#42

Aurora
“Soo,” Millie said, a little uncomfortable. “Where should we start?” she asked. “How about the beginning? Evander said that this pack goes back to the original bloodlines of your people. She nodded before she began the kettle blew and I set my tea up, bringing the kettle to the table to refill as necessary. The origins of the wolves would be something that would take some time to get through


*The story of the werewolves.

When the moon goddess was very young, she longed to walk the earth. There came a time when she found a way and ran away from the heavens to run among humans and live in the wilds. Her mother was furious and hunted her down. So she fled. The moon goddess grew up on earth hidden in the wilds among a pack of wolves. She transformed into a wolf to hide, but she couldn’t change the color of her coat. She was so white and beautiful, like a moonbeam. Pure and chaste. And at night she would emit a light so bright it matched the moon missing from the sky. So as the month would grow in her cycle, she became brighter as she blossomed into a maiden and then into a woman as fair as the moonbeams themselves.

One night a hunter from a village was hunting in the darkness of the night guided by the northern lights. When he came across a bright light and saw that the white wolf who was drinking from the water was where the light shone from. He lifted his bow to aim at the trophy. The wolf met his gaze and the moon goddess found love as he lowered his bow, unable to shoot as the wolf became a woman so fair he could do nothing but love her at first sight. That night, the moon goddess and the hunter made love and she bit him to mark him as her own, as she had been a wolf for many years and was still wild.

Her bite created the first of us to transform as she shared her magic with the one she loved. The goddess's light would wax and wane as she did when she was borne into the sky. On her next full cycle, the hunter transformed for the first time, becoming the first Alpha. Prior to this, he hunted and gathered and created her a home in the depths of the wilds, proving he could provide for his love. And the goddess would hunt as well providing for the pack that raised her. On the night of his first transformation, he ran and hunted with his mate through the wilds. They transformed back to their human bodies and when they coupled; he marked her as his completing the bond.

They grew old together having many children who also could transform and created the first pack. Leading them as Alpha and Luna. Their children were gifted by the moon-goddess their mother, the mate bond so that they may find the other half of their souls as their parents did.

One night as The Mother goddess looked down, she found the light of the moon goddess and, in a rage, she plucked her wayward child from the earth, returning her to the heavens. Her mate howled his woe to the shining moon until he went mad at the loss and soon died of a broken heart and a torn soul. The moon goddess shed tears that became the stars and The Mother goddess wept for her daughter's loss at her hands, creating salty oceans. Their children lived on creating more packs as they found their mates among humans and other descendants of gods or goddesses bound to earth.
*
Gifted wolves like Amy are coveted. She is the first in her line in 100 years to have a gift of foresight. She is a descendant of an earth child of the fates. When she was born, Evander left before anyone else knew about the girl in order to protect her from the greed of the werewolf packs. Not even Dominic knows about her.

When an Alpha or Luna from outside of the pack comes into the pack, the night of their first transformation on the full moon or the induction of the Luna to her new pack there is a ceremony that must be done so that the newcomer may unite with the rest of us. As we established Beta’s bond is incomplete with the pack due to his loyalty to you.” she summarized. “So as I am already receiving my wolf, whether I “couple with Evander or not prior is not of concern as we are already bonding?” I clarified. “Why is that the first question you ask?” Blake scoffed. “Because my brain hurts and it's the only thing I got out of the entire thing that I was able to process yet. I cannot think straight,” I snapped. Millie stifled a small smile. “No, at this point, you and Alpha coupling interfere with nothing. It will only strengthen your bond with each other, not interfere with the pack, which I know is your primary concern.” “So this sounds like it's possible my power could be absorbed by the pack? When witches create this kind of soul binding, the power can be shared and compounded by however many witches join the soul bond. They would be able to wield each other's ability.” I said sounding defeated. “Though I would not be binding my soul to the members, the link could cause the power to be shared.” I stated.

“Maybe not Roury,” Blake said appearing deep in thought. “They are not witches. The bond of the souls hasn’t given Whinnie the ability to wield my fire.” I considered quietly as I downed my tea. My head throbbed. Blake's eyes appraised me and my cup before reaching over and refilling it with the hot water. Millie watched us curiously. “I cannot speculate what could happen. Unless you fully mate Evander and we discover one way or another before the Luna ceremony. There is no time limit on mating. Some couples take months or years. Some simply choose friendship over courtship, especially if they have taken a chosen mate prior. There is time she insisted.”

