.

Good.

At least we were even.

After a moment, he picked up the photograph.

"We should discuss this somewhere private."

"Not today."

He paused.

I expected resistance.

Instead—

"All right."

I blinked.

"Really?"

"Lara, I'm beginning to think you expect me to argue with everything you say."

"I've known several Alphas."

"Ah."

Understanding entered his expression.

"I see."

Something about those two words made me uncomfortable.

Not because he sounded offended.

Because he sounded sad.

Kael slipped the photograph back into his jacket.

"Then we'll discuss it when you're ready."

"Thank you."

He nodded.

Then his expression shifted.

Lighter.

"I believe I still owe you coffee."

I stared at him.

"After all that?"

"Especially after all that."

A laugh escaped me.

"Tomorrow evening?"

"Unless you've changed your mind."

Everything in my life seemed to be changing.

My past was returning.

Someone was watching me.

My pendant apparently belonged to something I didn't understand.

A photograph from the worst night of my life had appeared after five years.

And somehow...

The thought of sitting across from Kael over coffee didn't frighten me.

It felt like one tiny piece of normality I wasn't ready to surrender.

"It would be nice."

Kael smiled.

Warm.

Genuine.

"Then it's a plan."

He started towards the door.

"Kael?"

He turned.

"Yes?"

"About the wolf."

His expression hardened.

"What about him?"

"If you know who he might be..."

I tightened my grip on the folder.

"...should I be afraid?"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

That was answer enough.

Finally, he said, "Don't go into the forest alone."

A chill ran through me.

"That's not reassuring."

"It wasn't meant to be."

Then he left.

Clarissa gave a long, satisfied sigh.

"Coffee with our mate."

I stared at the closed door.

"Did you miss the part about the murderous stalkers?"

"No."

"The mysterious pendant?"

"No."

"The wolf outside our house?"

"No."

"The photograph saying I should be dead?"

"I heard all of it."

"And you're thinking about coffee?"

"Life requires balance."

I shook my head.

But a smile betrayed me anyway.

Across the city, Alpha Celeste Arden stepped into the back seat of a waiting vehicle.

"Drive."

Her Beta glanced at her through the mirror.

"Back to Frost Hollow?"

"No."

He frowned.

"Then where?"

Celeste looked through the rain-streaked window towards Blackwood Enterprises.

Her hands were trembling.

She hadn't seen that symbol in nearly twenty years.

Not since the old families had sworn never to speak of it again.

The Silver Moon.

The seal of a bloodline that was supposed to have ended in fire.

But the girl upstairs had touched her chest the instant Kael placed the pendant on the table.

Celeste had seen the movement.

More importantly—

she had seen the girl's face.

The eyes.

Gods.

Those eyes.

She looked exactly like her mother.

"Alpha?"

Celeste pulled out her phone.

There was one person she needed to speak to.

One person who might know whether what she'd seen was possible.

The call rang twice.

Then a man answered.

"Celeste."

His voice was wary.

"You shouldn't be calling me."

"I saw her."

Silence.

"What?"

Celeste closed her eyes.

"The girl."

Another silence.

Longer.

"That's impossible."

"I thought so too."

"Where?"

"Blackwood territory."

"Are you certain?"

Celeste thought of Lara's blue eyes.

The silver chain disappearing beneath her blouse.

Kael Nightshade watching her with unmistakable interest.

"I'm certain."

The man breathed out slowly.

"Does Blackwood know?"

"I think he always knew."

That possibility frightened her most.

"And Nightshade?"

"He knows something."

"How much?"

"Not enough."

"Keep it that way."

Celeste's expression hardened.

"You don't understand."

"What?"

"She's his mate."

The line went completely silent.

Then—

"No."

"Yes."

A curse came through the phone.

Celeste looked towards the dark clouds gathering over the mountains.

"What do we do?"

The answer came quietly.

"We find out what she remembers."

"And if she remembers everything?"

The man didn't answer for several seconds.

When he finally spoke, his voice had changed.

"Then pray she never learns who betrayed her family."

The call ended.

Celeste lowered the phone.

Rain continued to fall.

Soft.

Steady.

Almost peaceful.

But peace was an illusion.

Five years ago, someone had tried to erase an entire bloodline.

They had failed.

Lara Moon was alive.

The Silver Moon had returned.

And soon...

everyone who had helped bury the truth would have to choose a side.