Kota was pacing in front of his desk while I sat on the floor against the couch, my tail swishing anxiously in front of my paws. My eyes followed him, flicking back and forth, back and forth with his motions. The second the office door swung open, he sighed with relief. "Goddess, where have you been?"

"Well first of all, you and Eirenae walked very fast, okay?" Jaycee chided, "and we also decided to grab Eirenae something to eat because we know how excruciatingly exhausting a shift can be on the body." Dexter walked over with a plate of something that smelled so amazing my mouth started watering immediately.

He set it down and, though I felt like we just ate lunch, my stomach growled excitedly for the steaming slices of steak that was placed between my paws. "Eden just cooked it up for you." He told me, smiling as I tenderly lifted a piece between my teeth.

"Where's Eva?" Kota asked, bringing my attention from the plate back to my friends. Glancing around quickly, I noticed he was right: Eva was not with them.

"That's also what took time. We had to convince her to go do something else, help our Mom out or whatever. We just felt that this was more of a matters for the leaders, especially because she's only fourteen; she hasn't even shifted yet!" She paused, taking a breath, "sometimes I think we forget that she's still just a pup."

Wow, Eva hadn't shifted? I realized Jaycee was right, it was easy to forget that Eva was still so much younger.

"I think that was a smart choice," Kota said. "But, she is still our friend, and seems close with Eirenae too, so we can still catch her up on the main points." Jaycee nodded her agreement so Kota moved on to the more pressing issue. "Now, about what Holly said."

"I don't believe it for a minute." Sydney stated boldly, and everyone snapped to her attention. "You really think we have a Royal here, specifically Eirenae?"

Dexter slipped around her and headed to the bookshelf. Several empty spots were obvious where the books I still had in my room belonged. He fumbled through the remaining ones and pulled a few out as Sydney continued.

"Think about it: when was the last time any pack heard from a Royal? Years? Decades?" She let them think for a moment, "we weren't even born when the Queen disappeared, taking her daughter with her into hiding. They never reappeared, so I grew up believing they died, and any new generation of Royal blood will be nonexistent."

Dexter placed the books on Kota's desk, and the noise brought everyone's eyes to him. "Then how do you explain the white fur?" He gestured to me, and I flattened my ears, hating that all this discussion was about me. Yet, I also wanted to know what was happening.

Sydney shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I have been raised to know. And I bet if you ask several other pack members — or even other packs — they would agree."

Dexter's dark brown eyes settled on me again. "Man this would be so much easier if she could talk, or at least be in human form!" Kota's growl knocked him a step backwards, and even I shrunk back against the couch.

"We are not going to force Eirenae to give us details about her lineage, okay Beta?" His voice was almost snarling in an effort to protect me, because he knew I had been hesitant to mention

my parents since he met me.

Dexter's hands flew up in defense, his eyes wide as saucers at Kota's outburst. "Sorry, Alpha."

Kota took a deep breath and shuffled around the books Dexter had collected, landing on one and flipping through it. "Here we go: The Royals we're handpicked by the Moon Goddess when Werewolves first came to be. These wolves are incredibly special, said to be the Goddess's favorite children she created."

Cole nudged me, taking me by surprise because I hadn't even noticed he was sitting near me. "Keep in mind, these Information Volumes were written by ancient Royals themselves!" The room snickered, hearing the last line differently now; it was completely biased!

Kota continued. "The Royals are the simplified name for the highest Alpha and Luna pair and family. They rule over every pack in existence, even those on the other side of the globe. However, they must let packs work for themselves and only get involved when called or when absolutely necessary.

"While they rule over all packs, they also are simply Alpha and Luna of their own pack, with a leading Beta and Gamma by their side. This pack shall be called the Menai Moon Pack, to honor Selene's fifty daughters, who never had the chance to be wolves. Also in honor of Her daughters, the precious Princesses born to the werewolf King and Queen shall be given a special gift from the Goddess herself."

"A gift? Like a magic?" Jaycee whispered in awe. Her eyes glanced to me as if expecting me to just whip out some incredible power I had been hiding this entire time.

Sydney snorted at her, "we haven't determined Eirenae is Royal yet, remember?"

