Isis reached for the queen’s hand, offering her comfort,
Something inside called for me to do the same, but I suppressed the urge.
“When I was finally brought back here, and I found out the truth, it felt like my entire world was flipped on its axis. I was in shock. It was too much to process and wrap my mind around. I mean, wolf shifters were real for goodness sake!”
“Wait. You didn’t even know supernaturals existed?”
A humorless chuckle escaped her.
“Not even a little… I mean, I had found Will by then and learned his secret—my sexy Beast.” Love burst from her eyeswith the playful comment. “But going from learning about his curse and suddenly believing in Withes, to a human turning into a wolf naturally was kind of a stretch.” She shook her head, incredulous. “Never mind learning that I was the last descendant of a race the Moon Goddess herself had created.”
“That’s crazy!”Star gasped.
“It really is.”
“So, you had never shifted before?”
“Nope.”
“Wow. Thatisa lot to process,” I admitted.
“It is… and although I accepted it as the truth, I also kind of shut down. My response to the pain was to look for the closest bed and hide under the covers.” Her nose wrinkled as though she could have handled that better.
“You did not,” I challenged, giving her a dubious glance while taking another sip.
Isis and the queen chuckled.
“Not literally, but I was so emotionally exhausted that it resulted in me passing out a couple of times. Gustav was taken from me too, and at the time everything seemed so impossible. I really just couldn’t deal.”
“But you got him back,” I reminded. “I loved meeting him and Zelin.”
Joy returned to her expression, and the queen nodded.
“Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. We went through a lot, Will and I, and some things I had to face without him. But even if I sometimes I needed to block the world and just let the pain roam free, it helped me rise stronger the next day and do whatever I had to do to reclaim my kingdom and my family.”
Reaching for my hand, she held it in both of hers.
“I’m sorry I failed you, Natasha, Natalia, and Starlight. I meant to create a world where no other Wolf Shifter ever hadto experience the same hate, prejudice, or loss we experienced. We fought the wars, we eliminated our enemies, and still, I somehow failed to realize how far the RavenWolf envy of our race had spread.”
Her eyes glistened and she paused to gather herself.
“I knew those kids left theBlack Forest; I looked the other way because I thought they deserved a second chance. If I’d only known, then you and your parents would have never had to go through that…”
A certain heaviness settled in my chest with the knowledge of her sacrifice and regret, but I pushed it as far as it would go before it could take hold. However, I did squeeze her hand in turn because I might be a bitch, but I wasn’t completely heartless.
“It was not your fault, Queen Luna. You couldn’t have possibly known what would happen,” I assured, trying to ignore the inflection my voice had taken.
“Children aren’t born with hate,” Isis added. “They are taught by others. You couldn’t have imagined that those kids you let go free, would continue to the hateful ways their parents initiated against humans and the ReinheitWölfes.”
“I know,” the queen sighed in acceptance. “But my heart still hurts knowing everything you had to endure because of them.”
Her words were for me, and I felt them in every cell of my being. The darkness stirred inside my chest again as my throat began to burn.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her and then tried to reinforce my heart.“Stop it, Star. You know I don’t do feelings.”
“Is not me…”
Damn it.
