Raymond stood at the kitchen doorway, his arms folded and his expression unreadable. Luna looked up from the table where she'd been staring at a cup of untouched tea. She had barely slept after her midnight meeting with Damian, and her body still carried the aftershocks of what she'd seen—and felt.
"Luna," Raymond said, his voice calm but firm. "We need to talk."
She tensed. "About what?"
"About the truth." He stepped into the room and sat across from her. "The real truth. About the father of your child. About who you are. And who you're becoming."
Her fingers curled around the cup. "I don't know what you mean."
Raymond sighed. "I saw you last night, Luna. I saw him. I saw what he is. What you are now tied to. There's no hiding from me anymore."
Luna's breath hitched, her defenses crumbling in an instant. "So you know…"
"I knew something was coming," he admitted. "I just didn't know it would be him. I should have seen it sooner—the way the pregnancy affects you, the strength, the instincts. And now it's time you know everything your father never had the chance to tell you."
She looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
"There's a group of people your father trusted—people who understood the supernatural, who helped protect those who straddled both worlds. They've been waiting for a sign."
"And you think… I'm that sign?"
Raymond stood. "I think we should let them decide. Come with me."
Luna hesitated but then nodded slowly, standing to grab her sweater. As they left the house, the silence between them felt heavy—thick with unanswered questions.
The car ride was quiet. They drove for nearly an hour, deep into the woods where a secluded lodge stood among the trees. The air was colder here, and Luna could feel the hum of something powerful just beneath the surface.
As Raymond opened the lodge door, Luna was met with the low murmur of voices and a flicker of warmth from a large hearth.
Four figures stood inside—older, wise-looking men and women dressed in simple, dark clothing. One of them, a broad-shouldered man with sharp blue eyes, stepped forward.
But it was the figure standing slightly behind them that made Luna freeze.
"Julian?" she breathed.
He looked different now—confident, steady, as if this was his element. No longer just the boy from school who helped her fix a broken faucet, but someone much more.
"Hey, Luna," he said softly. "We've been waiting for you."
---
The Elders TRUTH....
The room fell silent as Luna stared at Julian, still trying to reconcile the boy from school with the powerful presence he now exuded. Raymond placed a comforting hand on her back and gently nudged her forward.
"Come," said the eldest woman, her voice gentle yet commanding. Her silver hair was braided down her back, and her eyes held decades of knowledge. "Sit. You've come a long way, child, and it's time you learned who you are… and what you carry."
Luna sat slowly, her hands folded tightly in her lap.
The others followed, settling in a circle before the roaring hearth. Julian sat beside her, though he kept a respectful distance, watching her with quiet understanding.
Raymond remained standing behind her, arms crossed.
The old man with the blue eyes spoke first. "Your father, Caleb Grey, was one of us—a Seeker of the Old Circle. He wasn't just a kind man, Luna. He was born into a legacy of protectors. Men and women who knew the truth about the bloodlines that live among us."
"What bloodlines?" Luna asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The shifters," the silver-haired woman replied. "Wolves. Werewolves. And among them… a royal bloodline that once ruled all packs. That line was nearly extinguished in a great war centuries ago. Only a few survived. Damian Nightborne… he is the last Alpha of that bloodline."
Luna's breath caught. "And my baby?"
"Carries the blood of kings," the woman confirmed. "A hybrid child… something the world has not seen in hundreds of years. The old prophecies speak of such a child—born of human and Alpha. A being who could unite the shattered wolf clans… or destroy them."
Julian leaned forward slightly. "That's why you're in danger, Luna. There are packs who believe your child is a threat. Others want to control you… or use you."
"And my father knew?" she asked, turning to Raymond.
Raymond nodded solemnly. "He didn't know everything at first. But the more he learned, the more he realized your path would cross with Damian's. He wanted to tell you when you were older, when it was safer… but he died too soon."
The woman added, "Your father died protecting the last known relic of the bloodline—the Moonstone. It holds the power to awaken or suppress the beast within. And it's missing."
Luna swallowed hard. "What happens now?"
"You must be protected," the man said. "Your child is growing fast, and your strength will only increase. Soon, instincts will take over. You'll feel drawn to the father, to the wild, to the moon."
"I already do," she murmured.
Julian looked at her then, serious. "And that's why we must act before others do."
"You're not alone, Luna," the woman said. "We are your father's legacy. And now, we are yours."
---