Chapter 16

“There is more?” Kian asked. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Kiara nodded with a shaky breath. “The wolves mentioned in this scroll aren’t just any werewolves,” she said. “It clearly says the Lune Hunters should only hunt a specific type of werewolf. The evil ones.”

“Evil ones?” His frown deepened.

Rogues? Ferals?

She closed her eyes before opening them after a moment. “A werewolf born with a crescent moon-shaped birthmark on its head.”

“Fuck!” Kian gasped, his eyes widening. Crescent moon shape. His heart raced, and suddenly everything made sense. Konrad had a similar mark on his head. His fists clenched and unclenched.

“I brought tea—” Mrs. Miller paused with a tray of steaming tea. “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “You opened it.” She immediately turned her head, calling out, “Ronald! You need to see this.” She put the tray on a nearby table and went to the trunk, eyes raking through the scrolls and parchments. “Did you find anything important?”

Kiara nodded. “We did.”

“What do I—” Ronald halted. “Wow. You did it.” He hurried to the trunk.

Kian glanced at Kiara, who nibbled at her bottom lip, and then at the humans. “Did you know that there is an edict from the king that still exists?” he asked, eyes narrowing dangerously as his chest began to grow heavy.

They fucking knew. Yet they hunted innocent werewolves.

“An edict?” Ronald blinked. The couple shared a look. “Only the council would know about that.”

He clenched his jaw. “Then what do you have to say about this?” he growled.

“Kian…” Kiara put a hand on top of his and squeezed with a small shake of her head. Then she glanced at the couple. “I think you need to sit for this.”

Confusion washed over their features, but they obeyed. They sat in the armchairs with an expectant look on their faces.

“I found this scroll in your trunk,” Kiara started and explained what they had found so far. The couple listened with rapt attention. “It seems that the werewolves attacking the human villages were led by an evil werewolf. One that was born with a crescent-shaped mark on its head. The humans weren’t the only ones who were affected by this reckless rogue pack.” She sifted through the parchments in her hand. “An elder approached the king, seeking his help to end the atrocities of these rogue wolves. Since they both had a common enemy, they decided to work together.” She held the scroll. “This is the proof. It has the signature of both the king, the pack elder, and the council leader of the Lune Hunters.”

“Oh, my God!” Lana gasped. “We never heard of such a thing.”

“Why would they attack our pack then?” Kian growled. “They killed hundreds of innocents.”  

Kiara swallowed. “You know exactly why, Kian,” her voice was barely audible, and foreboding churned his stomach. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but what if they were after Konrad? What if the rest that happened is all a huge misunderstanding?”

He swallowed the invisible lump in his throat. It was possible. His father might have fought back to protect his brother. He slouched on the sofa, unable to form words.

Ronald went through the documents, eyes narrowing. Kian could tell he was familiar with the language with the way he was focused.

“So, you are telling me that our clan is trained to hunt evil wolves with crescent-shaped marks and not all wolves?” Ronald exclaimed. “This is messed up. Oh, my God!” He raked a hand through his hair. “T-This changes everything.”

“Yes. That’s what the scroll says. Lune Hunters were formed to keep the balance between werewolves and humans and save them from the evil wolves,” Kiara said.

“She knew,” Kian spoke; all the puzzle pieces slowly fell in place.

“Who knew?” Layla asked.

“Lucille, our elder who sent us on this trip. She knew.” Kian jumped to his feet and began to pace.

“Do you think she needed this?” Kiara took the scroll back from Ronald. “The reason she sent us here was to find this?”

“It’s possible,” Kian replied. “She is one with vision. Her powers are beyond our understanding. Rommik told me that she called Konrad evil during one of their conversations. She must have needed this.” He eyed the scroll.

“What next?” Ronald asked. “We need to contact the council immediately and pass this information to everyone.” He looked at Lana.

“Yes. Ronald, do you remember the fire incident that burned down our council headquarters several decades ago?” Lana asked suddenly. “What if they lost their copy of this edict in the fire? What if the guidance became twisted and prejudices grew?” she voiced out her thoughts.

“We must head back,” Kiara said. “We need to bring this to Lucille and the pack elders.”

“No!” Kian cut her off. “We’re not going back. They will kill you on sight. I don’t care about myself, but you… I can’t let them hurt you.” He choked on his words. His hands trembled by his sides.

“Nothing will happen to me or us.” She gave him an assuring smile, holding the scroll to her chest. “Everything happens for a reason. I believe that. There is a reason why everything happened the way it did.” She glanced at Layla. “This is my destiny, Kian.”

Kian gazed into her eyes, searching for any doubts, but she looked calm and determined. In all the years he had known her, he had never seen her like this. There was a calm smile on her face that eased some of his worries.  

“Are you sure? I think you should listen to your boyfriend,” Ronald spoke up.

Kian and Kiara’s heads whipped around to face him.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“I’m not her boyfriend.”

Both said at the same time and glared at each other. Kiara’s cheeks flared, and she averted her gaze to the floor.

“Oh, my bad then,” Ronald continued as if he hadn’t flustered them with his words. “The werewolves we came across are crazy. What we witnessed that night in this home still gives us nightmares.” Concern etched his voice. “If the werewolves that attacked us are anything to go by, they will kill you the moment you step into their territory.”

“I agree with Ronald,” Lana said. “Is there no other way?”

“I’m aware of the risks, sir,” Kiara said, her tone sad yet determined. “We came here in search of an answer which we found. It’s time for us to head back. Our pack is suffering under Konrad’s rule. They need to know that not all humans are evil. They need to know there is life outside the pack.”

That earned her a smile from the human couple.

“I’ll go with you.” Layla, who was silent through it all, suddenly said. “I was brought up as a Lune Hunter even though I’m a werewolf. Our mom was a part of the pack. I can validate your statement.”

Kiara’s eyes widened. “But—”

“She is right,” Ronald cut her off. “It’s time we clear up this misunderstanding and put the past behind us. Layla is trained to fight and knows our way of things. She knows how to navigate these human lands, and she has the resources to call for backup if needed.”

“First of all, you need a plan,” Lana piped in. “We will contact the council and the fellow Lune Hunters to spread the message. We might have to go in person to submit proof. Take Layla with you. She will be a good asset. Besides, you need proof. She’s the living proof of that night, and she’s a werewolf. Maybe they would want to know more when they see her.”

Ronald nodded in agreement. “She also knows about the hideouts spread out across the city and knows how to mask scents. She can help in one way or another. You’re not alone. If things don’t go well, you can come back to us.”

Kian shared a look with Kiara. The human’s plan sounded wise.  He could read her thoughts just by looking at her expression.

“Okay,” he agreed, watching a smile spread on her face. Perhaps, Layla could help in more ways than one.