Page 8 of Rebel for Claws
There it is again. The assumption that I need protection instead of partnership.
Vivian's violet eyes flashed with gold as her emotions spiked, the ancient magic responding to her growing frustration. "I've survived thirty-five years without anyone's protection. My grandfather trained me to be a weapon precisely because he knew this day would eventually come."
"And now that day is here." Logan's green eyes held no sympathy, only tactical assessment. "The High Council knows you exist now. They've mobilized human operatives to eliminate you. Your choice is simple—accept our protection while we coordinate a response, or watch your spiritual rebel group get slaughtered trying to defend someone they can't possibly protect."
The brutal honesty hit harder than any physical blow. Her rebel fighters were skilled, dedicated, and brave—but they weren't prepared for the kind of systematic elimination the High Council employed against threats to their power structure.
"Besides," Zoe added with a gentleness that somehow made the reality more bearable, "Lena's analysis of those ancient texts might reveal information that changes everything. Plus, the treaty between the rebellion and moderate pack leaders has created an opportunity we've never had before."
"What kind of opportunity?" Despite Vivian's resentment at being sidelined, her curiosity won out over her pride.
Logan folded the tactical maps with military precision, his movements economical and purposeful. "The kind where exposing the Council's corruption might actually succeed instead of just getting more people killed."
The weight of that possibility settled over her like a physical force. For ten years, she'd moved between rebel groups, learning their methods and motivations while searching for something that felt like genuine purpose. The spiritual rebel group she'd founded six months ago had been her attempt to bridge the gap between ancient magic and modern rebellion—but what if it could be part of something even larger?
What if everything I've worked for could actually matter?
"Lena specializes in ancient shifter genetics and has extensive knowledge of the Lunar Prophecy," Zoe continued, her enthusiasm infectious despite Vivian's guarded mood. "If anyone can help us understand the full implications of your ancient bloodline, it's her."
"The Lunar Prophecy." Vivian had heard whispers of it throughout her years in various rebel groups, but the details remained frustratingly vague. "What exactly does that entail?"
"Something about chosenhybrids restoring harmony between humans and shifters after three centuries of separation in our territory." Logan's tone suggested he found propheciesless compelling than tactical planning. "Lena can explain the specifics."
A sharp knock echoed through the cabin, precise and professional. Logan's entire demeanor shifted, his hand moving instinctively toward the concealed weapon at his hip before he processed the familiar pattern.
"That would be Lena." Zoe moved toward the front door with fluid grace, her movements betraying the combat training that lurked beneath her friendly exterior.
Vivian felt her pulse quicken despite her efforts to remain composed. Whatever information this healer brought might finally provide answers to questions that had haunted her since childhood—or it might confirm her worst fears about being fundamentally alone in a world that didn't understand what she represented.
Time to learn if being the last of the original ancient shapeshifter bloodline makes me a weapon, a savior, or simply a target the Council will never stop hunting until I'm dead.
The woman who entered the cabin moved with the quiet confidence of someone who understood dangerous secrets. Lena Nightshade was petite, her violet eyes holding depths that seemed to see far more than they revealed, and her dark brown hair was pulled back in a practical bun that suggested she'd come here for serious business rather than social calls.
"Hey, Lena." Zoe's greeting carried genuine warmth mixed with anticipation. "Thank you for coming so quickly today."
"When Logan's message mentioned the fourth part of the Lunar Prophecy was actually here now, I cleared my schedule." Lena's voice was soft but carried an authority that made everyone in the room pay attention. Her gaze found Vivian immediately, those unusual violet eyes widening with something approaching awe. "You're her. The last descendant."
Here we go.Vivian felt her spine straighten. She'd spent thirty-five years feeling like she'd been analyzed and whispered about in every room she'd walked in—but something in Lena's expression felt different. Less clinical and more reverent.
"That depends on what exactly I'm supposed to be descended from." Vivian kept her tone neutral, though her pulse quickened as Lena approached with careful, deliberate steps.
"May I?" Lena gestured toward Vivian's hands, and something in her manner compelled compliance.
The moment Lena's fingers touched hers, Vivian felt a jolt of recognition. Not physical, but something deeper, like ancient magic recognizing its own kind. Lena's eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, they held wonder.
"The bloodline of Queen Isadora and Fenris Shadowheart." Lena's voice dropped to a whisper. "I can feel it in you—the convergence of human magic and shapeshifter power that created something entirely new three and a half centuries ago."
"My great-great-great-great grandmother." The words felt strange on Vivian's tongue, an admission she'd never spoken aloud to anyone outside her family. "The first human magical queen to mate with a wolf shifter in this territory."
"Not just any wolf shifter." Lena's excitement became palpable, her healer's training evident in how she cataloged details with scientific precision. "Fenris was from the original Shadow pack bloodline—one of the few shifters who retained partial magical abilities even before mating with Queen Isadora. Their union didn't just create a hybrid bloodline; it created the template for what our entire shifter kind could become."
Logan shifted in his chair as his attention focused entirely on their conversation. "Template for what, exactly?"
"Perfect harmony between human consciousness and shapeshifter instinct. Enhanced magical abilities that surpass anything we've seen in three centuries. The capacity to shiftnot just into wolf form, but into multiple animal aspects as needed." Lena's grip on Vivian's hands tightened. "The Lunar Prophecy speaks of four chosen hybrids who will restore the old ways. Maya represents scientific reasoning and evolution, Zoe represents healing and unity, Elena represents revolutionary change combined with authenticity." Her violet eyes locked onto Vivian's. "But you—you represent the return of our true potential."
Our true potential.The words resonated through Vivian's bones like a tuning fork struck against stone. Every instinct she'd honed, every magical ability she'd hidden, and every moment of feeling fundamentally different from the modern shifters around her—it all suddenly made sense.
"The fourth part of the prophecy." Vivian's voice came out steadier than she felt. "What does it say exactly?"
