by Leia Stone
“Okay,” she said and stuck the money in her pocket.
I hugged her tight. “Love you.”
“You too, sweetie. I’m glad you’re happy. I like him. He looks at you as if you were the only woman in the world.”
I was shocked at her appraisal of him. She never liked guys I dated; no one was good enough. I looked nervously at my shoes. “Good, because I think this one will be around for a long time,” I admitted.
I waited until she got to the end of the driveway and then went in search of Sylvia.
Memories
Sylvia, Kai, and I were gathered around the desk in his office.
“What do you mean my mother has a memory blocking spell on her?” I shouted. I felt like shifting. My wolf was close to the surface and I knew my eyes were yellow.
Sylvia patiently continued. “That’s not all. I am the one that put it there. I don’t remember it but when I touched her hand, I could smell the spell. It was my work. I’m at a loss. I don’t understand how I could memory spell someone and not remember it myself!”
Kai looked pissed. But before he or I could say anything Sylvia put her hand to her lips. “Oh God.”
“What?” I stumbled forward.
Sylvia tucked her hair nervously behind her ear. “I have a very good memory. I’m not that old. The only way I wouldn’t remember a spell or a client, is if I also did a memory erasing spell on myself. I would only do that, if the knowledge I was hiding was life or death.”
I felt my breath leave me. “So is my mom in danger?”
Sylvia shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I obviously can’t remember.”
I stepped forward. “Undo it. Make yourself remember. If my mom is in danger then I have to protect her!” I wanted to shift so bad. I could feel sister wolf and her growing impatience.
“Aurora, calm down. Your wolf is too close to the surface.” Kai put a light hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath.
Sylvia cocked her head to the side as she looked at me.
“It might not be your mother who is in danger. I could have hidden the memory to keep myself safe, or you. Do you really want to know what was hidden?” She asked me, chewing her lip.
I thought about it. Yes, I did want to know. I needed to know.
“Yes.”
Sylvia sighed and looked at Kai. “I will need powerful blood for the spell.”
He looked at me and held out his wrist to her. She pulled her bag onto his desk and lay out a white silk cloth. Then she removed a small ornate golden dagger with a matching bowl. She placed a large clear crystal on the cloth and another purple crystal next to it.
“Kai, do I have your permission to do the spell here in your home?”
He looked at me. “I hate magic.” He then looked to Sylvia. “Yes, you have my permission.”
I cringed. Kai was doing this for me. I was subtly picking up on clues that werewolves, witches and vampires kept to themselves.
She nodded and took the dagger to Kai’s wrist and dropped a few drops of blood into her bowl.
“I call on my ancestors and spirit guardians who come in the white light. I provide the powerful blood of an Alpha as an offering. Help me to find what was once lost. Open my mind to the memories no matter the cost.”
I could see a white mist coming down from the ceiling and into Sylvia’s head. I gasped and she looked at me with silver-coated irises. Her expression became blank. The mist intensified and I stumbled back to avoid it. Kai looked at me oddly as if he weren’t seeing the mist. Sylvia looked horrified and then she smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek. I watched her face play out a dozen expressions as if she were watching a movie. The mist retreated and Sylvia’s eyes returned to their normal color.
“What happened? The mist…” I stuttered.
“You saw the mist?” Sylvia looked shocked. Then she reached out her hand. “Aurora, I think you have the gift of a powerful seer witch. I think I can show you everything I just saw. Take my hand.”
I reached for her outstretched hand but Kai stepped in front of me. “I don’t trust witch magic.”
I looked at Kai and chewed my lip. “I need to see.”
Then I grabbed her hand. I was pulled into a vision and it felt much like the visions I had when I saw a pair of mates.
