JEOPARDY: The Cursed Soldier.

40. Destiny.

"Then the gods are also mistaken, because I don't have a wolf."

"What?" At Marianna's outburst, Kayla stayed silent and let Marianna simmer in her shock for several moments, before she finally said. "Explain that sentence."

Kayla shrugged. "Since my first shift, 6 years ago, I haven't been able to shift. And before that dream, I had never heard my wolf speak."

I'm technically human, Kayla wanted to add, but she spared Marianna. The High Priestess already looked like she had swallowed an entire snake and was about to choke.

"What does your mother say about this handicap?"

Kayla bit down on the bristle on her tongue at the use of the word 'handicap' and answered Marianna in monotones. "She's happy. She hates this part of her—of us. If it were up to her, we would both be human.

"My father, on the other hand, thinks it's because I grew up in Sonora. As you said, the silver in those walls suppresses wolves, not empower them. Even a Castillo wolf isn't exempted."

Marianna massaged her temples. "What about your mother? What happened to Daria? Is she also suppressed?"

Kayla sighed. "No. Not by the silver. My mama has been blocking her wolf for as long as I've been alive. Maybe because she reminds her of all this. My mama doesn't hide just how much she hates all this—being a wolf. The pack. Alpha Sienna."

"No, this cannot be happening. The gods can't lead me to a useless Alpha. You're too important to be useless—wait a minute." Marianna suddenly stilled and focused her eyes on Kayla's face before moving them, slowly, from Kayla's face to her chest.

Kayla heaved, unnerved by Marianna's searching gaze. But she hadn't even completely exhaled before Marianna moved closer and put her right palm over Kayla's heart and her left one on Kayla's forehead.

Kayla instantly startled as something inside her stirred; her heart picked up; The pores on her skin opened, and it felt like her skin was being stretched like rubber.

Kayla was heating up. She was drowning. Suffocating. It was the pro-kissing-Ivan feeling all over again.

"I was right." Marianna's voice pierced through the fog and shook Kayla sober. "Your wolf is alive and potent. She is stirring at the edge—Oh gods! This can't be true.... But it's the only thing that makes sense... I must confirm with Arielle, first, but I know I'm right."

Kayla wretched herself from Marianna's touch, eyes wide, and sweat dotting her face. "What's going on?"

Marianna smiled, a haze—that hadn't been there before—clouding her eyes. "We were right. You are our moon. Our Alpha. The gods' chosen one."

Kayla frowned and shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I mean, what did you see, hear, feel, or whatever when you touched me? What was happening to me? It happened to me yesterday, too. I thought I was shifting. But I was mistaken. What was that?"

Marianna grinned. "That was power, child. An Alpha's power. Your father was wrong—your wolf wasn't suppressed by the Sonora silver. It was locked down by the power in you. The power of all the former Lunarheart Alphas."

"What?"

Somehow Marianna's grin got even wider as her eyes shone even brighter. "The gods have given you the power and might of every Alpha who has ever ruled Lunarheart. Right now, you are the most powerful werewolf in the world and existence.

"The gods will not only use you to take down Sienna and start a peaceful and prosperous reign over our pack. But also destroy every enemy of the pack and the werewolf kind. You are a gift from the gods, Kayla. You are the answer to all our prayers."