by C Zinnia
“Okay,” Mel said. She closed her eyes and imagined a white light surrounding her body. Dear God, please protect me and don’t allow anyone or anything to pass through my barriers that would be harmful to me. Thank you. Amen, she prayed.
“Wow,” Eli said. “You have a lot of power even in a weakened state.”
Mel opened her eyes. “How do you know?” she asked.
“I can feel your barrier from here. It’s coming off as a strong heat,” Eli said. “Now, try to go somewhere.”
“Where?” Mel asked.
“Find Viola,” Eli said. “It’ll be the easiest way for you to use your gifts.”
Mel closed her eyes. “How do I do it?” she asked.
“Focus on Viola’s energy and find her. Don’t worry about distance. Only focus on Viola,” Eli said.
Mel remembered Viola’s loving and strong energy. She felt it.
Mel was at the gym. Viola was training a group of geriatrics, but not the ones Mel had met. There were a pile of clothes and goodies at the front desk.
Mel saw Viola smile and encourage her clients during their routine.
Mel felt someone staring at her. She turned to find a woman on the elliptical. She was watching Mel in the reflection. Mel could feel her power. She was slightly shorter than Mel. She had warm light brown skin and her thick dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail.
Mel floated over to the woman. The woman’s gaze followed her.
“Your ability to astral project is impressive,” the woman said softly so no one else could hear.
“Thank you. I’m still in the learning stages of all of this,” she said. “Can you astral project?”
“Yes,” she said. “You are here to see Viola?”
Mel was embarrassed she got caught spying on Viola. “Yes. She and I are dating,” she said.
The woman was surprised, but she merely nodded. “Well, I’m Juhi. It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
“I’m Mel. It’s nice to meet you too,” she said.
“If you don’t want to be seen by people who have sight, you’ll have to concentrate on not being so visible,” Juhi advised.
“Thanks,” Mel said.
“One more time,” Viola said cheerfully.
Mel turned and watched Viola. She smiled, even though Viola didn’t notice her. She’s amazing, Mel thought.
“Come back,” a voice said.
Mel realized it was Eli. How? she asked silently.
“Picture your body and know how it feels,” Eli said. “Go to your body.”
Mel imagined where she had left her body beside Eli. She saw herself sitting in the chair and sunk back into her body.
Mel opened her eyes. Her sense of reality had shifted and it took a moment to settle.
“How did it go?” Eli asked.
“Really well,” Mel answered. “It was easier than I thought it would be.” Mel opted not to mention Juhi. She felt like it wasn’t the time to talk about her.
“It helps when it involves someone you’ve bonded with,” Eli said. “We’ll stop for now. Your eyes are glassy from fatigue and I don’t want to push you to do more. This afternoon is going to be intense and I want you to be fully recovered from it.”
“Okay,” Mel said. “Thank you for everything, Eli.”
“You’re welcome,” Eli said. “And thanks for helping me out. Whatever you removed has made a difference, though I can describe exactly what I feel at the moment.”
“Can I borrow your phone to call my grandma?” Mel asked.
Eli was surprised. “Viola hasn’t let you borrow her phone yet?” he asked.
“I-I haven’t had a chance to ask her yet,” Mel lied. She was surprised that she lied, but she was too uncomfortable with correcting herself. That’s a bad sign, part of her thought definitively.
Stop overthinking it, she told herself.
Eli gave her a look she couldn’t decipher. He pulled out his phone and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” Mel said.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” Eli said. “I’ll be in the living room.”
Mel immediately called Betty.
“Hello?” Betty answered.
“Hi Grandma,” Mel said.
“Oh, Mel! I’m so glad to hear from you,” Betty said. The warmth and love in her voice rolled through the phone and covered Mel. “Your mom told me everything that happened. I wanted to call you, but I didn’t want to bother you and, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure what number to call.”
