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FADING CONNECTIONS
Learning how to harness the power of nature had come in handy, just as the Harper clan thought it would. While they had sealed their alliance with the Blackthorns, they had also made new enemies.
Their newfound knowledge gave them the power to unlock abilities other werewolves could only dream of. They could predict the future, calculate the seasons, and harness the power of the full moon more effectively than anyone else.
As their abilities evolved, their fame also thrived throughout the clans. Soon, each pack sent representatives from far and near to learn from them. While others were reluctant to pledge any form of allegiance, they brought gifts and found different ways to support the clan in exchange for knowledge.
The Harpers quickly learned that they had to conceal the source of their knowledge, or the preferential treatment they were receiving would disappear.
These representatives from other clans became the founding seers. They took what they had learned back to their packs and used it to guide their people. The seers then chose one person—or several interested individuals—to carry on the legacy.
But they were never as powerful as the Harper clan and still depended on them for accurate information or interpretations of dreams and visions. Some of these seers became mates with Harper werewolves under the guise of forming bonds, but in truth, they only wanted to learn the true essence of the Harpers’ knowledge.
That proved futile, as the generation that had come in direct contact with the druids had been sworn to secrecy. Some mates were antagonized when they refused to share any information.
Others were killed by merciless clans, with their deaths staged to look like accidents. The surviving mates bore children for their new partners—offspring who inherited abilities resulting from the merged powers of different clans.
To minimize the possibility of other clans breeding werewolves with unique abilities, the Harpers began to limit inter-clan mating, which in turn caused an uprising.
The clans, using these unions as a method of infiltration, no longer hid their disdain and envy for the Harpers. They called for their seers to return home and use the knowledge they had gained to serve their own clans, all while secretly searching for a way to take everything the Harpers had.
This posed a great problem for the Harpers, who realized their own kind had turned against them. This wasn’t just another territorial war—it was betrayal. Still, they remained confident in their alliance with the Blackthorns, whose presence helped curtail any serious attacks.
Everyone knew the Blackthorns were the strongest in the lands and didn’t want to risk angering them by targeting the Harpers, as that meant going up against brute strength and supernatural abilities.
This knowledge gave the Harpers a sense of security—they believed no harm would come to them as long as the Blackthorns kept their promise. That feeling of safety lasted into the next generation. But while it kept them relatively safe, it also increased the resentment of the other packs.
Against their better judgment, these packs began to form alliances to wage war against both the Blackthorns and the Harpers. What started as a small conspiracy born of envy soon grew into a full-blown agenda—and by the time the Harpers realized it, it was too late to stop it.
The connection the twins had with Ella Harper had been agreed upon before their birth. Their ancestors had made a blood pact with the Harper pack, vowing to remain protectors and helpers when called upon.
This information was passed down from generation to generation. But over time, the message was distorted, as the Blackthorns saw no reason to mix with other packs.
Meanwhile, the Harpers began gaining enemies on the outside—people who desired the druids’ powers and had discovered that a werewolf’s blood could be used in potions. While not as effective as a druid’s essence, it was a powerful motivator, and they began hunting for ways to exploit it.
Some would go hunting during the full moon, ensuring they captured a Harper wolf to torture into submission. Things spiraled out of control when members of other packs were also caught and tortured, as the hunters had no way of distinguishing Harpers from the rest.
This drove many into hiding and created widespread resentment toward the Harper clan. Packs that already harbored hostility now claimed the Harpers’ powers had endangered everyone and were willing to surrender them to ensure the safety of their own.
This new development distressed the Harpers deeply, as they now faced battles both within and outside their territory. They were losing pack members and being betrayed by those who should have stood beside them.
This pressure from all sides slowly weakened them, until they grew tired of the oppression and resolved to end it once and for all. They chose to go to war rather than hide like the druids once did, and they called upon the Blackthorns for support.
On the night of the planned attack, a number of warriors set out, confident that their allies would appear. But the Blackthorns never came. Although the Harpers had harnessed powerful abilities from their time with the druids, it wasn’t enough to secure victory.
As the warriors realized they were losing the fight, they looked around, expecting to see the Blackthorn fighters - but they were nowhere to be found. In the chaos of war, the Harpers were alone, and their warriors were cut down one by one.
A seer who had accompanied them into battle witnessed what was happening and cried out in frustration. When she realized they had been forsaken, she activated the clause attached to the ancient pact and sacrificed herself as the source needed to fulfill its final condition.