Chapter 14

Damien

“Alpha Damien?” Her father asked. “My how you’ve grown! Your wolf must be huge now!” He smiled warmly.

“Alpha Lucian! It has been far too long!” I greeted him, my eyes still watching where she had been.

“Indeed, you were just a pup when I came North to formally arrange this happy union!” I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I know my Katla, she’ll come around to the idea.”

“My Katla,” Sargon growled, bristling at the idea that she was anyone else’s. Now he was just being ridiculous. “Lucien is her father,” I reminded him.

“Alpha Lucian, I must ask, why has she only found out when I have known for years of the arrangement? Is it not unfair to her?”

“Yes and no. She will do what is required out of duty to the pack, but I wanted her to focus on becoming a true leader, devoting herself to that, without distraction. She will understand once she has time to think it over. She always puts the Pack’s needs above her own. It’s why she will be a good leader. She has no interest in self-gain among other reasons that you’ll soon see for yourself.”

“Hmm, but surely she knows she is more than just Iceclaw Alpha? She must.”

“She does not, nor does she need to.”

I felt protective of Katla, and while she may not feel that she needed my protection because she didn’t even know I existed, I didn’t realize how much she didn’t know. “But Lucian, does she not suspect? How can she not know her real birthright and destiny?”

“Damien, I have done what I have done to protect my daughter. She has never been to the North for that purpose, and I have seen to it that she has become strong in her own right, as an Iceclaw. When her mother died, I had the pack’s memories bound, preserving the secret and letting fate decide.”

“Lucian, she is no Alpha. She is so much more than any of us; I see that now. And when she comes North, doesn’t she deserve to know?”

“The agreement is you will stay in the North and she will be in the South. The intention was never for her to cross the Northern boundary.”

Sargon simmered just below the surface,”The agreement needs to change. She needs to be in the North.” I tried to quiet him in my mind and asked, “How is it that this knowledge has been lost?”

“Damien, one day, when you have a pup, you will understand. As for how the knowledge has been lost… it isn’t lost, just… hidden. The only spell that remained after her mother’s death was for memory concealment. The magic has been dwindling for generations and the Goddess’ presence is nearly gone. I alone hold the memory of our history. She is the Iceclaw Alpha, and will serve as your Luna when needed. It is better this way to preserve the alliance.”

I ran my hand through my hair, and sighed, “Doesn’t she have the right to choose for herself?”

“Do you not believe that if she is meant to know, fate will take care of it?”

“Lucien, fate will take care of what she becomes, but does she not have the right to know what she could be? She needs to be able to make a choice for herself and let fate take care of her destiny.”

“I do not disagree with you, Damien, but right now, she must focus on leading Iceclaw. Her duty is to her pack. There is something happening here, just below the surface, but I haven’t been able to fully grasp what.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, “Iceclaw is part of the ancient alliance, and as such, it is protected.”

“Just three days ago, my Beta was killed. This has never happened. More rogues have been at our borders trying to cross to the human lands and we have found several humans, mangled, in our lands. There have been rumors and speculations swirling about leadership since Katla came of age. I am worried for her and for Iceclaw. Something isn’t right:”

“So you think protecting Katla from the truth when the truth is what protects you is what’s best?” I brought the conversation back. My mother had told me she didn’t know, but I didn’t realize how deep the deception had been.

“I love my daughter and she is ready to lead regardless of old myths, but we may need to call upon the alliance to help solve whatever this is that is happening at our edges,” I nodded, but this conversation wasn’t over. Clearly Lucian wasn’t grasping what I was saying. He was betraying the pact by keeping her locked away. She needed to learn her truth from him.

As we looked at one another, fire and ice, I felt my eyes glow at the edges as Sargon pushed forward to meet his wolf. “Our alliance is protected when the wolven queen, heiress of the Moon Goddess, understands her role, as those destined before her. She must return to the North and she must know her birthright,” Sargon pushed.

“We do not know if Katla was the one prophesied, her powers have not manifested,” he stated flatly and without emotion.

“I didn’t believe it either, Lucien, truly. I thought it was a myth, a story passed through generations to help pups understand our collective history and being. But, I can feel her power, and look at this, I’ve never seen this before,” Sargon’s voice said, pushing the hinged black box into his hands. He opened the lid, and despite the dimness of the office, the purple diamond came alive. Lucien gasped and draped the box. The necklace skidded across the floor, shimmering like purple fire. I scooped it up, laid it back in its black, velvety bed, and closed the lid once more.

“It can’t be,” he whispered, “It’s been a millennium, maybe more.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door and his Beta announced it was time for the Council to meet. “I will tell her after the Ceremony,” Lucien said, “And then we will let destiny decide.”

I nodded, happy that my future bride would know her truth. “Until this evening, then,” I said, and we left the office. The guard who had shown me in joined my side and led me to the garden.