I woke later that night Cal's arm had made its way around me and I could feel his chest against my back, his breath in my hair as he slept.
Slowly I lifted his arm as I tried not to wake him. Sliding to the end of the bed I tippy toed to the door.
"Say hi to Ki for me snuggle buddy."
I looked back giggling as he closed his eyes again.
"Do you have a filter or do you just say the first thing that pops into your head ?"
"I am who I am Rav."
"I'm surprised Ki hasn't killed you before now ."
"He'd have to catch me first I run even faster then you."
I picked a pillow up from the couch near the door and threw it at him. He caught it in mid air.
"Thanks i needed a replacement."
He put the pillow where I had just vacated. My smile disappeared the second I opened the door.
"Having fun?"
Kianti's eyes glowed as he glared through the door.
After what he did I refused to feel guilty we were adults for gods sakes friends can share a bed without it meaning more.
"Grow up Kianti your in no position to judge."
I started to leave intending to find Loki to continue our conversation when He grabbed my arm.
"When my mate shares a bed with my beta I can judge all I like."
"Cal is your beta for a reason if you didn't trust him he wouldn't be your beta. That's how trust works."
He bowed his head I could tell he was visibly trying to control his wolf.
"Rave I don't regret what I did but please believe me if there was any other way I would never have marked you without permission."
I sighed I saw truth in his eyes and inside I knew he marked me out of love and the fear of loosing that love. I thought about Cal's words from yesterday it was true if roles were reversed I would do whatever it took if it meant keeping Ki alive.
I decided to give him hope because inside i really did love him and knew now that he was my true mate.
"Give me time Ki I understand why you did it but the fact is you still marked me without my consent. I just need time the trust I had in you does not easily come back."
His hand went to my face as his thumb caressed my cheek.
"I will earn back your trust no matter what it takes."
Gently I pulled his hand away from my face.
"I'll hold you to that."
He smiled as I turned around heading for the stairs turning back when he didn't follow.
"Are you coming?"
He nodded as we went downstairs to look for Loki.
—————-
Ki and I sat with Loki in Trigons office silently waiting for him to start.
"Before I start I know your angry at me but I need you to wait til I've finished before you ask any questions."
I nodded if that's what it took to know the truth then that's what I'd do.
Loki's hand rubbed his neck as he tried to find the words.
"Well I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. As you know your mother was from the forest lakes pack. Now what you don't know was the forest lakes pack was the last true wild pack. Their linage dates back to the first wolves that were created by the moon goddess some even say she was the first alpha of the pack."
Here his good eye seemed to glaze over as he recounted the past.
"your father found her pack he had heard of their great power and wanted it for himself. He attacked and during the attack was when he first saw your mother. He wanted her more then he wanted the packs power so he proposed a truce in the form of a mate. He would take your mother as his mate and he would leave in peace. Your mother who was alpha at the time didn't want to see any more of her pack die so she agreed. Once the mating bond was complete your father waited til your mother had a child. After your sister was born he returned to the forest lakes pack and almost wiped them out."
My mind reeled at the story so far I knew my father was evil but I never realised just how much.
"The survivors blamed your mother for the attack saying that if she had still been there her power would have saved the pack. So they hired me a bounty hunter at the time. They tasked me with killing your mother father and sister.
However when I set eyes on your mother as I watched her hold her daughter in her arms I knew that she was my mate. I couldn't kill her I had every intention of going back to help rebuild the pack without her but I couldn't leave her. I saw how he treated her it made me angry to see my mate like that.
So one night I revealed myself to her and told her why I was there. She cried as she had no knowledge of what your father had done to her pack. So we planned for her escape I was going to get her and her daughter out so she could rejoin what was left of her pack and help them rebuild, but on the night of her escape your father caught us.
Lyieta was forced to leave her daughter behind while we fled it almost killed her to do it but she had her pack to think of and she knew he wouldn't hurt her since he believed she would be a great power for him to use. Together with the remains of the forest lakes pack we fled the country. For years we stayed hidden those years I had with her were the happiest years of my life. Two years later we had a daughter."
