49 : His Apology

ELIJAH

My brain feels like mush on hearing what Rayn just said. Rena, the quiet girl I thought was just a human orphan, turns out to be Alpha Valentino's daughter, a powerful she-wolf no less! But that news fades next to the knot twisting in my gut.

I never had an issue with what her rank was. But there is one thing I need to confirm.

I can't hold it in any longer. "If Verena's the true heir," I fire at Rayn, heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs, "why doesn't she have a wolf yet?"

Rayn looks calm as he answers smoothly. "Our family's shifters are special. The wolves we have are blessed by the Goddess, giving us unique powers. We don't shift like regular werewolves. For Valentino bloodlines, the shift usually happens after the age of twenty, sometimes even thirty. It all depends on the kind of wolf waiting to come out of us."

A cold dread washes over me. My body stiffens, every muscle locked tight with worry. I force out the next question, voice barely a whisper. "What ar