Emma's Pov

　　I should turn around and go away, go butterfly hunting with Charlotte somewhere else. But I'm drawn to get closer, like gravity draws the Earth to orbit around the sun. I approach the door a little more but keep my body close to the wall, so whoever is inside won't notice my presence.

　　I notice there are at least seven voices inside the room. I can't decipher whose voices they all are; I didn't get to know many of the pack members. However, I can identify one person's voice.

　　"He'll be furious if we put him back in a Mating Balls," Liam, Matthew's beta, comments with concern in his voice.

　　"Matthew can be as furious as he wants. It's necessary for him to find a mate, as Charlotte's prophetic vision said," a female voice rebuts, and I can't tell who she is.

　　"He doesn't even believe in his sister's powers. In visions and prophecies. Why don't we let him find his own mate?" Liam questions, his voice a whisper to me. I move a little closer to understand more of the conversation.

　　Visions? Prophecies? Does Charlotte have powers? Damn! This is so... my Goddess, I don't even know what this could be.

　　"Matthew is already twenty-four years old; his focus is solely on keeping this pack strong and ensuring Charlotte's safety. He's not interested in seeking a mate," another man retorts, his voice thick and raspy as if he smoked many cigarettes a day.

　　"Our alpha forgets that a strong pack is with an Alpha and a Luna. It's the balance of things, how our world works. Alpha Matthew won't be able to maintain balance alone. That's not what the Moon Goddess wants for us," the first woman's voice replies.

　　"After all, it was our dear princess Charlotte who prophesied that our alpha Matthew's mate would bring light to our pack," the second man declares, his voice not as raspy as the first.

　　A prophecy of a mate for Matthew? What the hell is going on here? What does all this mean?

　　"She can prophesy that the moon will turn into cheese, it won't make Matthew believe in them," Liam retorts. "Matthew needs to want to seek a mate. Us doing it for him has only caused more stress," Liam defends the alpha like a true friend.

　　"And how do we make him want to seek a mate, beta Liam?" the woman questions, a hint of impatience in her tone. My ears lean even closer to the door, ready to hear Liam's response.

　　There's a silence that's too long, which only makes me more curious. "Honestly, Mrs. Dawson, for Matthew to seek a mate, the girl needs to get along with Charlotte. His younger sister is Matthew's world; he won't show interest in someone who isn't interested in his sister," Liam argues with firm words.

　　"But Matthew protects Charlotte from everything and everyone, quite rightly. We can't let people know about the powers she had. Only the Moon Goddess knows what other packs would do if they found out that Charlotte can foresee the future, can prophesy. Besides other gifts that may come with time," Mrs. Dawson informs with regret, her voice so low and firm that I wonder if she's the oldest of the elders.

　　"How do we find someone who likes Charlotte, without putting her in danger, so that Matthew finds a destined mate?" another gentleman makes the inquiry, and no one answers.

　　"I don't think it's up to us to make Princess Charlotte's prophecy come true in Alpha Matthew's life," Liam declares finally. "That's not how prophecies work. Destiny paves the way; we just walk it."

　　There's a deeper debate about finding the destined mate for Matthew. Few agree with Liam's statement; the boy is concerned about his friend's, his alpha's, happiness. While the others involved in the meeting want Charlotte's prophecy to be fulfilled no matter what.

　　I move away from the door when I realize they're about to leave. I run away from the room, my heart heavy with shock. I look for Charlotte along the path we had made, but the little she-wolf is nowhere to be found.

　　Charlotte is a prophetess. Prophets have been extinct for so many years that to me, they're nothing but a legend. No one is more worthy of having such a strong connection with our Moon Goddess, which is why prophets have been disappearing.

　　But Charlotte? The little she-wolf has such a beautiful aura. Some things are starting to make sense to me now. The way the little she-wolf said that everything would work out when we first met. What she said earlier today, about nightmares.

　　I walk through the Night Howlers Pack territory with my mind full of questions. I feel intrigued. What other powers could Charlotte have? Predicting the future seems so... eerie.

　　Mrs. Dawson was right, Charlotte is in danger if any other pack discovers her superpowers. Not only werewolf packs but the covens of witches. Witches are always messing with hidden magic; many covens try to predict the future. If any warlock discovers Charlotte's powers...

　　A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of the atrocities the warlocks would commit against Charlotte. What do I do with this? Charlotte is an eight-year-old girl full of energy, lively and happy. The burden of having to predict the future must weigh too much on her.

　　"Emma!" a female voice shouts my name behind me. I startle at the interruption of my thoughts. I look back and realize it's Gaya, the young she-wolf is wearing different clothes, a kitchen uniform, I notice in her hands two heavy grocery bags.

　　Gaya walks toward me with a wide smile on her lips, I return the gesture, trying to hide the worry of what I just found out. Who knows about Charlotte? Is the whole pack or just the closest ones?

　　As I approach Gaya and offer to help carry the grocery bags, my concern about the things I just found out about Charlotte still gnaws at me inside.