#22

Diablos/blake POV

I stepped out to face my mate, who was waiting to hear what I needed to say. Whinnie was nothing if not patient. “So that’s Aurora, my sister. Like I told you last night,” I paused. Glancing at the house. “She’s,… special.” I paused meeting Whinnie’s eyes. She smirked slightly. “I've always known you had a secret.” She cooed at me. I looked at her in question. She raised a brow at me. “I’m just glad the cat is out of the bag now.” She confessed putting her hand on my chest. I sighed heavily, instantly calming at her touch. “You know you will never stop amazing me." I whisper to her in awe.” She shrugs. Of all the things she could do now, she shrugs. “Well now, your sister is my sister,” she says simply. I sigh, not knowing if she realizes the complexity of the situation. “Winifred,” I called her full attention. “She's not your run-of-the-mill witch,” I try to explain. “Yeah, I know,” she states as if it’s simple to understand. I gape at her wondering if she grasps the full spectrum. “Aurora is literally an extension of The Mother goddess.” I admit fully and look into her eyes to see if she… FULLY understands. She nodded slightly as if it were nothing unusual.

“Kinda makes sense with Evanders Alpha of Alphas deal an all,” she supplied. “Wait what?” I countered. “You heard me,” she admitted. “So,” I purred into her ear as she turned away from me. My arms caught her and wrapped around her from behind. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets growling I gripped her supple hips and causing her to shiver. In my eyes, Whinnie's curves were worth worshipping. “Yes, dear,” she whispered. "That’s a secret I was willing to take to my grave." “Ditto,” I responded as we smiled at each other over her shoulder. I kissed the tip of her nose running mine over hers. It was a very loving endearment the wild part of me appreciated. Our love for our siblings knew no bounds. Neither did my love of my mate. Who seemed to have a similar sentiment.

“So, what’s this Alpha of Alphas deal?” I asked. “I've let you in on my secret. Now it’s time to come clean about yours.” She let out a cleansing breath. “You know how our mother was from a pack that kept the old traditions?” I nodded. “Well, there’s a very old telling or what your people may call a prophecy.” *“Nuair a gheibh ceannard a’ mhadaidh-allaidh fìorghlan a’ mhàthair, èiridh iad mar aon, agus nì iad ar sluagh slàn aosda”* (‘When the chief of the wolf people finds the purity of The Mother, they shall rise as one, and make our people whole agien’.)

“How do you know that’s Evander?” I asked skeptically.

*“'N uair a bheirear mac sean 'us nuadh air gealach làn Mhabon, Bidh Ceannard nam
madadh-alluidh fo bhlàth.”* (When the son of the old and the new is born on the full Mabon moon, the Chief of the wolf people shall bloom.) “He was the first to ever be born on the full Mabon moon since the telling came to be. Our father was a new Alpha to a modern pack, while our mother was from a pack with ancient bloodlines” She states looking up at me. *“Nuair a thèid an ceann-cinnidh uile o a rìgh-chathair, beannaichidh màthair na gealaich e às ùr,”* (When the chief of them all steps from his throne, the moon's mother shall bless him anew), she spoke again. “He gave up his inheritance as head of our father’s pack to move us here. They wanted him on the council. Mother never told him the full telling. She wanted him to have his free will. Said it would upset his destiny, so the rest of us have to keep mum. Unless he asks for specifics.” She finalized. Looking up at me.

“Sounds like children’s rhymes,” I stated. “How is Evander any more special than any other Alpha?” I asked I was in a way measuring him up to her worth. Just being a brother but also learning something new about the friend I had seen as just a great leader. Not knowing any other Alpha. I just knew the wolf I was given bowed to nobody’s dominance but his. “There hasn’t been an Alpha able to match his dominance even as a kid. Our mother, bless her heart. Raised him with much patience to not abuse that gift. She knew what he was, but never raised him in the glory of that. She wanted him to have a level head and a kind heart. Dominic, on the other hand, was never afraid of throwing his weight around. Evander just was never a fool enough to play his power games. He passed him the title happily for us to depart from the pack and create this.” She said as she gestured to the home they had made for Hallow Moon. “They sound like children’s rhymes because that’s how the tellings have lived. Passed thru the generations.” “And my sister is wrapped up in all this too?” I asked with a sigh. “If she is who Evander claims she is to him, then yes.”

I sighed heavily looking up at her. “Anything else I need to know?” I smiled looking at her. Pulling her close to calm my turbulent mind with this new information. She bit her lip. “There’s one about your sister.” My brows raised, looking down at her. I sighed. “Let's have it, but unless she comes looking for answers to something, let's keep it to ourselves for a bit. She has enough to deal with already.” She nodded before reciting “'N uair a dh'èireas màthair 's nighean ri chèile an Luna, leatha-sa theid a' ghealach 's a' mhàthair suas, ri taobh an Alpha de dh' alfa.” (When The Mother and daughter combine the Luna shall rise, With her the moon and The Mother shall ascend, beside the Alpha of Alphas whose kin) "That’s it as far as I know she stated. “If any lore comes to mind I think is necessary for the situation, I’ll let you know.” She said looking up at me with an adoring smile. “Milly would honestly know most.”

I had never dug too deep into their traditions, even since becoming one of them. I maintained my own and honored the blessing of the wolf, but I had felt their history and mysticism belonged to the people born to it. Milly was the keeper of the ancestral ways. She was young but had been groomed since childhood to carry the knowledge. I supposed it was time I quit dragging my ass and became more involved in the things that built the people I had come to love as family. I knew this rag-tag pack was unconventional in the modern age, but I had also been born into an unconventional family that cherished the old ways and being close to nature. Since being here, I had become a part of nature itself. It was time to be my father’s son. The man took our history and culture very seriously and I had neglected to learn what our new family's history and customs were. Now that they directly affected Aurora I would have to anticipate what the melding of her into the pack as Luna in all her extra effects would mean. Not just for her, but also for the rest of the pack.

There was a current of magic to the werewolves' bond with each other as well as the gift of the wolf who became part of them as they grew up. It wasn’t like an entirely different consciousness as someone on the outside looking in may guess. It had certainly not made sense to me until I experienced it. The wolf and I were the same. We shared everything. Thoughts, abilities, and instincts are all within one mind. The beast was joined to me in every facet. With Aurora already being akin to the literal heartbeat of the earth itself I wasn't sure if her transition would be harder or easier for it. Not to mention it seemed they were going a little backward about the mating.

While they were already binding souls and mind speaking none of that happened for Whinnie and I prior to the physical mating and the claiming of the wolf. Thank goddess for that, but I would have to compare the elder’s notes on what would or could happen with some of the things I was taught growing up on how soul magic worked. I was a poor student but that was because I always questioned things. I liked to bend the rules and test out theories which often got me in trouble with my elders. Father would always chuckle it off when we were behind closed doors and praise my ingenuity. I hoped with this I could make him proud.