✦C A S S I A N ✦

"How do I find out?" someone says from behind us and we all stop.

I turn to find Stella standing in the hallway, her face now flushed, but eager. Damn it, she must have heard all of it. How could I be so distracted to not even sense her?

Did she conceal her presence too?

"Please tell me, I need to know who I am."

Another silence followed. The old couple looking at each other, probably linking each other over what they should tell her, how they should start. Me, because I was unable to say anything, I'm just as surprised as Stella is right now.

Although Stella tried to keep a brave front, I could see her hands fisted as she was shaking a little. Breaking a little more...

How convenient, all of this. Just when she started to have more confidence and strength for herself, she is hit with another wall that she will have to face. And I hate how I am unable to shield her from it all, it's as if life is meant to be harsh to her.

"Oh dear..." Dolly says as she walks towards Stella and held both of her hands, "you only need to look at the mirror to know how your mother looked. Well, you do have your father's hair."

"B-but how can I be sure?" Stella asks again.

Dolly turns to Benny once more, as if asking for an advice.

The old man, in turn, sighs. "There is one way. All of Lucidum's pack members are given the pack mark at infancy. Annaliese received it when she was around three years old so if you are her, you would have a mark..."

"She doesn't have a mark," I tell him immediately. I would know.

I could feel Stella sending me a glare but I avert my eyes away from her to escape the chastisement.

"Of course you wouldn't see it, only those from our pack can make it appear. You do remember that Lucidum is not a regular pack," Dolly says a little too dreamily. She seems to be on cloud nine as she is sure of herself that Stella and Annaliese are one. "Anna-- oh, Stella, I don't think we'll have the time to tell you all about our pack but know that our pack is a direct descendant of the first of our kind. That's why we hold a peculiar power that had to be hidden, the very power that became our demise and no doubt why they came for us."

Now she's talking. I've always been curious on what the big mystery was although I do feel as if I am intruding at the moment. After all, if Stella really is from Lucidum then she has all the right to know what their pack's ability was, but me?

I'll listen in.

"Which is?" I ask.

Again, Benny and Dolly looks at each other as if to ask the other permission and finally, they reach an agreement.

"Foresight. Some members of the pack were able to see into the future," Dolly says. My heart sinks as I look at Stella who also met my eyes.

Foresight.

Huh, weird. That happens to be Stella's ability.

It seems that her belonging to Lucidum is becoming more and more possible. I look up, trying to make sense into of it all.

"It wasn't just foresight though, there were a variety of abilities that didn't appear anywhere else. It's the pack's gift for being the descendants of the first of our kind. We believe it is the blood that runs through our veins that allowed us to have these abilities. However, through the course of time, the abilities were going extinct. That's when the problems started arising," Dolly continued.

"The most important of course was foresight. It allowed us to see what is in the future, allowed us to see what would happen, who would stand in power, who dared to attack us. It gave us an advantage over all the other packs, over the Council. They naturally were against Lucidum and they were always looking for a chance to bring us down until they finally did," Benny recounted as he looked out the window, as if he was looking at some distant memory.

"If you could see into the future, why didn't you see the attack?" Stella asked.

I was also trying to understand that very fact.

Benny took a deep breath, his face looked burdened. Talking about Lucidum was always a hard task for the couple even after all these years. After all, it was their home. All that their family, friends and all that they have ever known were gone in just one night.

Dolly shook her head.

"The abilities were going slowly extinct... During our generation only two people were gifted with it and it wasn't strong. They only saw glimpses, faces, it wasn't enough to truly determine anything. The other abilities were weak as well. But there was a change that started around Annaliese's birth. The children born around that time were manifesting the abilities like the old days--"

"That's why the Council attacked the pack. They were afraid of the new generation's abilities," I continue, feeling my anger boiling again.

We have let the Council to their evil devices for too long. I cannot believe that our elders did nothing to keep an organization that's supposed to strengthen the relationship of packs in check. How could they have let the Council gain too much power?

I still haven't forgotten what they have tried to do to our pack, to our family, to Maddie. Only to find out that they've already set my mate's life to a life of hardship with their personal ventures. They've taken her pack, her family, her identity from her.

Silently, I made a vow to myself. I am going to destroy the Council no matter what it takes.

"Yes, you are right Alpha..."