Mel smiled. “I’m glad to hear from you too,” she said. “My guitar is gone. I’m so sorry, Grandma.” Her throat tightened.
“Honey, things can be replaced! You, however, can’t,” Betty said. “It’s not like you burned down the house or anything. We can always get you a new guitar, right?”
“Right,” Mel said.
“Now, your mom told me you met someone,” she said. “What all can you tell me about her?”
“Her name is Viola and I feel butterflies and nervous and excited all at the same time,” Mel said. “Did you feel that way about Grandpa?”
Betty hesitated. “I felt comfortable with your grandpa from the moment I saw him. There were some butterflies, but mostly a sense of calmness and safety . . . and warmth. What I found was the ones I felt a lot of butterflies and anxious and overwhelmed with led to heartbreak. But, what do I know?” she chortled. “I’m sure Viola is a lovely woman. When do I get to meet her?”
“I’m not sure,” Mel said. “I know I need to come back to Arlington in a few weeks because I’m already scheduled to work, but I don’t know if she’ll come with me.” She nibbled on her lip. “Grandma, I feel like I should move here. I know Mom doesn’t want me to, but how am I supposed to really give this relationship a chance if I don’t go a hundred percent in?”
Betty was quiet for a moment. “Well, Mel, you have to do what makes you happy. If you’ll be back here in a few weeks, then focus on enjoying your time down there. You don’t have to make up your mind today. And if you decide to move down there, just remember you always have a home here you can come back to, okay?” she said.
“Okay, Grandma,” Mel said. “Thank you.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re doing. Thank you for calling. I love you,” Betty said.
“I love you too, Grandma,” Mel said. “Bye.
“Bu-bye,” she said.
Mel walked into the living room and gave the phone to Eli.
“Did you have a nice talk with your Grandma?” Eli asked.
“Yes,” Mel said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Take care, Mel,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, see you later,” she said.
After Eli left, Mel went upstairs and grabbed her guitar. She sat down at the desk. She looked at the music she wrote last night.
Mel played the song again. She hummed the melody as she played. She fiddled with different ranges in octaves. She wrote down as much as she could. She was three-fourths done with the melody.
Mel had never written music so quickly before. It was a fantastic change for her. By opening up to her sexuality and loving Viola, she had opened up her creativity and it was pouring out without hesitation.
Mel tinkered with cords randomly. She enjoyed how the notes sounded in Viola’s room.
Viola, Mel thought. My fierce lady wolf.
The cords blossomed into another beautiful song.
Mel hastily wrote it down before she forgot. She was stunned. Two songs in two days.
“This is great,” Mel said. “All I need to do next is find the right words.” She glanced down at her guitar. “This proves that Viola and I really are meant to be.”
Chapter 17
Mel realized she was hungry. She went downstairs and found the kitchen was empty. She felt awkward about what to do next. Should I make myself food? What if I eat something that’s only for a specific person? What if they get mad? Her intestines rumble
d, but her concern overrode her hunger. She was about to go back upstairs when Silvia came in.
“Oh, hi Mel,” Silvia said nonchalantly. “I’m feeling snackish. How about you?”
Mel laughed. “Could you hear my stomach growling from your office?” she asked.
Silvia laughed. “No, but I heard you come downstairs. I know if I was in an unfamiliar house, I’d feel weird about raiding the fridge,” she said.
Mel was relieved. “That’s exactly how I feel,” she said.
“What is going on here?” Papa exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen.
“We’re about to make some lunch,” Silvia said.
“No, no, no,” Papa said. “You’ll make a sandwich and chips or something like that. No, I’ll make you real food.”
“Can I help?” Mel offered.
“You can visit with us while I cook,” Papa said. “Any food allergies? Are you okay with spice?”
“No allergies and I like spicy,” Mel said.
“Tone down the spice, Pa” Silvia said. “Mel hasn’t had Thai spicy.”
“Okay,” he said as he rummaged through the pantry and refrigerator. He quickly chopped up vegetables.
