Blood Moon: Lunar Eclipse
Ch17 - Father

Logan

My mother’s words were all I needed to hear to shift.

I paced through the pack house on weighty paws, alerting my Beta’s of the threat.

How had they gotten in undetected?

The first thing I glimpsed upon exiting the pack house was Ariella’s bright red hair, like a beacon alerting me to her location. My mate, mother and Aleksi all stood staring at something I couldn’t quite make out. My first instinct was to attack, but once I felt the triggering aura surrounding my mate, I skidded, landing beside Aleksi.

This intruder wasn’t a rogue.

No.

She was a witch.

I shifted back as I felt Ariella move to my side.

Whoever she was, she was powerful. If I could end this amicably, then I would. A witch as strong as her could curse me or my pack, and I would rather avoid that nuisance at all costs.

Yet, if it came to it, I wouldn’t hesitate to go in for the kill.

Ariella

I almost failed to realise Logan had reached us. The name she spoke rang through my mind like an endless time loop.

Ariella Caldwell.

Was that my real name?

But my name is Redford. My parents are David and Serena. My brothers are Damon and Denzel.

My voice unwillingly cracked as I spoke, “Lies!”

The woman called Sephora stepped closer. Logan and Aleksi growled in warning, yet she didn’t seem at all fazed.

“I am your aunt. Your mother was my sister.”

“Was?” I repeated.

Her face twisted in disdain, “She was murdered.”

“Whatever twisted truth you believe to be real, I promise you it is not!” I began to feel a deep twist in my gut coupled with the desire to regurgitate the entire contents of my dinner.

Part of me wanted to listen to her; the other part didn’t want to hear another word of her falsehoods.

“I am not lying. I can prove it to you,” Sephora extended her arm with a warm smile, inviting me to take her hand.

Logan placed his arm in front of me, “She is not going anywhere near you,” he demanded.

Just then, two wolves stood protectively beside us: Hailey and Ethan. They stood baring their sharp canines, awaiting the orders of their Alpha.

“Huh,” Sephora scoffed, “I would like to see you try and stop me,” she challenged.

Logan parted his lips to reply, but I beat him to it.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” I tested. The twist in my stomach amplified in anticipation.

“Your red hair is a unique colour. I had never known anyone other than my sister to have the same,” she said as though reminiscing over painful yet loving memories.

I thought about it for a moment. No one in my family had hair like mine.

Could it be? Why would my parents hide that from me?

I vigorously shook my head, shaking the questionable thoughts from my mind. I couldn’t believe her based on that alone. Deep down, I didn’t want to acknowledge that what she said could be true.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” I snapped.

“Have you felt things, seen things that you can’t quite explain? Sensed emotions so strong it felt as though something long-hidden activated inside you?” she asked.

There was silence.

Logan turned to face me, his eyes filled with concern.

“Ariella?” he questioned, as though worried about what my answer might be.

“The night the rogue attacked me, I thought I saw something, better yet, felt something,” I confirmed, facing Logan.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, somewhat hurt by my secrecy.

“I thought it was something I conjured up because I nearly died. You had so much going on with your father and Fenrir…” I was interrupted by a resonant voice laced with anger and disgust.

“Fenrir,” Sephora repeated in a tone that seemed much more baritone than her own.

“You know him?” as I spoke, all attention was on Sephora.

“Oh, I more than know him,” she spat in a low voice that was almost difficult to hear.

“We don’t have long until you become a danger to not only yourself but to those around you Ariella,” Sephora spoke, disregarding my previous question.

“What are you talking about? What danger?” I said, perplexed.

“We should go inside and talk. Others might be listening,” Sephora warily suggested.

“You are not coming anywhere near our home,” Logan interjected.

Sephora let out a frustrated sigh. “I didn’t want to do this, but as you insist…

“If you don’t let me talk to my niece, then I will knock you all unconscious like those other pathetic wolves you call warriors, and you will never see Ariella again. I have been generous enough to allow you audience, but my patience is waning thin,” she finished.

Logan tensed; I could see his wolf begging to take control.

Is it wrong that I wanted her to finish talking?

Logan needed me right now, so being away from him was not an option. Plus, if she were in the pack house, it would be easier to stop her if she tried anything. Powerful or not, she could not subdue an entire pack alone.

I hope...

“Fine, you can come,” I stated begrudgingly. “But after you argue your point, if I don’t believe you, I want you to turn around and never step foot close to our border again.”

“Fine by me,” she spoke with certainty and poise.

I let out an exasperated yawn as we all made our way to Logan’s office. Noah, who had been informed of the situation by Aleksi, had spare clothes ready for those who had shifted.

Sephora stood in the centre of the room. Everyone stood vigilantly watching her with distrustful eyes.

“I know it is difficult to hear, but you have to believe me Ariella,” Sephora implored, her eyes only trained on me.

I said nothing as I continued to stare. She took this as the opportunity to continue.

“Your mother’s name was Freya Caldwell…”

“My mother’s name is Serena Redford,” I quickly interjected.

Even if what she was saying was true, this Freya Caldwell was only my birth mother. Nothing could take away the fact that Serena raised me as her own.

“Your birth mother,” she corrected, “died almost 21 years ago. It all happened when she found her mate.

“The mate bond blinded Freya from his cruelty; the pull was too strong for her to ignore. He had a diseased mind that she thought she could cure. Eventually, she realised he was just an inherently evil and twisted man, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

“He kept her hostage, concealing her magic within the confines of his compound.”

“Magic?” I interrupted.

“Your mother was a witch, but not just any witch, Ariella. She was a fire witch, and was one of the most powerful wielders I knew; I was an amateur compared to her.

“The day she finally escaped, she was already pregnant with you. Her mate never knew she was with child; if he did, he would never let either of you go. I hid you both for as long as I could, but it wasn’t enough,” a lone tear slid from Sephora’s cheek, her voice slightly broken from reliving sensitive, deep-rooted memories.

“If I really am your niece, why didn’t you take me in?” I guardedly probed.

Sephora took a deep sigh before continuing. “Freya used the last remanence of energy she had to save you. She hid you so no one would be able to replace you, including me.”

“If what you are saying is true, then Ariella was hidden from you too; why should we trust you?” Logan asked, his tone unyielding.

“I had no idea what had happened until I returned home. Freya knew she had little time left, and if she left you, there was a high chance her mate could replace out about you. So she did what she had to.

“I can peer into the last few minutes of life on earth through the eyes of the dead. I used the massacred wolves to observe their last moments alive. That’s how I knew Sephora had been discovered.”

“So you’re telling me that I’m a witch? That my whole life has been based on a lie?” I threw my arms out in disbelief.

“You’re a hybrid. Your mother was a witch and your father a wolf, but not just any wolf…

“An Alpha wolf.”

“That might explain your unusually large wolf,” Noah spoke casually from the side as if this was a frequent topic of conversation.

“He’s right. You are bigger than most females, and based on your human structure, your wolf should be half the size of what it actually is,” Hailey added.

“What pack,” Logan’s voice was stern, and his eyes narrowed.

Sephora peered up from her lashes with hateful eyes as she named the pack responsible…

“The Shadow Pack.”

My heart beat rapidly as my chest constricted, my eyes bulged in disbelief, and words became lodged in my throat. I felt my body slowly lose strength as I tumbled to the side, only to be caught in a firm hold as gentle sparks comforted me.

I hadn’t acknowledged the river of tears blinding my vision until I peered up at Logan.

“He can’t be…” I muttered.

Sephora finished my sentence. Her answer was one that confirmed my worst suspicion...

“Fenrir Valencia is your father.”