Chapter 5: Secrets
916words
"Mom, this place is huge!" Lillian excitedly pulled at my hand, her silver-gray eyes sparkling.
Derek stood before the oak doors, his posture as straight as a guardian of the estate. His gaze softly fell on Lillian, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "Welcome to Ravencraft Manor, my home."
I noticed he emphasized "my home," as if hinting at something.
"You said you had an explanation for Lillian's symptoms?" I got straight to the point, not wanting to be distracted by the luxurious surroundings.
Derek nodded, leading us through corridors decorated with ancient tapestries and family portraits. "Let's have Lillian play in the garden first. Some things are best discussed between adults."
He brought us to a private study where the walls were covered with wolf motifs and ancient weapons. Lillian was sent to the adjoining garden with a housekeeper watching over her.
"Bella," Derek's voice suddenly turned serious. "Do you believe in supernatural creatures?"
I scoffed. "Don't tell me you're going to tell a vampire story."
"Not vampires," his eyes looked directly into mine, deep as the night sky. "Werewolves. The Ravencraft family is a werewolf family, leading the Silver Moon Pack for hundreds of years."
I wanted to laugh at his absurd claim, but images of Lillian's silver eyes and recurring fevers flashed in my mind. "You expect me to believe this?"
"Your father was also a werewolf, Bella," Derek's words exploded like a bomb in my ears. "You're a half-werewolf, just not fully transformed. Lillian inherited these genes, and now they're awakening."
My fingers gripped the chair armrests tightly. "My father died in a car accident. That's a fact."
"It wasn't an accident," Derek's voice was low, filled with restrained anger. "It was an attack by the Blood Moon Pack. They're our ancient enemies."
I stood up, my legs shaking. "This is ridiculous! I'm taking Lillian and leaving."
Just then, a clear laugh came from the garden. I turned to look out the window. Lillian was in the center of the garden, and Derek—another Derek?—was crouching in front of her, teaching her to identify different flowers.
"That's...?" I looked at the Derek beside me in confusion.
"Owen," he answered briefly, his jawline tense. "He likes to play the role of good uncle when I'm not around."
I walked to the window, watching Owen gently guiding Lillian. Their interaction was natural and intimate, as if they shared some innate connection. Lillian rarely warmed up to strangers, but she seemed to completely accept Owen.
"Her eyes," Derek stood behind me, his voice so close it made the hair on my neck stand up. "The silver color is a sign of Alpha bloodline. But she has two different Alpha auras within her, which is unprecedented."
I turned to face him, finding his face so close I could smell the pine and leather scent of him. "What are you implying?"
"You know what I'm implying," his gaze was intense, his fingers lightly brushing my cheek. "Lillian may have both my and Owen's bloodlines."
I stepped back abruptly. "Impossible! A child can't have two biological fathers!"
"That's true in the human world," Derek's voice was low and mysterious. "But in the werewolf world, there's a rare phenomenon called 'Dual Mark.'"
I was speechless, my thoughts racing. Eight years ago, I had indeed been intimate with "Derek," but now I knew that could have been two different people. If what Derek was saying was true...
My gaze fell on a frame on the desk, and I was surprised to find it contained a photo of me and Lillian—a photo I'd never seen before, taken on Lillian's third birthday.
"You've been monitoring us?" My voice trembled with shock.
Derek picked up the frame, his fingers gently caressing the photo. "I've been protecting you, Bella. Even after you left."
Outside, darkness was falling, and a full moon slowly rose. Derek suddenly stiffened, his breathing becoming rapid, his eyes beginning to glow silver.
"You need to leave," he said with difficulty, his voice becoming hoarse. "Now. The full moon night is... dangerous for Alphas."
But I didn't move, deeply drawn to his transformation. His muscles tensed beneath his shirt, his fingers turning into claws.
"I've been taking suppression medication," he explained through gritted teeth. "But your presence... the scent of a mate... makes the medication ineffective."
He fell to his knees, groaning in pain, his clothes tearing as his muscles expanded. I should have been afraid, should have run, but some instinct made me stay. I watched him fully transform into a huge black wolf, his eyes still that familiar gray.
"Derek?" I called softly, reaching out a trembling hand.
The black wolf growled but didn't attack. Instead, he approached me, nuzzling my palm with his nose. A strange connection formed between us, and I could feel his pain, his longing, and... his love.
In that moment, eight years of resentment and misunderstanding seemed to fade away. I knelt down, cradling the huge wolf's head in my hands, looking directly into those familiar eyes. I whispered, "I won't leave."
Moonlight streamed through the window, igniting a primitive and powerful connection between us. On that night blessed by moonlight, we found each other again, in a way I had never imagined possible.