A younger woman with long blonde hair sat on a bed of green grass stroking a large muscular man’s arm. He looked at her and smiled before taking her in for a passionate kiss. “Genevieve,” he whispered. Then the scene changed and it showed the man who was with Genevieve turning into a werewolf and running with a pack. It flashed to Genevieve standing over a spell book and her eyes glazing over white. She was a witch. Then Genevieve was at home and holding her swollen belly. She was pregnant. The man stroked her belly. “How can it be? You’re a witch and I’m a werewolf. How can you be pregnant with our child?”
Genevieve had been crying; tears streaked her face. “You don’t believe me? I haven’t been with anyone else, Vincent!” she screamed.
“I want to believe you! But it’s not possible. Werewolves can take witches and humans for lovers but not as mates. We can only have children with our mate!”
Genevieve stood boldly. “Maybe I am your mate! I just happen to be a witch, but I am your soul mate, Vincent Briar! I’m carrying your child and when the baby is born you will see. If only werewolf mates can produce a child, then how am I pregnant with yours?”
She ran from the house crying.
The next scene showed Genevieve having just given birth to twins, holding a small baby girl and a boy. The babies were wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. Vincent was there, he held them and stroked Genevieve’s hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. They are mine. I can see it. They smell like me, too.”
She gazed at Vincent and smiled. “I want to name her Ruby, after my grandmother, and I want to name him Cole, after your father.”
“I love you, I love them,” Vincent said as the scene faded.
The next scene showed Ruby growing up at varying ages, five and then twelve, and then when she met her mate. It seemed that when she shifted with her mate for the first time is when her Matefinder abilities manifested. Then it showed her wedding day. It showed her changing from wolf to human but also casting spells with Genevieve, her mother. She was some sort of Hybrid. It showed Genevieve arguing with a vampire and being killed. Vincent tried to defend her honor and was torn apart by the vampire coven.
Ruby explored her new abilities finding mated pairs but was sad not to have her mother’s guidance. Then it showed her pregnant and also having twins. She held the babies wrapped in her arms while her mate caressed her face; tears shown on her cheeks. “I want to name her Aurora, and his name will be Drake, after you.”
Her husband looked at her “Are you sure it has to be this way? I’m an Alpha, I can protect them. I will keep them safe.”
Ruby’s eyes glowed yellow. “I’ve seen her future and mine. We must have them turned human before the first full moon. Then they will go live with Beth. She is my best friend and she is human. We will have a high priestess wipe Beth’s memory. She and her husband have been trying to conceive. They will think the babies are their natural children. The priestess will fix her own memory so that no one ever finds out. I’ve seen it and it’s the only way to keep them safe.” Ruby cried openly as her husband held her.
The next scene showed Sylvia performing a ceremony on the twin babies. Sylvia looked at Ruby. “You know the price of turning wolf pups into humans?”
Ruby nodded boldly. “The children’s mother must take her life before the first full moon after their birth.” Ruby’s mate wasn’t present.
Then they were brought to Beth and her husband’s house and a spell was cast to wipe their memory of the fact that the twins were not theirs.
Ruby was captured by a werewolf pack and a dark warlock on the way back from the ceremony. They did horrible things to her. Tortured her, starved her, and forced her with magic to tell them who their
mates were. The wolves started changing innocent children. Ruby’s mate and his pack showed up to free her and her mate’s head was torn off. He died protecting her. When her pack freed her of the magic chains binding her, she ran outside and looked at the moon. Not yet full. The pack that had taken her was still fighting. She walked over to the Alpha of the pack that captured her and sealed her death. “I challenge you as Alpha of Wide Rim pack.”
I knew what was next. I didn’t want to see her beheaded. I ripped my hand away from Sylvia, crying, and broke away from the vision. Kai caught me as I fell back. Sylvia ran over to me and held me for a long time. Kai seemed to understand I was okay and that Sylvia and I shared something intimate. It was a long time before I could speak.
“Ruby, she was my mother,” I croaked out.
Sylvia nodded and stroked my hair. “Genevieve was my best friend. I would do anything for her and Ruby. That explains why I would wipe my memory. Now I remember it all. We were trying to protect you and Drake. Your mother, Ruby, she was a powerful seer. She could see the future. She showed me the future she saw for you and Drake. You wouldn’t make it to your fifth birthday without being captured and drained for your blood if she hadn’t done what she’d done.”