“No, there's not. We have three weeks.” I stated. She looked at us confused. “Why?” she asked. My brother and I looked at each other. “Dominic,” we said in unison. I looked at Millie. “But isn’t he supposed to be erasing your trail?” she asked. “Well, he's decided to blackmail me for our parents' estates. I either do this or lose a few centuries of our family's history and estates overseas. These estates are properties that cannot fall into the wrong hands.” I explained.

She leaned back into her chair rolling her eyes. “Fucking Dom,” she said in exasperation. “My thoughts exactly, and he plans to come and make sure it's done properly.” I added. “He would look at this for an excuse to come here,” she groaned. It appeared there was something underlying there that I wasn’t going to ask someone I just met today. I gave Blake a questioning look noticing he was several pages into his notes on our lesson. He shrugged as Millie pinched the bridge of her nose and cursed under her breath. “Millie,” my brother said, “that’s enough for today we are going to compare some things this afternoon, and tomorrow we will need to go into depth about exactly what your traditions and ours are and how they compare and note any conflicts or concerns between the bonding of wolves and the binding of witches.” “Yes Beta,” she said looking relieved. “Oh, this,” she said pushing the bag towards me. “Is for you, when you present yourself as a wolf before the goddess, you will wear this in your first transition. “I will explain more tomorrow,” she said walking to the door.

She left, obviously deep in thought. “How bad is it?” Blake asked. I sighed. “Just bury me in a corner and let me die,” I said taking another gulp from my cup. “Shit, what are we going to do?” He sighed, standing and coming up behind me. “You don't want to do that,” I said. “You know I have to,” he scolded setting his thumbs into my temples. I felt him slip into the current chaos of my mind and I closed my eyes to shut out the extra stimuli. On top of the heightened sounds, tastes, and smells and the constant slow weaving of my soul to Evander's was the whirling chaos of my inner power. Like lightning, every time it overloaded and struck, the thunder of the assault echoed in my mind. The strikes came closer together each time. Soon the throbbing would turn to my entire mind being lit up, and I’d be unconscious as my body burned with the energy until it could acclimate. I felt Blake quickly back out of my mind and I blinked, opening my eyes. “Dove, this is bad,” He said flopping down next to me. Your power is 10-fold what it was 6 years ago and I have no idea how you have been surviving the changes. What do we do?”

“Water will dissipate the energy charges without letting them out since it's also conductive. Anytime I felt an overload coming, I’d just turn on the water and submerge. I flooded Aunt Bess's bathroom a few times. I would come to wet and disoriented days later. Never asked her what happened when I was out. I just know on a few occasions she had to have the bathroom redone for water damage,” I shrugged. “So she just left you there in a tub of running water and went about her day?” His anger rose. “Blake, she couldn’t act like anything was amiss. I had a cold, and she liked to revamp her bathroom a lot was all anyone ever thought. It wasn’t easy dealing with me on her own, you know.” I let that stab hit where it would. He winced realizing he needed to stop being angry at the one person who stood by me for the last 6 years. “I'm sorry,” he said. “Stop apologizing Blake. knowing why now I get it and it may take me time. I can't erase all my thoughts over the last 6 years but goddess, I just want my brother back and a place I can just be myself and never worry about the day the council comes knocking. To be able to love someone without looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone is coming to take me away from him.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks in the agony of my mind and the turmoil of my feelings. No longer being able to hold the dam at bay. “I'm scared of losing you, this place, and him,” I said. “I lose any of it and I may as well let this swallow me up now. So, tell me, brother, do I keep fighting?” I asked. “I swear to the fucking goddess above Aurora don’t give up on this place or these people. Don't give up on me or him. We will find a way if it’s the last thing in life I do. I will find a way to end your suffering.” he vowed.

“Blake, you can no longer vow with your life, you have a child coming. That is worth more than me if it comes to it. Never place my life above yours, your child’s or Evander’s or Whinnie’s. You can all live without me.” I declared. “Sis, I don't think that man would last 10 seconds without knowing you were safe and well. Don't ever leave again without taking him with you.”

Chuckling through the pain. “Can’t lie, I was entirely miserable too.” I admitted. “Guess it comes with the territory,” he added. Looking at him my cheek propped up in my hand. Evander burst into the room a moment later, as if searching for a threat. ‘Love?’ he said through our minds. That's when the darkness came knocking and everything went black. My body forcing me to face my power in the darkness of my mind. Here I was more focused on containment. As I battled with myself through the changes. Feeling the fire burning through my veins. The storm of energy amping up in my mind. Hopefully, they could see me out of this. I had no one else to rely on.