Life after losing my parents was hard, but I quickly learned to move on.
Having my grandparents and Isaac by my side helped me to move on more than I ever imagined possible.
When I started Junior High School, five young ladies barged into my personal space and never walked out.
My best friends, Wendy, Paula, Mandy, Chrystal, and Kari ran with me every morning, no matter the weather.
With time, we started running five miles every school day and ten miles one day a week.
I came to love that burn in my muscles after a run. It became one of my favorite ways to get rid of the images that plagued my memories and dreams of my parents. It was a constant fight to keep them beaten to the back of my mind. That caused a lot of anger issues that used to happen occasionally.
Alpha Kenny and Isaac started running with us on weekends when they had time. Isaac and I were still considering each other friends, but my feelings for him had never changed.
I had sensed the same with him. I could feel how much he cared for me, but it would become crystal clear on another life-changing day for me.
After a Saturday run when I was about to get in the shower when I heard my grandmother vomiting in the master bathroom.
I ran in there and noticed blood, a lot of blood, in the toilet.
I had no idea what to do but to ask, “Do I need to get grandpa to take you to the doctor?”
She just shook her head, “No, sweetie, I just went to the doctor yesterday. It will be better soon.”
I just furrowed my brow and hesitantly sighed, “Okay. I’ll start a pot of chicken soup for you.”
I helped her to her bed. I kissed her cheek and gave her a hug. I left the room and started the soup.
I was about to go to my room when I heard my grandpa say my name. I noticed he was on the front porch, so I stepped outside.
He asked, “Would you like to go hunting with me?”
I hugged him close, “I would love to grandpa, but I really don’t feel good about leaving grandma alone today. She is vomiting a lot of blood and she won’t go to the doctor.”
He answered, “You’re probably right. I will go hunting and try to bring us back a deer.”
I nodded, “Don’t try to rush it. I already have homemade chicken soup on the stove.”
He winked at me, “Good idea. I don’t know what we did to deserve you, but we are so lucky.
After he left, I went to my room and took a quick shower. I had just gotten dressed and was about to brush out my hair when I heard grandma scream like she had been stabbed!
I ran to her and she was grabbing her chest and sobbing loudly. I took her hand, “Grandma! What’s wrong?”
She cried, “He’s dying! My mate is dying! So much pain!”
I tried to act calm while I grabbed the phone, but it slipped out of my hands once.
I managed to call the pack house on the second attempt, and Alpha Kenny answered, “Alpha speaking.”
I yelled, “Alpha, I need you to search the woods for my grandpa. Grandma is crying and saying he’s dying!”
He hurriedly agreed, “I’m on my way. You stay there with her. Okay?” I answered, “I planned on it.”
I knew exactly the moment my grandpa died because the life in my grandma’s eyes started fading fast.
I held my grandma in my arms as she cried, “I need to join my mate with the goddess, sweetie. I love you so much. Remember all that we taught you.”
I shook my head, not noticing my tears, “Grandma, I still need you.”
Grandma, on the other hand, smiled at my tearful face, “You are more than ready to be on your own. You’ve been taking care of us for the last two years.
“You know how to do everything you’re supposed to do. Just please don’t blame the mate bond for my death.”
I hesitated, “I’ll try, but it is the bond that is killing you!”
She shook her head, “I was already sick. Remember?”
I nodded, “I will try.”
I lied to her, not wanting our last conversation to be an argument. I knew I would always blame the mate bond after it caused my parents’ death. Now, it is taking my grandparents.
She told me she loved me one more time before she took her last breath and went limp.
I cried as I kissed her forehead and held her hand.
Someone took my hand, “Zariah?”
I turned and saw Isaac sitting on the edge of the bed. I crashed into his chest and started sobbing as the pack doctor called time of death.
When I finally calmed down enough, I asked, “Did Alpha find grandpa?”
Alpha Kenny stood in the doorway and asked me to join him in the living room.
Isaac helped me off the bed and kept one arm around me as we walked into the living room and sat on the couch.
Alpha Kenny started, “Zariah, your grandpa was killed by a panther. Apparently, the panther wanted the same deer that your grandpa did. I don’t think he even saw it coming.” I asked, “Can I see him?”
Isaac suggested, “Zariah, I promise, you don’t want to see him that way. I don’t want to remember him that way.”
I sighed as I cried into Isaac’s chest some more while he rubbed comforting circles on my back.
The following week was nothing but a blur, but Isaac never left my side. I had asked luna to let me live in my grandparents’ house, as they were now my guardians.
She agreed to it as long as Alpha, Isaac, or she could come check on me daily. I agreed with no reservations.
That gave Isaac his chance to spend time with me every day.
One day, I announced, “I think I want to take the test to graduate early from high school.”
Isaac asked, “Why? What are you thinking?”
“I want to go to college for accounting and economics.”
Isaac smiled, “That’s a good idea. Then you can do the pack’s books when you become Luna.”
