"You don't know because 13 years ago every last one of them, or so it was believed" he said throwing a quick glance over his shoulder at Aislinn, who was obviously ignoring the lot of them focusing only on the page before her, "that every last one of them were killed."

.

.

Olivia let out a horrified gasp.

"Killed? By who? How is that possible if they had those guards or whatever?" Austin asked.

"Ill do the best to explain this, but I only know the vaguest details, for more you would need to ask Aislinn. Their history was well guarded. The Silverbloods were the first werewolves, I don't know how they came to be or from where and I don't know what happened to them before they came here. All I know is that in the 1700s they fled or were exiled from Europe to the new world. The King, Queen and his family along with their pack travelled to the New World and settled in the North. They flourished in the wilderness and anonymity. Soon their pack was large, too large to not attract notice from the flourishing human population of this world. The King decided to create the 8 packs. The wolves were divided and separated in the hope being that they would be able to create a sense of family, protection and peace for the now large population of wolves that a single pack could no longer offer. The idea was that the individual wolves of the 8 packs would owe their loyalty to each individual Alpha and then each Alpha would owe their loyalty to the Royal line and pack. It was to the Alpha King and the Luna Queen that they served and that they gained their power."

"The packs were created? That ridiculous! How would we not know this..."

Before his second could continue his rant Kaiden cut him off with a growl throwing a glare at Richard, signaling for him to continue.

"The Royals I am told were more than happy to hand over the tasks of the packs to the Alphas and the Council. Especially after the death of their beloved Queen. She had been killed only shortly after the packs had been established and her death hit the Royals hard, they were relieved to hand over the tasks of war, conflict and security as they mourned their loss. They retreated from the world, secluding themselves to the far reaches of the North after charging the Council with policing the wolves and the Alphas with protecting their people. For although they were the strongest blood in the werewolf world it is said they despised violence and fighting, they avoided conflict and shunned death and bloodshed at all costs. As the Ancestors of every Werewolf they were still the ultimate authority but they stepped back from that duty, their grief simply too much, the violence of our species too difficult to face anymore. Soon their existence became nothing but a myth. Alphas and the Elder Council still knew of them of course, since they were the only ones who saw them, but they liked the power they had been given and hated the reminder of the King and his pack in the North and so they removed the knowledge of the royals from the packs. Instead pretending that it was them and them alone that ruled the werewolf world."

Richard took a moment from his story to look at the others, his eyes heavy with his words.

"For over 100 years the oaths held. For one hundred years the Alphas and the Council lead and protected the Werewolves they were charged with. And for one hundred years they stayed loyal to their King. However with time, the oaths they swore, the blood promises they made and the knowledge of their fealty began to fade. In its place arose resentment, anger and hatred, fueled by greed and contempt. With the dawn of the new millennium the council began to move, they sought out the packs, the Alpha's and the Warriors. They built deceit and treachery until 13 years ago when they struck. 5 of the 8 packs turned on the crown and with the support of the Council they attacked their Royals. It was a slaughter."

"Lies!" Clayton roared. Kaiden had never heard his friend so angry before. "The packs would never turn against their own. You lie. No wolf, no Alpha would turn against those they swore to protect."

"They did." Richard said without emotion.

"How? How do you know all this?" Olivia asked fear and sorrow now coating her voice.

"Because..." He took another steadying breath his shoulders squaring as if he was preparing himself for battle, "I know because I was one of the Guardians sent from Pack Hiems, I was one of those sworn to protect the Royal blood, and I am one of the ones who turned on them 13 years ago."

Chaos.

"SILENCE!" Kaiden roared above the melee of shouts and curses. Anxiously he stared each wolf down before looking at his mate, relief washing over him when she seemed unaffected from the outburst. She didn't even seem to have reacted to Richards words.

He noticed that Richard seemed suddenly wary almost nervous, strangely however it seemed not to be of the wolves' in front of him but the single small frame behind him still drawing away.

"Relax Custos. I know of your past, but I also know of your heart. I do not hold the actions of those responsible on your shoulders. No one shall Richard. And those that need to, will pay." Aislinn spoke calmly and steadily without looking up. The words seemed to be exactly what the large man needed to hear because his frame visibly relaxed, even as the rest of them seemed even more taken aback then before.

