Ch. 57: Everly

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Nick ~
He was all revved up, and although it would be months before his first shift, Jake looked like he needed a good run.
At least he slept last night, my wolf Asher assured me.
I’m going to take him out… Evan remarked through the link.
I nodded. Evan didn’t think he was very intuitive but when it came to Jake he really was. I could use the peace too. I had talked a little to Mitchell’s parents last night during our impromptu sleepover and learned that his mom actually had a diary or two from some relative of hers that was part of West Woods long ago. I was hoping to talk with her again today and see if I could look through it. Maybe we could finally catch a break.
“Are you coming too?” Jake asked me on his way out the door after Evan. Mitchell was already outside.
“Nah, I’m going to hang back,” I said back.
He gave me a peculiar look for a minute before nodding slightly and heading out. I heard them talking for a few blocks. Jake was super excited about Rachel and how close they had gotten yesterday. Despite me constantly bringing him back to reality with concerns over her current boyfriend still being part of her life as far as we knew. Evan would try to hold me back from saying too much, from ‘being negative,’ but I couldn’t help it. It was in my blood to protect my future Alpha. From physical things sure, although that was more Evan’s role, but from heart and mind - that was all me.
“Morning, Nick!” Mitchell’s mom greeted me from the doorway. Jake, Evan and I had spent the night in the living room. “Didn’t go out with the boys?”
“Oh no, I’m sure they’ll go out again soon and I’ll go then… I actually was wondering if we could talk a little more about those old diaries you mentioned yesterday? Would you mind, for my research, if I looked for them?” I asked.
“Of course, although I can’t offer much help, I’m getting breakfast started for you all and then I’m off to work. You’re welcome to go through the attic though. All the pack related stuff should be off to the far left once you’re up there, by an old upright mirror,” she nodded and walked off to the kitchen.
I got up and followed her there for one final question, “Do you mind if I head up there now?”
“Sure Nicky, go ahead,” she smiled and reached into the fridge for the giant container of eggs.
I thanked her and walked up the stairs, up past Mitchell’s room, and up the tiny staircase leading to the attic. I opened the door and felt around for a lightswitch, I could make out most of the room with my enhanced vision, but it didn’t mean I wanted to do this in the dark. The room up here felt and smelt of thick dust. After a moment I found the switch on the opposite side of the door. Light flooded the space and I focused my vision immediately on the tall mirror where the things were supposed to be. Other than the stagnant air up here and the dust that can’t get out of the room, it was really a tidy space.
I found a few boxes and storage containers by the mirror and started with the box on the top. I opened things carefully and found trinkets, books, and photos. Not exactly what I was looking for. Although I did take a mental note to go back and look through the photos. The next two boxes were pretty much the same. Moving into the containers I was starting to worry that this would also be a dead end. I was about halfway through a container and found it, a diary. The diary belonged to Ester Woods. This was a good sign. Years back everyone in a pack had the same last name, something to do with the pack’s name.
I looked at some dates and my eyes scanned pages looking for words that would connect to things like witch, demon, and such. The dates were from more than a century ago. I was in a good way through the diary when my eyes saw something. I looked back and focused, and read our pack witch, Everly scrawled right there. Could this be it? I read the entry to unsurprisingly find it to be about an illness that swept through the packhouse years ago and the pack witch, Everly who was able to help everyone with some remedy. But there wasn’t anything else about Everly. So I continued through scanning for her name. Nothing. Right when my frustration grew, I noticed another diary that looked identical. Upon opening I saw Ester’s name again. She must have continued on into this one. The dates continued. I kept looking for Everly’s name…
“Nick! Are you coming down anytime soon?” I heard Mitchell call.
“In a few minutes!” I yelled back.
There, top right Asher said in my mind.
He must’ve been scanning too.
I read Everly’s wolf and remarked aloud, “Wait. WHAT?”
Asher and I read that entry over and over again. Not believing what we were reading.
Could this be true Asher? I repeatedly asked him.
He could only respond I don’t know, maybe.
We scanned through the rest of the diary for more information and finally came upon her name again. This entry was much shorter. Ester was older now and worrying about her pups and such, so she didn’t write as much as she had when she was younger. This last entry with Everly’s name was about her talking to the pack about leaving. And about her mate being long gone, and not feeling like she belonged there anymore. And then that was it.
“Nick!” Mitchell called, “There’s not going to be anything left!”
“That’s fine!” I replied - I wasn’t going to lose a second in here to dig through all I could.
I could hear them all talking and eating, the TV on too. But I needed more time. I looked through the remaining containers and couldn’t find anything else helpful.
Don’t forget the photos Asher reminded me. I put things back and reopened the box that held the photos. I sorted through the photos and noticed that there were notes behind them. The photos were all in black and white and looked very worn and yellowed from storage and time. But I saw a note that made me stop. Witch Everly in true wolf form.
I flipped it over and saw a photo of a wolf with its eyes as the focus of the photo. It wasn’t in color, but it looked like there were swirls of white in this wolf’s eyes. Swirls like… Jake’s eyes got some times. Could that be a glare from the photo? Something told me it was more than that.
Was the entry I read true? Did Witch Everly have a wolf? What was a true wolf form? A really pure wolf?
I feel like we’ve got more questions than before I told Asher.
Yes, but we’ve got some good leads. This feels like something he said back before settling down in my mind.
If it was possible for a witch to have a werewolf for a mate, what did this mean for Rachel and Jake?