I breathed out shakily. “She sacrificed herself. My mom, Beth. She was her best friend?”
Sylvia nodded. “Beth and Ruby met in high school and then went off to college together. Became instant friends; they were inseparable.” Sylvia was touching her temple and stared off, lost in her thoughts.
“So Ruby was a powerful future seer, but she couldn’t see that if she stuck me with Beth and Tom for parents, that I would be beaten. That my mother would be abused and called fat and lazy by my no good father?” I stood up, angry.
Sylvia’s face softened. “There is a heavy price to pay for changing the future. Maybe she thought that fate was better than being captured, tortured, and killed at five years old before you could even learn to protect yourself.”
“Drake drowned! My childhood was taken from me! I should get to choose my fate. It’s my life.” I turned to Kai. “I’m going for a run. Don’t follow me.” I felt magic infuse my words as a command. Kai looked hurt. I fled the house. I burst out of the front door crying, and collided with Emma.
“Oh, Aurora, I’m sorry.” She laughed and then saw my face. “What’s wrong?”
I stripped down in front of her and changed into my wolf. Without asking, she stripped down too and followed me. I could hear her bones slowly cracking as her change took longer. If Kai had followed me I would have been mad, but something about Emma’s energy soothed me. I didn’t mind. She stayed a good distance behind me as I ran. I didn’t go my fastest, but I was running hard. I could hear Emma panting behind me. She didn’t try to talk to me through the pack bonds and I loved her for it. She seemed to know I needed space, but didn’t want me to be alone.
I ran and thought of my mother, Beth, and all we had been through. Did she just love me and treat me like a daughter because Sylvia messed with her memories? No, I couldn’t believe that. I thought of the sacrifice Ruby made and I got angry. Part of me was grateful Drake and I were placed with my mother because otherwise I wouldn’t know her. Another part of me wondered if Ruby’s seer abilities were that good. What if the future changed and she did all of that and there had been another way. I never bonded with my father Tom. It’s like a piece of me knew he wasn’t my real father. When Drake died and my father blamed me, he began drinking. That’s when the abuse started.
If Ruby hadn’t put Drake and me with my mother, then my father never would have started drinking and abusing us. I could have saved my mother from all of her heartache. I stopped at the top of the mountain and howled long and deep. Then I curled up next to a large pine tree. A moment later Emma trotted over to me. She nuzzled me with her nose and curled up next to me.
‘Are you okay?’ Kai sent to me.
‘I’m with Emma,’ I replied not sure if I was okay or if I would ever be okay. If this Matefinder gene was passed down to future generations then I didn’t want children. I didn’t want to curse them to a life of being hunted. If I didn’t want kids, then Kai might not want me. Emma’s soft and submissive presence put me at ease. We lay there a long time, curled up together.
After a while, I stood up and shook off the dried leaves stuck to my fur.
‘Ready to head back?’ Emma asked me. It was the first thing she had said to me since she followed me on my run.
‘Yes,’ I told her. ‘Thank you,’ I added. She gave me a nod and we slowly trotted back to Kai’s house.
It was late and everyone looked asleep. Emma and I shifted and got dressed. She gave me a quick hug and my vision changed. I was looking at a movie screen in my mind. Emma’s belly was swollen with pregnancy and I was walking down an aisle littered with red rose petals. I looked at my feet. They were barefoot with Henna designs and adorned with a silver anklet on each foot. I was wearing a red and gold silk Sari. I looked up knowing what I would see. That I would see Kai at the end of an aisle but then the picture dissolved. Emma was shaking me. My head was on her lap and she was stroking my hair.
“Aurora, come back to me,” she whispered. “What is it? Have you found another mate? So soon.”
I shook my head. “I think I just saw the future; my future, our future.” I turned to Emma.
