“Twenty years is long enough.”
Mara sat alone in the quiet house.
For once, there was no sound of Nyra moving around upstairs, no music, unnecessary arguments of who the most handsome celebrity wolf is or university complaints.
Nyra had already left for campus.
Mara sat by the window, staring into the distance.
Her fingers slowly moved toward the pendant hanging around her neck.
She pulled it out from beneath her clothes and held it in her palm.
It was small, old and beautiful in a delicate way.
The pendant had been with her for twenty years.The pendant actually belonged to Nyra.
It had been placed around the Nyra’s neck the day Mara took her.
The only thing Nyra has from her mother, the only physical thing that remained from the life Nyra had been born into.
Mara turned it over in her fingers.
The strange wolf symbol engraved on its surface shone bright when it caught the morning light.
She had never shown it properly to Nyra.
Whenever Nyra asked about it, Mara always gave the same answer, “It’s an old family necklace” but twenty years was a long time to carry a secret.
Mara sighed..
“You’re old enough now.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“You’re twenty years old.”
She looked toward the door as though she expected Nyra to walk through it at any moment.
Mara had made the decision months ago to tell Nyra the truth about everything.
Mara felt Nyra would be old enough to understand and make her own decisions and, perhaps most importantly, old enough to know who she really was before the truth found her in a much more dangerous way.
Mara closed her fingers around the pendant.
“I’ll tell you soon, Nyra.” She swallowed.
“Very soon.”
Her eyes drifted back toward the forest.
Something about the woods had felt wrong lately, the howling had become more frequent, the wolves were closer.
Mara knew better than anyone that the past rarely stayed buried forever.
“I should have told you earlier.” Her voice trembled.
“But I wanted you to have a normal life.”
For twenty years, that had been her excuse and she had meant it.
Nyra deserved university, friends, laughter, graduation, a future not a throne, enemies or a bloodline that powerful wolves had once tried to erase.
Mara closed her eyes.
For a moment, she remembered the night everything had changed.
[Flashback]
She had been in her last forties when it all happened.
The royal territory was in chaos.
They were under an attack, guards an soldiers rushed here and there, some shifting into their wolf forms while those who had already transformed attacked the intruders.
Mara had been in her quarters when the Beta appeared at her door.
His clothes were torn, his face was tense and in his arms was a tiny baby,Nyra.
Mara had barely understood what was happening.
“What’s happening?” Mara questioned
“There’s no time.”
He had pushed the baby into her arms.
Mara looked down.
The little princess was barely awake.
A small pendant rested against her chest.
“Take her.”
Mara stared at him.
“Take her where?”
“Anywhere.”
His eyes had darted toward the corridor.
“They’re coming.”
“Who?”
“The council.”
Mara’s heart dropped.
The Beta had looked at the baby.
Then at Mara.
“Protect her with your life.”
Mara remembered the fear in his voice.
“Don’t let them find her Mara.”
Then he had turned and disappeared.
Mara had never seen him again.
Mara being the head maid and knowing the palace better than anyone, she took a secret route out of the palace and ran away with the baby before the council could find them.
[End of flashback]
And for twenty years, she had kept her promise.
Mara opened her eyes, the memory still hurt.
She looked down at the pendant again.
“I kept you safe.” She whispered.
“But I can’t hide you forever.”
She carefully tucked the pendant beneath her clothes.
“I’ll tell you after graduation.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“I won’t ruin your big day.”
Weeks Later, The house had become considerably louder.
“Nyra!”
“What?”
“Where are my heels?”
“How would I know where your heels are?”
“Because you’re the only person who cleans around here!”
“That is absolutely not true!”
Ravenna’s voice came through the mind-link.
“I found them”.
Nyra stopped.
“Where?”
“Under your bed.”
Nyra frowned.
“Why would your heels be under my bed?”
Aurelia immediately joined the conversation.
“Because you threw them there.”
“I dont recall.”
“Of course you don’t.”
Nyra rolled her eyes.
The three girls had become almost inseparable over the years, three years of friendship had turned them into something closer to sisters and now, they were about to graduate together.
Nyra stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her graduation outfit.
