S E V E N

NOVA NYX

His lips tipped up in the corner as he grasped both handles of the door and pushed them open into a large pentagonal shape room.

In each point of the room sat five throne like chairs, all facing the small circular stage in the middle of the room.

I glanced around and while I knew there were people sitting in the four out of five throne like chairs, I couldn't see their faces.

"You're going to be fine" Kassian murmured softly, leading me towards the small platform "Just speak when spoken too and not a moment sooner. Any back talk and they'll consider it  disrespectful and punish you."

I opened my mouth to say something when he shook his head firmly.

"We younger Heirs might be more forgiving towards your attitude but the older ones won't" he murmured "No matter how much power you have."

"What?"

He was stepping away from me and into the shadows before I could ask him what the hell he meant by that comment.

A spot light shined and a sneering man's face as he took me in from head-to-toe.

I didn't need to know his name in order to know that Phoenix was definitely related to him.

The resemblance was uncanny, even with the obvious age gap between the two.

"This is the girl?" he either directed the question to his son or the group around us but not to me "She doesn't look like Wolfe."

My lips twitched at the name.

Apparently my Father's name was Wolfe.

A Wolf Shifter named Wolfe.

How freaking ironic and hilarious was that.

"She must take after her mother" Someone murmured as the spotlight flashed above a stoic woman's face.

I couldn't get a good look at her face because as soon as she stopped talking, the spotlight switched off and light up another member's face.

He leaned forward in his throne like chair, his fair hair gleaming underneath the light "Do we know who her mother was?"

"No," a voice spoke out as the spotlight once again switched back to Phoenix's father "Wolfe was very protective of her apparently. Wanted to keep her as far away as possible from this side of his life."

"¿Era ella un humano?" a new voice asked in a heavy Spanish accent "¿Es por eso que no quería involucrarla?"

Instead of standing towards the side of the throne like the other Heirs were, Atlas was standing directly behind his father's chair, his usual expressionless face in place.

"Was her mother Human?" he translated "Is that why he didn't want her involved?"

The spotlight turned back onto Phoenix's father, who shrugged at his fellow councilmen's question.

"We've never had a chance to meet Wolfe's mate" he said "The only reason why we knew about her in the first place was because he announced they were expecting and there would finally be a Lupine Heir."

A scoff sounded from the woman's direction which had me eyes narrowing at her shadowed face.

"How do we even know if she's the real Lupine Heir?" she asked "Just because she has his eyes doesn't mean..."

"Her blood was tested six times for confirmation" Phoenix finally spoke up, quieting the council member "We made sure she was a Lupine before even bringing the issue forward to the Penta."

"¿Y su lobo?" Atlas' father asked "¿Ya se ha convertido en su lobo?"

"Have you..." Atlas started to translate when I cut him off.

"No," I shook my head at the Elder Heir "I didn't even know what I was until five minutes ago."

Atlas' mouth dropped open in surprise, the first real emotion I've seen him display since getting here.

He looked over at me in surprise "¿Puedes entender el español?"

I nodded.

"The neighbor that used to babysit me and my brothers was Hispanic" I explained "She decided to teach us Spanish because it was not only easier for her to speak but it was easy for her to speak one language to gather all her wards together."

Atlas' father leaned back in his throne, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

My eyes swung and I turned fractionally to where Phoenix's father was regarding me with a calculating glint in his eye.

"How much was my son able to share before the Lykos Heir was sent to retrieve you?"

A low growl filled the air as the light shifted towards Kassian's father.

"Be careful with how you address our Heir Tÿr" His father said "For he is not an errand boy that simply fetches things at your will. He is an Heir and deserves to be treated as such."

"Noted Michael" Phoenix's father rolled his brown eyes before turning them on me "Not only are you a Wolf but you are also an Heir. The Last Lupine Heir in the world, to be exact."

He nodded to the rest of the Heirs as the lights slowly lit up each and every person on the throne, their successors standing at their right hand.

"The Last Heir..." My mouth gaped open "Does that mean that my family..."

