Chapter 50: Damen
I pulled up to the manor house a few hours before dark. I parked and headed toward the front door. It opened as I approached. An elderly woman stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a scowl.
“I know, Aunt Suzy,” I started without giving her a chance to speak. “It’s been too long since I’ve come to visit. I’m sorry.”
“Mhmm, like I haven’t heard that before,” she replied. “Come on. Tell me what this visit is about.”
I followed her into the home and back to a sunroom. There was already a tray with drinks and snacks waiting, and I had to smile. I really hadn’t been back to see her enough over the last couple of years. I would have to try harder. We took our seats, my aunt folding her hands in her lap.
“So, my boy,” she said, “what is it you needed to ask me?”
“I wanted to ask you about Amara Knight,” I said.
“You know most of the story. Is there anything specific?” Aunt Suzy replied.
“I know she sided with the werewolves during the rebellion and was a large reason why it succeeded. There are a few other things I wanted to get a refresher on. Her gifts involved some kind of mind control or manipulation, right?”
“In a way,” she said. “She was able to manipulate emotions. Emotions have a great impact on our thoughts and actions. But she could also feel the emotions of those around her. It made her very good at anticipating actions. It’s also why she ended up siding with the werewolves. She had felt their pain and anger for years.”
It always made sense to me why Amara switched sides, and many lycans today admire her actions. However, officially she was deemed a traitor and a disgrace to Whearhal. Her abilities were so effective during the war that the council ended up rounding up her family and executing them, whether they had anything to do with her betrayal or not. They justified it by saying they couldn’t risk that kind of power manifesting in future generations.
Aunt Suzy and I come from the only branch of the Knight bloodline that was distant enough to survive. It made the story very important to us, especially to my aunt. She studied the histories surrounding Amara her whole life and kept extensive records.
That’s what brought me to her today. I remembered her telling me something about what happened to Amara a long time ago after the war ended.
“What about after the war?” I asked. “The records say that she was assassinated not long after the truce, but wasn’t there a rumor that she lived? At least long enough to take a mate and have children.”
“There were one or two stories along those lines,” Aunt Suzy confirmed. “One was tied to some kind of premonition that a descendant would be blessed by the goddess with both a wolf and a lycan. They’re supposed to unite the races. But that’s just a myth. I’ve never found any truth behind her ever having children.”
“If she had, her offspring would have most likely been werewolves, right? That’s how they would have managed to stay hidden all this time.”
Aunt Suzy nodded. “I suppose so. Mixed pairings are rare but not unheard of. It has always resulted in one presentation or another, but it’s most often a lycan. But there is always something different about them. Most other lycans can smell it. Especially stronger, ranking lycans.”
“What about with the wolves? Would you be able to sense the lycan heritage in them?” I asked.
“Most likely,” she said. “But I guess that would depend on how diluted the bloodline is.”
That would be something I would look into. Tracing Willa’s lineage and ruling out any lycan blood would help me rule out any connection to Amara. I wasn’t sure where I would go if it did lead to a dead end, but it would at least put my mind at ease. And Ferrin’s as well. Willa being an alpha is one thing. Her being a descendant of the bloodline the council went to such lengths to irradicate was something entirely more dangerous.
“What is all this about, Damen?”
Ferrin loved Aunt Suzy, but I wasn’t sure he would be okay with her knowing who Willa was. For her own protection as much as Willa’s at this point.
“We’ve just heard some rumors from Avilvale,” I told her. “We don’t think there’s any weight to them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“There are a lot of rumors going around these days,” she said. “And speaking of mixed pairings, what do you make of our new Luna? Is she as impressive as the gossip says?”
I smiled. “And more. It’s clear why the goddess destined her to be Ferrin’s mate. I think you will really like her.”
“Does that mean you’ll be bringing her to see me the next time you come out?” she hinted.
“I will definitely try,” I promised. “I’m sure she would love to meet you.”
***
Arlo
I had broken into the Boucher’s living quarters the night of the dinner. It was the only time I would be sure they would be thoroughly occupied. I didn’t find any information that would lead us to Ava or incriminate them for anything else they might be involved with.
That was fine. I would find out what they were hiding. And they were hiding something. Why else would they put off providing information about Ava?
That’s why I was now skulking around in the shadows outside the Bouchers' main residence within their district. Other than a few servants, only two of which lived on the premises, the security guards were the only people I had to watch out for. That would be so easy I could get in and out in my sleep.
If I didn’t find anything, I wanted to wait for Callum to return the following day and ask him some questions — my way this time. But Ferrin insisted I get in and get out. He didn’t want them to know he was looking further into the prophecy so strongly yet. So, I agreed to just do some digging and plant some bugs before getting out of there and heading back home.
I could live with that because something told me I needed to stay close to Ferrin and Willa for a while. After seeing our Luna at her full strength, I understood why Ferrin and the others were so determined to find out exactly who Willa was.