She knew he had betrayed her? Knew he had helped kill the Royals, who it appeared were in some way her family and she was okay with it? Kaiden felt like the more he found out the more confused and unsure he became. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"I say this again. Explain!" Kaiden snapped his tight control on his emotions beginning to fray. It wasn't helping his nerves that the only person his mate had spoken to was someone other than him. He felt a sudden urge for blood. His wolf was howling in his mind, demanding to be let out. To protect his mate. To claim her. To avenge her. To hold her. He was lost beyond Kaiden's reason and only his tight control kept him from shifting on the spot.

"The Custoson pack was not always so, they were originally Pack Hiems. Meaning winter, they were the pack charged with the protection of the royals. They were the Guardians. Their territory to the north the closest to the Royals own. Their slogan, for lack of a term, was Ultima Defensorem. Every pack has one. It is the charge, the pledge, that they were given by the Alpha King. The task that within the were world they were devoted to. Pack Hiems' was 'Last Defender'. I grew up in Hiems. One in a long line of Guardians. My father was The Guardian for the Crown Prince himself. We were supposed to be sent young to train within the royal pack, to understand our roles. However with time the Alpha's had begun to keep us away from them for longer and longer, they would undermine our loyalty, our fealty to the Throne. They forced oaths out of us to themselves. They planted traitors among the ranks. My loyalty should have been to the blood but when the orders came from my Alpha. When Dominic ordered the deaths I cou-couldn't refuse."

"How do we know you won't do that now?" Austin snapped his eyes and body suddenly on alert as he moved so he was flanking his Alpha.

"Because..." a flash of shame flickered across his face as he spoke, "We never took the Guardian oath, the one you just witnessed. We should have but many did not. That was how they did it. Our wolves called for them, of course. But somehow the council had found out that they could replicate part of the marks if the oath was given to an Alpha instead of the Royals. They weren't as strong, it's those that the guards wear. They aren't as powerful nor as complete as true marks but they fooled the older Guardians, they even fooled the Royals. They had wanted to believe them. They refused to see the betrayal, the signs. Wouldn't even attempt to see that those sworn to protect and serve them were turning on them. I never wore the marks though. I refused to take the oath to any other, even to my own Alpha but still without the marks I was required to follow his orders and I did. Now I wear the true marks. It is impossible to wear them in deceit. Nor is it possible to act against them. If I even thought to ... they would burn from body in agonizing pain." Richard said his voice calm and sure. Honesty and truth easy to hear.

"So who is she then?" Blair asked sharply earning a glare from Kaiden at the bluntness of his question.

At this Richard let out a resounding full laugh, his face lighting up as he stole a glance behind him at the bent silver head. "She is a miracle. An absolute miracle. Ah but you wish to know her story. I only know part and at that I will only share the simplest of it, it is her's to tell. But as to who she is, the Alpha King had a single son. Born before his Queen had passed. An amazing leader, Crown Prince Tao was the heir to the throne. Prince Tao and his mate Princess ..." Richard was suddenly cut off.

"Don't"

It seemed the man was beginning to get used to the interruptions, not even turning around when the voice cut him off at the near mention of name. Instead he simply continued his tale after her command.

"My apologies Your Highness." he ignored her low growl of annoyance and instead continued to speak like he hadn't heard it, "Prince Tao and his mate had a daughter. She was born February 7 1996 and crowned Natum be Luna. Born of the Moon."

His face lit up as he spoke tears easily seen in the shine of his eyes as he spoke the words in a hushed reverent voice.

"She was a beloved child. Second in line to the throne and revered by her people. Her beauty and grace even as a babe was renowned within the Royal, pack and she was the center of her parents and grandfather's world. She lifted with her spirit and innocence the last of the grief left from the loss of their Queen. Her hair of silver and eyes of steel the perfect replica of her father's and grandfather's, the symbol of the blood in her veins. She was 6 when the revolt happened. It was believed, is believed, that she perished that night alongside her mother, father, and every other member of the Royal household, guard and pack."

Looking at them each in turn Richard spoke the words they had all been waiting for, "She is the rightful and only true heir to the throne of all werewolves. The last descendant of the first werewolves and the Alpha of all Alphas. She is ... she is the lost Queen of the Wolves."