THE SILVER MOON PACK

Chapter 6

For a few seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the frantic pounding of my own heart as I stood frozen in the middle of the training grounds, staring at my trembling hands while a strange warmth spread through my veins like something ancient had finally awakened inside me after years of being asleep.

"Kate?"

Xander's voice sounded distant, almost as though he were standing miles away from me, and when I finally lifted my head to look at him, I saw the concern written clearly across his face.

"I don't know what's happening," I whispered, taking a shaky breath as I tried to control the strange energy moving through my body. "I can feel her again."

"Your wolf?"

I nodded slowly.

"Luna."

For the first time since my rejection, I could feel her presence clearly inside my mind, and unlike the weak, distant feeling I had experienced before, she felt stronger than ever, almost as though she had been waiting for this exact moment to reveal herself.

Kate, listen to me carefully.

Her voice echoed through my mind, calm but powerful.

You cannot trust him.

My eyes immediately moved toward my former mate.

He was standing several feet away from me, his expression filled with something I couldn't understand.

Fear.

He was afraid.

But why?

"What did she say?" Xander asked quietly.

I swallowed.

"She said I can't trust him."

My former mate took a step forward.

"Kate, please, you need to listen to me."

"No."

The word came out stronger than I expected.

He stopped.

"I listened to you four days ago," I continued, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. "I stood there while you looked me in the eyes and rejected me in front of everyone, and then you walked away with the person who was supposed to be my best friend, so forgive me if I don't suddenly believe everything you're saying now."

Sally lowered her head.

"Kate, I know you're angry, but—"

"Angry?"

I laughed bitterly.

"You have no idea what I feel."

She looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at her.

For four days, I had imagined hearing those words from her, and yet now that they were finally being spoken, they didn't bring me the relief I thought they would.

"You're sorry?"

"Yes."

"You weren't sorry when you stood beside him."

Sally's lips trembled.

"I was confused."

"You knew he was my mate."

"I know."

"You knew I loved him."

"I know."

"And you still chose him."

She looked away.

"I didn't choose him."

My former mate suddenly interrupted.

"It wasn't her decision."

I stared at him.

"Then whose decision was it?"

He hesitated.

"My father's."

The silence that followed felt heavier than anything I had ever experienced.

"What does your father have to do with my rejection?"

He looked at me as though he was trying to decide whether telling me the truth would put me in greater danger.

"Everything."

Xander stepped forward.

"Start talking."

My former mate looked at him with irritation.

"This doesn't concern you."

Xander's eyes hardened.

"She's my friend, so whatever concerns her concerns me."

Something flashed across my former mate's face, but he quickly turned his attention back to me.

"Kate, your rejection was ordered because your existence threatens the Alpha bloodline."

I stared at him, completely confused.

"What does that even mean?"

"You aren't who you think you are."

I shook my head.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but nobody is actually explaining anything."

He took a deep breath.

"Your mother isn't your biological mother."

My entire body went numb.

"What?"

"Kate..."

"No."

I stepped backward.

"No, you're lying."

My mother had raised me my entire life.

She had been there when I was sick, when I was afraid, when I had my first shift, when I came home crying after my first training injury.

She was my mother.

She had to be.

"You're lying," I repeated.

He shook his head.

"I wish I were."

I looked toward Xander.

He seemed just as shocked as I was.

"How do you know this?" Xander asked.

"My father told me."

"And why would your father know anything about Kate's family?"

My former mate didn't answer immediately.

Then he looked directly into my eyes.

"Because your real parents were members of the Moon Bloodline."

The words sent a chill through me.

I had heard stories about the Moon Bloodline when I was younger, stories that the elders always dismissed as ancient legends about wolves who possessed abilities far beyond ordinary werewolves.

"They don't exist," I whispered.

"They did."

"Where are they now?"

His expression darkened.

"Dead."

I felt the world spinning around me.

"How?"

He looked toward the forest.

"They were killed."

"By whom?"

Before he could answer, Luna spoke again.

Don't let him tell you everything.

I closed my eyes.

"Luna, what are you hiding from me?"

For a moment, there was silence.

Then I felt something warm against my heart.

I'm not hiding anything from you. I'm protecting you from the memories you aren't ready to remember.

"What memories?"

The night your parents died.

I gasped.

A sudden image flashed through my mind.

Fire.

Screaming.

Blood covering the ground.

A woman holding a small child.

A man standing in front of them with glowing silver eyes.

Then everything disappeared.

I fell to my knees.

"Kate!"

Xander caught me before I hit the ground.

"What did you see?"

I couldn't answer.

I was shaking too badly.

"I saw..."

I swallowed.

"My parents."

My former mate's expression changed.

"You remembered?"

"You knew?"

He didn't answer.

"You knew!"

My voice echoed across the training grounds.

"You knew something about my parents and you still rejected me without telling me?"

"I didn't have a choice!"

"You always have a choice!"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"By breaking my heart?"

He looked at me helplessly.

"Yes."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"That makes absolutely no sense."

He stepped closer.

"My father believes your bloodline is dangerous, and when he discovered that you had awakened your wolf, he ordered me to reject you before your powers fully developed."

I looked down at my hands.

"Why?"

"Because if the Moon Bloodline awakens completely, you could become stronger than the Alpha."

Xander's expression changed.

"And that's what this is about."

My former mate nodded.

"Yes."

I suddenly understood.

The rejection.

The silence from Luna.

Sally.

Everything.

It wasn't random.

Someone had been manipulating my life.

Someone had been afraid of what I could become.

And my wolf had been silent because she had been protecting me from them.

I slowly stood up.

"Where is your father?"

My former mate frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I want answers."

"You don't understand what you're dealing with."

"Then explain it."

He looked at me for several seconds before finally speaking.

"My father knows your wolf has awakened."

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

"How?"

"Because he felt it."

I looked toward the forest.

Suddenly, Luna growled inside my head.

Kate.

"What?"

He's here.

My blood ran cold.

"Who?"

Before Luna could answer, a deep voice echoed from the edge of the forest.

"Finally."

Everyone turned.

A tall man slowly stepped out from between the trees, surrounded by several armed warriors.

His eyes were glowing silver.

My former mate immediately lowered his head.

"Father."

The man's gaze moved past his son and landed directly on me.

He smiled.

Not kindly.

Not warmly.

But like a man who had finally found something he had been searching for his entire life.

"So," he said quietly, "the Moon Blood Princess has finally awakened."

My heart stopped.

Princess?

I looked at Xander.

Then at my former mate.

Then back at the strange Alpha standing before me.