47

Nel stumbled back in shock from what Liam had just told her. There was no way that this could be true.

“Al..alpha?” Nel vehemently shook her head. She couldn’t believe this. “No, no, that can’t be! I-that’s…” she couldn’t even imagine how to finish that sentence.

Liam took a confident step forward. “But you are,” he said. “And if you stay…just for a little while, I’ll explain everything to you…” Liam took Nel’s hand into his, eyes softening into something of understanding. “Please.”

Although Nel wasn’t sure that she was mentally prepared to even hear any of this, a deeper part of her knew that there was no way that she could refuse hearing the truth of her history.

Liam took a step back from Nel, giving her space. He wanted her to choose to let him explain and part of him was afraid that she wouldn’t. “I’m just asking for a chance,” he said and after a moment of silence the young lycan reached his hand out to her, hoping that she would take it.

Nel looked at Liam’s hand for what felt like eternity. She glanced around at everyone and they watched her intently, their eyes all screaming of some semblance of hope. With a sigh, she finally gave in to not only the curiosity of her past but Liam’s offer to shed light on her life. Without another word, she took Liam’s hand.

“Okay,”

Liam wasted no time in leading Nel away from everyone-his uncle included and heading toward a door past the front room.

“You’ve no doubt heard the history behind the adversity between the original creations of our mother, the Moon Goddess.”

“Original? You mean the Moon Mist Lycans were among the first of the Goddess’s creations.”

Liam rolled his eyes, a grimace surfacing on his handsome face. “Of course, they didn’t. I shouldn’t be surprised.” He shrugged. “In fact, I’m not.”

He wordlessly gestured for Nel to follow him down a large corridor on the right of the once great home that was being inhabited by him. Reluctantly, she followed, her eyes lingering on large photo frames that while at one point in time had undoubtedly been regally displayed with beautiful pictures were now scorched and torn asunder. It was sad to see and Nel couldn’t help but wonder if she were in at least one of those pictures.

“Moon Mist Lycans were the first species created by the Moon Mother. Then she went on to create the wolves of Mystic Cove.”

“Being created in such close proximity to one another, I…I’d think that would bring our clans closer together.”

“You’d think,” Liam sneered, and took Nel into a study, closing the door behind him. “You see, Nel, regardless of their strength, the wolves were in most cases weaker than the Lycans. Over the years, what was once acceptance turned into a simmering resentment and bitterness.”

“But why?” asked Nel, desperate to understand where all of this negative emotion stemmed from. “Why all the resentment and bitterness?”

“Jealousy.” Liam answered in a simple form. “The wolves and Lycans got along well at first, but eventually, the pack leader of the wolves, grew paranoid,” Liam’s jaw locked as he started to further explain. It was clear that he was angry concerning this part in the story that he was about to share. “There was always an underlying assumption that the Moon Mist Lycans garnered the goddess mother’s favoritism.”

“And what exactly was considered favoritism?” asked Nel.

“Our children were being born with abilities were rarely seen among the wolves. Our land and business held significant abundance where our wolf counterparts struggled in the beginning. While everyone wanted to blame the goddess mother, they felt that doing so would only further their string of bad luck.” He gestured for Nel to sit in a large, and slightly damaged brown armchair.

It was obvious that the room was an old office or study of some sort-one where a lot of important business happened. Nel couldn’t help but wonder if this office once belonged to the alpha that was alleged to be her father.

“You’re wondering if he once sat here.” Liam seemed to read her thoughts. “If this was the place where he handled all of his affairs.”

Where her stare was once distanced and resonating, she looked at Liam with not only slight surprise but a deep and desperate curiosity.

“Your father,” he added.

“Was it? Did he?” Nel asked.

Liam smiled and then sat on the front left corner of the weathered desk that was closest to Nel. “He was here, handled business here, and in fact, made quite a few important decisions in this room.” Where Liam’s gaze seemed to wander off in past memories, he quickly returned his regard to Nel. “But this wasn’t his office. No.” Liam walked around the room. “This was my father’s office,” he chuckled. “I’d never think myself so highly as even step food in your father’s.”

