Chapter 162 Heat

Chapter 162 A New Guardian
Lyra POV

"Kade is your son?" The words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them, my mind struggling to process this revelation. Beside me, Gabriel's face hardened into a mask of suspicion, his body still tense from the wolfsbane's effects.

I studied Eleanor's scarred face, searching for any resemblance to Kade in her features. Despite the accelerated aging from the wolfsbane, I could see it now. Something in the set of her jaw, the intensity of her gaze that reminded me of him. My stomach twisted with conflicting emotions: shock at this connection between her and Kade, but also a strange sense of pieces falling into place. The depth of Kade's knowledge about white wolves suddenly made perfect sense if his own mother had been their guardian.

How many other secrets are hidden in this world I've barely begun to understand? Every answer I received only seemed to spawn more questions, like cutting off one hydra's head only to watch two more grow in its place.

"Will you believe me now?" Eleanor asked, her weathered hands folded calmly in her lap despite the bombshell she'd just dropped.

Gabriel's voice cut through the silence, sharp and skeptical. "How do we know this isn't just another trap? You and Kade could be working together, using this elaborate story to gain our trust and capture the white wolf."

I felt a surge of gratitude for Gabriel's caution even as part of me wanted to believe Eleanor. Something about her demeanor spoke to me: perhaps it was the resignation in her eyes, the weariness of someone who had sacrificed everything for a cause larger than herself.

Eleanor's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Because if that were true, I wouldn't have given you diluted wolfsbane." She gestured toward Gabriel. "You're feeling your strength returning, aren't you? Your wolf stirring again at the edges of your consciousness?"

I turned to Gabriel, watching his face carefully. His color was indeed improving, the rigid tension in his shoulders gradually easing. Relief flooded through me at seeing his recovery. The moment when his wolf had disappeared had terrified me more than I wanted to admit. Despite our complicated relationship, the thought of Gabriel stripped of his essence, vulnerable and incomplete, had awakened a fierce protectiveness in me I hadn't expected to feel.

"Gabriel!" I said, fixing him with an accusing glare.

Gabriel sighed, reluctantly nodding. "My strength is returning. Slowly."

Eleanor smiled, satisfaction evident in her expression. "Then you must hurry with your questions. The effects won't last much longer."

I seized the opportunity, leaning forward. "You still haven't told us what makes the white wolf's abilities so special."

"Absorption and transfer of energy," Eleanor replied simply.

The words resonated within me, confirming what I'd already experienced. "Yes, I recently absorbed energy from one werewolf and transferred it to another."

As I spoke, memories flashed through my mind: the strange sensation when I'd pulled energy from Ethan. How many other abilities lay dormant inside me, waiting to be discovered? The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.

Eleanor's eyebrows shot up, genuine surprise crossing her scarred features. "You're a quick learner. You've only awakened your abilities recently, yet you've already mastered the basics."

Gabriel shifted beside me, his protective instinct evident even in his weakened state. "If Lyra absorbs negative energy from another wolf, would it harm her?"

I glanced at him, warmth spreading through my chest as I realized he'd used my name instead of referring to me as "the white wolf." The subtle change spoke volumes about his acceptance and trust.

Eleanor, however, was staring at me with renewed interest. "You can do that already?"

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to an almost reverent whisper. "Werewolf energy comes in many forms: white, gray, yellow, black, and gold. White represents life force itself. Gray embodies all negative emotions. Yellow contains positive emotions. Black is pure evil, while gold is pure goodness."

As she described these energies, I felt a strange resonance within me, as if my wolf recognized this taxonomy on some primal level. I wondered if I'd been unconsciously sensing these different energies all along.

"You still haven't answered my question," Gabriel pressed, his voice stronger now.

Eleanor nodded. "A newly awakened white wolf can identify and absorb energy between their own kind. If it's positive energy, white or gold, it can be directly assimilated. If it's negative, gray or black, it must be purified before assimilation. The purification process might cause some discomfort, but ultimately, no harm comes to the white wolf."

I frowned, catching on a particular phrase. "Between their own kind? What does that mean?"

"Just that," Eleanor replied. "Your initial abilities are limited to werewolves. As your potential unfolds over time, your full capabilities will emerge. Eventually, a white wolf can absorb and transfer energy from humans as well. Transforming humans into werewolves or stripping werewolves of their abilities, reducing them to humans..."

A chill ran down my spine as the implications sank in. Was this why everyone wanted to capture me? To build their armies by creating new werewolves? Or to weaken their enemies by turning their wolves human? The enormity of this power terrified me. I'd never asked for this responsibility, never wanted to hold others' fates in my hands.

Eleanor must have noticed my expression, for her face softened with understanding. "The white wolf's original purpose was to maintain balance between human and werewolf societies. Though some have developed darker ambitions..."

Like Kade and Ethan, I thought, recalling their determined pursuit. For the first time, I truly understood the danger I was in—not just to my freedom or my life, but to my very soul. If I were captured and forced to use these abilities against my will, I would become an instrument of oppression, perhaps even genocide.

I wanted to ask more questions, but Eleanor glanced significantly at Gabriel, whose breathing had steadied, color returning to his face.

"You must be careful of Kade," she warned. "He believes the white wolf's power should be harnessed for dominance, not balance."

Gabriel growled low in his throat, the sound reassuringly familiar after the silence of his wolf. "I'll protect her," he declared, the flash of amber in his eyes confirming his wolf's return.

I turned to Eleanor, suddenly reluctant to leave her in this hidden bar. "Come with us. You don't have to hide alone anymore."

Eleanor shook her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. "You know enough now. If I left this place, the Council's many spies would quickly detect my presence. They know me as the Guardian. My proximity would only bring danger to you."

She paused, looking meaningfully at Gabriel. "Besides, I believe I've found a new guardian. My role is over."