"Freyr, what the hell are you planning?" Ma demanded, her voice sharp and unwavering, cutting through the tension like a blade.
I chuckled, standing from my stool and moving closer to her, the warmth of the fire casting flickering shadows on the walls. "I've already found the power Lord Marcel is looking for," I said calmly, meeting her gaze. "I just need time to investigate further, to see if his intel holds any weight. That's why I accepted the job."
Ma's eyes bore into mine, searching for the truth beneath my words. Her tone softened into a whisper, but the edge was still there. "It's more than that, isn't it?"
I nodded slowly, holding her gaze. "It is," I admitted. "If we find it first, we can control how this plays out. And if it's as dangerous as Lord Marcel fears or hopes then we'll need to consider the implications of such a threat."
Her expression remained unreadable, but I could see the wheels turning in her mind.
"Lord Marcel is power-hungry," I continued. "The only way to protect us, to protect the Kayne family, is to stay steps ahead of him."
The room grew still, the weight of my words settling over us.
Qadira, ever the one to break the tension, suddenly blurted out, "Well, if the gossip's true, the coven also plans to offer you, Aurora Jade, as your long-life wife."
I burst out laughing, the sound loud and unexpected in the quiet room. "They're dreaming. I know Arora too well. She is more dangerous than she lets on. I would never agree to such a disgusting woman" I said, shaking my head with amusement.
Ma, however, wasn't as amused. She crossed her arms, her expression darkening. "It's not about romance, Freyr. They're trying to tie the Kayne family to the coven, to find a way to control us."
The humor drained from my face, and I let out a slow breath. "And they think marriage is the way to do it?" I muttered, more to myself than to them.
Ma nodded. "The coven council plays a long game. Don't underestimate them. They see you as a way to solidify their power. Lord Marcel included." Her words hung heavy in the air, and I realized then that the stakes were higher than I'd first thought.
"Well," I said, forcing a grin, "if they think I'm that easy to manipulate, they don't know me."
Qadira snorted, her laughter returning. "Oh, they're going to regret underestimating you."
Ma didn't laugh, but the faintest flicker of approval crossed her face. "Just be careful, Freyr. I already buried your Pa, I am not ready to lose any of you," she said.
"Ma," I began, leaning slightly toward her, "what do you know about the Bay Shifter pack? You have always been tightlipped about giving out information or details that you have"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she sat in silence, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the counter, her gaze distant. Finally, after a few moments, she sighed and looked at me.
"Your Pa told me a little about them," she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of memories. "The Bay Shifters have a prophecy; one they've held onto for generations. It speaks of a Lycan rising among them, one destined to be the most powerful shifter in the land. Your Pa believed it might already be happening before he died". Her words sent a ripple of unease through me. A prophecy? The most powerful shifter? It sounded like the kind of myth that could drive both ambition and chaos.
"But there's more," Ma continued, her tone darkening. "I suspect there's a spy within the Bay Shifter pack, someone feeding intel to the Paradise Coven. Your Pa thought so, too. He believed that whatever was going on between the two breeds might have been connected to his death."
I froze, my jaw tightening. "What?"
Ma nodded grimly. "He didn't have proof, Freyr, but he had his suspicions. That's why I've been investigating quietly. When we lost him, we were all grieving, and I couldn't risk drawing more attention to it."
Qadira, who had been quietly listening, huffed in frustration. "I heard they were disappointed when Freyr didn't take over the Paradis Coven," she said, folding her arms. "They had plans to attack the Bay Shifter pack, but they needed the Kayne family's power to do it."
I nodded, my gaze flicking to her. "That's exactly why I stayed away from the Paradis Coven," I replied. "Hiding on Hanka Island gave me the space I needed to stay out of their schemes."
Ma's expression softened briefly before hardening again. "There's something else you need to know," she said. "The night before your Pa died, he made a discovery. I don't know what it was, but it left him anxious and restless. He didn't sleep that night." Her voice trailed off, but she didn't need to finish the sentence. The weight of his loss lingered in the room. "I need you to be careful, Freyr," she said, her eyes boring into mine. "Whatever is happening out there between the Bay Shifters and the Paradise Coven it's bigger than you think. Report to me when you've gathered all the information."
I nodded, standing from my seat. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her cheek. Her hand came up to pat mine gently, but before I could step away, she whispered, "I can feel it, you know. Something's changed in you." I paused, my heart skipping a beat. "I can sense it," she continued softly, "that you've found something that is making you change."
Her words caught me off guard, but I didn't respond. Instead, I straightened and gave her a faint smile before turning to leave. As I walked toward the door, her words echoed in my mind, mingling with the scent of warm blood and the lingering shadows of the past.
The snowfall thickened as I drove back home, the cold wind sweeping across the landscape, painting it in shades of white and gray. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel, my thoughts circling like a restless predator. When I finally pulled up to the house, the world seemed quieter, as I stepped out of the car while I stood still for a moment, letting the icy wind whip against my skin and the snowflakes melt on my face.
Get close to him. The thought struck me with the force of inevitability. The powerful Lycan, the one who had awakened something inside me. I needed to know more, not for the coven, not for Ma.
This was for me.
The decision settled heavily in my chest, but it wasn't a burden—it was the purpose. I clenched my jaw, my resolve solidifying. I would find out who he was, and what he was. And I would do it before anyone else.
Was I selfish?
I chuckled softly to myself, my breath visible in the frigid air. "Damn right, I am," I muttered under my breath, the words carried away by the wind.