"I am confused. Why would you want to help me?" Kasia demanded. "Why are you the one who has to be my advocate? Why not Janet?"
She glanced at the closed door behind her, remembering how just moments before, Janet had warned her that people would be watching her every move. Trust didn't come easily to Kasia, especially now when the stakes were higher than ever.
Lily's eyes softened, her gaze searching Kasia's face. "Janet is not a Luna. She wouldn't be able to relate to your unique situation the way I can."
"Unique situation?" Kasia echoed, her confusion only deepening. "Wait, were you human too?"
Lily laughed softly, shaking her head. "No, I've never been human. But as a red wolf myself, I understand how overwhelming this information can be."
Kasia's brow furrowed in confusion. She felt like she was missing a crucial piece of information. "Okay. I have no idea what you're talking about. What does being a red wolf have to do with anything? What even is that? Are you sure you are not confusing me with someone else?" Her frustration was evident in her tone.
Lily looked at her with surprise evident on her face. "Wait, did no one tell you?" she asked.
Tell me what? Kasia thought, her impatience growing by the second. She couldn't stand it, not knowing what everyone else seemed to be privy to. "Tell me what?" she demanded. "What are you talking about?"
"You're a red wolf," Lily said gently, as if revealing some long-held secret. "It means that the Moon Goddess has blessed you."
Kasia's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Blessed by the Moon Goddess? It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. And why would she even do that? She used to be a Hunter. Why would the goddess of the very creatures she hunted bless her?
Kasia took a breath to calm her nerves before reaching out to Deva. 'Deva, do you know anything about this? Is she telling the truth?' she asked.
Deva remained silent for a moment before responding with an intrigued tone. 'I can't say whether she's lying or not, but red wolves- I never met any while I was alive. They had died out during the last war with the Hunters,' Deva explained.
"Are you sure? How do you even know?" Kasia asked Lily, studying her intently.
"I knew as soon as I saw you. Red wolves have an aura about them, and you have that aura," Lily replied with certainty. "You, Kasia Thorne, are a red wolf and part of a rare and powerful lineage."
Kasia felt a shiver run through her, unsure if she should be elated or terrified by this revelation. She needed to know more. "Tell me everything," she insisted as she sat down next to Lily.
Lily took a deep breath, relieved that Kasia wasn't resisting the truth, as Janet had wanted her to know ahead of time that Kasia could be stubborn. "There were three ancient bloodlines: one for Lycans, one for werewolves, and one for werefelines. What makes us special is that we are connected to the spirit realm and the Moon Goddess. We even sometimes have special abilities."
"Like what?" Kasia interrupted, her curiosity piqued.
"Every red wolf is different, but some can communicate with spirits, others possess enhanced strength or speed, and some even have the ability to control the elements," Lily explained. "But our gifts also made us targets. Hunters, with the help of vampires, tried to wipe us out during the last war, hoping to weaken our kind. Their plan ultimately failed, but the cost was devastating. Eventually, only one bloodline remained- my bloodline."
Kasia's mind reeled as she tried to process everything Lily had said. Her thoughts turned to Ethan, and she couldn't help but ask, "That doesn't explain why Ethan wants to keep me hidden."
"But it does," Lily insisted. "When it was revealed that I was a red wolf, the council immediately tried to marry me off to the strongest wolf, even going as far as removing my mate's mark from me. All of it was a ploy by a traitor working with the Hunters to get a hold of me. A lot of innocent people died that day." She looked at Kasia with a mix of sadness and determination in her eyes. "Because of this, Alpha King Ethan does not want to reveal your true identity yet. It would put your life in danger, so please, you can't shift until everything is resolved."
'This is bullshit,' Deva growled.
'Do you want to risk it because I sure as hell don't want to?' Kasia responded.
Deva continued to growl within her; however,
Even though Deva was frustrated and angry, she understood why Lily had asked that of them. They were only lucky when they first transformed that Kasia ran away from the pack without revealing their identity. Deva knew they had no choice but to trust Ethan and Lily for now.
"We will need to work on your ability to talk to your wolf without it being too obvious," Lily added.
"Is it that obvious?" Kasia asked.
Lily nodded and said, "Try to think of it as just thinking. You don't need to say anything aloud."
Kasia nodded, and Deva spoke up again, 'Something is not adding up about this.'
'What do you mean?' Kasia asked.
'If she's the last one, how are we one?' Deva responded.
Kasia frowned and said, "Deva made a good point right now. If all the red wolves are dead except for you, how am I one?"
Lily shrugged, her own confusion evident. "I can't answer that for you. Just like we don't know exactly how you, as a human, became a Lycan? We may never really know, and I don't think it would be smart to solely focus on that right now. The Moon Goddess has her reasons, and perhaps the truth is not ready to be revealed just yet. What we need to focus on now is getting you through the Luna training."