Chapter 497

I laughed. Because that was ridiculous. I would have remembered Garith was my grandfather. My dad talked about him enough. “Come on,” I said, handing him my phone, and he clicked the email. His eyes darted back and forth over the screen as he read.

My dad just shook his head and looked at me. “Are you sure you heard the name Garith?”

I nodded. “I’m sure.” I pulled my phone back out. “Rick found this.”

“This can’t be real,” my dad whispered. “My father was killed by the King.”

Thoth shook his head. “No, he wasn’t.” My father’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”

Thoth sighed. “The old king had convened the council by the time your father was acting out. He was sentenced to death, but it was the council’s duty to enforce it.”

I looked around the room. I saw many unfamiliar faces. “Nix, go to Loki and ask if I can use magic in front of everyone here.” Nix left as my father continued staring at the phone.

“The council?” Toya’s father turned to Thoth, who nodded. “They seem to be popping up more and more.”

Nix returned. Loki said yes; he had performed magic in front of everyone there.

I stood. “Grandma, I need you. I have questions.”

Everyone else stopped talking and turned to me. “What is she talking about?” someone whispered.

But I spun around when I heard a soft, “Oh.”

“Grandma,” I said, facing her as she looked around the room.

“Well then,” she sighed, her eyes meeting mine. “By the look on your da’s face, I can only assume you have a lot of questions for me.”

“Who the fuck is that?” one of the Alphas whispered, and I laughed. Because what else could I do?

I faced the seated men. “As you know, my father has magic, stemming from his parentage. As I assume you all know, his mother, my actual grandmother, was a daughter of the first family, the first line of wolves. What you probably didn’t know is that the first wolf was the son of a witch. A powerful line that settled in the area years before anyone else. The three-faced goddess couldn’t save her son, so the moon goddess did. But his father…Garith, is the son of a witch who fell in love with a wolf.” I turned to my grandmother. “This is his mother.”

“The witch?”

My grandmother smiled. “Yes, that’s me.” She reached out to cup my face. “How are you, my love?”

“Confused,” I smiled, raising my hand to hers. I couldn’t feel her, but I closed my eyes and pretended.

“That’s okay. Being confused just means you don’t have all the information.” Her voice was soft, and I nodded.

“Exactly.” I opened my eyes.

“Garith…”

I watched her eyes flash as she inhaled deeply. Then she turned to my dad. “I wanted so much more for you, my boy.” My dad swallowed, his words rising at the end like a question: “He’s dead.”

My grandmother shook her head. “No. He’s not.”

My dad sagged. “How?” His voice was a soft whisper.

My grandmother walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You know how. He has magic, as much as you, even if he didn’t want to accept it.”

There were a few murmurs. “So he used magic to escape,” Thoth growled.

She nodded. “Aye. He’s been manipulating those who follow him like puppets. He was, and still is, a foolish boy.” She turned to me. “He hates you. He hates your father, but he’s focused most of his wrath on you.”

My dad shot up. “Why?”

“Because she is a female who is stronger and smarter than he is. He hates being overshadowed.” She shook her head. “I raised my child to be forgiving, sweet, and loving. But when his wolf emerged, he shifted. His mind became obsessed with the first family, the king, the lycans.”

Thoth snorted. “So this was all because he wasn’t a Lycan?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know why he turned out this way. He was always accepted in this pack, always cared for. But his obsession turned dark, and I knew we couldn’t tell him the truth.”

“The truth?” Alpha Tim questioned.

My dad tilted his head. “That’s why my mother commanded me to never tell him we were the first line.”

My grandmother nodded. “He never loved her. He just wanted the power of this pack. He was focused on finding the first, or some way to trace the power back to the goddess. He never suspected what he sought was right under his nose. Your ma’s father made sure of it.”

The goddess shook her head. “You saved yourself.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Then she turned to the others. “You are all devoted to my path, or the path of my sisters and brothers.” She looked at Toya’s father. “Your daughter has done well and will be rewarded if she survives the final battle.”

He swallowed, instantly alert. “It?”

The goddess gave a sad smile. “I cannot see the future. I just lay the path.”

Thoth shifted, and she turned to face him. “Hiding behind a mask cannot change anything.” His head snapped up.

“Me?” His voice was confused.

She chuckled. “Who else is wearing a mask but you?”

Thoth scratched his head. “No one.”

“Exactly,” she said, leaning down. “You hide yourself to protect yourself, but you’re only keeping yourself away from what could be. You are hiding away, and I am worried you will miss your chance. If you don’t confess the truth—all of it—then you will miss the thing you want most in this world.”

Thoth swallowed. “But what if I mess up again?”

She shrugged. “Then you mess up. But holding back won’t do you any good.”

She turned. “Stay on the path, or don’t. It is up to you all.” Then I was back. I staggered, and Thoth steadied me.

“Are you okay?” His question was soft.

“Yeah,” I said, patting his hand. A spark jumped between our skin. I furrowed my brow, pulling away. I turned back to the others. “So I’m sure you have questions.” My smile was forced.

The others stared. “That was the goddess,” Alpha Chris said, pale.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Could that have been magic?” Alpha Tim looked at the others, who shrugged.

I exhaled. “Magic can do a lot. I can change my appearance, my voice. But one thing is forbidden.”

My father nodded. “It’s forbidden to imitate a celestial.”

I nodded. “Anyone who pretends to be a goddess will lose their blessings—magic, shifting, anything gifted. Rank, power, aura—all stripped instantly.”

Toya’s father shook his head. “There’s no way that was faked.” He looked at the others. “I’ve felt the moon goddess before. I know you have too.” The others nodded. “Tell me that what you felt was not the goddess.”

Tim looked away. “She felt like the goddess, but I just wanted to offer an explanation.”

I nodded. “That’s fair. But I want to ask a question.” I tilted my head.

He met my gaze and nodded. “Okay.”

“Since you’ve been in this office, you and a few others seem almost against my father,” I said, everyone’s attention snapping to me. “He saved your packs from death, provided homes, welcomed you into his confidence while giving you the dignity and reverence due an alpha. When there was another attack, he took you to our sacred meeting place, somewhere no one outside our pack has ever been. Yet you still question him. Why?”

The question hung in the air. Alpha Tim looked at the others. “It’s not like that?” he finally said.

Thoth stood behind me, silently showing his support. “It is like that,” he said, looking around the room. “I’ve met with you multiple times, and every time I see some pushback. When Gavin leaves, there are always murmurs. I bit my tongue because Gavin asked me to, but Amy is right. After everything he’s done for you, for your packs, you still act like this. Why?”

Toya’s father stood and spun on the others. “I’ve kept quiet for peace, but the Macleans have been saviors for my pack. My wolves look up to their example.” He turned to my father and bowed. “I should have spoken sooner.”

“You have Broderick,” my father said, his voice tired.

“I’ve spoken to you about it, yes, but I should have spoken to the others long ago.” He spun to face the men. “You mumble about Gavin taking our power, our pack, but he’s never tried. You mumble about being weak alphas, and you’re correct. We are weak alphas, but that’s not Gavin’s fault.”

I stepped to Toya’s father. “Not weak.” He looked at me with soft eyes. I shook my head. “Never weak alphas. You’re just new. Your packs are small, but we will help you become stronger.”