“Pa has always enjoyed cooking and especially likes to cook for family,” Silvia said. “Which is good since Mom can’t cook much. I heard you and Eli got Daren squared away.”
“Eli did the work. I just tested it out,” Mel said. “Daren was kind enough to forgive me.”
“None of us are perfect, Mel,” Silvia said. “We’ve all had times in our life where we didn’t act our best. Even as you get older, you may not mess up in the same ways, but you’ll still have times you put your foot in your mouth or act selfishly. Daren’s had his mess ups just like the rest of us. He understands. You may want to look into how open you are to forgiving yourself and others. That can make a difference when it comes to compassion and acceptance of faults.”
“I’m not very good at forgiving,” Mel admitted. “And my family and I are known for holding grudges.”
Silvia nodded. “I’ve been there. The more you work on it, the easier it makes life,” she said. “I heard you playing earlier. It sounded pretty. I’m unfamiliar with the song.”
Mel blushed. “That’s because I just wrote it,” she said.
“Oh fantastic,” she said as she clasped her hands. “Would you like to perform at the BBQ on Friday?”
Mel’s heart raced at the thought. “No, it’s not ready yet,” she said rapidly.
“I think Mel may have a case of stage fright,” Papa observed.
“A little,” Mel said.
“That’s okay. There are lots of performers who get stage fright. You can overcome it bit by bit when you’re ready,” Silvia said.
“Do you play any instruments?” Mel asked.
“No, I like dancing,” she said. “I learned my moves from Pa and Mom.”
“It’s one of the ways I wooed your mom,” Papa said. He hummed as he danced at the stove.
Mel was impressed by his moves. “You almost seem to float on your feet,” she said.
Papa laughed. “Even an old man like me can be graceful,” he said.
“Does Nana dance too?” Mel asked.
“She was a professional dancer for a couple of years,” Silvia answered. “It’s how she and Pa met. He saw her dance at one of the theaters she was at in Baltimore. He waited outside to talk to her and they just ‘clicked.’”
“For our first date, I took her to my apartment and we had a dance off,” Papa said.
“Really?” Mel asked. “Who won?”
Papa grinned. “We both did,” he said.
“And finding out she was a werewolf didn’t change anything?” she asked.
“It helped things make sense,” he said. “During our five years of dating, I could feel a part of her holding back. I didn’t know what it was and I first was hurt and angry. I didn’t understand why she held back when I showed her she could trust me. When I told my friend about it, she said I had a decision. I had to either love Nana and continue to create a safe space for her so she could confide in me if she was ever ready or I needed to let her go. She said I needed to get my head out of my ass because I was taking Nana’s stuff personally.” He chuckled. “She was right and I’m grateful I listened to her.”
“Why five years?” she asked.
“Part of it is to see if the relationship will last through the honeymoon phase. I started meeting Nana’s family about a year into dating. The first people I met were her parents, siblings, and their Alpha. Though, in front of me, they called him ‘uncle.’” Papa laughed. “They did background checks on me and I went to supervised family gatherings. I didn’t suspect much because I assumed they were wary of me because I’m Thai. Some of them didn’t like me dating Nana because I’m Thai. Everyone else was cautious because I’m human. But after the Alpha officially approved of me, they were great.”
Papa placed a plate in front of Silvia and one in front of Mel. It smelled delicious. It was chicken, vegetables, and glass noodles with a spicy sweet sauce.
“This smells wonderful. Thank you so much,” Mel said. She tried the dish and nearly coughed from the spice. She looked at Silvia. “Good call with toning down the spiciness. This is perfect.”
Silvia winked at Mel.
Bruce walked into the kitchen. “I could smell Papa’s fantastic cooking from the office,” he said. He kissed the top of Silvia’s head. “Can I have a bite?”
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” she teased.
Papa handed Bruce a bowl of food. “I know my son-in-law enough to know he’s always hungry when I cook,” he said.
