28.

Farryn leaned back in her recliner as the Priest watched her with a gentle smile. The Priest’s question had taken her so off guard she had to seat herself. Father Idas took a seat on her couch, waiting patiently as she considered his question seriously.

“How were you able to know?” Father Idas looked once more to Farryn’s right and left as she questioned him.

“As one attuned to the Moon Goddess I have been blessed with a sight unlike your own. I can see the white Alpha on your right and the russet Zeta on your left. I can see the way they both cling to your side yet glare at each other, trying to claim you for themselves yet neither willing to relent. I assume you have been ill lately, struggling with the conflict of the two? They seem to be aware of what their fighting is doing to you and have been doing their best it seems, to control themselves.” Father Idas extended his hands outward and to Farryn’s amazement, she watched his hands move as if they were brushing the flanks of the wolves. Her fingers gripped the arms of her chair tightly.

“Father Idas I should tell you a bit about myself, perhaps then you will be able to better understand my current situation.” The Priest nodded his head as he sat back comfortably while Farryn unburdened herself with her past, explaining how for a long period she had gone without the presence of any wolf at her side and how she came to the new struggle of having two. Farryn had hesitated to reveal her loss of faith to the Priest, in part because of the shame in saying it aloud. Father Idas sighed gently before he smiled kindly, seeming to be unshaken and unsurprised at Farryn’s story.

“My dear child you certainly have struggled through many hardships, more than one should in a lifetime. The loss of your family and pack was understandably devastating, but the Moon Goddess brought you to a new family, a new pack, and with it, you were given a second chance. Namia, your russet Zeta will always be a part of you, even when you thought you had lost her she was always there, simply weakened by the loss of connection. This white Alpha, she represents the rebirth of your soul, your new start…” His head tilted to the side slightly.

“Would you like to know her name?” Farryn’s mouth dried as she straightened herself in surprise. She was given so much information to take in at once, arguably too much information. Her eyes drifted to her right as if the wolf would suddenly appear at her side. In the Father’s presence, she could almost feel the eyes of the beasts on her.

“Father, I no longer know who I am. I don’t know if knowing her name would change this or not, but I… I don’t know who I am supposed to be anymore.” Father Idas rose from the couch and approached the young woman slowly, reaching out and clasping his hands over the top of hers, forcing her to relax her hands that had a grip so tight that they had slowly been turning her knuckles white.

“Child knowing her name will change very little, it will help you to forge a stronger connection with her but it will not get rid of Namia if that is what you are worried about. However, having this stronger connection might just help you realize who it is you want to become. You have an opportunity that many will never get in their lives. You have a choice of who you want to be. You are young, it is understandable that you would be confused with all of the pressure you are facing currently. But you have many who are ready to support you, do not allow the pain of your past to keep you from seeing this truth.”

Farryn inhaled slowly before holding her breath as she nodded her head slowly in consent. Father Idas stood up straight as he extended his hand towards the wolf only he could see.

“Your white Alpha is named Lola.” For Farryn, hearing the wolf’s name was the equivalent of someone turning on a light switch in a darkened room. Just as clearly as she could see Namia in her mind, she could now see Lola as well. The wolf was twice the size of Namia and seemed relieved to finally be seen the way she had been trying to be seen for months.

“You should be aware my child, that sharing your body with two wolves is not impossible. It is extremely rare but can be done, I have seen it done once before and have read several different accounts of it. It can be beneficial, however, it can be a problem as well for the pack. Keep your connection with the both of them strong, give your pack no reason to believe that Lola is not truly a part of you.” Father Idas returned to his seat on the couch, watching Farryn as she watched the two wolves internally.

“Now, I do believe you have questions for me, not relating to yourself?” She blinked quickly, bringing herself back to reality, and quickly remembering the current situation on hand.

“I was told that you knew when a member of my pack passed, is this true?”

