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Epilogue - Christophe

IwatchedKota play with his puzzle, his eyes focused intensely on the little cube shaped device that his Aunt Jennifer had given him. At five years old, Kota was a little smaller than his classmates, even for an omega, but where he lacked in size he made up in spunk and brains. He was far beyond his peers when it came toacademics.

Ilooked out the window,watching as the passing skyscrapers of downtown Wolfheart thinned out. As we moved closer to Old Wolfheart the architecture changed, almost like we were stepping back in time, and I could see enormous stone temples where the all the ancient rites were performed. I settled back into the chair, and I felt Mason take my hand. I looked over at him and smiled. Kota laughed and held the puzzle up tous.

“Dad, Papa, I finished it!”

“Good work, Kota!”Mason said. “That was a hard one, wasn’tit?”

“Not too hard.”

The car turnedoff the private access road, and the temple grew even closer. Ever since Father had passed the clan leadership to me two years ago, the number of my visits to the temple had grown tremendously since I was required to be present for various ceremonies. Today, we were here for Kota, to hear the Teller’srites.

Ayearafter I’d assumed leadership of the Crescent Moons, Mason had graduated from his academy, and this year he’d started an organization for lowborn neighborhoods to monitor and assist those who had been taken advantage of by predatory clans like the Blood Gulch. Jennifer had graduated pre-academy and was two years into her program at the Dawn Academy’s School for Shift Technology. She was one of the school’s few lowborn students, which had resulted in some unfair treatment from instructors and even a few physical fights with other students—all of which she’d won. I’d had to step in a few times on her behalf, but it was clear from her marks that she belonged there as much as anyone else. And with the advanced healing techniques of the bears, Mrs. Arkentooth had fully recovered, save for some minor joint stiffness in the mornings. Last year, she decided to do shift marathon competitions, where she’d run for miles in wolf form around thecity.

The car pulledinto the temple’s lot, and Stephen rolled down the divider window. “Here, sir,” hesaid.

“Thank you, Stephen.”

He openedthe door for us, and I unbuckled my son from his car seat. He took Mason’s and my hand, and the three of us walked towards the temple’s gigantic door. Kota craned his neck to look up at the huge stone wolves that sat on either side of the entrance, his mouth agape inawe.

Inside,the air was hazy with smoke, and I was greeted by that familiar smell of pine incense and candle wax. I felt Kota’s little hand squeezemine.

“What’sthe Teller going to do, Dad?” he asked. “What’s he going tosay?”

“He’s goingto look into yourfuture.”

“The future?”

Icrouched downand squeezed his shoulder. “Are youscared?”

He shook his head,but I could see that he was. “What did he tell you,Dad?”

Ismiled at him.“He told me aboutyou.”

Kota’s eyes sparkled,and he broke into agrin.

“Ready?”Masonasked.

“Yeah,”Kotasaid.

We walked together,hand in hand, towards the shroud of smoke that held the mystery of thefuture.