Page 161 of An Enigma for the Lycan Crown Prince
“What about Tobias?” I ask.
“I’ve informed him quickly of what happened,” Oliver says. “He wants to congratulate you in person. He was very happy, as you can imagine. I don’t think he will want to return to the pack, though.”
“I think we all understand why,” Flora says quietly.
“I just wish we could give him a chance to start over somewhere,” Emilia mutters. There is a certain longing look in her eye. It’s probably a wish she has for herself too.
“I might just have an idea,” I say, as my mind just starts to form an idea for all of my father’s victims. “But I will need to research it further and discuss it with someone. I don’t want to say any more than that for now.”
“I am curious what you are coming up with,” Geneva says. “But let’s all wait patiently.”
“That said, we will still have the Alpha and Luna Ceremony, won’t we?” Samuel asks.
Geneva laughs. “Elden, you can’t take that away from him. He is so excited about it!”
“I won’t,” I promise. “It’s about time Silverlake celebrated their luna. This is Flora’s victory as much as it’s mine. Without her, I wouldn’t have succeeded.”
“I doubt that’s true,” Flora says. “I think you would have done well anyway, but-“ She grins. “I won’t say no to a huge party.”
“That’s the spirit,” Geneva chuckles. “For now, how about you all go home and get some rest? Let Samuel and I deal with everything else.”
We all happily take her at her word. She also promises to await Calvin’s return, both to fill him in on what happened and to see what he has to tell her about the humans, and if he was successful in handing them to the police.
For now, Flora and I head home to her cottage, where we shower briefly, before we drop into our bed.
fifty-one
Justice?
*ELDEN*
Ibelieved I would get a good portion of sleep but with the exhaustion settling in, I can feel something else too. It begins with a pulsating headache, just lightly, before step by step spreading through my whole body.
“Elden?” Flora asks, alarmed, waking from her sleep. “Elden!”
I grab her hand while I convulse in pain. I want to say something, but it’s like I am caught underwater. I try to struggle and swim upwards, but it’s in vain.
“Don’t fight it,” Flora whispers, repeating her words from before when I felt myself losing my mind. She takes my hand, and for a moment, I can feel the presence of her wolf.
Celeste?
Your father renounced his title, and it went to you,she says.This is the power you are receiving.
Hearing her words makes me remember what Samuel had once told me about. I just didn’t expect it to be like that. It’s like a test from the goddess to all royal lycans when they gain their alpha rank, to see if they are worthy of the gifts and powers they will receive from her.
Her blessed children, as we are called.
I am not feeling blessed now, though. I get why it has to happen, but it’s not a simple task.
We knew this would happen,we are prepared, I mutter to myself, hoping Regis will hear it too. I can’t connect with him right now, he has to go through this on his own, as I do.
We knew.
We are prepared.
I allow the water to swamp over me and drag me down into the spiral of my mind, not fighting it anymore. Instead, I have to fight everything else that’s been hounding my mind. Once in the deepest void of my mind, I am forced to face my grief and anger at having lost my mother, and the way I lost her. I am reminded, yet again, of how unfairly my father treated us, my relationship to Samuel which was much more tense before. I feel inadequate and weak, and unworthy again.
Almost like back when I was a child.