Ravenna walked behind her, fixing her own hair.
Aurelia was sitting on the bed, scrolling through pictures they had taken during university.
“Look at us.”
She turned the phone around.
“First year.”
Ravenna leaned closer.
“We looked so young.”
Nyra laughed.
“Speak for yourself,” Ravenna said.
“I’ve always looked mature.” Aurelia snorted.
“You once walked into the wrong lecture hall and stayed for twenty minutes because you were too embarrassed to leave.”
Ravenna gasped.
“That was one time!”
Nyra burst out laughing.
The room filled with their voices.
Mara stood at the doorway watching them, she smiled.
This was exactly what she had wanted for Nyra.
A normal life.
A happy life filled with friends and love.
She watched Nyra laugh with her friends..Her daughter not by blood but in every way that mattered.
Nyra noticed her standing there.
“Mama?”
Mara smiled.
“You girls look so beautiful.”
Ravenna grinned.
“Thank you, Mama Mara.”
Aurelia nodded.
“We’re officially graduating.” The girls squealed together.
Mara stepped into the room.
“I’m proud of all of you.”
Nyra smiled.
“Especially me?”
Mara laughed.
“Especially you.”
Nyra wrapped her arms around her.
Mara held her tightly.
She would tell her after graduation, she promised herself.
After this day, Nyra would know everything.
The university grounds were crowded, Families filled the designated areas, friends took photographs, graduates moved around in their gowns, laughing and celebrating.
Nyra stood between Ravenna and Aurelia as they posed for another picture.
“One more!”
“That’s the tenth picture,” Nyra complained.
“The tenth?” Ravenna looked offended.
“We’ve barely started.” Aurelia laughed.
“She’s right.”
Nyra sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
The camera flashed.
Nyra smiled as she looked at the picture afterward.
She had worked hard for this; Late nights assignments, exams, training, everything had led to this moment.
She had finally made it.
She glanced across the crowd.
Mara was standing there.Her eyes were shining with pride.
Nyra smiled.
Mama looks so happy and beautiful regardless of her old age.
Ravenna nudged Nyra.
“Stop staring and take a picture with her.”
Nyra laughed.
“You two are exhausting.”
“And you love us.” Aurelia’s voice came through the mind-link.
Nyra smiled.
“Unfortunately.”
Ravenna gasped.
“Unfortunately?!”
They all laughed.
Mara felt tired from the excitement and preparation for Nyra’s graduation, so she told the girls she was heading home first to get some rest.
“Lemme take you home then, Mama”
“No, no, my dear, it’s your graduation day today. Stay and have some more fun with your friends, I can go alone, don’t worry”
“Okay, Take care Mama” the three ladies said together.
For the rest of the day, they celebrated, took more pictures, hugged their classmates.
They talked about the future.
For once, Nyra didn’t think about rankings, proving herself or being called ‘the Omega with an attitude’.
She simply enjoyed being Nyra.
By the time the celebrations began winding down, the sun had already started disappearing.
Nyra looked toward the sky.
“We should head home.”
Ravenna nodded.
“Definitely.”
Aurelia stretched.
“I’m exhausted.”
Nyra smiled.
“Come on girls.”
The three girls left the university grounds together.
***********************
Mara stood by the window that evening.
The house was quiet again.
She looked down at the pendant, her fingers tightened around it.
“Tonight.”
She whispered.
“Tonight I’ll tell her.”
Outside, somewhere beyond the trees, came a howl.
Mara froze.
Another answered then another.
Her expression changed.
Those weren’t the wolves she had heard before.They were closer…much closer.
Mara slowly turned toward the door.
Her instincts screamed at her.
Something was coming.
She looked down at the pendantin her hands one last time.
“Please…”
Her voice was barely audible.
“Let me tell her first.”
The howling stopped.
Silence settled over the forest.
Mara saw something move somewhere in the darkness beyond the house.
Mara’s eyes narrowed.
She knew that sound; someone was approaching and for the first time in twenty years, Mara wondered if the secret she had protected with her life was finally coming for her…
Thank you so much for reading.
Things are about to get interesting so don’t miss the next chapter.
See you there.