Chapter 24

Rosemary

Ethan led me outside to a car, and we drove silently for about 20 minutes. The weight of everything hung heavy between us, the quiet making space for my thoughts to wander. Beyond the lake and away from the pack’s houses, the oracle’s home sat like an island, isolated from the rest of the world. As we walked toward the door, it swung open as though Amber had expected us. She stood there, her expression calm, holding the door for us to enter.

The living room was modest but inviting, with a strange air of ancient wisdom hanging in the corners. I sat down on one of the sofas, feeling the unease settling deep in my bones, while Ethan stood behind me, ever the protector.

“It’s about time we all speak together,” Amber said, her voice steady, her gaze shifting between Ethan and me. Ethan gave her a slight nod, his eyes dark with something unreadable.

Amber skipped the formalities, her demeanor serious. “I know you have many questions, and I’ll answer them in due time, but first, I must tell you your story, Rosemary. Nineteen years ago, I served as the oracle for another pack - your original pack.”

My stomach twisted at her words, and I braced myself for what was coming next.

“I was there when Andromeda attacked,” Amber continued, her voice carrying the weight of the memory. “Your parents… they didn’t care about their own lives. They only cared about you, about keeping you safe. They begged me to protect you during the massacre. I watched as Andromeda’s minions slaughtered everyone. She wiped out your pack from existence. Your parents’ last plea was for me to save you. And so I did.”

I felt a cold chill wash over me, Amber’s words sinking in like stones. My parents had died… because of me. They sacrificed everything for me.

Amber paused, as if giving me a moment to absorb the horror of it. “I knew Andromeda would come for you next, so I made the decision to erase your memories and place your wolf under a sleeping spell. I left you to be found by humans, to live among them, while I watched from afar, ensuring you were safe. When people found you and called the police, I left, but not before receiving a vision. The moon goddess led me to a new pack, and I fled before Andromeda could track me.”

My head spun, the enormity of it all crashing down on me. My life, everything I thought I knew, had been a lie. My parents, my pack, my past… erased to protect me from a fate I hadn’t even known existed. I could feel my hands trembling slightly, and I clenched them into fists, trying to steady myself.

“How do I get my wolf back?” I asked, my voice more fragile than I wanted it to be.

Amber’s gaze softened. “During the full moon, the Alpha must bite you. I’ll prepare a potion to help you recover your memories. The venom in Ethan’s bite will trigger your wolf from its slumber, and the potion will unlock the memories I sealed away. But be warned - the first transformation will be excruciating. It’s been over six years since you were supposed to shift, and the pain will be greater because of that delay.”

My heart raced at her words, the thought of the pain hanging over me like a dark cloud. “Do I have to do it?” I whispered, barely able to meet her eyes.

Amber shook her head. “No, the choice is yours. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be. The transformation will only become more painful with time.”

The room fell into a heavy silence. I stared at the floor, trying to process everything, trying to weigh my options. What was I supposed to do? Could I really unlock this part of me that had been hidden for so long? Did I even want to?

But before I could answer my own questions, Ethan’s voice cut through the quiet. “As important as this is, it’s not the only reason we’re here.” His tone was firm, bringing us back to the urgent reality we were facing. “I’m worried Andromeda knows where Rose is. Do you have any visions? Any sense of what’s coming?”

Amber sighed softly, her expression apologetic. “I only see what the moon goddess allows me to see. Lately, there’s been nothing.”

Ethan nodded, frustration briefly flickering across his features. Clearly, we were facing an enemy that had the advantage, one who moved in the shadows, unseen and unpredictable.

“I have one last question,” I said, my voice trembling but determined. “Do you have anything left of them? My parents?”

Amber’s face fell, sorrow deepening in her eyes. “I’m sorry, dear. The entire pack was destroyed. There was nothing left.”

Her words hit me like a blow. My parents were truly gone - wiped out of existence, as if they had never been. I had nothing of them. No memories, no belongings. Just a story of their sacrifice, a tale of love and loss that felt so far away, yet so painfully close.

But as that reality sank in, something else rose within me. It was small at first, like a flicker of fire in the dark. But it grew. It grew until I could feel it burning in my chest, fueling a determination I hadn’t felt before.

Andromeda had taken everything from me. My parents. My pack. My past. She had wiped my existence from the world, and she had almost succeeded.

But I wasn’t going to let her win. I would make her pay for what she did.

I didn’t say it aloud, but I knew from the way Ethan looked at me, his eyes searching mine, that he understood. There was no turning back now.