The Golden Lycans (Ella) novel Chapter 52

The Truth of the Talisman

The Truth of the Talisman

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Asmile soon spreads across my face as I excitedly rush downstairs to where I’d heard his voice, finding both of my parents standing in our spacious kitchen. I run forward and pull them both into

a hug.

I throw my arms around them, holding on as tightly as I can. And then, like a dam breaking, the

floodgates open. A sob wracks through me, followed by another, and another.

Tears spill freely. They’re tears of longing, of grief, of love, of confusion and pain; a storm of

emotions, too tangled to name, pouring out of me all at once.

“Oh, Ella, honey! What’s wrong?” my mum asks, studying my face with sympathetic concern as tears continue to pour. I don’t know why I am crying, in all honesty. I don’t feel sad at all, but perhaps the events of the past three months have been even more of an emotional rollercoaster than I had initially realised. Or maybe the questions I now had for my parents were more real and heavy, now that I was mere minutes away from facing them.

Either way, delaying the inevitable was pointless. With a deep breath, I sink into a chair at the dining table, my hands gesturing anxiously for my parents to do the same. My fingers tremble as I reach into my pocket, retrieving the talisman I had reclaimed from Landry just days ago. Wordlessly, I place it on the table before them.

A thick, suffocating silence settles between us. My parents stare at the trinket, shock widening their eyes before they exchange a weighted glance with each other.

“It doesn’t work the way it used to, in case you’re wondering,” I murmur, breaking the stunned quiet. I inhale sharply before continuing, my voice steadier and stronger than I expected. “I know what I

am.”

Mum and Dad remain frozen, their gazes locked onto the necklace. The air around us feels heavy and full of suspense, my heart thudding louder in my ears as my anxiety increases.

“Honey,” dad begins, clearing his throat, his voice cautious, “if that is true, there is something you really ought to know about us.”

I raise my eyebrows, my pulse quickening even further as my mind starts to rapidly consider what

he might be able to reveal.

“We…aren’t your biological parents,” mum reveals, choking back some tears of her own. The world titlts, and my blood runs cold for a moment at her words; words I quickly realise I perhaps had

been expecting to hear over the past few weeks and possibly even long before I even came to

Exton. After all…I didn’t look anything like my parents, I had always known that. Now that the

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words have been said, it is like I have always known this deep down, but had never wanted or

needed to question it.

“think that perhaps…I’ve known that deep down, for a while,” I reply.

Dad looks at me with a fierce look in his eyes, “biological or not, we have always loved you as if you were our own. It has never changed anything for us,” he says emotionally, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. I sigh a little and squeeze his hand back with a warm smile.

“It doesn’t change anything for me either,” I assure him, my gaze shifting to Mum, the love in my heart unwavering. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to know where I really came from.”

Mum dabs at her eyes, nodding. “Of course, sweetheart. And I know you must have so many

questions.”

I nod back, offering a nervous but hopeful smile.

“Who are they?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Or… were they? I mean… I assume they’re not around anymore.”

Mum hesitates, as if carefully weighing her words before speaking.

“We don’t know anything about your father,” she finally says, “but your mother… we knew her very well. She worked with us. Her name was Lavinia.”

Dad clears his throat once again, his expression growing serious. “Honey, there’s something else you need to know about us.” He pauses for a moment before continuing, choosing his words carefully. “We aren’t just lawyers. We work for a council. A… special kind of council. One that serves and collaborates with some very special individuals…”

That catches my attention immediately. “Special like me?” I ask cautiously.

Dad chuckles softly. “Not nearly as special as you,” he admits, “but yes. The General Council-our employer-is the supernatural equivalent of the United Nations.”

I blink in surprise. “Does that mean you two aren’t human?” I sit up straighter, intrigue sparking in

my chest.

Mum shakes her head. “We are human, technically. But we both come from magical bloodlines- our parents had gifts that we weren’t born with. Your father’s ancestors actually created this

necklace… for one of your ancestors.”

I glance down at the talisman, my fingers instinctively brushing against it. “And my mother?” I

press. “I know she must be dead, but… how?”

“Unfortunately, she was killed, just like the rest of your species,” Dad exhales heavily, his expression

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darkening.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

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“Your bloodline has been hunted for centuries. The Council has tried to protect each generation, keeping in contact with them-always in secret. But Lavinia… she was the only one who ever chose to work for us. She had a rare gift-one that made her invaluable. She was an incredibly powerful empath and an extraordinary aura reader. Her abilities made her an asset in interrogations.”

I swallow hard, my pulse pounding in my ears.

“She worked for the General Council, hiding in plain sight,” Mum adds quietly, “it was the safest

place for her… until it wasn’t. When she was murdered, you were found unharmed, safe in your cot.

We were the ones who volunteered to take you in. We hadn’t been able to conceive a child of our

own, and we knew we were in the best position to protect you.”

She offers a sad smile, her eyes glistening. “You were only three months old when we adopted you And, given the nature of our jobs, no one questioned it when we disappeared for a while and

suddenly had a baby. It was… perfect, in a way.”

I struggle to process it all, but the pieces start falling into place.

“We moved to London when it became clear you were beginning to exhibit some of your natural abilities,” Mum continues, her voice careful. “At first, it was small things. Plants around you thrived unnaturally. Objects shifted on their own. And whenever you were intensely upset, the sky would

break into violent storms.”

A chill runs through me at her words….for I remember the storms.

“We knew it was time for you to wear the talisman. But, for some reason, it never fully suppressed your abilities the way it should have. So, when you were six, we made the decision to leave the countryside-where your powers were stronger-and move to the city. We suspected that being surrounded by so much mundane energy would naturally dampen them. And it worked. The necklace concealed you, shielding your abilities and keeping you hidden from those who might harm you. You were still fast-faster than any normal child-but not so fast that it would draw

attention.”

Mum trails off, exchanging a glance with Dad. There’s is once again something unsaid between

them, something heavy.

Dad clears his throat again, this time looking at me with unmistakable gravity.

“Here’s the interesting part, Ella,” Dad begins carefully, picking up the talisman and studying the clear stone between his fingers. “This was never meant to work indefinitely. It was designed to

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stop functioning under one very specific condition-one that, frankly, we never imagined would be

met. Especially not by you.”

His words send a shiver down my spine. I think back to the moment the talisman failed, the rush of sensations flooding back-the heat, the energy, the undeniable shift. But could it really have been more than just a kiss? Under my parents’ expectant gazes, I shift uncomfortably, but my curiosity outweighs my apprehension. I need to know.

“This talisman was crafted over five hundred and eighty years ago, and in all that time, it has never failed. Not once. Until now.” He pauses, then meets my gaze. “Because it was designed to stop working if its wearer ever formed a divine bond with a Lycan.”

My breath catches.

“I assume you know what a Lycan is by now,” he adds.

I nod slowly and swallow hard at hearing confirmation of what I had only realised within myself, less than twenty-four hours before.

“Only a mate bond with a Lycan could break the talisman’s hold. Only then would the wearer ever be strong enough to live openly once more-powerful enough to wield a stronger magic than the other fae, protected from both physical and mortal harm by their mate. And, in time… to rebuild the Fae. To pull the species back from the absolute edge of extinction.”

My heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears. The night I turned seventeen… that was when everything had shifted. My feelings for Austin had intensified, pulling me toward him in a way I hadn’t understood. We had kissed again, and it had been electric-overwhelming, consuming. And now I realise… that must have been the moment the talisman truly recognised our bond.

Mum watches me carefully, her voice gentle but probing. “Ella… who is he? Do you even

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