Nel stood, shaking her head. “I’m sure he’d find you worthy,” she smiled.

Liam took her hand and fought tooth and nail not to kiss her right then and there. He knew that doing so, however, would make it even harder to see Nel. He knew that wolf would relentlessly hunt him down.

“Can you show me?”

Liam’s smile widened. “It’s your birthright,” he said. “I thought you’d never ask.

They left the room and continued down the long corridor until they hit an elevator. Nel had hoped that they wouldn’t be using it. She looked at Liam apprehensively.

“Does that thing still work?” she asked although even if it did, Nel wasn’t a fan of taking the chance that it would clunk out at the most inopportune moment.

Liam sensed her reluctance. “It does, but if you want to use the stairs instead, we can do that.”

“Yeah,” Nel quipped without hesitation. “Let’s do that,” she suggested. Liam chuckled and led her to the stairs. “I can heal, but that doesn’t mean I like the process of getting hurt in order to do it.”

“Understandable,” he replied and then they proceeded up the stairs. “It may seem dilapidated to some extent, but the place has good bones for sure.”

Nel looked around as they headed up the stairs. It was evident the sturdy walls and the extremely high ceilings that were all still intact that the place was great in more sense than one. Absorbing all of this made her even more curious about what happened that ended the reign of what was assumed to be her pack.

“So, walk me through what happened next? What brought down the great downfall of our people?” she asked.

Liam glanced at her, his once chill demeanor changing into something far more resentful and bitter than before.

“Even though there was tension under the surface of our agreement of partnership, the two packs worked along side one another for well over six centuries. Then a new alpha came into power. His name, Merrick.” Liam shook his head. “He was where the start of corruption began. Mystic Cove had begun to become more difficult to trade with and work alongside. Until eventually, all ties were cut off between the two packs.”

They wound up at the last floor before Nel realized it, the story becoming so interesting to her that nothing else even mattered at this point.

“It’s just at the end of the hall.”

“Mhm,” Nel’s response was hardly concerned by what Liam was saying outside of continuing on with the story.

“Merrick grew paranoid as the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Gradually, it seemed that while Mystic Cove was on a struggling decline, Moon Mist was more than thriving without their partnership. Years passed by, lands had been conquered and business was pouring in.”

“I take it, Merrick grew jealous,” Nel said, realizing what path this story was going down.

“Jealous, angry, paranoid.” Liam started shooting out guesses. “Can’t be certain, to be honest. I’d guess that it was all of the above.” He shrugged. “I don’t think anyone but the originals can truly know for sure.”

That was discouraging to hear. Her gut told her that there was someone still alive today who knew the truth about what really happened. She’d find out who but for now, she’d learn what information Liam could offer her.

“What happened next?” Nel asked as they headed toward the large door with a golden door handle that carried the shape of a lycan’s head.

Instead of going in, Liam leaned against the doorframe and continued the story. “Merrick started sending spies into Moon Mist, to see what we were up to. There was no doubt in his mind that the lycans had something planned-an attack against the wolves, a desire to conquer the city of Mystic Cove.” Liam shook his head in frustration. “Truth of the matter was Moon Mist had no need for Mystic Cove. No one thought twice about Mystic Cove or whatever struggles or triumphs they were going through. But despite the news of no adversity, Merrick couldn’t bring himself to trust his most trusted officials. He seemed to have convinced himself that even if Moon Mist had no plans of taking Mystic Cove, they eventually would, and with Mystic Cove’s downward spiral there was no doubt in his mind that they would lose. So, the best thing to do was to attack unprovoked and quickly while their guard was off.”

“So, Merrick Stone…was trying to start a war.”

“Worse,” said Liam. “He was trying to end the Lycans of Moon Mist. Period. If not the whole species, the Lycan King himself.”

Nel looked out of the window, as she imagined that night when Merrick tried to take innocent lives. “And this…this was the day that he destroyed everything.”