Then, one by one they all turned to me. I turned back to the grave and continued to fill it in. “I know about the first family because they are descended from the Moon Goddess, as are Lycans. My Lycan line is descended by her blood.” I tossed inshovels of dirt as I told the story of the first Lycan. How she saw him on the mountain and was stuck in the sky, so she bled to save him. “My witch is descended from the power of the three-faced witch.” They all nodded. “But my wolf is descended from both.”
“How is that possible?” Hanna leaned in. “Are you sure?”
I nodded as I finished filling in the grave. I dropped the shovel and faced my friends. “I saw it happen.”
“Magic?” Wendy asked, and I nodded again.
“Years before this land was taken over by cities, there was a woman and her son that lived in the forest. She was a witch, descended from the three faced Goddess, and she was teaching her son their ways. Men settled on the land and came into the woods. They found the wolves that lived there and then hunted them. They were watched over by the Moon Goddess herself, and she came down to walk with them, so they were on their guard. The witch’s son was seen by the wolves, and was hunted down, as they thought he was one of the men that killed their own.” I closed my eyes as I remembered the vision. “The witch found her son torn apart, yet still alive, and she called to her Goddess. She begged the three faced Goddess to save her son, sadly the Goddess could not. But the Moon Goddess came, as she heard the woman cry. The Moon Goddess realized her creatures’ mistake and offered a chance, and the woman agreed. She didn’t care if he changed as long as he was alive. That was the birth of our kind.”
“So you’re from the first family.” Micca hopped up to her knees and I just nodded. “So your father…” I nodded again.
“Is that why he was targeted?” Wendy bit her lip, but I shrugged.
“My father has strict rules in place. Not even certain pack members know the whole truth. And there is magic thatstops the pack members that know from talking about it with outsiders.”
Toya snorted and pointed at everyone. “And we aren’t outsiders?”
“No.” I shook my head. “You are my sisters. And even if you weren’t, I’m not bound by the magic that stops us from talking. Because I’m the one supposed to be enforcing the magic.”
Hanna dropped her head back. “I’m not from the main branch, but my family is descended from the first family of Japan.” She looked at Toya. “You’re descended from the first family of Egypt.” She turned to face Wendy and Micca. “What are the chances you two aren’t descended from another Goddess or God?”
A new silence overtook us. I looked up at the sky, debating what Hanna had just said. What if we were all descendants of Gods, and somehow we had stumbled into being friends?
Is that even a question? TheGoddesssaid she needed champions.Nix snorted.Do you think she is just going to leave it to you? She is going to want us to have backup.
She wants us to succeed Amy. That includes having backup plans.Megan offered, as she sat down by my magic.
I focused inwardly, weighing their words. The Goddesses, all of them, would want us to survive. We were their children, their lines of power here on earth. When the humans turned their backs on their Gods, we stayed dedicated to our creators. All of this seemed too coincidental, though. “What if there was a way to check?”
Toya chucked a rock at me. “Be serious.”
I turned and looked at my friends. “I am serious.” I looked at Toya, with her silent strength and Hanna, how far she’s come. It made sense that they were tied to a Goddess. Too much sense. Then I looked at Micca and Wendy. “We were all drawn together. What if there was a reason behind it?”
“There was a reason behind it.” Wendy leaned in, like she was going to whisper a secret. “You collected us, like that kids’ show. Oh Goddess, what is it?”
Hanna snorted. “The one with the weird animal things that say their name?” Wendy pointed to her.
“Exactly. The Poké show. You’re a collector of people.” Hanna shook her head but she was laughing with Wendy.
Toya smiled but just shook her head in defeat. “I am serious.” I stood. “I hate people, to the extreme. I have only ever had one friend my entire life, and she only had to deal with me during the summers. But you guys, you guys stuck around.”
“Amy, I hate to tell you this but you’re in fact a nice person.” Micca finally chimed in.
“I know I am, but I also know that I’m a bitch. I’m also a huge Alphahole. I strong arm my friends, my family, fucking randoms on the street.”
Toya snorted. “You are exaggerating.” She stood, dusting off her pants. She reached down and pulled Wendy up from the ground. “You were sweet, generous, and the only ranked wolf that didn’t look down on any of us because of who we were, or where we came from.”
“Fine.” I stood, dusting myself off. “I need a hot shower, comfy clothes, a glass of wine, and I need to think this over.”
“Think what over?” Hanna and Micca stood together.
“How to find out the truth about everyone?” I was serious. I was going to figure out a way to see who came from the first families. I crouched down and patted the soft dirt on the grave. “Sleep well. I promise we will care for your little girl and she will remember just how much you loved her.” I sent another push of magic into his final resting place and then I headed inside.
“What are you going to do?” Wendy, ever the curious one, caught up with me.
“I don’t know yet. I’m going to try to remember if there was anything that I could use in my book and then we will go from there.” I sighed. “But first, some wine and a shower.” We trudged into the front room and took off our muddy shoes. I looked around and then up at my friends. “Carl?” They all nodded.
“He left little notes for us, telling us whose clothes were where. He really thought of everything.” Micca headed into the kitchen as I headed up the stairs. I stopped at Carly’s door and I slid it open silently.