“My wedding.”
“Your wedding!” She screamed, then smiled.
“Yeah… Don’t tell Kai. I saw you pregnant again so it must be soon,” I told her. She motioned to zip her lips, but smiled.
I hugged Emma and she headed home. I thought I would sneak in the house and just glide into bed without having to talk to Kai about my running off after the drama with Sylvia. I was halfway through the living room when Kai stood up from the couch and scared me.
I jumped back. “Jesus!”
“Nope, just me,” he said putting his hands up.
“Very funny,” I muttered.
He crossed the room quickly and wrapped me in his arms. “I held Sylvia hostage until she told me everything. I’m so sorry, Aurora. For the first time in my life I feel powerless. I wish I could take the pain away for you.”
My throat tightened. Kai was a good man. Despite his huge and dominating appearance, he was so soft inside, so lovable. If we were going to have any future together he deserved the truth. “If I didn’t want children would you still want to be my mate?”
His eyebrows pinched before he smiled slightly. “First of all, I am your mate whether you want kids or eat meat or like the same music as I do. We ARE mates. There is no changing that. Secondly, I have always wanted children. I want to be a father, but if you don’t want children then what can I do? I want you and I won’t force you.” He pulled me back and looked into my eyes. In that moment I blurted out the stupidest thing. I didn’t even think.
“I love you,” I admitted then slapped my hand over my mouth. Wasn’t the guy supposed to say that first? I had never said I love you before. I’d had boyfriends, but I never let them get close enough for love. Being in love meant you could get hurt.
A huge grin broke out onto his face.
“God, I’ve been waiting to hear that from you my whole life.” He scooped me up and started walking me to the bedroom, kissing my neck. I smiled. Okay, maybe saying I love you wasn’t that bad.
Diwali
I was being nudged awake. I opened my eyes groggily to see Kai. He was freshly showered and was wearing a red silk Indian t-shirt with a smudge of ash on his forehead. I looked at him confused.
“What’s up?” I asked groggily.
Kai looked nervous. “Well, remember how I told you that I told my parents about you? My mom and sister have been bugging me to talk to you and today is Diwali. It’s a special holiday in India. We always video chat on Diwali so…”
I knew what Diwali was from my six months in India. I sat up so fast I almost smacked his head. “How long do I have to get ready?”
; He grinned. “Twenty minutes.”
I leapt off the bed and flew into the shower. After quickly applying light make-up and blow drying my long blonde hair, I went into my room. It was stacked full of the moving boxes my mom had brought. Where was my box of stuff I brought back from India? I tore open the tops of the boxes. Books, no. My boxing gloves, no. Regular clothes, no. A knock at the door.
“Aurora? It’s time to call them,” Kai told me.
“Be right there!” I screamed as I tore open another box. The sight of my red silk Indian top and bangles made me smile. I threw the top on over skinny jeans and put a stack of red and gold bangles on each wrist. The top was adorned with gold thread and was a gift from the host family I had stayed with. I threw open the door and took in Kai’s shocked expression.
“Too much? Trying too hard to impress them? I’ll go change.” I went to turn around and he caught my elbow.
“Don’t you dare! You look amazing.” He spun me around and kissed me deeply.
We sat in front of Kai’s computer and I nervously played with my bangles. The video chat icon started ringing and I swallowed hard. Kai smiled at me and clicked the green accept button.
The screen came alive with an image of a beautiful woman, Kai’s mother, and a younger version of her sitting beside her. They both wore Indian clothing and jeweled bindis on their foreheads.
His mother scanned my outfit and smiled warmly. “Hello, Aurora, I’m Maya. It’s so nice to meet you. We have heard so much about you,” his mother said. His sister who looked to be in her early twenties waved. “Hi, I’m Diya.”
“Hello,” I croaked nervously. What had he told them about me?
“Namaste Ma, Happy Diwali.” Kai put his hands together in prayer and nodded.
“Happy Diwali Bete,” she replied.