by C Zinnia
“What does that mean?” Mel asked. “Do I need to go to the infirmary?”
“No,” Viola said. “There is no deformity in your shoulder, so it’s not severe. A shoulder separation involves the acromioclavicular joint. That’s your clavicle and the acromion process from your scapula. It looks like a minor sprain. I’ll be right back.” She ran upstairs. Within seconds, she was back downstairs with an instrument and a sling.
“What is that?” Mel asked. She recognized the metal Y-shaped instrument. “A tuning fork?”
“Yes,” Viola answered. “It’s to rule out any fractures.” She used the instrument on Mel’s arm and shoulder. She was satisfied that Mel didn’t have any increase of pain with it. “There doesn’t appear to be any fractures. That’s good.”
“How does the tuning fork work?” Mel asked.
“If there was a fracture, the periosteum would have been torn. The vibration would aggravate the nerve endings in the periosteum of your bone. It would have caused you to jump from the pain,” Viola answered.
“Wow. Where did you learn all of this?” Mel asked.
“At school,” Viola answered. “I got my bachelor’s in exercise science and I have an athletic training license. As an athletic trainer, you must analyze a situation quickly when an athlete gets injured. You need to be able to rule out a fracture so you can immediately refer. It isn’t one hundred percent accurate, but it’s quick and low cost. I call it the quick and dirty method.
“I figure knowing how the body works would be beneficial for my clients. I’m able to train them better and advise them on how to recover better because I understand the limits of their bodies. Humans don’t recover as well or as quickly as werewolves.”
“That’s amazing. I’m somewhat familiar with anatomy and physiology because of my biology degree, but not to that depth,” Mel said.
“So, you enjoy creating music and learning about the sciences? That’s an interesting blend,” Viola said.
“What can I say? I should have been born during the Renaissance,” Mel joked. “So, what should I do about my shoulder?”
“We’re going to ice it for the next couple of days and keep it in this sling,” Viola said as she helped Mel put on the shoulder sling. “You can move it some, but the sling is to remind you to take it easy. Your shoulder will heal fine as long as you don’t do anything to irritate it.”
“I’ll try not to fall on it again,” Mel joked.
Viola didn’t find it funny. “You could have gotten seriously hurt,” she said. “And don’t think I forgot about your little stunt. Don’t ever risk your life like that again.”
Mel felt Viola’s energy crowd her as though her energy was trying to command Mel to follow orders. Initially, Mel wanted to push Viola’s energy off her. What if that upsets her? What if she doesn’t like me anymore? She’s my mate, so it’s normal for her to care so much for my safety, she thought. Part of Mel thrived on how insistent Viola was because Mel felt like it meant Viola care about her. Mel didn’t want to say the wrong thing and Viola dislike her as a result.
“You could have gotten hurt too,” Mel said softly. “What else was I supposed to do? Let him fire a bullet between your eyes?” She looked down. “Why can’t I do anything to keep you safe just like you would do for me?”
Viola sighed. She cupped Mel’s face. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me,” she said. “Don’t you understand? You’re my mate. I want you to always be safe.”
Mel looked into Viola’s beautiful autumn brown eyes. They almost had auburn flecks in them. Viola’s energy changed from being oppressive to caressing. Mel enjoyed the sensation. Viola’s energy was so warm and vibrant. Mel could bask in her presence all day.
Viola licked her lips. It caused Mel to flush. “Don’t risk your life again, okay?” Viola said. Mel didn’t respond. Viola leaned forward. Mel automatically closed her eyes and held her breath.
The kiss was different this time. It was intense, but also more intimate. Mel was able to appreciate how soft Viola’s lips were as they rubbed against hers. Mel kissed her back. Electricity rippled through her. The world around ceased to exist. Only Viola and her kisses were real.
Viola pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Her hands ran down Mel’s body and caressed her hips.
Viola immediately pulled away.
Viola’s pupils were dilated, and she seemed to be straining to keep a slight distance from Mel.
