Chapter 17

I didn't wait for Ara's response before grabbing his wrist and pulling him toward the exit. My fingers trembled slightly against his warm skin, but I maintained my grip with determination. I needed answers.

"Outside," I commanded, my voice steadier than I felt. The morning sunlight hit my face as we entered the small courtyard outside FaunaSphere's employee lounge. Cherry blossoms drifted from the trees, their pale petals contrasting with the stark reality of my situation.

"Five minutes," I said, releasing his wrist and crossing to a bench beneath a sprawling oak. I turned to face him, arms crossed—less in anger and more to hold myself together.

"I'm listening," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.

Ara ran a hand through his dark hair. "First, I want to apologize. You deserved to know the truth from the beginning, not... not like that."

"You mean finding out by watching Barry transform into a wolf right in front of me?" The memory still sent shivers down my spine.

"Barry's always been impulsive," Ara said with exasperation. "But the secrecy was becoming unsustainable, especially given what's happening between us."

My hand instinctively moved to my neck where that strange warmth persisted. "What exactly is happening between us, Ara? Because from where I'm standing, you've all been hiding something massive."

"We're werewolves," he said softly, his eyes never leaving mine. "Not like in movies—we're born this way. It's genetic, not a curse. We can shift at will, though the full moon does strengthen our abilities and instincts."

"And the others? Devin, Barry... Carl?"

"All of us," Ara confirmed. "Our bloodline is one of the oldest in North America."

"So why tell me now?" I asked, still struggling to process.

Ara leaned forward, his voice dropping. "In our world, there are rare humans who are compatible with us. Our kind call them Luna-blessed. They form special bonds with werewolves that create a mental connection, and..." He paused. "In human terms, 'soulmate' would be the closest translation."

The mark on my neck throbbed. "And you think I'm one of these Luna-blessed people?"

"We don't think—we know," Ara said, his eyes briefly flashing gold. "That mark on your neck appeared after our first kiss. It's the beginning of a bond."

"So I'm somehow connected to you?"

"Not just me," Ara admitted, looking uncomfortable. "To all four of us. It's extremely rare, but sometimes a Luna-blessed can be compatible with multiple werewolves from the same bloodline."

"This is a lot, Ara."

"I know," he said gently. "And we have an immediate problem. Carl is back."

The name sent a chill through me. "Your oldest brother?"

"He returned last night. He's the Alpha King," Ara said, his expression troubled. "Carl knows about you, about what you mean to us, but he's fighting it. He doesn't want to accept what the Moon Goddess has ordained."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

Ara looked away. "Let's just say Carl has his own ideas about destiny. He believes we should choose our own paths, even if it means rejecting what's been chosen for us."

Something about his words felt significant, but I couldn't grasp the meaning. "So what does that mean for me—for us?"

"It means we need your help," he said earnestly. "If Carl discovers you know about us without his approval, there will be serious consequences—especially for Barry."

"What kind of consequences?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Ara said quickly. "But we need time to approach this carefully. Jean has agreed to keep silent for now."

"Your stepmother knows I saw Barry transform?"

"Jean is a werewolf too, from a different bloodline. She's... complicated." Ara's expression darkened. "She doesn't believe humans and werewolves should mix, but she's keeping quiet because she thinks your knowledge will drive a wedge between Carl and the rest of us. She's hoping for family drama."

I massaged my temples. "So you want me to pretend I don't know anything when I meet Carl?"

"Just until we can figure out the best way to handle him," Ara confirmed. "We need a few days."

Ara reached for my hand, his touch sending warmth spiraling up my arm.

"I know it's a lot to ask," he said softly, "but we need your help, Lina. I need your help."

Despite everything, something deeper pulled me toward him in a way I couldn't explain.

"Fine," I conceded, pulling my hand away despite how natural his touch felt. "I'll play along. But I want complete honesty moving forward, Ara. No more secrets."

Relief washed over his features. "I promise."

As we walked back, the courtyard now bathed in stronger sunlight, I couldn't help but ask one more question. "In my dream last night... I was running with wolves. With all of you. Was that...?"

"The bond beginning to form," Ara said with a knowing smile. "It happens sometimes when the connection is strong."

A breeze rustled through the leaves, sending petals spiraling down around us.

"Carl's back at the main house now," he said, his expression growing serious again. "You could run into him at any moment. Just remember—act surprised if he mentions anything about the family, and whatever you do, don't let slip that you know what we are."

The building's glass doors reflected my expression back at me—wide-eyed, flushed, standing at the edge of an impossible precipice. "I'll try my best," I promised.

As I watched Ara walk away, disappearing into the fluorescent-lit building, I remained rooted in place, my mind spinning. The warmth of his touch lingered on my skin. My hand drifted to the mark on my neck, tracing its outline through my collar. It pulsed gently beneath my fingertips, warm and alive, as if it had a heartbeat all its own.

Luna-blessed. Pack bonds. Werewolves. The words tumbled through my mind, each one more impossible than the last. Just twenty-four hours ago, my biggest concern had been finishing my quarterly report on time. Now I stood at the threshold of a world I never knew existed, tethered to four werewolves by some mystical bond I couldn't begin to understand.

Fear and fascination battled within me as I finally turned toward my office building. Should I run? Pack my things and disappear before I became further entangled in this supernatural web? Part of me screamed that this was madness, that I should flee while I still could.

But another part, a deeper part I barely recognized, whispered that it was already too late. The connection I felt with Ara wasn't just attraction—it was something primal, something written in blood and moonlight. And now I had to pretend I knew nothing when faced with Carl, the Alpha who rejected what his brothers embraced.

I took a deep breath and stepped back into the ordinary world of deadlines and fluorescent lights, even as my thoughts remained in that courtyard with Ara's impossible revelations. Whatever happened next, my ordinary life had vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by something wild and unpredictable—something that both terrified and exhilarated me in equal measure.