"Your father was killed in action eighteen years ago during a mission gone wrong" Phoenix's father said "We never knew who your mother was, but we assumed she went with him because there were two bodies found burnt to a crisp in his room, one was a pregnant woman about the same number of weeks your mother would have been."

"So...they're dead?" I whispered "They're all dead? I don't have any family members left?"

"Your grandfather died a few weeks ago" Kassian's father shot me a sympathetic expression "Right about the time we confirmed your identity. He lived a long, full life. Two hundred and Twenty years of peace and prosperity during his reign."

My eye widened as Kassian released a low chuckled at my expression.

Atlas' lips twitched as Phoenix let out a loud sigh.

"We can live that long?" Kassian's father inclined his head at my question "Then what happened to the rest of my family?"

"Cursed, the lot of you" The stoic woman spit out, her eyes glaring daggers at me which had my own narrowing in return "A curse that will spread to the rest of us if we don't eradicate you from our presence."

"Molly..." Phoenix's father growled "Don't..."

"It's true Tÿr" she growled back, pointing a bony finger at me "She's the reason why Wolfe is dead."

"That's not true Molly" Kassian's mother argued "Wolfe died because our safe house location was compromised by the Marksmen."

The woman glared at each and every member of the council before sitting back in her throne chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

"As I was saying" Phoenix's father turned his attention towards me "Since you're the last Lupine Heir in existence, we deemed it necessary for you to be surrounded by your people. It was no longer in the best interest for our community if you remained unaware and defenseless outside of our reach in the human world. We needed you here. Right where we can train and watch over you properly so that you can one day take over the title that is rightfully yours."

"Where is here exactly?" I asked, trepidation lining my tone "Am I still in California?"

"You're in our shifter community outside of the Human Realm" he said cryptically "While the location is not necessary for you to know, our community does still have the same necessities and technological advancements, if not more evolved, that the humans do. What ever you need or want will be provided for you."

"And what about MY people?" I questioned "My friends? My family? People will noticed that we're gone."

"Your friends will think you're at college, and in a way, they'll be right" Kassian's father said "You will be starting college. It's just not at where you originally applied...with a tad different curriculum. As for the St.James', they will be given adequate accommodations..."

"You're going to release them?" I asked hopefully "Can I see..."

He pursed his lips.

"We're not going to release them sweetheart" Kassian's mother shot me a piting smile "But we're not going to keep them imprisoned. They will remain under watch at one of your smaller estates in the countryside. Thousands of miles away in order to prevent you from losing focus from your studies."

I blinked at her "One of MY estates?"

Her lips twitched in amusement at my question.

"Yes, Sweetheart" she smiled "Your Estate. You are a multigenerational Heir whose family has amassed a generous amount of wealth. Your family has always been on top of their game when it came to financial decisions or investments. As the Lupine Heir you are not only responsible for continuing that legacy but are also responsible to use that wealth in order to take care of the Packs underneath your control."

Phoenix father raised a hand, cutting off Kassian's mother momentarily.

"But until you have learned our way and traditions" he said "And caught up to your studies, it was decided that the Penta will momentarily take over those responsibilities as our own. We will still debrief you regarding certain situations but your main focus is to acclimate to our culture as seamlessly and flawlessly as possible."

"If I acclimate according to your standards, will I get to see my family at all?" I asked, "They are my family after all."

Tÿr pursed his lips.

"How about you say goodbye to them today and we revaluate this discussion in a few months time" Kassian's father suggested "We understand that this is a major adjustment for you, with finding out what and who your truly are, but we really need you to focus on your main responsibilities while at the Academy. As much as it pains you to hear this, sometimes family can be the one thing holding you back from your true potential."

I stared at each and every person in the room, more questions whirling through my mind.

I could sense that this meeting was ending and while I wanted to voice these questions out loud and demand for more answers, the lump in my throat wouldn't let a single syllable pass my lips.

When no one else spoke, Tÿr dismissed the Penta meeting with a wave of his hand.

Before I had a chance to step off the stage myself, Kassian was once again there, holding a hand out to me.

I gratefully took it, passing him a small smile.

Before we could exit the room completely, Tÿr's last words had my muscles tensing.

"Welcome Home Nova Lupine" he said "It's good to finally have you back where you belong."