Mel was panting. She didn’t understand why Viola stopped. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Viola breathed deeply and gathered herself. She smiled. She grabbed Mel’s hand and kissed the palm. “Nothing is wrong,” she said. “Everything is perfect.”
Bruce came into the kitchen with Eli. Bruce and Eli realized they had interrupted Viola’s and Mel’s intimate moment. “We can come back later,” Bruce said sardonically. “Although, I would prefer you take it upstairs.”
Mel was surprised. “Are you actually teasing us?” she asked.
Bruce blushed. “I’m not all fangs, Mel,” he said defensively. “I can be fun. You’ve just caught me during a stressful time.”
Mel laughed. “Fair enough, Bruce,” she said.
“What’s going on?” Viola said.
“I brought Eli to meet Mel,” Bruce said simply.
Mel recognized Eli as the referee. “You’re the one who winked at me!” she said before she could stop herself. She clasped a hand over her mouth.
Bruce side-looked at Eli. “Really? You knew a human was present and failed to mention it?” he said.
Eli smiled at Bruce. “She was supposed to be there. Who am I to interfere?” he said.
Bruce chuckled as he shook his head. “Witches,” he teased.
For the first time, Mel really studied Eli’s energy. Her skin prickled. She could sense Eli was a powerful and good-hearted witch. How did I not see it before? she wondered. You were too distracted by Viola, another voice said.
“Hello, Mel,” Eli said. “It is nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hello,” Mel said. She felt small and intimidated beside him. What if I’ve made all of these things up and he’s able to see that? What if none of this is real? What if I’m just having a breakdown? she wondered.
“What is going on, Eli?” Bruce asked. He was done with propriety and wanted answers. “Who is she? Why did she bond with Viola? Is she a witch?” Bruce was nervous and that annoyed him. He wasn’t used to feeling like he had no clue what was going on.
Eli chuckled. “I just got here, Bruce. I’m just as in the dark about this as you are. I’ll figure it out,” he said. “With Mel’s help of course.” Eli sat down at the table. “Normally, I would meet with you privately, but it is clear that Bruce is impatient about the situation. Are you okay if he’s here during our chat?”
“Sure,” Mel said. “Though, I’m not sure how much help I can be.”
Eli tilted his head as he studied her. “How is your hearing?” he said. “I noticed you’re watching our mouths when we talk.”
“I can’t really hear anything out of my right ear,” she admitted. “And right now, I have a ringing in both ears. Before the attack this morning, the ringing was only in my right ear and it wasn’t severe.”
“That makes sense. You’ve been exposed to a lot of loud noises in a short amount of time,” he said. “We should take you to the infirmary. It’s probably a ruptured eardrum, but we need to make sure you don’t require surgery or any further medical help.”
“I’ll take her after y’all are done here,” Viola said.
“Good,” Eli said. He smiled at Mel. “So, do you have any family members who are into witchcraft?”
Mel looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. “Witchcraft? The closest my family had come to dabbling was when my sister had a card reading done at a carnival. My mom had a fit over it. Why do you ask?” she said.
Eli was surprised.
“Because you’re a witch.”
Chapter 5
You’re a witch.
Eli’s statement rung through Mel’s soul.
Mel realized Eli was asking a question and tried to focus on what he was saying.
“Where did you learn your technique from?” he said.
Mel was in a stupor. She wasn’t sure how to respond. “What technique? I don’t have a technique,” she said. “And I’m not a witch per se. Weird stuff just happens to me, that’s all. I don’t do spells or potions or card readings or ceremonies or anything else that could relate to witches.”
Eli was confused. “Then what do you do?” he asked. “And how do you do it?”
“I used to rarely get visions, but they seem to be happening more. I can feel peoples’ energies, sense their intentions, and know who they are as a person if that’s what you mean. Sometimes I know pieces of what they are thinking. Sometimes I get random bits of information about a person in my head,” Mel said. “It can be from the past, present, or future.”
