Caitlyn's POV
By the time the car came to a stop, a crowd had already gathered, and the cacophony of footsteps outside the car window made me nervous.
My anxiety heightened when I noticed an old man with gray hair standing at the front of the car, wearing a smile.
"Grandpa," Zed nodded encouragingly at me, taking the lead by pulling open the car door and stepping out. The old man, Azir, patted Zed's shoulder and flashed a pleased smile.
"Good boy, it feels like it's only been a while since I've seen you. Why have you become handsome again? You really are becoming more and more like me. Good."
As I sat in the car, observing Zed's back, I could sense his awkward expression.
"By the way, where's my surprise?" Azir inquired, padding over Zed toward the car.
"Grandpa," Zed tensed instantly, ready to block the old man's movements, but I stepped out of the car first.
"Hello." Although the old man seemed kind, I felt an inexplicable cordiality, yet I remained uncomfortable about calling him grandpa.
"Good, Zed. You chose a great mate." Azir stood in front of me, scrutinizing for a while, then stroked his beard, nodding in relief.
Azir's demeanor quickly influenced the surrounding members of the pack, and an enthusiastic cheer erupted from the crowd.
It was then that I noticed several men standing around, and the buildings, which had appeared imposing from the car, seemed even more grand upon closer inspection. Despite their dilapidated appearance, they held echoes of the pack's former glory.
"Grandpa, you've got it wrong. She's not my mate but Gwen's daughter, Caitlyn." Zed chuckled with a bitter smile.
Azir's smile faded momentarily at the mention of my mother's name. He gazed at me, and his eyes became complicated. Then, he beckoned towards me, offering a small, curt, and gentle smile.
"Caitlyn, welcome to Fullmoon Pack; this is your home now."
"Well, hello Grandpa."
Reconfirming my identity, I bowed my head towards Azir. Initially, I thought I would feel indifferent to the sudden appearance of a grandfather.
However, when he stood in front of me, I felt my heart instantly set ablaze; perhaps this is the connection between bloodlines.
"Well, it's good to be back. You've must suffer a lot all these years."
Azir smiled gratefully upon seeing me like this, his eyes covered in tenderness and occasionally revealing a hint of guilt.
"Grandpa, you don't know, Caitlyn has similarly awakened her werewolf abilities and is even more powerful than me when she explodes. With her back this time, I'll see who dares to be reckless."
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Zed couldn't help but step forward and break the silence.
"Yes?"
Azir looked at me with some surprise.
"Well, Zed is half right. I can indeed transform into a wolf even now, but I don't know the method of transformation and don't have good control over the power."
I looked up at Azir with a bitter smile.
"It's okay. Now that you're back, there's definitely a way we can help you with that."
Originally, I thought my confession would disappoint Azir a bit, but to my surprise, he remained the same, always looking at me with a smile on his face.
"Come on, let me introduce you. This is your uncle, Ornn."
Azir paused for a moment, then took my hand and walked towards the group, pointing to a strong werewolf.
The strong werewolf appeared a bit chubby, with a gentle smile on his face, giving the impression of a peaceful, wealthy merchant. However, he exuded great presence, and I feared that if Bard stood in front of him, he would look like a high school student who hadn't even graduated yet.
"Hello."
Ornn, seeing Azir mention himself, greeted me with a weird look.
"Caitlyn, right? I'm also your uncle, Kayn. Welcome back."
Just then, a cold-faced werewolf stepped forward, exuding ferocity but making an effort to maintain a gentle demeanor as he extended his hand towards me.
"Well, hello." I gently shook Kayn's hand and nodded politely. However, as I looked at the two people in front of me, I recalled what Zed had mentioned earlier— that they were quietly splitting the Fullmoon Pack in the shadows.
"Caitlyn's return today is a great joy for our pack; she'll be a member of our pack from now on," Azir announced without seeming to notice anything unusual about Kayn's behavior.
He then turned towards the surroundings to loudly proclaim my return. "Congratulations! This is another great blessing for our Fullmoon Pack!"
"Looks like our pack's revival is in sight! I heard that Caitlyn is Gwen's child. I wonder if she's also awakened her abilities?"
There was a lot of chatter among the clansmen, but it was evident that my arrival was welcomed by the group.
"I announce that from now on, Caitlyn is a member of our Fullmoon Pack!" Zed first glanced at me, then walked to the front of the stage and loudly proclaimed to the crowd.
The crowd erupted into an amazing ovation, with smiles on everyone's faces.
I was caught up in the atmosphere before me and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as my previous fears of not being accepted dissipated in this moment.
"Alpha, Caitlyn's return is indeed a joyous occasion, but would it be too soon for her to join our pack? After all, our clan has to maintain a pure bloodline. Wouldn't a human without any abilities coming in be a joke to the other clans?"
Just then, a girl in a short red dress stood up. She had an appealing figure, and her white breasts trembled as she spoke, capturing the attention of many clansmen for a while.
"She's Kayn's daughter, Karma," Zed whispered as he stood beside me.
"Or does Caitlyn not belong any pack at all now, just a rogue?" Karma looked at me with a contemptuous smile.