Stunned he looked at me.
"Yes Raven Tharon is not your father I am and you are a true wolf of the forest lakes pack one of the strongest I have ever seen. Your power was born straight from the moon goddess herself. By the age of one you could already shift not just as a wolf but as any creature that lived on earth. By the age of two you had the power of telekinesis and healing. By three your powers had grown even stronger the trees did your bidding the creatures of the forests bowed at your feet.
Rumours spread those rumours reached your father who had been searching for us all those years. One night he attacked when he saw your power he wanted it for himself so your mother did the only thing she could to save you from being used as his tool she offered her life to bind your powers. In doing so she stripped you of your ability to connect with your wolf so that your father could never use you against your will.
Your father was furious he wiped out what was left of the forest lakes pack. He left me alive knowing my mate was dead her pack annihilated and my daughter in the hands of Tharon. He kept you in the hopes that he could reverse what your mother had done but also to punish me for what I had taken away from him. I kept an eye on you the whole time you were with him I tried a few times to get you back but I was one against a whole pack I failed every time, but when you were banished I knew it was my chance."
His eyes penetrated my own as tears welled.
"I wanted to tell you the truth but every time I tried I couldn't get the words out."
I was speechless I didn't know what to say or how I felt about any of it. I looked to Ki he seemed just as shocked as me at Loki's story.
"How does no one know about this?"
Ki was the first to speak.
"Tharon is very good at covering his tracks."
"But why didn't you report him to the council?"
Loki laughed bitterly.
"Why would they believe a fairy tale sure people have heard of the forest lakes pack but most believed it just a myth. We didn't answer to the council we were wild outside law outside city limits we were of the forest and the forest was apart of us. It's the reason it calls to you Rave because you are a part of it just as it's apart of you."
He was right the whole time I lived in New York I felt like I didn't belong and when Kianti locked me in that room I went crazy because I couldn't be free with the out side world.
Without being able to stop myself I threw my arms around Loki's neck.
"No wonder you were so overprotective."
He chuckled as he kissed my head.
I looked up into his eyes tears zigzagging down my cheeks.
"Thank you for finally telling me the truth."
"I guess we don't need the bounty hunter any more."
I turned to Ki as his words sunk in. He was right after hearing Loki's story it was obviously Tharon was the one who sent him. While it was true we didn't need him for information he still might be useful.
"Or maybe we do."
Both Loki and Ki spun to face me.
"Hear me out what if we use him to get to Tharon."
Ki's eye narrowed in confusion but Loki shook his head.
"No Rave it's not worth it you can't beat him."
Realisation crossed Ki's face.
"Not alone she can't."
I smiled at ki knowing he was ready to help.
"No Ki you can't risk your pack and I won't risk my daughter her powers have been bound she has no access to her wolf he will kill her first chance he gets why do you think the bounty hunter changed to the kill order. Those daggers were meant for her. In choosing her as a mate he's afraid that you will be able to do what he could not."
"We can't let him live Loki what if he does the same thing to the blue moon pack. He's already tried to take us out by killing Braze. Then he sent the bounty hunter after me. What more proof do you need that he has already set his sights on this pack. Barring that how many other packs has he wiped out how many other packs will he wipe out in the future. When will it end? He'll keep doing it till his pack is the only one left if we don't stop him now thousands will die."
My eyes turned to Ki so that's what happened to Braze.
"I can't loose Raven she's the only thing I have left of Lyieta."
He put his hand to my cheek I covered it with my own.
"You won't I'm stronger then you think even with bound powers."
My eyes went to Ki as the words he spoke were repeated from my lips. His pride in me showing in his eyes.
My father noticed our exchange as his lips formed a wide smile.
"Well looks like we have an alpha to take down."
I grinned at his words the bound wolf in me surfacing as I sensed her approval I would avenge my mother and my pack for I was a pack wolf only not of the moon goddess pack but a forest lakes the last true wild wolves left on this earth.