“Like what?” Eli asked. “What information?”
Dana walked into the kitchen. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?” she asked innocently. They all knew Dana wanted to investigate what was going on.
Eli was glad Dana was here. He felt Dana was the perfect person to understand Mel’s gifts. “You’ve been around Dana quite a bit. Have you learned anything about her?” he asked.
Dana looked from Eli to Mel. “Learned what?” she asked. “Are you talking about predicting the future? That’s so cool. Tell me my future, Mel.” She hopped in a seat, bouncing with excitement.
“I only received information about Dana regarding one subject I’m not comfortable discussing without Dana’s permission after I disclose the details to her privately,” Mel said. She didn’t feel comfortable with telling Dana’s future. She knew her pregnancy was a sensitive topic.
Viola wrapped an arm around Mel’s waist. “Please, tell them, Mel. I’m sure it’s something Dana will want to hear,” she said.
“Perhaps, but it’s not any of your business. And it’s not for me to decide if she is comfortable with all of you knowing,” Mel said.
“Just tell them,” Viola said.
“Not until I tell Dana alone first,” Mel insisted. “I already acted unethically once with my gifts and I don’t want to do it again.”
Viola was at first upset Mel wasn’t listening to her, and then she got mad.
Dana smiled. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness. And, you’re right, we just had that conversation. It would be wrong on our part to encourage you to compromise your integrity. Let’s go in the other room so you can tell me,” she said as she hopped up.
Mel followed Dana into the living room. It happened to be empty.
Dana put her hands on her hips. “All right, out with it,” she said.
“You’re pregnant with a healthy baby boy. It happened last night. I know you won’t believe me until you sense your pregnancy. I know you’ll worry your entire pregnancy because of your history of miscarriages. And I know you won’t be at ease until after you give birth and are holding him in your arms,” Mel said quietly.
Dana’s eyes widened and she stopped breathing. “I’ll carry to term? Are you sure?” she asked.
“Positive,” Mel said.
Dana grabbed Mel’s hand and dragged her into the kitchen. Dana looked at Eli. “Is what Mel said true?” she asked.
Eli shrugged. He pulled out his deck and shuffled. “I don’t know what she said, but let’s find out.” He threw a couple of cards. He was amazed by what they predicted. “Well, I’ll be,” he said with a grin. “A healthy baby.”
Dana looked down at her belly and lightly touched it. Her eyes watered. “Excuse me,” she said. “I need to go tell Lee.” She ran out of the kitchen.
“How did you know that?” Bruce asked Mel. “She doesn’t smell pregnant yet.”
“I don’t know,” Mel said. “I knew about it roughly when I first met her that she would end up pregnant. At the time, I didn’t know when she would. I only knew that it would happen. Now, I know it occurred last night. It’s all random and I can’t control it. Sometimes, the information I get doesn’t come true because the person changes their course, which changes the outcome. I believe we all have energies that surround us that are an extension of our physical self. In those energies are our entire lives at that moment and the possibilities if we continue the way we are going. Somehow, I’m able to tap into the energies. I think it’s how psychics are able to read people.”
“And the cards?” Eli asked, curious.
“The cards are a conduit. They are a way for a person to ‘turn on’ their gifts,” Mel said. “It’s not the cards or stones or whatever they use to do the reading. It’s just a way to try to create a physical presence in a metaphysical realm. To make it more . . . solid or real for people involved.”
“That’s an interesting perspective,” Eli said.
“What else are you able to do?” Bruce asked.
“Now, I’m not so sure,” Mel said. “Recently, I’ve been able to see pictures of a person’s thoughts. The guy who fought Viola the other day craves being in power at whatever cost. I saw him conspiring with a group of people-”
“Wait,” Bruce interrupted. “You mean Chris?” He turned to Viola. “Didn’t you say Mason and Alura were concerned about that?”
“Yes,” Viola said.
“Alura? Chris mentioned her by name,” Mel said.
“What else have you seen?” Bruce asked.