"That's not all. We're not sure but--" Dolly started to say but Benny came quick to interrupt her.

"Enough, Dolly, I won't let you say anymore!" Benny raises his voice in anger, standing up to face his mate. His face reddened from his outburst.

Instinctively, I walked to Stella and shielded her away from the angry man. She doesn't need to see all of that.

"Oh please Benny, don't tell me you still hold lingering feelings for that... that traitor!" Dolly answers with a louder volume.

Benny breathes out incredulously, at a disbelief that he was hearing the words from his mate again. There was a hint of jealousy in Dolly's voice and a whole lot of hurt, as if the situation wasn't already painful enough.

The whole happening was strange for me, the Andersons are usually a very calm and collected couple, but here they are losing their composure at the smallest crack, at the appearance of Stella.

"Here we go again, Dolly! I've told you over and over that there was nothing going on between Nia and I. But I cannot just stand by when you continue to brand her as a traitor, we don't know what happened."

The couple continued to argue about a certain Nia and as I listened, Stella held my hand, as if looking for support, for protection in case anything goes wrong. I turn to her, holding her hand tighter, hopefully letting her know that I would handle it.

"Stop," I command both of them and the battle ceased. The shouting stopped suddenly and only the quiet followed. "Dolly, please speak. Who is Nia and what does she have to do in all of this mess?"

Dolly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Nia Torres was our Luna, but she came from outside the pack. She was the daughter of Jett Torres, the head of the Council during the time. I always suspected that she was the spy, but we didn't have concrete proof you see. She never opened up to the pack. Even within Lucidum, she couldn't escape her father. When we returned after the attack, the Alpha's family were all killed, but her body was nowhere to be found. She must have escaped, after betraying us... after--" Dolly was too emotional to keep going.

Tears were now streaming down her face and she had to turn from us so we wouldn't see.

My eyes find Benny who was grimly looking at the ground. I could feel that he was just as upset as his mate but he was trying to hold it.

"I think it's time for us to go," I announce and although the couple did not say anything, I know that they agreed, "but this talk is far from over. We will be back tomorrow and I expect a more coherent story. And... if you can prove that Stella is really from Lucidum."

Dolly takes a last look at Stella before we left and Stella herself found it hard to move from where she was standing.

As we were about to leave the kitchen, my mate stopped and turned to the couple once more.

"Have a good day and... thank you."

✦

When we left the Andersons, the sun has already started to go down and we found ourselves walking in the thick snow once more.

Stella is quiet, her mind surely full of thoughts that she cannot even begin to comprehend. I took a deep breath and exhaled to the sky watching my breath create a smoke.

I glance at my mate, her gaze distant, her worry palpable.

I know she wants to ask many more questions to Dolly and Benny and although they might try to answer as much as they can, they would probably be unable to. Everything happened almost twenty years ago and they've tried to bury as much, opening the Pandora box is just as hard for them than it is for Stella.

Although I wanted to ask her what was on her mind, to get her to talk to me and tell her that I would be here for her no matter what, I decided to shut it and give her the space and quiet she needs.

The moon was peering and the sky and I couldn't help but curse the supposed goddess from above. Just what on earth is she doing to Stella?

"C'mon, we're almost there," I whisper to her and she merely nods as she tried to pick up the pace.

It took us half an hour to finally reach the pack house and when we did, we hurried in Stella's room to get her changed after having her clothes soaked wet from all the snowfall.

As I was waiting for Stella to come out of the shower and still thinking upon the events that transpired with the Andersons, my Beta and Gamma linked me reminding me of all the work I left behind.

Damn it, I thought I could evade them a while longer.

'You guys couldn't wait for tomorrow?' I link both of them.

'Quit lazing around before I go for your position, Alpha,' Claude jokes. He knew I hated it whenever they joked about positions, well my wolf hated it. A pride thing. They both know they can't stand a chance against me.

'You'll pay for that comment,' I reply.

'Yeah, yeah if you finally come around I might.'

I stand up from the bed and knock on the bathroom. As much as I hate to admit it, the two were right, I've been away for too long. And the more work piling up, the more hours I spend away from Stella.

"Uh-huh?" Stella asks as she pokes her head out of the bathroom door. Steam escaped as her her hair was dripping wet but she quickly catches it with a towel. The door was leaving much to the imagination and I was tempted to open it further.

