48

“Actually, no,” said Liam in return. “Not yet at least. The wolf alpha didn’t realize that a few of his trusted allies had defected.”

“I guess he was right not to trust them,”

“Yes, and mostly no,” said Liam. “The truth is, they’d seen Merrick’s madness progressing well before the attack. They knew that Mystic Cove had no chance of winning a war-whether it was by surprise or not against Moon Mist. Not only that but they were also concerned about their families,” he added. “You see, during that time, there was a baby boom. There was a great mating that year-one that not only affected the wolves of Mystic Cove but the Lycans of Moon Mist. A lot of clan heads had newborn pups to think about. They didn’t want to risk safety where there was a chance to avoid it. So, his closest friend warned the Lycan alpha and because of this, the Lycans were able to prepare accordingly.”

Nel couldn’t help but feel an oncoming delight in what Liam insinuated in saying this. With a smile, she said, “So, you’re saying we won.”

Liam smirked. “You could say that. In fact, we avoided it altogether. The night that they went in to attack our city, they realized that Moon Mist was not as ill prepared as previously thought. The Lycan king turned the alpha around before he and his soldiers could reach the border.” Liam sighed. “It was a big mess and a lot of deaths that your father avoided that night.”

“My f-it was my father that…”

“Yea,” Liam replied. “He was a young alpha back then-the youngest of our kind, and far more legendary than anyone could have imagined,” he smiled. “It’s he and your mother’s namesake that you should have, not some wolf surname.”

“Larken is not a bad name either.”

“It isn’t,” said Liam. “If for nothing else than the fact that she did a great service in saving our Luna.”

“Leana Larken is greater than her service to me,” said Nel. She then looked at the door and touched its knob. “But I’d still like to know the greatness of the man that you’ve been telling me about.”

“As you wish,” said Liam and without another word opened the door.

When Liam opened the door, the first thing on display was a large photo-or was it a painting?

“It’s beautiful,” Nel whispered as she took another step and entered the large office.

The room wasn’t overly decorated as Nel thought it would be. It definitely carried an air of masculinity to it, but there was also a warmth inside that room-despite the large animal heads mounted on the wall. Nel guessed that they were from her father’s kills while on hunts with his pack.

Being in the grand office, Nel couldn’t help but be distracted by all that was left almost pristinely in the room. However, the one thing that kept drawing Nel’s attention was the large picture displayed on the wall above where the alpha would have sat.

The picture was of a large man, his skin a beautiful and rich brown, his eyes a dark and penetrating gaze. His hair was as black as night and made face look even more rich in charm and dominance. There wasn’t a full smile on his face, more a confident smirk. Despite the intimidation of his aura, Nel saw a compassion in the wrinkle of the man’s eyes-one that-if he truly was her father, she wished she’d have experienced as a child.

“You say he’s been an alpha for…for six centuries,” she looked at Liam. “He seems so young.”

“Well, we are immortal after all,” he said glancing back at the picture with amusement before regarding Nel again. “Six centuries isn’t so old.”

“And yet Merrick Stone is Maven Stone’s grandfather-not his father,” Nel realized. It was practically non-negotiable for every person in Mystic Cove to know the family’s lineage. “Why is it that three different wolves took up the title of alpha within in the span of the six centuries that my father retained his title?”

Liam shrugged. “Madness, I suppose. I wouldn’t know if I’m being honest. I will say that one as intelligent and well-adapted as your father was bound to reign for centuries. Not to mention how adored he and your mother were.”

It was as Liam mentioned Nel’s mother that she looked up and saw the extraordinarily beautiful woman sitting next to the regal man that was to be her father.

Her hair was as red as Neliyah’s and her eyes only teased a hint of green in them, there was a kindness and compassion there that could not be mistaken. Her skin was fairer than the man standing next to her but there was a rich redness that told a story of her native ancestry. There was an unusual beauty about her that almost forced one’s gaze to linger in an attempt to try and understand it.

“A spitting image of her,” said Liam, taking Nel out of her thoughts.

Spitting image? She thought to herself. Could she really be that beautiful? Surely not as this woman regally standing in this picture was a creature of inexplicable beauty.

“She really is the clay mold beauty,” whispered Nel. “I could surely not compare.”

“The subjects of Moon Mist seem to think the complete opposite,” countered Liam.

Nel turned to Liam and noticed how he intently stared at her. What was on his mind? If she really was that beautiful, was that the only reason that he wanted her?

Neliyah was doubtful at this point. She wanted to know what he was thinking. “What’s on your mind?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Quite a few things,” he said to her. “Namely the fact that you are here and…that you really do favor that beautiful woman up there.”

Neliyah sighed and started toward the picture her eyes matching stares with the woman that was allegedly her mother. “Was that all she was to the people?” she asked. “A beautiful alpha?” she looked at Liam. “Did she not bring anything else to the table? Did she not contribute more by my…father’s side?” As she asked this question, Nel found herself hesitating more on the title of this man and the title of father correlating with one another.

“Of course, she did!” Liam expressed passionately. Then he took a step closer until he was standing next to Nel. “Diana Moon,” he announced. “That was her name, and she was as gracious and kind as she was beautiful.” Liam added. His gaze lingered on Nel a moment with an amused smirk before he spoke in addition. “Though as kind and gracious as she was, the Luna was as deadly as her mate when the time called for it.”

“Really?” Nel was even more curious than before.

“Yeah,” said Liam and he looked back up at the picture. “She was somewhat of a rogue back in her younger years from what I’ve heard. Rumor was, that was how she and your father first met.”

Nel’s attention spiked. She shot a curious gaze at Liam. “What?” She sensed that there was a potentially great story in that remark somewhere.

“It was a fight that brought them together,” he chuckled. “Or at least, that is what my uncle tells me.”

“Will you tell it to me?” Nel asked him.

Liam gave her a warm smile. “I’d rather him tell it. I wouldn’t do it any justice, I assure you.”

Though she wanted to hear more about the story of their meeting, Nel decided not to push the issue. For now, at least. Then she returned her attention to the painting.

“Diana Moon,” she repeated the name that Liam had introduced her to. “And the man? My father?” she added last second.

“Donovan “Dono” Moon,” Liam replied.

“Donovan,” whispered Nel. “I like that name,” he murmured as she reached her hand up in a lost attempt to touch the painting. It was only then that she noticed the small infant in Diana Moon’s arms. “That baby,” she acknowledged and then looked at Liam.

“Yes,”

Before Liam could say another word, Nel’s attention quickly returned to the child in the folded bundle. Skin was pale but displayed hints of her father’s melanin. The child’s eyes were large and lost, dark and yet held a glimmer in them that almost seemed green, but Nel couldn’t be sure. It was a chubby baby, beautiful and unusual all at once. There was one thing, however, that was blatant, and the was the baby’s head full of wildly red curls.

“Is that…is that supposed to be me?” Nel found herself asking. Liam started to answer, but Nel interceded with why she found it hard to believe that it was her in the first place. “It…if this is a girl, her eyes are not like mine at all. I’m darker than this baby, though not by much. It’s still the case, though, and…and I…”

What was it about the whole situation that made it hard for Nel to believe that that infant in that loving and beautiful woman’s arms was her? Maybe it was just too surreal for Nel.

“That…that can’t be me,” Nel found herself murmuring under her breath. “It just can’t be.”

Liam took her hand in his and forced her to look into his eyes. “Yes, Nel! Yes, it can! And it is.”