“When Bill was angry with Daren, I saw his desire to kill Daren,” Mel said. She hesitated. “When the explosion happened, a big chunk of house nearly landed on me, but I was able to move it with my energy before it landed on me. This morning I somehow left my body and ended up outside hearing a group of people gossiping about me. And today, somehow, I was able to cause a bullet to explode when Bill shot it at Viola. I’ve never done these things before, so I’m not sure what else I can do.”
Eli analyzed Mel. “It seems that your powers have changed because of your bond with Viola. Bonding with Viola has forced you to be more in touch with your true self. This increased the strength of your gifts,” he said.
“That makes sense,” Mel said.
“And you are a witch. You’re the first witch I’ve met that doesn’t perform spells, but you do have a technique,” Eli said. “You will things to occur with your mind. You have to be careful because you can’t lose control of your thoughts. It can have detrimental effects on you and those around you. Remember that, okay?”
“Okay,” Mel said. She blushed. “I’ve already experienced that a little.” She told them about the woman she pushed.
Mel decided to wait until she was alone with Eli to discuss what happened with Daren. While Eli was excited and fascinated by Mel’s gifts, Bruce and Viola were not. Every time Mel mentioned another ability, she felt Viola energetically pull away. Mel knew Viola had hoped her mate would have been a werewolf and not a human, especially a witch. The knowledge hurt, but Mel knew she couldn’t do anything about it.
Eli was surprised. “You were able to push her with your thoughts? Fascinating. I wasn’t sure if your gifts were limited to inanimate objects. You have to be extremely cautious.”
“I’m realizing that,” Mel said. “How did I bond with Viola when I’m human?”
Eli didn’t know. “How did Papa bond with Nana?” he retorted. “My guess is there is werewolf blood in your family. Most likely distant since you’ve never changed.”
Mel glanced at Bruce. “What happens now?” she asked Bruce. “Am I deemed trustworthy?”
Bruce hesitated. He wanted to believe Mel was an honest person. He felt more comfortable since she was bonded to Viola. “For now, yes,” Bruce said. “Don’t make me regret it. We’ll have a barbeque Friday night. You’ll be able to be officially welcomed into the pack then. It’ll give you extra time to adjust to being here and getting mor
e in tune with your gifts. I suggest you and Eli meet for a couple of hours every day to work on your gifts and to make sure you are able to control them.
“Everyone in our pack has a purpose. We all have our strengths and we play into those strengths to make us better as individuals and as a whole. For now, you can join Viola at her job if you’d like in between working with Eli until we figure out what’s your true passion. Or at least a job you would mostly enjoy doing.”
Mel was surprised. “You encourage people to pick professions they love?” she asked.
“Of course,” Bruce said. “If you’re doing what you love or at least a job you feel good doing, you are going to be happier. You’ll be doing more work and better quality work than you would otherwise. We’ll get more into that sort of stuff later. From my understanding, you’re technically on vacation. We don’t want to interfere too much with that.”
“And?” Viola said. She waited with baited breath.
Bruce smiled and hugged her. “You have my blessing to continue your relationship with Mel,” he said to Viola. “I am very happy for the two of you.”
“Thank you,” Viola and Mel said.
“I better get going,” Bruce said. “The hunter should be awake by now and I need to perform a thorough interrogation. We need to know if there are any other hunters with him that are in hiding or if the hunter has anyone who’ll notice his sudden disappearance.” Bruce turned to Eli. “If you could do a reading on this situation too, it would be helpful. We need to know how honest this hunter is.”
“Of course,” Eli said. “The hunter may not be too responsive. The doctors gave him powerful sedatives. They didn’t want the hunter to wake up when they were cauterizing his wound.”
“Have you already seen Samuel?” Bruce asked.
“Yes, he recovered quickly. The people at the infirmary did a great job, as always,” Eli said. “I tried to find Jesse to tell her about her father, but I couldn’t find her anywhere.”
Viola tensed up at the mere mention of the name “Jesse”.