Kota sighed, "just hang on, none of us have read up on these in a hot minute. We all need the refresher, and Eirenae needs to know everything still." He turns back to the book. "These gifts are powers the Goddess handpicks for each of the daughters. The most common is Telekinesis — the ability to move objects with the mind — but can range from invisibility, intangibility — the ability to phase through matter — elemental manipulation — fire, water, air, or earth — etcetera. These powers are with the pup at birth but are eligible to appear between their third and tenth year of life. However, some may not show until much later."

"Wow, I definitely do not remember all this." Cole breathed, and Sydney nodded in agreement.

"While the Royals are Pura Lupas, also known as Pure Wolves — meaning they are the only wolves given purely white fur and not another speck of color —"

"There!" Dexter shouted. "Pure Wolves, white fur and not even a little patch of anything else!"

Sydney's jaw was slack and I could feel her eyes burning into my fur, "she really is a Royal. They haven't died out!"

"Holly was right." Jaycee was staring at me in complete bewilderment.

I looked down at my pelt. I was a Royal wolf? How was that even possible? I was raised with Jack, beaten and in a life of hell! How has this been hiding inside of me for all my existence? And with Mom dead, did that mean I was the last Royal alive? The thought made my eyes water and my whiskers glistened in front of me.

"Wait wait, let's keep going." Kota hushed them, "the daughters may show a different sign of holding this power and rank, especially if the gift has not shown itself before the age of seven."

Sydney gave a pointed look to Jaycee, and then to me. "Like, perhaps a strand of hair completely different in color?"

Jaycee gasped as she realized, and I recalled this morning, when the girls were brushing my hair and Sydney discovered the trimmed section of ginger.

Kota growled in his confusion. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Well Sydney found a strange lock of ginger hair on Eirenae's head this morning. It looked like it had been trimmed a while back."

Kota's eyes darkened, "and you didn't think it was important to mention?"

Sydney stood up with her arms crossed, "no, we didn't! Because today was supposed to be fun for all of us, to celebrate Eirenae. And it's not like she was bleeding out of her head! It was just a different color of hair, okay?"

I could tell Kota did not like that she was challenging him, as his eyes darkened and his whole body stiffened. I growled too, trying to get his attention before he launched himself at her to defend his authority. Instantly, he snapped out of it and his eyes found me in shock, lightening up by the second until they reached their original green color.

"Besides," Sydney continued, her voice softer this time. "Would you have done anything about it? Would you have known what it meant? It wasn't even something we wouldn't gone to Holly for, because it wasn't an injury."

He stared, and we held our breaths when waiting for his response. Finally, after his eyes gave away the conflict going through his mind, he let out a sigh and we released our breaths, "you're right. I wouldn't, I'm sorry."

Sydney nodded and sat back down on the couch next to Cole. "What else does the book say?"

Kota flipped back and forth through the pages. "That's really it. The information in these are meant to be read by pups, or to pups. They're simple yet detailed where needed. So I guess we're on our own here."

"Why don't we go through the current records and see if there's anything about the Royal family?" Dexter suggested, moving aside so Kota could get behind his desk. I watched from my spot as Kota clicked away at the mouse and keyboard, looking through who knows what. I desperately wished I were human now. C'mon, wolf! I pleaded, get me back to normal!

Nothing. Great.

"Here: Deborah Livingston was the last known wolf to hold the Royal title. She took her daughter into hiding when the Menai Moon pack in Alaska was attacked and demolished nearly six decades ago. Deborah was presumed dead a very long time ago, but the princess is said to still be out there somewhere. Her name is Anne."

My blood ran cold and I instinctively barked, startling everyone. My heart sped up just before a series of popping spread throughout my body, down my spine and along my limbs. I could feel the shift coming, so I closed my eyes in preparation. Someone in the room shouted about grabbing a blanket, though I was confused why. The material was thrown on top of me just as I felt my fingers and toes be normal, and my face flattened to its human form. Out of breath, and so I tired I could barely move, I reached for anyone or anything. Kota's hand grasped mine and the electricity calmed me down some.

There wasn't a pad to write anything down, and even if there was, I was so close to blacking out I wasn't sure my energy levels would let me write anything down. But I needed to tell them, I needed them to know what I knew before I disappeared into this black hole that was surrounding me. Finally, I just whispered it: my first words in about eleven years.

"My mother's name was Anne."