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I blinked, trying to wrap my head around the fact that Rowan was able to smell my grandmother all the way in another city. How strong were his senses, and what was the limit? I sure as hell couldn't smell anything passed ten feet, fifteen max. It was incredible.
"Was that how you knew we were in the area?" Javier asked, sitting on the floor next to my feet.
"Yes. I heard your vehicles pull up farther back to the road. At first, I thought you were intruders going after the Moon Dial." His eyes looked to me as he added, "But then I sensed the presence of the Wolf Moon's gift, so I decided to wait. That is until I heard those rogue wolves following behind."
"Well, I'm glad you came when you did. We were kind of getting our asses kicked back there," Caleb said, rubbing his shoulder and moving his free arm in a circle to work off whatever tension he felt. The boys looked beaten up after the fight ended, but now their cuts and bruises were fully healed. As were mine, some of the deeper claw marks I got from that rogue wolf were now a dull pink color.
"I agree. Thank you again for your help," I said.
Rowan bowed his head to me. "Glad to be of service, Queen of Wolves."
"Okay, stop. I'm sorry if this comes off as rude, but I'm no queen of anything."
"Actually, Rosie, you are," Sabina said confidently. "You're the queen of wolf shifters who's destined to form the strongest wolf pack in your generation. That's what the Wolf Moon's gift has blessed you with."
So, the gift's power was to make me a queen? I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I understood that part of this role I was given was to create the strongest wolf pack, whatever that meant, but I didn't know it would make me royalty.
"Since when did you become an expert all of a sudden?" Kao asked. "Last I remember, you knew about as much on the Wolf Moon's gift as the rest of us, which was very little. Unless you were acting this whole time, and how did you end up here with the big bad werewolf over here?"
I nudged him with my elbow, but he shrugged his shoulders as if to ask what he said that was wrong. Thankfully, Rowan didn't seem to be offended.
"You're half right," Sabina replied. "I didn't know much about the Wolf Moon's gift at first."
"And suddenly you do?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Yes. Mother Moon came to me in a dream and revealed to me some very interesting news pertaining to myself and the Wolf Moon's gift."
"Wait a minute, you mean Selene herself talked to you?" Raph asked with disbelief.
"She did. I've been acting on her accord, which was to find Rowan and alert him that the Wolf Moon's chosen has been discovered, and that she may need his help."
I looked at Sabina like it was my first time meeting her all over again. I barely knew her from the start, but now it was as if she was a completely different person from the young woman I met on my first day at the lodge. The air around her had shifted, giving her a more ominous presence. I didn't know how I knew, but I believed her. I could almost feel Selene's presence wafting off her.
Focusing my attention on Rowan, I asked one of the many questions that were begging to be asked. "And what's your story? How is it you have the Wolf Moon's gift too?"
Rowan had a faraway look when he answered. "I was a part of last generation's wolf pack powered by the Wolf Moon."
My suspicions were right on the money. Given his age and experience, and the fact he was already able to shift into his werewolf form, there was only one explanation I could think of. It never occurred me to wonder about the previous Wolf Moon's chosen ones. Maybe if I did, we would've found Rowan on our own. Wait a second, if he was part of the previous Wolf Moon's pack, where was his mate and the rest of his pack?
As if knowing what I was thinking, Rowan declared, "I'm the last of my kind. My mate, and the rest of her mates, are all dead."
I covered my mouth to hide the gasp I wanted to let loose. He was part of a harem like Del and I were, but now he was the only one left standing. I couldn't imagine how much that must've pained him. I couldn't fathom how any of my boys felt if we were all gone and one of them was left alone. But I could imagine how I would've felt, because Atropos showed me a glimpse of my impending loneliness. The idea of everybody I love perishing, and I was by myself, it wasn't a life I wanted to live. That was a life I refused to live. So how could Rowan live without his pack? Well, if you called self-isolation in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere living.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
"Thank you, milady," Rowan said, then cleared his throat. "The point is, I know what you and your mates are going through. I've witnessed by mate going through the same thing when it was time for her to forge her pack, and I stood beside her every step of the way. I learned through her, and now you can learn from me. If you choose to accept my assistance, of course."
"I'd be foolish if I didn't accept," I said, thankful to finally have someone who knew all about the Wolf Moon's gift. My plan of leaving Kingsrose no longer felt pointless. I left in hopes of finding more information on the gift, and why Pierce wanted it so bad. Now I've accomplished what I set out to do, and hopefully with the knowledge Rowan could give me, I can use what I learned to stop Pierce and take back our home.
"There's still something I don't understand," Caleb said from his seat at the table. He pointed to Sabina as he asked, "Why did Selene pick you to talk to? Why not Rosie or Del? Or even Roxanne over there?"
Sabina's gaze fell on the witch in question, eyeing her intently for a moment, then focused on all of us. "Hold onto your hats because this revolution is a doozy. Even I didn't believe it at first. The answer to your question is: I'm a daughter of Selene."
Not a sound was made as her words rang in my ears, my brain struggling to compute what she revealed to us. Everyone else looked to have been equally stunned, all except for Rowan who kept his face neutral. My guess was he already knew.
"What did you just say? I don't think I heard you well enough," Kao said dryly.
"You were never good at paying attention to anything other than when a woman gives you the fuck-me-eyes," Sabina retorted snidely.