"Claude and Ervin were hurrying me to get back to work, but I've changed my mind just now," I say with a smile and with a certain tone.

Realizing what I was implying, Stella hurriedly closes the door a little more just enough for me to see her eyes.

I laugh at her reaction and held on the door frame. She is so fun to tease.

"Go, Cassian," she commands, sounding both embarrassed and urging.

I chuckle again.

"Not before you give me a kiss."

And at that, Stella closes the door completely as if to tell me no. I suddenly got the urge to tease her even more.

"You know it hurts me that you don't want to spend as much time with me as I do. After all that you did to me last night, you're acting all cold like this. After getting what you want, you're turning me away, is that it? How cruel--"

As I was having my monologue, the door opened once more with an upset Stella wrapped in her towels. It happened very quickly, but she leaned to kiss me, but pulled away quickly, only giving in to my demands it seems.

"You are so sly, you know that?" she says and I can only smile.

A smile of victory, but even after getting what I wanted, the thirst isn't quenched causing me to pull Stella towards my body and kissing her again, deeply and passionately.

I was planning to leave her alone, but my self control has never been the best when it came to Stella. Instead, Stella had to be the one to push me gently as she caught her breath.

"You have to breathe Stella," I tell her, attempting to kiss her again but she was quicker this time, covering her lips with her hand so I end up kissing her palm instead.

Good one, I must say.

"Cassian, not now, you have work to do," she reminds me with furrowed brows, telling me she was starting to truly get upset at me now.

"You are aware that I can drop this towel very easily right?" I tease, but Stella was not having it.

"Cassian."

"Fine, fine. I'll try to come back as soon as I can," I concede as I head for the door.

"Don't go for too long, I'll be right here," I hear Stella say as I closed the door.

✦

When I got to my office, I had the staff bring food to Stella and myself quickly.

I suspected that my work had piled up on me, but there was much more work than I expected. In fact, I've been stuck in the office for the whole night with Claude and Ervin beside me.

We've also had a call with Ian, Chase and Archer through the Voca Orb, where I informed them about all that transpired with the Council.

"Did Stella say anything about any visions?" Archer asks, sounding worried. One thing about Archer is he doesn't normally show how he feels. For him to let it slip that he's worried meant that there was something.

"No, she didn't. Anything wrong?" I ask.

The other Alphas didn't answer for a while, we all wait for Archer.

"Hazel's pregnant..."

"Congratulations, bro!" Chase says cheerfully standing from his chair and clapping his hands. Claude and Ervin who heard the news from the sofas, sat up properly to announce their congratulations.

"Finally, Austin won't be alone," Ian simply muttered.

"Do you want us to throw you a baby shower?" I joke the stoic man, but when he doesn't laugh, the three of us stop with our gibes.

Archer runs a hand through his hair and bites his index finger's knuckle.

What's wrong with him? He's supposed to be happy.

"What's wrong Archer?" Ian asks.

"The prophecy... it's always talked about some sort of battle and that hasn't really come to pass yet. I'm just... worried that that will happen in the middle of all this. Hazel's worried too, she's been trying to look for clues about the prophecy and what might happen, but nothing's conclusive."

Suddenly, the joyous atmosphere has now become heavy.

The situation with the Strays was getting worse sure, but it was manageable especially for our packs. We have been preparing our warriors, training them as harshly as possible so we shouldn't have to worry about things much. And yet, we are.

A war is never a good thing.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much, man. I'm going to ask Stella if she is able to see anything. We'll work it out," I say, making sure my tone is light as to not worry him too much.

The other two started to tell him not to worry too much as well. Ian even said that if ever anything happens, we would simply have to make sure that Hazel takes no part in it.

As Chase was joking about how the child would be like, the door flung open with Stella.

Her eyes were shining brightly, the crescents in her irises eerily visible as she was breathing heavily.

"Cassian, it's starting! We'll be under attack soon!" Stella announces, frantic.

Everyone heard it, even the Alphas.

I stood from my chair and rushed to Stella.

"And— and everyone else too. You have to warn them!" Stella said, now crying.

"Cassian, what's going on?! What did Stella see?!" I could hear Archer asking from the orb.

"Calm down Stella, explain the—"

BOOM

We all shut up when Chase is cut off by a loud explosion.