5th Chapter

Valeria- 

For a couple of seconds, I stare at the piece of paper that has caused me to rethink my entire existence with just one glance. 

Henry and Jacqueline Johansson? Were my parents using different names before they came to the United States? Have I been living a lie all this while? Is this why Father became less welcoming to my antics as I grew up? Did I remind him of the life he left behind? 

But…Mother is Asian. She speaks Mandarin so darn fluently it is impossible to say that she doesn't originate from Asia. 

And…this Kala situation. Does that mean they knew I'm a werewolf all this time? Perhaps they thought I would never uncover the truth because I hadn't met my wolf in my teens. They probably believed that she'd died and that I'd become a normal human. 

Kala growls within me, and I say a quick sorry before returning to my assumptions. 

Or, maybe, just like all those books and movies I've read and seen, Father was an Alpha, and badly wanted to see me grow into a powerful Luna just like him, but was disappointed to see that I couldn't even access my wolf in my teens. 

Yes. That seemed more probable. 

But even if that was the case, he could have let me know. Even if it was as a story like he usually did when I was younger. Surely I would have tried to gain access to my wolf a lot more vigorously if I had known I was hiding such inside of me. 

However, all my thoughts come to a sudden halt when I turn to the next set of documents. 

'27th March, 2018.

Swedish Conglomerate owners, Henry and Jacqueline Johansson, found dead in their house early in the morning around six a.m. The police have come out to say that the post-mortem tests are to be carried out in a couple of minutes to determine the estimate time of death and cause of death. It must be noted, however, that their bodies had multiple slashes on them, as though it was a knife that had done that. Some speculate that it might not have been a knife, but the claws of a huge animal, as the slashes seem like those that were recently found on trees in the forest surrounding their 40 acre home. 

The business moguls procreated no children, but are survived by Henry Johansson's half-brother, Joachim Johansson, the bastard son of the Johansson Industries. More news would be given out soon.'

I was…I was stolen from birth.

As I sit on the desk, I run through the events that have caused me to undergo series of minor and major heart attacks in less than a day. 

Firstly, my 'parents' are dead. Murdered, in fact.

Secondly, I'm a werewolf, with a wolf whose name is Kala. I've transformed a long time ago without even knowing, buf I know my wolf form has grey fur and extremely bright eyes. 

Third on the list, my parents are not my parents. The people I've apparently lived with for the past two decades plus of my life aren't my actual father and mother. 

Now, fourthly, my real parents were found dead in their home, lots of slashes on their bodies. 

Only a fool wouldn't put two and two together to find that they're involved with werewolves. 

Or…that they're werewolves themselves. Else, how else would I have Kala? 

Now, I'm supposed to have overflowing emotions. You know, a mix of anger and despair, sorrow and rage, depression and shock…something. 

Instead I feel…tired. 

In less than twelve hours, I have gone through a rollercoaster that has caused my entire being to become fatigued. I should have gone straight to bed after graduation, since I was spent from dancing my heart. But no. My parents are still in their room, dead. I'm holding a bloodied file that's revealing secrets I'm sure Father would have said, "Over my dead body will she read this."

Jokes on him, though. I'm being dealt with them blow by blow, while he's rotting away in the next room.

For a while, I'm there, staring at the pictures of my supposed biological parents, and seeing traces of their features in me. I have Jacqueline's jet black hair and full lips, but Henry's sharp eyes and relaxed stance. 

That's when the emotions begin to overflow. My heart clenches, not just in pain for my dead parents (both couples, by the way), but in rage. I am filled with the thirst for vengeance, and I swear to find the cause of all their deaths and avenge them, even if it's the last thing I do. I should be annoyed with the deceased couple in the room next door, but because I have no idea why they took me away from my real parents, and because they were wonderful to me (despite my and Father's spats), I forgive them. 

I stop admiring my actual parents' beautiful pictures and flip to the next page. That's when I see a name that will apparently cause my already topsy-turvy life to go completely upside down. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I am clueless of that fact. 

Right there, typed in bold red letters, is the name of the man that will later rewrite my entire life story. Garrett D. Holmes.