I approached Cierce, who was focused on the details of the den, making sure everything was in order. Her gaze lifted to meet mine as I drew near.
“How are the boys' injuries?” I asked, concerned about the well-being of the triplets.
Cierce offered a calm smile. “They are recovering well. Mandrake seems to have helped significantly. They'll be fully healed soon.”
I nodded, grateful for Cierce's healing abilities. “You're amazing, Cierce. Thank you for everything.”
She humbly nodded. “It's my duty to take care of the pack, especially when it comes to Luna's children.”
I left Cierce to spend time with my children, who were still recovering in their beds. Upon reaching them, I found Cassian, Dorian, and Kane, each showing signs of improvement and renewed strength.
I sat beside them, gently caressing Kane's face, whose eyes met mine with a reassuring expression. “Mom,” he murmured, his lips forming a weak smile.
“I missed you all so much,” I confessed, holding hands with Dorian and Cassian. “But now we're together again, and that's what matters.”
While Cierce attended to the needs of the triplets, my heart was filled with gratitude to have them back. Their looks, still marked by concern, sought answers from me. Each expressed their worry in their own way, but it was Cassian who took the initiative.
“Mom, where's Ignis?” Cassian questioned, his penetrating gaze searching mine.
I looked at him for a moment before responding, contemplating how to share the truth without causing more discomfort to the triplets. “Why do you want to know, my love?”
Dorian, next to his brother, leaned forward, expressing his own apprehension. “We're worried about her, Mom.”
Kane, the youngest, added with his peculiar sweetness, “And I missed her too, Mom.”
The affection in their words touched my heart, but the truth I needed to share was a heavy burden to bear.
I looked at Cassian again, answering his direct question. “Ignis is not welcome in the pack, boys.”
Cassian furrowed his brow, clearly intrigued by my response. “Why not, Mom? What did she do?”
The complexity of the situation weighed on me as I decided how to approach the delicate issue. “Ignis made choices that put her in conflict with our pack. She didn't respect our principles and caused irreparable harm.”
Dorian raised his eyebrows, sharing his brother's curiosity. “But what exactly did she do?”
I sighed, feeling the weight of the words. “Ignis strayed from the path of harmony and the Moon Goddess. Her actions threatened the pack's safety, especially yours, my children.”
Cassian frowned, absorbing the information. “But wasn't she part of the pack? Wasn't she one of us?”
Kane's expression reflected the innocence of his nature and an intuitive understanding of the seriousness of the situation. “She didn't want what's best for the pack, Mom?”
I shook my head, trying to find the right words. “Ignis believed she was acting for what she considered right, but her choices were harmful to all of us. Sometimes, even those we think we know can stray into dangerous paths.”
Kane, still trying to understand, asked, “Is she coming back?”
I sighed again. “No, my little one. Ignis chose her own destiny, and now we need to move forward as a united pack.”
I answered honestly, saying no, and his expression saddened me even more. “Too bad,” Kane murmured. “I'll miss her.”
Curious about the triplets' connection with Ignis, I asked Kane why he missed her. His response surprised me. “I like Ignis,” he said sincerely.
Dorian, also showing affection for Ignis, added, “I really like her too.”
“Dorian, Kane, do you really like Ignis?” I asked, still surprised by the revelation.
Kane nodded, sadness marking his eyes. “Yes, Mom. Ignis has always been nice to us.”
Cassian intervened with an unexpected revelation. “If it weren't for Ignis, we might not even be here.”
“How so?” I questioned, looking at Cassian.
I was intrigued, asking, “But why? What did she do to earn your affection?”
Dorian, always the most articulate, began to explain. “Ignis rescued us at a gas station when we were running from kidnappers. She took care of us and passed the garlic test.”
“Garlic test?” I raised an eyebrow, perplexed. That was entirely new to me.
Kane smiled, as if recalling a fun moment. “Yes, we wanted to make sure she wasn't a vampire. So, we tested if she could touch garlic. And she could.”
Dorian added, excitedly, “She explained that she was a fairy, actually a super fairy. And she had a mission to protect us.”
My children's words echoed in the den, leaving me astonished. Ignis, a fairy? Rescued from kidnappers? My mind was in turmoil. Cassian intervened with his perspective.
“If it weren't for Ignis, we might not be here now,” Cassian said, his eyes meeting mine. “She helped us when we needed it.”
My mind tried to process the new view I was gaining of Ignis. Until then, I saw her as a threat, an enemy. But my children saw her as a savior, a trusted figure.
“But she strayed from the path of harmony, from the Moon Goddess,” I murmured, seeking an explanation for the change in perspective.
Cassian then revealed, “She saved us from Jeff, taking away his powers to protect us.”
The revelation about Jeff sparked a mix of surprise and perplexity in me. “You saw Jeff?” I inquired, trying to understand the connection between Ignis and the kidnapper.
Cassian nodded, confirming the connection between Ignis and the kidnapper. “Yes, Mom. And Ignis fought with him to protect us.”
My mind absorbed this information, still perplexed by all these situations.
“Do you remember what happened when you arrived here?” I asked, observing my children's expressions.
Kane answered first. “I remember little, I was sleepy and wanted to sleep.”
Dorian added his version of events. “I played video games while waiting for Dad to arrive.”
My eyes widened at the mention of “Dad.”
“Do you know who your dad is?” I asked, wanting to understand what Ignis had shared with them.
Kane's response was accompanied by a smile. “Yes, Ignis told us our dad is the forest owner.”
However, Cassian disagreed, correcting his brother. “That's not what Ignis said. She said our dad is the alpha of the pack that lives here.”
Surprise overcame me, but I kept calm to continue uncovering what Ignis had told them. “Do you know the father's name?” I inquired.
“Yes, Ignis said his name is Hunter,” Dorian confirmed, sharing more details of what Ignis had revealed. “She said Daddy is very powerful, that only he could protect us, and that's why we came here.”
The revelation of the father's name for my children made my heart race, as I had kept the truth about Hunter hidden from them for so long. Ignis's narrative introduced them to Hunter as a powerful and central figure in the pack.
The situation hit me, and I found myself needing to clarify the truth for my children. However, I hesitated, aware that the revelations could generate even more confusion and discomfort. I decided to wait for the right moment to share the entire truth, seeking to preserve the stability that was beginning to establish itself in the pack after the recent events. But a specific revelation caught my attention, and I couldn't postpone it.
“You mentioned a 'garlic test.' Was this test done during the dinner prepared by Zora?” I inquired, remembering the garlic-infused pasta she had served.
Kane promptly responded, “No, the garlic test was done at the hotel when we ordered pizza.”
“Why then did you ask for garlic in the pasta at the cabin?” I questioned Cassian, realizing there was a special meaning behind that choice.
Cassian began to explain, “Ignis, when she found out about the garlic test, suggested creating a code as a way to identify whether a person is dangerous or not. So when Ignis asked if we wanted garlic, if we said yes, it meant we were in front of someone suspicious.”
Cassian added to the explanation. “So when Zora served pasta with a lot of garlic, it was as if she was following the code created between Ignis and us.”
I was intrigued by this dynamic. “But why this code? And why was Zora involved?”
“Ignis said it was a security measure that if we were in front of someone really dangerous, she would find a way to protect us.” Cassian seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing to speak. “But when Ignis asked about the garlic, it wasn't for Zora. It was for someone else.”
My eyes narrowed in perplexity. “Someone else? Who?”
Cassian pointed behind me, making me turn. When I turned, I faced Cierce.