What Don't I Know?

**Artemis**

*” Artemis wait one second. Let me introduce you to Ildi”*

Sekreta breaks from my embrace and turns to meet the gaze of a young man. I know instantly he is the brother of Ivar. They look the same although his features are softer.

*” This is the person who kept me sane, kept me grounded and made me see the truth in what was going on when I was with Salvi”*

He smiles at me and nods politely clearly feeling awkward from all her kind words, he shoves his hands in his pockets still looking at me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ildi. Will you be staying with us ?”

I look to Selene and Calder for that answer, the two of them nod simultaneously and smile towards Ildi.

**” I will be yes… It’s just I’m keen to get back to my pack soon. My mate is there, well not at that house she's at out packhouse but I know Salvi I don’t doubt the second she realises I’m not there she will make her life hell”**

*” Oh Ildi, I didn’t even think. All this time you’ve been helping me and I've only selfishly been thinking of myself and my own needs. Will get you back to her quickly won’t we “*

She eyes the group waiting for confirmation and we all nod. The truth is that’s not a promise we can make, how are we to tell him he will be back with his love soon when we have no idea what, when or how we are fighting this impending battle.

A short while later we have arrived back at the packhouse and happy vibes are radiating throughout the space at the safe return of the Luna. Not that I think anyone would have ever doubted she wouldn’t come back to them but it’s a reason to celebrate.

We silently follow Calder into his office and through to the seating area, I can see people are cautiously eyeing Ildi, after all, he is a stranger to many but not to Sekreta. She looks at him as though he is family to her, it's a look I have longed for her to give me.

Once we are all seated and comfortable Cynthia and Sigi enter the room taking their seats as Selene begins to tell their story. They were only gone a few days but it seems as though they hit every possible bump on the way.

Sekreta pulls out the book of lights and slams it on the table just as Selene explains that Ildi was the one who bought it for us.

*” And then he showed us the way out of that house, we got just to the exit and Ivar showed up again”*
At the mention of his name Sekreta stiffens the same way she has each time his name comes up. I can tell I’m missing something, there’s more to this story that is being laid out for us right now. I have watched my sisters long enough to know when one of them is hiding something and Sekreta is no different.

Once Selene is finished the talking erupts as questions are fired left right and centre. Cynthia is grabbing the book and flicking furiously through the pages while muttering under her breath with Sigi, they are quite obviously looking for answers about Frode.

Sekreta and Ildi seem to be lost in conversation and Calder, Ryan and Selene are all talking about the pack and how best to protect it.

Looking around me I wonder how we got to this point. Fighting for our lives for the second time in less than a year. It pains me to think that there might be a time when I look around the room and not everyone I love is here.

I’m suddenly overcome with emotion and I can't seem to hold it in. I can feel my power building in me and I for the first time in forever I don’t know how to make it stop. I feel the warm hands on my own and look to the side to see Ryan smiling at me, his eyes wide and full of concern.

**” Are you alright?”**

“I’m fine, I just… I was just thinking”


**” I think it was more than that, your eyes were glowing. Do you want to talk about it ?”**

Do I?.
Do I want to tell Ryan what I’m afraid of, absolutely yes I do but not here, not now.

“Later, I’ll tell you later”

He nods in the understanding sense that I don’t want to have this conversation in a room full of people. I also don’t want to stand up and leave when what we are talking about is so important.

Ryan takes the seat beside me not letting go of my hand while he does and then places it in his lap as he repeatedly runs his thumb across the back of my hand. It’s soothing and comforting and each movement scents tiny sparks up my hand a reminder of our mate bond.

I look back around the room and spot Sekreta watching us intently, she looks away as our eyes meet and there’s a sadness to them, a look of longing that I've not seen before.

Selene stands up and looks around as we all fall silent.

*” You know when we were on a break we had another thought about all of this that’s going on”*

“What do you mean ?”

*” I mean. Sekreta’s whole situation is odd, isn’t it? Her sister showing up, her dad being alive but not wanting to see her. Did you not think that was a little weird?”*

“Well, now you’ve mentioned it. Yes, I suppose it is a little odd. I think if that were our Father he would have wanted to see us right away”


*” Exactly so why wouldn’t he want to see her!”

She motions to Sekreta who is sitting silently watching Selene.

