?Chapter 938:


    Yet, the waters didn’t run as smoothly as I had hoped.


    Maia’s eyes settled on me, and she ced her cup down with care, her tone measured as she said, “Alden has already filled me in on your circumstances.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    The conversation took a sudden, sharp turn—so abrupt that Maia’s words struck me like a lightning bolt out of clear skies. My mind emptied, as if someone had yanked the floor from beneath me.


    I froze where I sat, the smile on my lips hardening into a brittle mask. Maia, on the other hand, seemed thoroughly entertained by my reaction. Her smirk deepened, mischief flickering in her sharp, knowing gaze. Tilting her head ever so slightly, she murmured, “You’re a white wolf too, aren’t you?”


    My heart plummeted, a cold weight settling deep in my chest, mped tight by an unseen vice.


    Alden told her? Just like that? My thoughts unraveled into chaos, a tangled mess of disbelief and uncertainty. I had no idea how to respond.


    Maia, watching my panic unfold, merely chuckled and shook her head. Her voice was light, almost teasing. “Rx. Your secret’s safe with me.” She punctuated her reassurance with a sly wink, a yful curve to her lips. “Besides, you already know who I am, don’t you?” The tension in my chest loosened—just a little. I exhaled slowly, nodding, but the unease in my gut remained stubborn.


    I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to meet her eyes. “Mrs. Pierce, white wolves with resurrection abilities are nearly unheard of. How does Alden possess such a gift? And more importantly… who are you, really?”


    Her expression flickered—just for a moment—before intrigue took over. She studied me, her eyes scanning as if piecing together a puzzle. “Ailyn, you’re just a little over twenty. When the catastrophe happened, you wouldn’t have even been born. So tell me—how do you know about any of this?”


    Then, as if struck by sudden realization, her eyes glowed with understanding. She leaned in slightly, her gaze locking onto mine. “Wait—do you have an elder from the white wolf n guiding you?”


    ????????????????: g??????????ν?????????????


    I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “No. It’s just me.” Something in Maia’s expression shifted. A brief flicker of difort, maybe even regret, before she nced away as if uncertain how to recover from her assumption.


    A beat of silence stretched between us before she exhaled softly and cracked a smile. “You know,” she mused, “the first time I met you, I felt something… a familiar aura about you.”


    I blinked, caught off guard. “Familiar? What do you mean?”


    Maia hesitated for a moment, as if sifting through distant memories.


    Then she gave a long sigh. “When the catastrophe struck, I was just ten. It was chaos. But thanks to the intervention of Marehelm’s former mayor, some of the white wolves here managed to survive.”


    She paused, peering into the air. “From what I’ve learned, our n’s bloodline isn’t like others. Only those descended from the Saint’s lineage—or the branch that serves the Saint—inherit the most profound healing abilities. The rest of the white wolves… they have only ordinary healing capabilities.”


    Her words wrapped around me. My hands clenched at my sides as I braced for what wasing next.


    Maia held my gaze for a long moment, her eyes searching mine with quiet intensity. “And I descended from the lineage that serves the Saint.”


    Makenna’s POV:


    Maia’s words tangled my thoughts into a bewildering knot. Rather than soothing my uncertainties, they only deepened the fog of confusion swirling in my mind.


    .


    .


    .