Seren

"Seren? May I come in?"

The voice was low, and a man's. Though I cherished Titus dearly, he was not the person I wished to see.

I took a sip of honey bourbon, enjoying the burn of it as it slid down my throat. Pain reminded me that I was not here to desire. I was the Alpha. 

After I accepted his request, the guard moved quickly into the room. Years of being close friends told me that something was wrong.

I tried to avoid it. "How is it going with the others?"

Titus opened and closed his mouth, realizing I was trying to divert. He took the bait.

"The other Outcasts are doing well. Sonya is a fine maid. Petir has a good grip on the basics, he will be a competent addition to the guard."

"Good." I nodded my head and swirled my glass of bourbon. "No one knows?"

"Other than us? Not a soul." Titus pressed his lips together, an unsettling silence tense between us. My friend's next words were sudden and unwelcome. "When were you going to tell me that you're in love with her?"

Ah. That is why Titus looked like he had a hot metal iron poked up his ass. He intended to berate me about my greatest dilemma.

Slamming my drink on the table beside me, I answered him coolly, "I'm not."

I was used to saying the words aloud, even when my heart protested.

"Seren, you have to be kidding me." Titus fought, moving closer to me. I kept my hand covering half my face to hide my reaction. The guard was frustrated, "The only person you can fool is her and it's not because she lacks intellect, it is because she doesn't know." He paced before me, his hands moving with every word. "You've completely disregarded your father's wishes, you've exiled one of our own, you've moved the Outcasts into the castle, which is quite frankly unheard of, and you're training her to be able to—"

"And do you have a problem with it? I have done only what any Alpha would. No matter the circumstances I am a man of honor. She is my mate, and I must protect her. Cyrus was a problem for the entire pack. The other Outcasts were used as bargaining chips," I interrupted.

My foot tapped anxiously against the ground, matching my erratic heartbeat.

"Did you know that Cyrus wasn't the only one who left. Ten Lycan from Umbra, three from Stellae, one from Caelum, and twelve from Sol all left with him. They think you're going mad, that you're unfit to rule. They plan on following Cyrus instead, elsewhere."

I did know. It wouldn't have been a problem, if the council had voted on executing him.

"I would have done it for anyone."

Titus stopped before me, completely flabbergasted at my denial. "Bull. Shit. Do you think I've never questioned your actions before, Seren? I am your best friend. You only call them Outcasts when you are around others, and even now you probably want to bash my head in for using it."

"My personal opinions on pack dynamics do not matter—"

"I don't care if that is how you feel, Seren. I just want the truth." He pinned me with his knowing gaze. "I think a better question is, how long have you loved her?"

I was caught, there was no way out. He knew. And maybe I just wanted one person to understand just how fucked up this all was.

"Why should I say it out loud, Titus?" I grimaced, finally looking up at my friend.

He relented, only slightly. "Because I am your friend and I want to help you. But I need to know the truth to do so."

"Fine. A very long time." I sat back in my chair and picked up my bourbon once again. Sip. Pain. Repeat. "It doesn't change a thing."

Titus was already up in arms. "It changes everything!" He shook his head, his frustration clear. "How can you not-"

I stood up quickly, my chair falling back. Titus fell to silence, but my intent was not to intimidate my friend.

Agony clung to me as I fell apart, "You cannot begin to understand how it feels to hold her life in my hands! I have been the looming monster she had to hide from, and now I will more than likely be her death. No one has an inkling of what that feels like!" My voice fell to a broken whisper, showing my deep yearning. I placed my fist over my heart, trying to ease the ache. "I am grateful you are able to show her the friendship that I cannot afford and that she deserves. But it fucking kills me inside that I cannot do the same."

He withered. "Seren..."

"It is not even about the fact my feelings are unrequited, she is going to die. Less than a year, and she is gone. Do you know she feels sorry for me? For me, Titus. She sees me as a victim even after everything that has happened to her because of my family. And now, because of me too."

Because I love her, and the fucking goddess knew it. I wondered if she was truly the goddess of sadism rather than moonlight.

