POV Cassidy
Benji pulled out his phone when I said that I was ready for the truth.
"Elias? It's Benji. We need a family meeting immediately. Cassidy found something that changes everything." He paused, listening. "Her father left letters. About why her parents really left Moon Hollow."
I sat frozen at my kitchen table, Dad's final letter clutched in my trembling hands. The words blurred as tears I refused to shed burned behind my eyes.
Heroes. My parents had been heroes, not deserters. They'd sacrificed everything to protect people who never knew the truth.
"They'll be ready for us," Benji said, ending the call. "Can you handle this?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"There's always a choice. But some choices are harder to live with than others."
The drive to the Muray farmhouse passed in tense silence. I stared out the passenger window, trying to organize thoughts that scattered like leaves in a hurricane. How do you explain that your parents gave up their entire world to save everyone they loved?
The farmhouse appeared through the trees, golden light spilling from every window. They were waiting for us.
Benji parked and squeezed my shoulder. "Remember, they cared about your parents too. This won't change how they see you."
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
The front door opened before we reached the porch. Theo emerged first, concern written across his features as his eyes found mine. Behind him came Stella, then Elias, and finally Xander stepping from the shadows with that unreadable expression I was learning to recognize.
"Cassidy." Theo moved toward me immediately, hands reaching like he wanted to comfort me but wasn't sure if I'd accept it.
Xander remained motionless in the doorway, his eyes tracking every detail of my face. The tension between the brothers crackled through the evening air, but both seemed more focused on my obvious distress than their ongoing conflict.
"Come inside, honey," Stella said gently. "We'll figure this out together."
The living room felt different tonight. Instead of the casual family space I remembered, it had transformed into something more formal.
Elias stood behind his chair like he was preparing for a pack meeting. Stella settled on the couch, leaving space for me beside her. Theo hovered nearby, protective energy radiating from every line of his body.
Xander claimed the corner where shadows gathered, leaning against the wall with deceptive casualness.
"Benji says you found something important," Elias began carefully.
I pulled the letter from my pocket, the paper crumpled from my nervous grip. "My father left this. About why they really left Moon Hollow."
"What does it say?" Stella asked softly.
My hands shook as I unfolded the page. The words seemed heavier now, loaded with implications I was only beginning to understand.
"Should I read it aloud?"
"Please," Elias said.
I cleared my throat and began reading Dad's words aloud, my voice barely above a whisper as I explained how my parents had chosen exile to protect the pack from supernatural dangers in our bloodline. How Ruth Berry had helped them suppress their wolf nature. How they'd sacrificed everything they loved for the safety of others.
My voice cracked when I reached the part about the prophecy that haunts our family line.
The letter fluttered to my lap as silence stretched through the room like a physical weight.
Elias sank into his chair, his face showing stunned recognition. When he spoke, his voice carried deep emotion.
"We always wondered why they decided to leave so suddenly. One day they were here, part of our family, and the next Lydia was willing to sacrifice her life so that the pack would let Kane and you go." His eyes glistened. "We never knew they made such a tremendous sacrifice not only for you but for our protection."
"Kane and Lydia," Stella whispered, wiping tears from her cheeks. "They were beloved pack members. Their decision left everyone heartbroken."
"Instead they saved us," Elias continued, his voice breaking slightly. "They gave up everything. Their home, their nature, their family, their pack bonds. All to protect us from some danger we didn't even know existed."
Theo moved closer, his golden-retriever energy subdued by the weight of revelation. "What does this mean for you now? The supernatural changes you've been experiencing?"
"The binding is breaking down," I explained. "My wolf nature is surfacing because I'm back in Moon Hollow, around other wolves."
"We need Ruth Berry," Elias said firmly. "If she helped create the suppression ritual, she's the only one who can guide you safely through this transition."
From his corner, Xander finally spoke. "What kind of danger requires such drastic measures?"
His voice carried genuine respect for my parents' sacrifice, none of the territorial aggression I'd grown accustomed to hearing between the brothers.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Dad mentioned a prophecy, but he didn't explain what it means."
Elias shook his head. "I don't know either, but I promise you this—we will help you understand your heritage safely. Your parents protected us with the ultimate sacrifice. The least we can do is ensure their daughter finds her place among us."
Stella reached for my hand. "You're not alone in this, sweetheart. You never have to be alone again."
The genuine grief and gratitude radiating from this family overwhelmed me completely. They weren't seeing me as a threat or a complication. They were mourning my parents' sacrifice and welcoming me home.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged somewhere.
"Thank you," I whispered through tears I could no longer hold back. "I didn't know how you'd react."
"Your parents were heroes," Elias said simply. "That makes you family, no matter what prophecy or supernatural danger we're facing."
But even as warmth filled my chest, a chill ran down my spine.
Whatever had driven my parents to such desperate measures was still out there.
And now it was coming for me.