The Heart’s True Home

Ember Celeste Frost's POV

"What! Who was foolish enough to reject my daughter?" My father thundered, his voice booming through the room.

My mother slid closer to me, wrapping me in a gentle hug. In her arms, I felt safe and warm, forgetting for a moment my predicament. "It's okay, child. You don't have to trouble yourself with those memories anymore. You're free now, and you're free to choose someone else you like," she whispered, her voice soothing my aching heart.

"I started to feel a little better from her comforting presence. Wiping away my tears with the back of my hand, I tried to act nonchalant and quickly changed the topic. “Could you guys stay with me today? I feel lonely when you're all out.”

“We had some important things to take care of, but they’ve been sorted out now.

However, you, my dear, need to learn how to manage these situations on your own moving forward," my father said, his tone both steady and gentle.

I snuggled into my mother’s arms, completely at ease. Owen’s rejection still stung whenever it crossed my mind, but if he hadn’t rejected me, I wouldn’t have found my true parents. I had a wonderful adoptive family, Rowan, Selene, and Klaus, along with kind friends. Currently, I shouldn’t be greedy, just content, but I needed clarity on something. "Why am I wolf-less?" I asked.

My father gazed at me with a smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "This is one of our traits before we fully become wolves. We start like humans, weak and powerless. That’s also why we couldn’t find you when you went missing," he explained.

"That faithful day, the rain was heavy, and your usual lavender scent was barely there. "We couldn’t track you down," my mother said, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. I quickly redirected her focus. "But how did I go missing?"

"There was this jerk who wanted to overthrow me as Lycan King but couldn’t do it alone. He needed leverage, so he kidnapped you and threatened us to surrender," my father said, his jaw tightening. "The moment I noticed you were gone, I tracked him down and beat him half to death until he spilt where he’d hidden you. He claimed it was that same forest, but we searched every day and found nothing. We always feared he’d killed you and lied to us."

Wow, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined such a dramatic background. It also explained why a human like me ended up in a werewolf pack. But I pressed on, "I’m still wolf-less. When will I become a powerful werewolf like you both? I’ve been weak for eighteen years now."

"It won’t be long," my mother said, patting my hand. "The transition for Lycan werewolves is slow."

"Yes, your mother’s right. It's a gradual process," my father added. "It usually begins at twenty and lasts until twenty-one. Your wolf should fully awaken by then." This news made me beam with excitement. Even in my dreams, I’d longed for my own wolf; that must feel wonderful.

My mother smiled and patted my head. "My dear, this isn’t something that happens in a rush. After your wolf awakens, we’ll officially start training you. You will become exceptional, just like your father."

"That’s right, sweetheart. You will be my successor to the Lycan throne. You will be the greatest ever," my father said, his dark blue eyes tender yet determined.

I stared at him, incredulous. "Me? Do you really believe I can achieve this?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. You’re the only child your mother and I have. "You're free to do as you please," he replied. "But I have a little request," I said quietly.

"Tell your father what you want; he can fulfil every wish," he said proudly. His attitude and firm promise filled me with joy. So this is what it felt like to be with my real parents; I could even make silly requests. I snuggled into my mother’s arm, acting a bit coquettish, something I couldn’t do with my adoptive family in the past eighteen years.

"Can you show me your wolf? I want to see what it looks like," I asked.

"Yes, of course, that’s not a big deal, but first you need to recover fully," my father said, patting my head and flashing a wide, toothy smile.

"Where did your adoptive parents say they found you?" my mother asked.

I pointed to the approximate spot in the forest. I felt lucky to have met my adoptive parents, who loved me, and now my biological parents. "I actually went there several times to look for you, but I couldn’t find you," my mother murmured, tears starting again.

"It’s alright. Let’s forget all that now; it’s in the past," I said, hugging her and gently wiping her tears. "Our hearts will always be united; we’ll never be separated again."

"You certainly had wonderful adoptive parents. You should be grateful, and we must compensate them for taking excellent care of you. If not for them, some wild beast might have eaten you, and we wouldn’t have this day to reunite," my mother said.

"Okay, sweetheart, you should rest now. Your injuries are severe, and you need to recover quickly so we can start training when you’re better," my father said. They both tucked me into bed, then turned to leave. Just as my father reached for the door, I stopped him. They turned back, puzzled. "Father, are you really sure I can be the Lycan Queen?"

He smiled confidently. "Of course! You will be the greatest of all kings and queens."

Sleepiness washed over me. I stopped fighting it and closed my eyes. I never expected such beauty to come from my miserable life, and now, I must do everything to protect it at all costs.