Chapter 220

Chapter 70: Ayla By the next morning, I was feeling fantastic. The medication the doctor gave me was exactly what I needed. Theo and I got a great nights sleep and we both woke up feeling refreshed and more relaxed than we had in weeks.

I was down in the cellar in the investigation room with Mina and Randy. Theo and some of the others were down by the vault trying to get it opened. They were hopeful it would be soon. It was hard to determine how far they would have to cut to get in.

We’re all curious to see what we find. Theo wouldn’t let me stay down there, though. They were worried about the traps or a collapse, even the air quality. Torin, Kingston, and Alpha Harden all agreed that a pregnant woman shouldn’t be breathing in whatever is down there.

So, I begrudgingly came back up to wait. But I was keeping busy. I felt like it was the first time I could really focus on getting answers. Professor Armand had brought in some other texts from both the local and university libraries. He had also reached out to a colle in another pack for some additional information on ancient werewolf history and folklore. Those hadn’t arrived yet, but would hopefully be there soon.

In the meantime, we had plenty to work with.

“Hey, here’s something,” I said to the others. “It’s one of my dad’s books. I think I found where the Blessed One story came from.” I set the book down on the table as Mina and Randy came closer. “This is actually from a historical record. It’s a biographical entry on a high priestess of the moon goddess. She was actually one of my ancestors, as well.”

“It looks like she had some kind of predictive ability,” Mina said as she read over my shoulder.

I nodded. “The description of her ability is a little vague, though. I can‘ t tell if she had premonitions or was some kind of medium.

Either way, she said she was given a message from the moon goddess about a reincarnation on earth. That must be the stories origin.”

“Okay, but why?” Mina said. “All cultures and histories have these kinds of tales. They always take place against some massive event. Usually to counter some kind of threat. While the Waar Pak wiping out a bloodline is terrible, but I don’t think that’s enough of a reason for a goddess to personally step in like that. Especially since it’s this. story that has caused all the drama in the first place.”

I snorted. “You’ve never heard of self–fulfilling prophecies?” I teased. “Besides, that really only matters if you buy into me being this Blessed One.”

“You still don’t?” Mina asked. “Even though your dad believed it?”

I scrunched my nose. “No, not really. I think it’s all a fairy tale. I love Dad, but this is a bit too fantastical for me.”

Mina shook her head. “And you’re supposed to be a writer with this grand imagination,” she tisked. “What about you, Randy? I mean, you‘ ve dedicated your life to fighting the Waar Pak. Surely you think it’s possible.”

Randy shrugged. “We work to protect the Onyxcrown survivors. That includes the Dominis bloodline. The Waar Pak killed innocent people because of the place they were born or the family they belong to. That doesn’t seem like a cause that needs some deeper story to justify.”

“But to defend it as strongly as you do...” I said, looking up to meet his eye. “There’s something that feeds that dedication.”

The corner of his lip lifted. “My mother was Onyxcrown,” he said. “She may have left the pack to be with my father, but she raised me on stories of how great her birth pack was.”

“So, do you believe Ayla is the Blessed One?” Mina asked.

“I think she’s something special,” he replied with a smile. “I think Luna Ayla is capable of great things. Whatever the reason for that doesn’t matter, and is always worth protecting.”

My face flushed red. “Thank you, Randy.”

We returned to our research while Randy returned to his phone. He had been communicating with multiple people all morning.

“Getting anything useful?” I asked him.

“Maybe,” he said without looking up. “I believe the information about Alpha Theo’s friend, Charles Anderson, has opened up some new avenues for us. I’ll follow up with Gamma Jimmy before I make any determinations, though.”

“You said once that you suspected the Waar Pak had bigger intentions and specific beliefs that you didn’t know about,” I said curiously. “That you thought the leaders were a group of fanatics. Have you learned anything since then that may tell you more about what these leaders believe? Why they are doing all of this?”

Randy looked up at me hesitantly. “Truthfully, no,” he said. “Most of the contacts I’m involved with don’t even have an idea that there’s more to this. However, that’s who they target to join them. Many of their mid–level members are entitled assholes who only hope to gain from this. Those that believe you or your family were ever actually a threat to our way of life only believe so because they’ve been told it would stop them from making money if the Dominis succeeded.”

“How in the world would that work?” Mina scoffed.

“Our pack system allows for the possibility of anyone becoming Alpha,” Randy said. “They can take it or it can be given to them.

It also means that their position and successes are only dependent on their own pack and Alpha. It gives many more options and more opportunities.”

“And how would the Dominis family ruin that?”

“As you know, their working belief is that you would take over the packs and make yourself queen,” he said. “They can’t count the ways that could possibly destroy them. But ultimately, it’s all greed disguised as werewolf rights. But it’s dangerous. And convincing enough to anyone who thinks they don’t have any control over their lives.”

“If the current pack system is failing them,” I concurred, “then there’s no way a complete sovereign could do any better.”

“Exactly,” Randy said.

Suddenly, Briggs came through the door. “We need you guys down in the vault.”