The Year of the Tiger (Book 3 of The Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 59

Ava snorted as soon as the words "magic" left my mouth. "Magic?" she asked with a slight chuckle. "Please. There is no such thing as magic."

"Is too," Brody replied, walking over to us. "I mean, technically, aren't we made of magic?" He raised an eyebrow and gave Ava a pointed look. "Come on, look at me. I'm a talking wolf who came from two parents that were "humans.""

"And, let's not forget the fact that I am still alive," Matt said, walking over to us. He also had a journal in his hands, but he didn't seem to care about it while he joined our discussion. "What are we talking about anyway?" he asked, cocking his head.

"A photo of us," I replied, while Mal handed him the photo album. "Or at least some of us."

Matt nodded and pointed to Cameron, standing right behind me with his hand on my shoulder. "Who is that?" he asked. "And why is his hand on your shoulder?" There was a small twinge of jealousy in his voice, and I couldn't help but let my lip flicker up, amused.

"That's Cameron," I replied, ignoring the jealousy because he had no reason to be. "He was a friend of mine." I shrugged and grimaced. "He was a friend of Nick and Mike, so he did hang around us while we were growing up until he moved."

"Moved where?"

I opened my mouth to reply before I cocked my head and furrowed my brows when I actually thought about it. "Huh," I said instead of giving him an exact answer.

"What?" Matt asked with furrowed brows. "What is it?" He cocked his head and frowned, and I had a feeling that he did not like me, not answering off the bat and just saying, "huh."

"Well, I think that he moved near where your clan was located," I replied. I looked at my brother. "Remember the diner that I had stopped at? I think that he actually moved to that town."

"That was a Wolf Halfton who had taken care of you," Brody said. "She did give me and John more food when you had left."

I nodded before I took the photo album from Matt's hands. "This is what we're talking about," I said, taking the photo from the album and handing him just the picture. "Notice anything different?"

Matt opened his mouth to say something and then looked at it. Confusion flickered on his face while he looked back up at me. "Is this right?" he asked. "I thought you all were supposed to be older and not so..."

"Young?" I asked, and Matt nodded his head. "Ya, that's what we're confused about." I furrowed my brows and looked at the photo album. "I think that might be the only picture of it, but I'm not sure. I think I'm going to take this back to my house."

"Are you allowed?" Mal asked. "To take this stuff from here?" He cleared throat when I looked at him and shifted on his feet. "I mean, technically, this stuff isn't yours but is his..."

I looked down and shook my head. My stomach twisted in knots because I had not told anyone this, and my parents were the only ones who knew that I was the one who owned all of this stuff, including both the house and the dojo where we once learned how to fight.

Ava cocked her head and studied me. "Wait," she said finally, and her eyes went wide. "You own both. Don't you? I know that you were Master Yin's favorite, and he trusted you with a little bit more."

I kept looking down and felt my cheeks become slightly red, and I slowly nodded my head. "Uh... ya," I said. I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "I thought that was kind of obvious when I had the keys..."

Ava opened her mouth to say something before she closed it and shrugged. "True," she replied. She sighed and moved her hands together. "Do you think that Master Yin knew that you were the Almair?"

I nodded. "I think so," I replied. I took the photo back from Matt when he handed it to me, and I stuck it back where it was. "I think that everyone knew that I was the Almair before me." I pursed my lips and had to keep myself from wrinkling my nose in disgust.

I still hated the fact that everyone knew that I was the Almair before me. I mean, if I had learned that I was the Almair sooner, then maybe, I wouldn't feel as rushed to complete my Tiger form before something drastic happened.

But I could have been killed sooner.

I cringed and bit back a sigh before I shook my head, hating that thought. I knew that there had been a chance that I would have been killed sooner if I had known that I was the Almair.

I probably wouldn't have had the chances that I had if I had known and would have probably not met my mate if I had known my lineage in being a Wolf.

Would all the clans be standing in this room if I had known? I looked at the people who stood before me, each of them "representing" their respective clan, even though there were more Horse Halftons than the others.

But that question stayed with me. If I had known that I was the Alamir when I was younger, would I have the Horse and the Tiger, or would it just be the Wolf clan? Would I have had the choice to influence the people around me and not be influenced by the people around me?

To be honest, I had a slight feeling that I knew that answer without being told. I didn't think I would have had the chance to influence others, to bring the clans together if I had known about being the Almair, and even being the True One, sooner than I had.

I had a feeling that the society I lived in would have influenced me in some shape or form, especially if I hadn't been "called" sooner for the other two like I had to begin with.

Acceptance filled my body with the decision to keep this hidden from me, something that I hadn't been able to do. I accepted my parents' decision, knowing that they were looking out for me, even if I couldn't understand it.

It was in the past and helped me become who I was. It helped me become the person I was today, surrounded by the clans accepted as the Almair and their friend.

I had no idea what the future would hold or what other information I would be able to find, but I didn't care. I didn't care because I knew that I would have help with whatever I needed from the other clans just because I didn't let my clan influence my decisions.

I influenced them to change, and I was grateful that I did. I needed them just as much as they needed me.