My head fell into my hands, "I am trying with everything in me, but I cannot find a solution to this mess. I have read hundreds of books, asked about countless spells and blessings. I beg the goddess every night."

"I didn't mean to insinuate otherwise, I only wanted to ask if I could help you look for ways out of this, or some sort of loophole. I'm truly sorry."

I knew he didn't wish me any ill will. He would hold my secret close and help me as he had been with Vyra. It made me confident I could share more with him.

"The more time I spend with her the more I question everything that I thought I knew," I started slowly, gauging his reaction.

There were various levels to how closely Lycan adhered to ancient law. Titus never had any issues like I did growing up, where I would question certain things and get reprimanded. He was never outwardly cruel to anyone, but until I saw Vyra grow on him, I wasn't sure.

"What do you mean?" He walked past me and sat in an armchair by my side.

I took a deep breath, hoping I could fully trust him. If I said this in front of a council, I would be tried for blasphemy. "We know why pack members are pushed to mate within their own Clans. It keeps an order to things. Everyone has their assigned role and they will not stray." He seemed to be following along, "How would you describe Sonya and Petir?"

"Eager. Adaptable. Especially quick learners."

I took in his words. Just as I suspected.

I knew I would sound crazy, but Titus continued to listen without judgment. I took my chance, "Then there is Vyra, both sired from Clan Lunae and a human." Did he see? Did he understand? "She's impervious to silver. She cannot die from Wolf's Bane. She has the empathy of a human, but the power of a Lycan. Our weaknesses are nothing to her."

Titus went still. "When you say it like that, she doesn't seem weak at all."

No, she seemed like a threat.

"There might be another reason why hybrids are forbidden, then what we have been told."

***

Vyra

Sneaking back into the library was a little too easy.

I waited till deep into the night, when I was sure anyone in the castle who was on watch for me would be sleeping. After completing the first trial, I would only have a short amount of time before I had to train again for the second.

Knowing that, I made my way back to the fourth floor of the library.

With only the moonlight to ignite my path, I was disappointed to find that the book was gone from Seren's desk.

I panicked before realizing I had scented the dusty book. My human nose wouldn't be able to find it, but my other form definitely could. Quickly, and with a sensation of hot coal running over my body, I turned into a wolf.

Scenting the air, I could tell it was in the library. Still, it took some time to find exactly where. My eyesight was better, but the book wasn't lining any of the shelves.

Instead, I traced its scent in the floorboards all the way to the other side of the floor.

Turning back, I got on my knees, my body bursting with energy. If the Alpha had taken the time to hide the book so well, then there was obviously something in it he didn't want found.

It also meant he had sniffed me out the day I had touched his notes and drawings.

Pushing that embarrassment aside, I lifted up the loose stones and took the large black book in my hands.

Reading it took two hours. I started from the beginning and planned to work towards the end so I wouldn't miss anything important.

The Five Clans of Rupes started with the origin of all Lycans, or as they called it, werewolves. Then it explained the origin of each of the Clans, and then the beginning of their trees. I was surprised to find that the Lunae tree was intact and not destroyed.

I was nearly nodding off before I made it to the first page of names that I recognized.

There he was, Felix Lunae, near the bottom. I ran my fingers over his name, and where mine should have been placed. There was a moon symbol above him, designating him as the Alpha.

The name I saw next to his made my blood turn to ice.

Aurelia Valor.

That was Seren's mother, with her maiden name. That couldn't be right.

I wasn't worried that me and Seren were related, I was a hybrid and we never would have been fated mates otherwise. Secondly, my father would have never been allowed to have a child with a woman from the Umbra Clan, as they would have also been an Outcast.

Still, I knew I was missing something far greater. From the note Seren left, so did he.

My eyes flickered to the next page, and I realized it was the start of the Umbra tree.

I flipped pages, nearly cutting my skin until I found Seren's father's name. Marcus Umbra. And of course, as I suspected, right next to him was Aurelia Valor.

Why was Seren's mother in both Clan trees?