Adam needed to go to Avallon. When he hung up his cell phone, furious that his brother hadn't immediately approved his contact with Ian, he decided that he would go to the island. He was only a child, but he remembered Brianna telling him what he had to do so that the pack would never again be without an Alpha. That day, he had no interest in leaving an Alpha heir to the werewolves, but that changed after he met Ian.
Brianna's recommendation was confirmed when he took Ian to a witch so that she could do something to turn the boy into an Alpha when he turned thirteen, but all she achieved was to make him have a greater connection with the werewolves. A leadership connection, but still without the authority of an Alpha. To do this, she advised him to go to Avallon. The cradle of magic. And she also told him that he would find much more than he bargained for.
The island was in ruins and the gray mist would kill any human who entered without a mask.
He walked almost all day without finding an inhabitant willing to talk to him. They knew who he was. And it was obvious that they didn't like him.
Adam was ready to leave when his eyes detected something simple, common anywhere in the world but there. He saw the solitary green sprout of some plant or flower. He began to follow the ground attentively and found more and more green plants. Until he came to a garden, which was almost impossible to find there. The garden had flowers, small water fountains with fish of various colors, and the scent of the place was an invitation to lie down on the grass and rest there for hours. He sat down next to a fountain and watched the fish as they poked their heads out, looked at him briefly and then went back into the water, which was so clear that Adam could follow the path the fish took.
"You must be special to have found this place."
A man's deep voice made Adam curious. Even with his privileged hearing, he didn't notice anyone approaching.
He watched the man. He was vaguely familiar, but he knew he had never seen him before. He wore a long copper-colored dress and held a walking stick in his hand; he must have been in his fifties.
"Who are you? Adam asked suspiciously.
The man sat down next to him.
"That question has different answers. Do you want to know my name, or who I am?"
"Who you are. I see no point in knowing your name." Adam replied fiercely.
The man just laughed.
"I'm the guardian of the island."
Adam looked more closely at the man.
"You haven't done a very good job."
The man looked amused.
"You've seen the ashes... They're effective at scaring off the curious when the fog isn't thick enough to hide us."
"Hide? This place is very visible. Anyone can find it."
"No. You need to have magic in your blood to find this place. The problem is that the wizards of Avallon have spread their seed throughout the world and now there are many who can see it, but not all."
Adam thought for a while.
"I'm an Alpha. And I want to pass on that status to my son..."
"You don't need us for that, boy. Your heir will be born Alpha, without you having to do anything other than plant the seed in the right womb."
"I already have an heir, and he wasn't born Alpha."
"Ian's purpose is not to be Alpha. He'll enjoy that authority for a while. But his Alpha heir hasn't been born yet. Alphas aren't first-born."
Adam looked stunned at the man.
"How do you know my son's name?"
"Here, on this island, we have no bars, discos or cinemas. Our fun is in observing the lives of supernaturals."
Adam looked at the man suspiciously, dissatisfied with his vague answer.
"Am I going to have another child?"
"Yes. It wouldn't be fair to have prepared everything for his arrival and never see him in that room, would it?" The man said and winked at Adam, as if he was keeping all his secrets. "But... The beginning of your journey lies in resolving the issues in your heart. You won't be able to move forward, you'll remain stagnant, until you understand your heart."
"I understand my heart."
"You need to go in search of Luna." The man said, as if he hadn't heard Adam.
Adam looked at the man as if he had woken him up with just that one sentence.
"Luna appeared in Alaska..."
The man stood up.
"Yes. You must fulfill your destiny with the young woman."
"You know a lot of things for someone who lives in a place without any technology."
The man smiled.
"Come on, boy. We're preparing to receive the Bruma. I'll escort you back to the port."
Adam walked beside the man in silence, noting that he could now see that the place was being rebuilt and the people were happy. It wasn't the image he saw when he arrived there. He saw desolation and people who seemed angry with the world.
As soon as they arrived at the port, Adam turned to the man, before getting on the ship.
"If you ever need anything, look me up." Adam said sincerely.
The man held out his hand, which Adam took, after hesitating for a second, and felt a different energy touch his skin.
"You can come to me too, but you won't. That's why I think it's unfair for you to leave without knowing my name, since I know your name."
Adam looked down at his hand, which was still firmly in his.
"My name is Anthony. Anthony Merlin." The man said and walked away, away from the port.
Adam was puzzled as he entered the ship. Anthony? Wasn't that Brianna's father's name? Anna's grandfather? But that would be impossible. That man was too young to be related to Anna, and Allister had made sure that there were no Bruma relatives left. That thought made Adam run back to see the island in the distance. There was someone he had hidden from his father's murderous rage. And he must have been on that island. Vicenzo!