“She’ll make a good luna,” my mother remarked. “She’s smart and fiercely protective. I’ll be proud to pass my title down to her.”
“I agree,” I said, suddenly nervous to share the next part. “There is something that I’m a little worried about though. I don’t know how the pack or Elders will react.”
“I’m sure they’ll find her perfectly acceptable. But tell me, what’s the matter?”
“Shade is cursed,” I muttered.
“Cursed?” she questioned, her brow knitting in confusion. “How is she cursed?”
“Her mother was killed when she was young. She witnessed the whole thing, and the trauma forced her to shift. It’s called the Wolf Born from Sorrow,” I explained. “Apparently, it makes her howl deadly to any who hear.”
“That’s awful!” my mother cried. “I knew she was an orphan, but to have witnessed it… No child should ever have to go through that.”
“I know,” I agreed as I patted her hand comfortingly.
“What about her father?” she asked. “Was he killed too? Is that how she wound up at Thunder Moon with Butch?”
“Um, yeah,” I murmured hesitantly. “There’s something else you should probably be aware of.”
I knew that what I had to say next was going to upset her even more, but she had a right to know. She’d known Shade’s mother. It was wrong that she believed like everyone else that Shade Mallory had been dead all this time.
“Shade is Alpha Butch’s daughter,” I admitted. “Sunny’s twin sister. Butch lied when he said she died with her mother that day.”
“I knew it!” she snarled angrily. “That spineless… I just knew it was too much of a coincidence that they looked so alike. I can’t believe that this whole time Brona’s child was not only alive but being used as a servant and shield by her own family.”
I nodded, a little scared to speak as my mother raged on. Luna Maty didn’t get angry often, but when she did, she was absolutely terrifying.
“That good for nothing… I’m completely disgusted,” she grumbled. “How could he?! This whole time he was pretending his daughter was dead! What’s wrong with that wolf?! Why would he put his own pup through that?!”
“Shade said they blame her for her mother’s death,” I admitted. “I think she actually believes it was her fault.”
“That’s ridiculous!” my mother exclaimed. “It was an accident! Brona never would’ve wanted her pup to believe something like that. I bet that was just a convenient excuse Butch used to distance himself from her. He’s never fully accepted Shade because of her abilities.”
“Abilities?” I questioned. “You mean her curse?”
“No,” she sighed. “Shade was born with a rare ability. It’s known as amplification. She can tap into the emotions of another and amplify them.”
“What?! How is that even possible?”
“It’s a gift,” my mother explained. “She can focus whatever emotion someone is feeling and strengthen it. She could make a happy person happier, a sad person unbelievably depressed, or send an angry person into a blind rage.”
I stared at her in disbelief. I had never heard of such an ability in all my studies.
“An ability like hers could cause a lot of trouble in the wrong hands,” my mother continued. “When she was young, she had difficulty controlling it. It caused a few problems within the pack. But Brona knew it was a gift from the Goddess. Butch felt differently, of course.”
She scoffed, glaring at something in the distance as we strolled through the gardens.
“He thought it should be hidden. He was worried how others would react if they found out. He’s always been obsessed with appearances. Poor Brona called me in tears on more than one occasion because he’d called little Shade a ‘freak.’ Can you believe it?! His own daughter.”
She shook her head as I tried to wrap my mind around what she’d just said.
“The only reason that we ever allied with Thunder Moon was because Brona was his fated mate,” she added. “She was a member of Harvest Moon before she left to be his luna. If I’d known then what I know now, I would’ve tried to talk her out of it. But the mate bond is a powerful thing.”
“Shade didn’t tell me any of this,” I admitted. “Why would she tell me about the curse and not about her ability?”
“I’m guessing she’s not allowed to talk about it,” my mother reasoned. “Like I said, Butch hated that she was different and didn’t want anyone to ever find out. Though I bet he hasn’t hesitated to have her use it in secret for his own gain.”
I raised an eyebrow, giving her a curious look.
