“I’m going to tell you everything. But you can’t tell anyone.” I clenched my fists. “I trust you, and so do my wolves.” I looked up at her and watched her register my words.
“Your wolves?” Her mouth dropped open. “Like more than one wolf?”
“I have a secret…multiple secrets.” She nodded. “I need your oath that you won’t tell another soul. I haven’t even told my bestfriend yet, but I need someone here to help me and I trust you the most.”
I watched multiple emotions fly across her face. It was hard to tell with her dark complexion, but she looked a little pale. “Okay. I, Toya Argara from the Malawi pack, promise to keep everything you are about to tell me between us. I won’t share this with anyone, even under torture or command, until you release my oath.” I waited until the words sunk in and nodded.
“Thank you.” I smiled and shook her hand.
“You have become my closest friend here, Amy. We may have best friends back home, but here you are, mine.”
“I feel the same way.” I smiled and then shook my head. “I don’t know how much of my pack’s history your father knew, but I have to explain it.” She settled back and I could tell I had her full attention. “The first werewolf was made in the Agora. A patch of land that a witch held dear. Her son, her only child, was attacked by the local wolves. Their Alpha had been killed by humans and they attacked the first one they saw. The witch found her boy and called on her goddess, the three faced goddess, and begged for his life. But it was the Moon Goddess who gave him back to her. Changed. He held the spark for power, and wolves and he passed that down to his son, and it continued, until you get to me. A werewolf descended from the Moon Goddess’s first, and a witch.” Toya’s eyes were enormous.
“Holy shit, you are from the first family?”
I just nodded and looked away. “Lycan’s are a different breed, descended from the Moon Goddess herself. Did you know that?” Toya nodded. “It’s a little weird to think of that because Lycans mated with other Lycans.”
“There were more lines.” Toya interrupted me. I looked up in confusion.
“What?”
“Other gods saw the blessing the Moon goddess gave to the Lycans and approached her. They created their own line of Lycans and wolves so that breeding wouldn’t become an issue.” Toya twirled a ring on her finger that I just noticed. “The Goddess Nut, of the sky in Egypt, was the first to make the request, but not the last.” Toya looked over at me. “That is where my line falls from. The first wolves in Egypt. But all lines that came after, know of the first family.” She grabbed my hands. “But why bring up the Lycans?”
“Because, I’m Lycan.” I huffed out a sigh. “I’m Lycan, wolf and witch, all rolled up into one tiny package.” She stared at me for a long time. I nudged her. “Say something…” The longer she stared up at me, the more I felt the need to squirm under her gaze. “Toya…”
“Holy fucking Goddess.” Toya jumped to her feet. “Are you serious? This makes so much sense.” She turned in a circle, talking to herself. “The fact you are so powerful.” She started to list things off. “That I felt drawn to you. Instantly, we had a connection.” She whirled back to faced me. “You said wolves. Does that mean you have a wolf, and a Lycan…Do you have two forms? Do you have actual powers, or does it just bump up your aura and power level?” The questions poured out of her like vomit. She couldn’t stop.
I held up my hand, and she froze. “Come sit back down.” She sat next to me and I concentrated on my hand. A wisp the size of a tennis ball appeared, and she gasped. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at me.
“You have power?” I laughed and nodded.
“Yes, I have power, actual power. That’s why we can always talk openly here and not have to worry about being overheard. I snap a shield in place so others can’t hear us.” She looked at me and snapped her fingers.
“The first night here. When you came into the bedroom and we called our dads. I felt something shift. The room became echoey, even with all of us in there. I thought it was just my ears adjusting to the height of the penthouse, but it was you.”
I nodded again. “I’m still new to all of this, but I’m slowly learning.” I snuffed out the wisp and stood. I shifted, first into Nix’s form, waiting a minute, then shifting into Megan’s.
Toya’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Holy shit.” I chuffed out a laugh and then shifted back. She pointed at me. “You keep your clothes? How is that fucking fair?” I threw my head back and laughed. I laughed until my sides hurt.
“Toya…”
She waved her waves at me. “No! This is bullshit.” She laughed. “I end up naked if I shift in my clothes and you get to keep your modesty.” I laughed again. She was taking this way better than I thought she would.
“I feel like I should say sorry, but I am thankful for it.”
“I would be too.” She flopped back down on the couch. And I slid next to her. “Fuck, you are so lucky.” I snorted and Toya turned to face me. “What? What did I miss?”
I rubbed my face. “You have taken everything I’ve said pretty well. But there is more. My line has a secret.”
“Another one? How many do you frickin’ have?” I laughed, but I could tell she was invested.
“I actually don’t even know when this started but the Moon Goddess blessed my line with a second chance.”
“A second chance at what?” She leaned in. “Like a mate? We all have that…” But I quickly shook my head.
“At life.” Her eyes bugged out of her head.
“You come back to life? Like a vampire…are vampires real?”
