Chapter 24

POV Joann

Once Candice had calmed Thea, I stormed to Miss Evens cottage. I was furious, all these years she lived among us. I felt lied to and guilty for not protecting the pack.

I stood at the door debating if I should slam my way through it or knock.

“Do remember she can shift into a five-hundred-pound Lycan.” Grace said.

“True, best to knock.”

Reaching up to knock, before my hand could come in contact with the door it opened.

“We’ll come in then dear.” She stepped aside to let me in.

I hesitated.

“It’s still just me. Just come in and let me explain.” She walked over to her little kitchen island and sat down. Leaving me standing in the doorway. I could feel Grace nudging me forward, so I shut the door and sat across from her.

“I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you a thousand times, but Alpha Marcus insisted it be a secret that only he knew.” She told me.

“My grandfather knew?” I was shocked to say the least.

“Of course, dear, how do you think the pack came upon this piece of land. As a second generation Lycan we were all given a piece of the original territory. Throughout the years I acquired the other deeds. When Alpha Marcus set out to start his own pack, we made a deal. I sold him the land and he let me join the pack and live in peace.” She stated.

“How old are you?” I asked in wonder, trying to do the math in my head.

“I’ll be two hundred and twenty-six next month.”

“All these years and no one noticed?” I said more to myself than her.

“Omega Gavin noticed that little weasel has been trying to find something on me for years.” She said with a laugh. “If his brain were half as big as his ego, he would have figured it out thirty years ago.”

I looked at her over my tea, so many things made sense now. How she knows everything about our history and creation. Has almost every book that’s actually written by our kind. Of course! She’s had hundreds of years to collect information and being second generation, she comes from the first pack.

After a long period of silence. “Why did you leave?” I finally asked.

She looked down at her hands and I could feel how embarrassed she was keeping this all from me. I put my hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

She sighed heavily before responding. “I’m a pure blood Lycan. I know Zandra is a beast, but we are not like them. I don’t feel superior to you. I have no ambition to make werewolves or humans slaves. I cannot stand the taste of your blood. I always knew I didn’t belong with them. I think I was one of the first that Abigail managed to give a human soul.” Tears formed in her eyes.

I pulled her in tight and hugged her. “I’m not even mad that you’re a Lycan.” I told her.

She pulled back whipping the tears from her cheeks. “You’re not?” She asked.

“Absolutely not! But I’m pissed you didn’t tell me.” I felt relief wash over me. I had known Miss Evens my whole life; she has always been there for me.

The events of today shouldn’t make me doubt our friendship or her place with us. She risked everything to save Thea, not knowing what it would cost to reveal herself. She has always been part of our pack and today just reaffirmed that.

She sat up with a jolt. “I know why the Lycans want her and why Braxton was drawn to find her.” She got up haphazardly tossing books aside looking for the right one. Once she found it she kept thumping through pages until she slammed the book down on the table triumphantly. “Selova is the Lunar wolf and Thea destined to be the Queen of all wolves!” She exclaimed.

“How do you know? All the scrips and legends say she will be a white wolf with a black crescent moon that won’t appear until she’s 18, Thea is only 12.” I said questioningly.

“Zandra can see it, or her. I don’t know exactly how to explain it. It’s like she’s a prism and sunbeams of rainbow-colored light shine out of her.” She sat back down moving her hands away from her body trying to imitate what she saw.

“Kissed by the moonlight as they used to say and just to clarify. Zandra is?”

“My wolf or Lycan as it were but she doesn’t like being called a Lycan. She really prefers if I just call her by her name.” She told me. “Yes! It’s like all light comes from her.”

“So do you think that’s how the other’s found out about her?” I asked.

“Absolutely! You couldn’t walk down the same street as her without knowing. If any of them saw her they would instantly know. When you can see her, she just shines.”

“We have no right to keep her here, if she is the Queen. She’s an orphaned rogue, what do we even do about that.” I said to her.

Miss Evens smiled. “I have a solution to that problem. You see WE can’t really do anything about that but thanks to that big heart of yours I do know someone who can.” Her smile getting bigger.

“Ok out with it then.” I nudged.

“Who do we know who’s great with kids, isn’t necessarily on pack territory or bound by pack laws.”

My smile matched hers. “That is a loophole.”

“What about my secret. Cats out of the bag now I guess.” Her eyes returned to her cup.

“Yes, it is but I think Zandra has her own purpose here.” I said with a wink.