(Yvette’s POV)

    The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my Central Territory hotel suite as I made final preparations for today’s intimate gathering. I had invited several influential she-wolves from the most prestigious packs, hoping to further establish Audrey Winter’s reputation among the elite circles.

    My fingers moved carefully through my jewelry collection, selecting pieces that wouldplement my ceremonial robe. As I reached for my emerald earrings, my hand brushed against the ancient gold wolf pendant resting in its velvet-lined box.

    This pendant was a gift from my grandmother decades ago, crafted by some of the most skilled artisans in our pack. The delicate wolf design looks beautiful in the light and “Grace” on the back is her name.

    There are two such pendants – one for myself, and one for my sister who died prematurely. The one I am now holding, which belonged to my sister, the one for myself, has been lost, lost with the abduction of my daughter Lyra.

    A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, fastening the pendant around my neck.

    Beta Thornwood entered with a slight bow. “Luna Riverwind, the guests are beginning to arrive. Audrey Winter has just entered the lobby.”

    “Excellent,” I replied, smoothing down my robe. “Please ensure the moonlight wine is properly chilled, and have the servers offer the herbal tea blends we discussed.”

    As I made my way toward the suite’s main sitting area, my heart swelled with maternal pride thinking about Audrey. The young she-wolf reminded me so much of myself at that age – intelligent, determined, and possessing an inner strength thatmanded respect.

    The door chimed softly as Audrey arrived, her graceful presence immediately brightening the room. She wore a elegant blue dress that brought out the emerald tones in her eyes, and her auburn hair was styled in a simple but sophisticated manner.

    “Luna Riverwind,” she greeted me warmly, offering a respectful bow. “Thank you for including me in tonight’s gathering.” “The pleasure is entirely mine, dear,” I assured her, moving closer to embrace her gently. “You look absolutely radiant tonight.”

    As Audrey straightened from our embrace, something caught the light at her throat. My breath caught in my chest, and I had to steady myself against the doorframe. The golden pendant nestled against her corbone was identical to my own.

    The delicate wolf design, the way the gold caught the afternoon light filtering through the windows, even the size and proportions – everything was exactly the same. My heart began racing as memories flooded back.

    “That’s a beautiful pendant,” I managed, my voice slightly strained despite my efforts to sound casual. “May I ask where you acquired it?”

    Audrey’s hand moved unconsciously to touch the piece, her fingers tracing the familiar wolf shape. A soft smile crossed her features as she spoke.

    “This was given to me by my foster father’s sister,” she exined. “She said it was on me when she found me as a pup.” My legs felt suddenly weak. This couldn’t be possible. Could it?

    “Found you?” I pressed gently, trying to keep my voice steady. “You were found as a pup?”

    Audrey nodded, though I noticed a flicker of sadness cross her expression. “Yes. I don’t remember much from before then. Winter’s family took me in when I was very young.”

    My heart hammered against my ribs as I examined the pendant more closely without being obvious about it. The craftsmanship was definitely from our pack’s artisans – I would recognize that particr style anywhere.

    “Would you mind if I looked at it more closely?” I asked, my hands beginning to tremble slightly. “The workmanship appears quite exceptional.”

    “Of course,” Audrey replied, reaching up to unsp the chain. “I’ve always wondered about its origin myself.”

    As she ced the pendant in my palm, I felt the familiar weight of the gold. My fingers turned it over automatically, searching for the inscription I both hoped and feared to find.

    There it was. Etched in the same delicate script as my own pendant: “Grace.”

    My legs gave outpletely, and I had to sit down heavily in the nearest chair. The pendant seemed to burn in my palm as the full implications hit me like a physical blow.

    Audrey rushed to my side immediately, her voice filled with concern. “Luna Riverwind, are you alright? Should I call for a healer? You’ve gonepletely pale.”

    But I couldn’t speak. My eyes were fixed on the pendant, tears beginning to stream down my face as memories I had tried to bury for decades came rushing back.

    The night my daughter disappeared, the phone call announcing her abduction, and the kidnappers who never showed up afterward. I’ve had people looking for her ever since, but they’ve been clueless.

    “Luna Riverwind, please,” Audrey pleaded, kneeling beside my chair. “What’s wrong? Is it the pendant? Did I say something to upset you?”

    I looked up at her with tears in my eyes, and for the first time I really saw her face. The shape of her eyes, the delicate curve of her chin, her quiet, dignified demeanor-all so much like myte sister’s, how had I not seen it before?

    “This pendant,” I whispered, my voice breaking with excitement, “was left to my daughter, my first daughter, who was abducted and disappeared when she was a cub.”

    Audrey’s face went white, her emerald eyes widening with shock. “What do you mean?”

    “My child,” I continued, clutching the pendant to my chest, “I have heard whispers that there might be another secret about your birth. Can you tell me about your origins? What was your birth name before you were adopted?”

    Audrey sank back on her heels, clearly struggling to process what I was saying. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she replied.

    “Serena.” She said carefully.” Serena Shadowcrest. But I didn’t get along with Lady Shadowcrest, so I didn’t go back, I just went to see my grandmother periodically.”

    The name hit me like lightning. Serena. Serena, my daughter’s name. Is she the real Serena? And what about Lyra?

    (Audrey’s POV)

    The tears that had been building in Yvette’s eyes suddenly spilled over, and her sobs echoed through the elegant hotel suite. Before I could react, she had pulled me into her arms, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe.

    “You’re Serena,” she cried against my hair. “You are my daughter. My true daughter.”

    My mind reeled as her words sank in. This couldn’t be possible. Could it?

    “The Shadowcrests took you from me,” she continued, her voice thick with tears and years of suppressed grief. “But they lost you again. And now… now you’ve found your way back to me.”

    I felt my eyes begin to tear up, my head began to ache, and the blurry pieces of my childhood became clear once again. Mrs. Shadowcrest’s coldness towards me as a child, her unresponsive, even disgusted attitude towards my closeness after her

    return.

    No wonder she always favored Emma over me, no wonder she gave me strange looks when she thought I wasn’t looking. Turns out, I’m not her daughter, my real mother is someone else, and today I finally found her.

    “Mother?” I whispered, the word feeling both foreign andpletely right on my tongue.

    Yvette pulled back to look at my face, her hands cupping my cheeks as if she couldn’t believe I was real. “My beautiful daughter. You look so much like my sister did at your age.”