Bruce hugged Papa. “Thanks Papa. You’re the best,” he said, grinning like a child. He plopped down beside Silvia and happily ate.
Papa sat down too and ate. “Did your conversation with Mason go okay?” he asked.
“It just confirmed everything everyone is saying,” Bruce said. “He’s too sick to handle backlash from recommending Alura as Alpha, but is worried about what Chris will do.” He sighed. “It’s a real mess.”
Silvia rubbed Bruce’s arm. “We just have to make the best of it,” she said.
“There’s no one else Mason could recommend?” Mel asked. “Someone who likes Alura, but also is cordial with the ones who like Chris? There have to be more options than Alura and Chris.”
“Alura’s the best for the job,” Bruce said firmly.
“I understand what you’re saying, but sometimes you have to settle for second or third best in order to appease everyone,” Mel said. “Right?”
“That is brilliant advice, Mel,” Silvia said as she glanced at Bruce. “Right, honey?”
Bruce sighed. “Silvia’s been point out that option. I just haven’t been listening,” he said. “It seems wrong to support anyone else for the position.”
“Have you talked to Alura about it?” Mel asked.
Bruce blinked. “No, I haven’t,” he said. He was embarrassed. “I guess I should. Here I am making decisions without even asking Alura her thoughts.” He sighed as he rubbed his temples.
“Life is a constant learning process,” Papa said.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Bruce agreed. He turned to Silvia. “Would you like for us to call Alura now?”
“Absolutely,” Silvia said. She slowly stood. “Thanks, Pa.” She gave him a large hug. “The baby enjoyed your food too.”
“Good, good,” Papa said happily as he touched her belly. “You need all of the good nutrients you can get to help build a strong child.”
Bruce and Silvia left.
Mel washed dishes while Papa dried them and put them away. “Thank you for lunch, Papa. It was so good,” she said.
“You’re welcome. Why don’t you bring your guitar down and play in here? I need to can some food and could use the company,” he said.
“Okay,” she said.
Mel grabbed her guitar and went back to the kitchen. She absently played
as Papa worked. He canned different vegetables. Each had their own seasonings and some had none. Mel enjoyed watching him. She had never canned before and it was fascinated to watch.
“The dill and garlic smell wonderful,” Mel said.
“When we first came to this pack, Dana’s mother taught me how to make dilly beans. I’ve made them ever since,” he said.
“Where did all of these vegetables come from?” she asked.
“Our garden outside,” Papa said. “This is the time of year when we’re constantly canning and freezing food for the winter. That door over there is the pantry. Why don’t you go look inside?”
Mel opened the door and was stunned by the amount of canned goods. There were two shelves lined from top to bottom with mason jars. There were jars of vegetables, meats, and jams.
“Wow,” Mel said. She sat back down and picked up her guitar again. “You all have a lot of food.” She watched Papa open and close his hands as he winced. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, just a bit of arthritis,” he said. “Nothing a good warm cup of tea and some of Eli’s salve can’t help with.”
As Mel played, she noticed she could see the gunk in Papa’s hands and even in his forearms. How do we clear it out? she wondered. Her fingers changed the rhythm she had been playing. The notes played sounded different from normal. They took on a louder, resonating sound. She could feel and see the notes swirling from her guitar and wrap around Papa’s hands.
Don’t think, just play, Mel thought. She continued to play as she watched the notes seem to clear the gunk out of his hands and forearms. The gunk disappeared, turning into golden mist as it floated away. What is it doing? How is it possible? This is crazy. Her mind went one thousand miles per second, interrupting the flow. Her fingers lost the song.
Mel knew she didn’t clear all of the gunk out. She swore under her breath. “I’m sorry, Papa. I got too much in my head and ruined the moment,” she said. She realized that she was more tired than before and had a feeling it had to do with helping Papa. Maybe Eli was right. Maybe I’m not ready to do this type of work, she thought.