POV Cassidy
My hands shook as I tore open the envelope marked with Dad's careful handwriting.
The letter inside was shorter than I'd expected, just one page of his precise script. But as I read the words, my heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
My dearest Cassidy, if you are reading this, then the changes have begun.
There are supernatural dangers in our bloodline that threatened those we loved. Your mother and I chose exile to protect the pack from destruction we might cause. Ruth Berry helped us suppress our wolf nature so we could live as humans, but the binding was never meant to be permanent.
If you are experiencing strange things—marks on your skin, unusual reactions to others, dreams of running on four legs—find Ruth. She lives alone in the woods beyond Miller's Creek. She will help you understand what we sacrificed and why we made the choices we did.
The prophecy that haunts our family line cannot be changed, but perhaps you can forge your own path through it. I pray you find happiness despite the burden we have passed to you.
All my love, Dad.
The letter slipped from my fingers and fluttered to the kitchen floor.
I sank into a chair, my legs suddenly unable to support my weight. Supernatural dangers. Prophecy. Burden. The words echoed in my head like accusations.
"Honey?" June's voice sounded far away. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Worse," I whispered.
Benji abandoned his toolkit and moved to the table, concern etched across his features. "What did it say?"
I pointed at the letter with a trembling finger. "Read it."
Benji picked up the page and scanned it quickly, his expression growing more serious with each line. June read over his shoulder, her face paling.
"Ruth Berry," June breathed. "I remember her. She disappeared into the woods decades ago. Most people think she's dead."
"She's not dead." Benji set the letter down carefully. "She's the pack Seer. Has been for longer than anyone can remember."
"What's a Seer?" I asked.
"Someone who can read the future, interpret prophecies, perform magic that most wolves can't." Benji's voice carried deep respect. "If she helped your parents suppress your wolf nature, she's more powerful than anyone realized."
I stared at my hands, searching for answers that wouldn't come. "What prophecy is he talking about?"
"I don't know, but the Muray family needs to hear about this immediately." Benji's tone turned urgent. "Cassidy, this changes everything. Pack prophecies affect leadership, succession, territorial disputes. You can't keep this secret."
"I'm not ready to tell them."
"Ready or not, they have a right to know." Benji leaned forward, intensity burning in his eyes. "You're connected to both Theo and Xander. Whatever prophecy involves your family line, it probably involves them too."
June nodded agreement. "Benji's right, honey. Secrets like this have a way of exploding at the worst possible moments."
"But what if the prophecy is bad? What if it means something terrible will happen?"
"Then they need to know so they can prepare." Benji's voice gentled slightly. "Look, I've known Theo since we were kids. He's not going to blame you for something your parents did. And Xander, for all his faults, isn't cruel."
I picked up the letter and read it again, hoping the words might change. They didn't.
"Ruth Berry helped them live as humans," I said slowly. "She suppressed their wolf nature. But Dad says the binding wasn't permanent."
"Which explains why your wolf is surfacing now," June observed. "Being back in Moon Hollow, around other wolves, especially potential mates. The magic is breaking down."
"Mates." The word stuck in my throat. "Whatever this is, it’s strong enough that I feel like both of them could be my mate."
"That's not possible," Benji said immediately. "Mate bonds are singular. One wolf, one mate, for life."
"Then why do I feel connected to both of them?"
Benji and June exchanged worried glances.
"That's something the Seer would need to explain," Benji admitted. "But it's another reason you need to tell the Murays everything. If there's supernatural forces at work beyond normal mate bonds, they're in danger too."
I stood up and paced to the kitchen window, staring out at the mountains where Ruth Berry supposedly lived. Somewhere out there was an ancient woman who held answers about my family, my nature, my impossible situation with two brothers.
"The rival pack," I said suddenly. "You mentioned they're planning another challenge."
"Yeah. Why?"
"If there's a prophecy about my bloodline, and I'm connected to the pack succession, wouldn't they want to know about it too?"
The silence that followed my question was deafening.
"Shit," Benji muttered. "You're right. If they find out about you, about any supernatural significance you carry, you become a target."
"Or a weapon," June added grimly.
Terror crawled up my spine. "What do you mean?"
"Pack prophecies usually involve power," Benji explained. "Leadership, territory, magical abilities. If you're central to one, the rival pack might try to kidnap you, force you to work for them, or eliminate you entirely."
"This keeps getting better and better."
June moved to my side and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "That's why you need the Muray family's protection. Whatever's happening to you, you can't face it alone."
I stared at the letter in my hands, Dad's final gift of truth and burden combined. He'd tried to protect me by hiding the supernatural world, but his death had thrust me directly into its center.
"I don't even know what to say to them," I admitted. "How do you tell someone that your family carries some mysterious prophecy that might destroy everything?"
"Honestly," Benji said simply. "Start with the truth and let them help you figure out the rest."
"What if they decide I'm too dangerous to be around?"
"Then they're fools, and you'll find another way." June squeezed my shoulder. "But I don't think that's going to happen. Those boys care about you too much to walk away now."
I looked at the letter one more time, then folded it carefully and slipped it into my pocket.
"Alright." I took a shaky breath. "I'll call them."
"When?" Benji pressed.
"Tonight. After I have time to figure out what to say."
"Don't wait too long," he warned.
I nodded, already dreading the conversation ahead.
What I didn't know was that the worst possible time had already arrived.
Outside my kitchen window, golden eyes watched from the tree line.