My mum took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting the weight of the secrets she was about to reveal to me. I breathed heavily as if I had known the magnitude of the impediment.
"The upcoming sports competition holds more than meets the eye. Alpha Jason has motives beyond the pack's success. He's entangled in a complex web of power and alliances that may not serve the best interests of the pack," My mum spoke.
My eyes widened with surprise. "Jason? What do you mean, Mum? He's our alpha, our leader. Why would he have such motives?"
"Amaya, Alpha Jason is driven by ambitions that go beyond the well-being of the pack. Be cautious and trust your instincts," Mum warned me.
I was still digesting my mum's words when she widened her eyes and said,
"There's another secret, Amaya, one that I have kept from you to protect you."
My gaze locked with my mother, a mix of anticipation and apprehension in my eyes. "What secret, Mum? You can tell me anything." Before she talked, I brainstormed on why my mum could keep a secret just to protect me.
My mum took another deep breath, the magnitude of the revelation evident in her every word. "The reason I was sold out to the rogues, the reason I was targeted, was because of you, Amaya," She landed looking into my eyes.
"Because of me? How, Mum?" I inquired, sitting well on the chair for more details.
"Because of your abilities, Amaya!" My mum said. I laughed. "Mum, I don't even have a wolf or a beast like you. How come the abilities?" I spread my hands in the air and asked.
I gasped as though I was not the one she was referring to here. Shocked. Sad. Happy. Curious. All were happening to me simultaneously like a thunderclap.
My mum's voice wavered with a mixture of regret and pain. "Your abilities, Amaya, are extraordinary. The power you possess is beyond anything our pack has seen before. Some would exploit that power for their gain, and I became a target because of my connection to you."
Not that I doubted her, but I doubted myself. I checked my body. Maybe I could feel any abilities, but nothing except for the heavy sound of my heartbeat. And I doubt if that was an ability.
"Mum, I am lost. Please explain more!" I said to her in confusion. She smiled at me - a gesture of telling me to calm down.
"Have you ever been chased by the black rogues?" My mum asked, tilting her head up.
"Oh, yes, Mum. Isn't that the handwork of Aurora?" I asked her and swung my head expectantly.
"No! Your father is in charge of that, and under him is Alpha Jason who is doing all things to make you his mate so that he can make wise use of your ability," My mum said, my heart burning as though I was shot a silver bullet. I widened my eyes. Now I know why that liar was chasing after me.
"My father? But why?" I glistened.
"After I divorced your father, he got married to Aurora, my best friend. Aurora orchestrated my kidnap and your father sold me out to Aya's father so that I could be far away from you," My mum added.
"Mum, what are we going to do? I am confused!" I said to her. She held my hands, and said,
"Amaya, I didn't want you to be burdened with the knowledge of the dangers that lurked in the shadows. But it's time for you to know the truth. We need to stay focused and fight your father," She added.
I hummed and felt a tumultuous mix of emotions inside of me.
"What do we do now, Mum? How do we face this threat together?" I asked.
My mum reached out, cupping my face with both hands, and reassured me,
"We face it with strength, resilience, and the unwavering bond that ties us together. No matter what challenges lie ahead, we will confront them as a family."
A knock on the door pulled us out of the emotions. Alpha Brian walked into the office with Jason by his side.
"You can excuse us, Amaya. Alpha Brian needs to see me!" My mum said. I stood up and greeted Alpha Brian. I spared Jason an unfriendly gaze and hissed at him. Just as I stepped out of my mum's office, the door slammed shut.
I walked out of the place, lost in thought over what my mum told me some minutes ago. Does that mean I have the same abilities as my mum? My mum said my abilities were more than what any werewolf or Lycan could ever imagine, yet I had no wolf. Isn't that fascinating?
Cars started passing by as students from different schools were shipping in like ants. I saw them singing, drumming, and dancing at my school. They passed by me, mocking my school playfully as I was still on my school's game wear. The international sports contest was in a few days, and students had started to lodge in our cabins just like the ones that just arrived. I shook my head and smiled at their mockery. At the same time, I felt a hush in my belly, a challenge that I needed to make my school proud.
As I neared the clearing where Jeremy usually spent his evenings, a sudden sensation of panic prickled at the edges of my consciousness. I paused, my senses on high alert, and fear grabbed me like a parasite. I was about to turn around when a whisper of movements reached my ears.