Page 88 of The Alpha Wolf’s Secret Baby Boy

“Our coven was never meant to become nomadic.”

Her words pull everyone’s attention toward her, and she sighs as she continues., “Centuries ago, the Golden Raven Sisters lived peacefully in Medicine Park, nestled within the Wichita Mountains.”

She looks toward the map Cassandra placed on the table, and her expression hardens. “It was our home. Until another coven came. The Obsidian Veil.”

Aoife gulps. “They believed power should never be shared. They practiced corrupted magic. They hunted witches who refused to join them. They sought dominion over every sacred place where the Moon Goddess’s light remained strongest.”

A heavy silence settles over the room, and Aoife looks down. “We fought them,” she says quietly. “For years.”

I notice her hands trembling again as she closes her eyes.

“We believed we had won. But victory came at a terrible price. My sister remained behind.”

My chest tightens as Aoife looks directly at me.

“She performed an ancient ritual that allowed the rest of us to escape. She gave her life protecting our coven.”

A lump rises painfully in my throat.

For so many years, I imagined my mother dying giving birth to me.

Instead, she died saving others.

“Before she sacrificed herself,” Aoife continues, “many of us believed Cerci was the child spoken of in our oldest prophecy.”

I frown. “What prophecy?”

Aoife smiles sadly, her eyes softening as they meet mine. “It tells of a White Witch born beneath the Moon Goddess’s blessing. One who would finally destroy the Obsidian Veil.” She pauses. “We believed that child was Cerci.”

Another silence stretches between us before she slowly shakes her head.

“We were wrong. She was pregnant, but never spoke of the child’s father. And when the Obsidian Veil attacked us, she told me she’d hidden her child somewhere safe, and asked me to never go looking for her. But the Moon Goddess sent her to me instead.”

Something inside me stills.

“The prophecy wasn’t about my sister.” Aoife smiles through tears as she reaches for my face. “It was about her daughter.”

The room itself seems to hold its breath with me.

“The prophecy speaks of one born of two worlds,” Aoife whispers. “What none of us knew was that it spoke of a child carrying the blood of the wolf…” Her gaze flickers briefly toward Damian. “…and the oldest light.”

I glance down at my hands, remembering the white-gold magic that flowed through them on the battlefield. Strangely, I don’t feel afraid of what’s out there, or who I am. Not anymore.

I don’t feel burdened.

I simply feel certain.

“I don’t know why the Moon Goddess chose me,” I admit quietly. “And perhaps I never will.” Lifting my chin, a sense of strength washes over me. “But if these gifts were given to protect the people I love”—I squeeze Damian’s hand—”then I won’t run from them.”

Damian smiles beside me, pride shining in those familiar blue eyes that have become my safest place.

“You won’t have to.” He says it so simply, as though it’s the easiest promise in the world. “Because you’re not doing this alone.”

My heart swells.

Not from the prophecy.

Not from learning who my mother truly was.