Cynthia Dion: "To the basement? What's down there?" I tried to maintain a light-hearted smile, attempting to reassure myself, but his tension was palpable. "I need to show you something," he replied, already walking away before I could make a decision. I didn't really have a choice. If I wanted to understand what was happening to me, I knew I had to trust him. He was the only one who could help me unravel the mysteries about myself. So, I followed him into the basement. He led me down a dark staircase, using his cellphone's flashlight as our only source of illumination until we reached the bottom, where he turned on the lights. "Oh!" I nearly gasped too loudly as I beheld an antique library. Everything here seemed ancient, but upon closer inspection, it was merely rusty. The furniture appeared old, with random stains of blood scattered about. "Take a seat here," he instructed, gesturing to a stool that didn't quite fit with the rest of the furniture. It stood out of place, but I complied, watching as he began searching through the shelves for something. Once again, my eyes were drawn to the marked area on his neck. There were scratch marks there, as if he or someone else had attempted to remove a mark left by someone. With him engrossed in the books, I took the opportunity to examine him further. As his sleeve rolled up a bit, I noticed a snake tattoo on his arm that extended down to the space between his fingers. "This should provide the answers," he said, pulling out an A5-sized book and flipping through its pages without even taking a seat first. I abandoned the stool and stood in front of him, awkwardly waiting for him to finish reading. The deepening frown on his forehead indicated that whatever he was reading wasn't good news. "Am I some kind of blessed one?" I asked once more, hoping beyond hope that it was the case. It could potentially change everything. "There's a prophecy that speaks of a blessed she-wolf and a fey she-wolf. The fey will become the catalyst for the blessed she-wolf's suffering, so the fey must be swiftly removed," he said, his expression turning dreadful. "A fey she-wolf?" I asked, utterly perplexed. "Marked by death," he declared, "the malevolent she-wolf who will steal mates and wreak havoc in the werewolf realm. She will have many mates, and that will be the sign of her existence." His words trailed off as his gaze fixed on my face. I'm certain he noticed the sudden appearance of tears in my eyes as I pieced together the information. "I'm a fey?" I whispered, struggling to comprehend how this could be possible. I'm just an ordinary teenager, doing her best to secure a good education for her sister and shield herself from her father's unsavory old associates. How on earth did I end up being chosen as a fey she-wolf?"The mates must be their first mates. This means that Enzo and Atticus must not have felt a mate bond with anyone else before you," he continued to explain, and tears streamed down my cheeks. "The fey is essentially meant to steal the mates of the blessed wolf," he added, but at this point, I had lost interest in what would come next. I already knew it was over. I'm a cursed fey, a catastrophe! "I... I need to go home," I stammered in fright, wondering if he would report me. But even if he didn't, someone else probably would. There's no escaping my fate. I'm doomed. "Hey!" He suddenly rushed over, dropping the book and blocking my path. I was hyperventilating and sobbing, silently pleading with him to let me leave. "Just calm down," he said, raising his hands as a gesture for me not to pass. Many thoughts raced through my mind, including what the council would do to my sister once they discovered I was a fey. Would they see her as a threat too? "What will be the punishment? How will they deal with me?" I asked, my heart racing with fear. "Please, just let me go. I'm not a bad person, I promise," I begged, pressing my palms together as I sobbed through my blurry vision. "You're not a bad person, but your wolf might become one," he explained, and it did little to ease my fears. I was equally terrified, and it only confirmed why Thea wasn't fully awakening. It made sense why my wolf had awakened prematurely and had been forcibly suppressed. The Moon Goddess must have been finding ways to prevent the evil side of me from emerging and harming the werewolf community. Or, in simpler terms, to protect the blessed creature, the ultimate queen. "Cynthia! Look at me," his calm voice prompted me to step back and meet his gaze with hope. "I'm going to help you, okay?" He spoke gently as he cautiously approached me. "Why would you help me when my own mates and my father have never cared about me?" It was beginning to occur to me that this man might also be manipulating me. "Excuse me?" He appeared almost offended by the genuinely perplexing question I had posed. "I don't know who to trust anymore," I whispered. "You have to believe in me," he insisted, but I began to feel pressured. "No! You'll hand me over to the council, I know it," I trembled and began to distance myself from him, thinking he'd had enough. He straightened his posture and leaned towards me, gripping my arms and pulling me close against his chest. "Let me go!" I began to panic, pushing against him and attempting to resist."Cynthia, please don't make a scene. It won't be in your best interest. You don't realize what's coming for you. I'm certain the word has already spread that you're mated to two alphas," he said, trying to restrain me. But when I didn't cease my struggles, he did something unexpected. He enveloped me in his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. I let out a small whimper, but the pleasant scent of his body momentarily halted my movements. "I promise you, I will keep you safe," he whispered, tightening his embrace around my fragile form.