“It is, we were not quite here yet, but I suspect we were close enough to Aeston for me to be able to feel the female’s presence as it faded. Just like how I can see your wolves at your side, and I sense just how many are here in this town. I will admit however I had no way of knowing she was a member of your pack, I simply thought she was a resident of Aeston. It was Ian and Skylar who pieced together who it might have been.” Farryn rubbed at her chin softly, it certainly made sense that Father Idas wouldn’t have known exactly who had passed away or how.

“With her dying breath, she had reported being attacked by one wolf, who was three. Please Father, does this mean anything to you?” Father Idas hummed quietly as he frowned with thought, repeating Farryn’s words to himself softly as he sifted through everything he knew, and everything he had been taught trying to find an answer for the young Alpha.

“The only thing I can come up with that sounds remotely like that would be an old folklore passed down, some say from the Moon Goddess herself. It is said that long ago when the Moon Goddess first blessed her children with the beast blood one man wanted more, he wanted more power, more strength. He wanted to be stronger than the Goddess herself. His quest for strength eventually drove him to madness, he had the blood of a Beta, and his madness drove his wolf to madness as well. At some point in the story, he goes to a witch for help, she promises to not only cure his mania but to give him the strength he so desperately desired.”

“She most certainly gave him strength, and in a way, she cured his mania. The man was given the strength of three alphas, his wolf however was the one who suffered the most. The only way he could possibly contain that much strength was if he had the wolf to do so as well. He had only one, but he himself seemed to suffer from what we can now say was split personalities thanks to the wolf. His wolf was forced to share his soul with two others. They constantly fought for control of the man, his madness drove him to kill several of our kind. The Goddess herself was forced to lock one of her own children away in the pits of Hel. In order to keep him at peace, to keep him from raging, she tasked him with guarding Hel.”

Farryn’s brows furrowed just slightly, a folklore was nothing more than a story. The odds of any truth being in it was a stretch, but it was a story she had certainly heard in her childhood before.

“Other than his mania, how did anyone know that he was different? How did anyone else know that his wolf’s spirit was split?” Father Idas shrugged his shoulders slowly with a frown,

“I am sorry but that, I do not know. I wish I could of more help, my child.”

“No, no, you’ve been much more help than I had expected Father. I trust that should the need arise we can call on you again?” Father Idas’ worried expression broke and gave way to a pleased one.

“Of course my dear. Was there anything else I could help you with?”

“Thank you, Father, I do have one last question pertaining to a member of my pack. Tristan, you met him before I returned home. Is he like me? Does he have two wolves?” The Priest hesitated for a moment before rising to his feet.

“I typically am not comfortable discussing another person, however as the Alpha of this pack and with everything you have going on here currently I will inform you that, no he is not. Tristan has but one wolf.” Farryn was left speechless as the Priest lowered his head in respect before his departure. She had seen the way Tristan’s eyes had changed, but she believed the Priest, he had no reason to lie to her.

When his head lifted she could see the curiosity and doubt in his eyes due to her question but he didn’t try to push her for an explanation. Farryn brought herself to her feet and walked the Priest to her front door.

“Oh, Alpha Farryn there is one more thing you should be aware of. Having two wolves can be seen as a curse by many. Your soul will be shared among two other beings who have their own thoughts, their own emotions. How old are you Alpha?” Farryn felt the weight of the two wolves grow in her mind at the cautious tone the Priest chose to use as he addressed her now. Both seemed to be on guard, looking for some way to protect her if it was needed.

“I am 20 now Father, why does this matter?” Farryn watched as Father Idas’ expression seemed to turn grim as he reached for the doorknob.

“Every account I have ever known, including the one I personally knew, died before they were 25. Whether they were driven mad and killed themselves or were killed due to their mates fighting each other it differed.” He paused as Farryn seemed to reel back in surprise and confusion.

“Each wolf would have their own mate, this is understandable of course but there is only one of you. It typically will drive the mates mad by seeing another with you, please Alpha, be cautious. Listen to your wolves, they are a blessing from the Moon Goddess and meant to help you in your life so allow them. I hope you will be a different case.” The Priest bid a quiet farewell to the wolves at her side before exiting the house and closing the door behind him.