“I’m assuming with the theatrics your currently putting on this is a rhetorical question and you already have the answer”

*” Well now that you have mentioned it.. Yes, I do have an answer. Well, it's more of a theory. What if that isn't her dad, what if Salvi isn't her sister and she is actually..”*

“The daughter of Marel.”

*” Yes!!”*

Selene practically screams at my realisation, I guess happy that someone is on her wavelength. The idea isn't completely crazy.

“You know that would make a lot of sense. It would explain why she didn't tell you he was alive, why he didn't want you to meet her and I guess why she is so hell-bent on taking our power.. It's not for her”

The room goes silent for a second as realisation sits in. She has been lying to Sekreta this whole time they are not sisters at all. All of this is a pretence for something bigger than we could have imagined.

*” There's one thing I can't work out though.”*

Selene turns looking directly at Sigi and Cynthia.

*” How does Frode fit into this?. From what we can understand Marel has no power and Frode has seen him use it. Why would he want the baby?”*

**” He is not getting his hands on my Child. I'll die before I let any of them even breathe the same air as him”**

Cynthia’s words are backed by rage and fury, her eyes are glowing golden and her fists are clenched tightly by her side. Everyone in the room leans back a little, it's rare if not unheard of that they would have ever seen her this angry but she is a wolf hellbent on protecting her cub, nothing will come between her and Frode and she wasn't lying when she said she would die first.

I stood up walking towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder the same way I did when she was younger to help her stay calm.

“Cynth. We won't let anything happen to him and besides this is all just a theory.. I'm not saying it's wrong but I don't think we should completely forget that Salvi could just be insane”

*” I’m not forgetting that she is a crazy person and her magic extends beyond what we are capable of and I have no doubt in my mind she is using something else to keep her strong, I mean how else would she have kept Ivar under her wraps for so long”*

As she reaches her last words Sekreta lets out a loud gasp and Selene’s head flashes towards meet her gaze as she looks apologetic like she said something she shouldn't have.

I see Cynthia's Gaze flit between the two of them, she has seen what I have there, something they are not saying and Selene and her big mouth has let it slip.

**” What are you both not telling Artemis and I. What has Salvi done to Ivar ?”**

Sekreta lits her hands to her face and covers it with the stress visible in the way she is holding her body.

*” I don’t think it's for me to say I mean ..”*

They look between one another again this time Sekreta nods to Selene and takes a deep breath. Selene gives her a final look and her eyes momentarily glow green before she snaps her gaze away.

*” We discovered something else while we were away. Its would appear as though Sekreta and Ivar are mates”*


“What do you mean mates? How is that even possible he is mated to Salvi”

*” Well that's just the thing, he isn’t mated to Salvi. She has him under some kind of control; it makes him do whatever she asks. He noticed something was wrong though and I guess had breaks where he saw the real world.. Mostly when Sekreta was around”*

The eyes of the room are focused on Sekreta now, even Ildi seems shocked by this revelation. Everyone seems to be trying to process what we have just heard. How could she have him control? He is an Alpha, I know of no magic that would suppress someone’s conscience for such a long period.

“How. How is this even possible, where would she even get magic like that “

No one seems to know the answer and the room fills with static uncomfortable silence. Finally, it is Calder that breaks the ice.

**” I think I might know. But I’m going to need some time to get the answers”**

Selene's head whips around to meet his gaze and she is just as shocked as the rest of us.

**” Look I can't explain it right now but you have to trust me. You all need to stay here and work out what's going on with these magical books and power stealing crazies. But I’m going to need a hand”**

He nods to Ryan, Sigi and then Ildi.

*” So that's it you're not going to tell us any more than that, and I bet there is nothing I can say or do that's going to stop you from leaving with these three ?”*

The sarcasm in Selene's voice is not outweighed by her Anger but she lets him go anyway. The four of them exit the room silently leaving us all alone. Our gaze automatically falls on Sekreta, she has barely spoken a word since she introduced me to Ildi and now seems like a good time to encourage her to get whatever is on her mind out into the open.

“Now that they have gone. I think the four of us need a serious talk. This is a lot of information to process and it affects us all. We need to know we are all on the same wavelength”


I speak to them all openly but everyone knows my question is aimed at Sekreta, it's time for her to spill her secrets.