Chapter 233 

Chapter 235 

Grayson’s POV 

There weren’t many things that shocked me. I had been raised in a world where betrayals were expected, where death was an everyday occurrence, and where the supernatural wasn’t just a myth but a reality I had lived through 

But this? This stopped me cold. 

Daughter? 

The High Priestess was Evelyn Pierce’s 

Evelyn’s entire body went rigid beside me. She didn’t react immediately, but when she did, her response was colder than ice. She turned, locking eyes with the older woman, her expression hardening in a way that suggested she had done this before. Many times. 

“You didn’t raise me to be a liar,” Evelyn said, her voice void of warmth, “So I can’t say I feel the same.” 

The woman didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled, as if she had expected nothing less. Then, as if Evelyn weren’t standing right there, she turned to me. 

“The infamous Grayson Blackwood,” She said, her voice laced with amusement. 

My jaw tightened, What the hell is going on right now? 

And more importantly–who the hell is Lily? 

“Raina,” The woman introduced herself, stepping forward and extending her hand like this was a formal meeting and not the single most confusing encounter of my life, “Raina Waters. And I see after all these years, my daughter is still embarrassed of me if she didn’t tell you that the High Priestess you’re looking for…” 

She trailed off, letting the weight of her words settle. 

I just–I wasn’t understanding. 

Evelyn Pierce was known for many things. Being secretive. Ruthless. Unshakable. But now, watching her stand there, rigid and silent, I was seeing something I never thought I’d see from her. 

Discomfort. 

Raina must have noticed it too, because her knowing gaze shifted back to me, like she could read every thought I was trying to piece together. 

“Why don’t I save you the trouble, Grayson Blackwood?” She said, a teasing lilt to her tone, though there was an underlying gravity to it, “I’ve always been free–spirited, you see. And so, a very long time ago, when I was just a little girl, I wandered. Some would say it was the wrong place, but something happened that night. I saw the Moon Goddess.” 

She exhaled, like she was recalling something she hadn’t spoken about in years. 

“Sometimes I still think it was nothing but a dream,” She admitted. “But that night, I was touched by her. And that gave me the ability to be more than just a werewolf. I discovered years later that I could practice magic. Then, like all good stories, I met a man, fell in love, and had Lily’s sister.” 

Beside me, Evelyn let out a scoff of disbelief, but Raina barely reacted. 

“Evelyn’s sister,” Raina corrected herself with a small smile, “But again, like all love stories, he left me. And so I found my way to the Pierce pack, where I met another man and had my beautiful Lily. But even as a child, she never approved of my 

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Chapter 225 

free–spirited lifestyle especially after I had another child well, unfortunately, he didn’t survive 

Evelyn’s posture stiffened, her fingers curling into fas 

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“You slept with everything that moved. She bit on, her tone sharp with long held resentment. I was eleven, and I had to introduce you to the concept of birth control. You made Rosaline follow in your footsteps, and the fecame just like yourTM 

Raina finally turned her full attention back to Evelyn, her gaze unreadable. 

“And it must have killed you.” She said, her voice smooth, “that you had to get off that high horse you’ve always put yourself on to come all the way to Italy to ask for your sister’s help. And now my help* 

Evelyn let out a sharp breath, her jaw clenching. 

“I didn’t come to ask for your help.” She shot back. “I came to make sure you didn’t do something stupid–because you never think things through.” 

I stood there, silent, my eyes bouncing between the two of them as realization slowly started sinking in. 

Evelyn wasn’t just angry. She wasn’t just irritated by her mother’s presence. 

She was afraid. 

Not of Raina. No, Evelyn Pierce feared no one. 

But of Ava becoming her. 

And suddenly, it all made sense. The way she had caged Ava in. The way she had controlled every aspect of her life, stripped her of freedom under the pretense of protection. She had spent her entire existence making sure Ava wouldn’t become this woman standing in front of us. 

And yet, in doing so, she had mirrored her in an entirely different way. 

And now? 

Now, the friend Evelyn had come to see–the person she had traveled across the world to seek out–was her sister? 

Just how many secrets did Evelyn Pierce have? 

Raina’s gaze flickered back to me, and her smile returned, light and amused, as if this was just another day for her. 

“Come,” She said lightly. “You must be exhausted from all that’s been happening. Sit with me.” 

Then, without looking at Evelyn, she added, “I wasn’t inviting you, honey.” 

“I wasn’t coming,” Evelyn snapped. 

Raina smirked, then turned and began walking without another word. I turned to Evelyn, expecting her to try to stop me. To 

warn me. 

She didn’t. 

She stood there, still as stone, her lips pressed together. 

She wasn’t going to stop me because she wanted me to see. To hear whatever her mother was going to say, because maybe then, I’d understand. 

And I was too damn curious not to follow. 

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Chapter 235 

So I did. 

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Raina led me through the winding market, the scent of burning incense and old magic thick in the air. We stopped at a stand where a woman was selling fabrics, and Raina said something to her in a language I didn’t recognize. The woman nodded, stepping aside, and Raina took a seat on a woven mat on the ground. 

She looked up at me expectantly, her gaze sharp yet unreadable, as if waiting for my reaction, for some unspoken thought to cross my face. Then, with a slow, practiced motion, she reached into the folds of her shirt and pulled out a cigar. 

She rolled it between her fingers, testing its weight, before bringing it up to her lips. The tip of her tongue flicked out briefly, wetting the edge, and then with the same unhurried grace, she produced a silver lighter. It flicked open with a soft click, the flame casting flickering shadows against her weathered features. 

For a moment, she held it there, just above the tip, letting the flame kiss the tobacco as she rotated it slowly, evenly, allowing the embers to catch. A thin wisp of smoke curled into the air, delicate and swirling, before she finally took a slow, measured inhale. 

The end of the cigar glowed, pulsing with life, and she held the smoke in her lungs for a beat before exhaling in a long, steady stream. The scent–rich, bold, with a hint of something almost sweet–filled the space between us, curling around us like a ghost of the past. 

She exhaled again, watching me through the haze. “Well?” she said finally, amusement dancing in her voice. “Are you going to sit and ask what you want to know?” 

I shook my head. “I prefer to stand.” 

She laughed. “Of course you will. Too much pride to sit on the floor, hm?” 

“No,” I said dryly. “Just not interested in inhaling whatever the hell you’re smoking.” 

That made her laugh harder, “Smart man.” 

I exhaled, crossing my arms, “I have a lot of questions but the first… Why do you call her Lily?” 

AD