I chuckled, “You sound so positive that I will be your mate. But don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing more, but there is a chance that I won’t be.”
Isaac sighed as he wrapped me into a loving hug, “I have known you are my mate since you came to our hospital.”
He lowered his mouth to mine but I hesitated.
Then I thought to myself, it’s just a kiss and I knew my feelings for him.
I looked up to chase his mouth. It was there, in the same place, waiting for me, just like how he had been accompanying me for all these years.
We shared a sweet kiss. My first kiss. I had a feeling that I would never kiss anyone else.
Zariah’s POV~Three Years Later~“This is a really boring job.” Isaac whined. He and I have been practicing gymnastics with his cousin, Abby, for the last couple hours. Abby and I had been using him as our spotter.I laughed as I stood at the end of a very long mat, “You think it’s boring? Okay, spot me. You might want to start up here and keep up with me.”I waited for him to stand slightly ahead of me, and to the side. I started with three back handsprings and ended with a very high triple flip on the way to the mat, landing on my feet.Isaac kept yelling, “Wait up!” When I went airborne with my triple flips, he yelled, “How am I supposed to spot that?”As I landed, I laughed, “Just don’t let me fall. That’s all. Like this. Be ready. I am going to mess up on purpose and you need to catch me.” He was very serious as he nodded, “Okay.” I extended my arms over my head and started to go into a back flip, but I didn’t complete it.I jumped high and basically laid flat. He caught me with
I woke with a start and looked around in the dark.I could hear glass breaking from the first floor and voices on the second floor. My first thought was, “Again?”I called Alpha Kenny and whispered, “I need you to come over… quickly. It sounds like there are more than three people this time. They are on both floors.”Alpha Kenny answered, “We’ll be there in a minute. Don’t do anything until we get there.” I quietly got out of bed and crawled to the master bathroom, whispering “I’m in the master bathroom. I’ll be listening for you.”As I sat there on my bathroom floor, I kept hearing footsteps upstairs.Then, there was one thing that stood out to me: I didn’t smell the usual smell of weeks-old garbage that rogues normally carried on them.I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it did sound like there was a clear leader among them.As minutes passed, I heard one ask if they opened every door… including closets.I could tell there was at least one in my bedroom because I heard him
Selene continued, “You and your mate will be able to combine your powers to help your warriors defeat the witches.“There are also a couple other packs who want to take Onyx and you for their own benefit.“Depending on the alpha’s choices and your pack’s success in preventing his warriors from going back, you will only have up to one year to prepare for that war.“It’s hard to tell with one of them. He’s not the brightest of my children and he is very unpredictable. I would give him a second chance mate, but he is a very cruel man too. He has been slowly turning feral since his mate was killed ten years ago. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take his wolf from him soon. His wolf does not deserve this.“The other alpha is just a very greedy man and always has been. He rejected his mate in order to take a chosen mate for more power.“He is also very cruel to the omegas in the pack. You may have less time to prepare for him. Alpha Kenny is doing the right thing by keeping warriors around y
Isaac POVI have been watching over Zariah since she came to our pack. She was so badly injured; I was scared to death that she would die. I have always been drawn to her. I wanted nothing more than to stay next to her in the hospital until she was better.When she got out of the hospital, I spent all day, every day, at her side, taking care of her. I would help her to any room she wanted to go to and her grandma would giggle at the sight of us.I think I was just looking for a reason to hold her hand. I’m sure her grandma knew we were mates even when we were that little.I spent all of my time in school keeping all the guys away from her. I just didn’t even want them looking at her. My parents got called to school a few times because I knocked another boy out. I got in trouble for hitting them. Not for watching over Zariah.In junior high, I backed off from hanging around her because there was a group of guys who, I heard through the grapevine, were trying to find a way to get in her
Isaac POVDad was smiling widely. I think that was when they both started offering to help her with more stuff. Dad offered to teach her to drive and mom asked her to help her plan a couple parties.I had to make mom back off because I wanted her to realize I’m her mate on her own. Although, I know it will be so hard to keep my hands off of her.Zariah. Even her name sounded like an angel’s name to me. She always looked like perfection to me. She is very fit, even though she can beat me on the amount of junk food she eats.She looks like an angel with her long, light brown hair. It has a natural wave to it that always draws my eye.Her emerald, green eyes have always captivated me. It’s so hard to act as a friend when those eyes make me want to hold on to her forever and her long legs make me want them around my waist as I lower her to my bed.My mate is so smart. She is going to be such a great luna. She is about to become our pack’s first female financial advisor and the youngest on
Zariah POVI woke up on the couch with everyone standing over me.Abby got close to my ear and asked, “What did you feel, Zariah?”I answered, “Pure evil.”I furrowed my brow, “Didn’t anyone else feel that aura?”As I looked around the room, everyone was shaking their heads.I asked, “I wonder if the dark witches found me?”Alpha Kenny answered, “Don’t worry, sweetie. We got you. Let’s finish talking about what The Goddess told you.”I sighed, “We need to be ready for the first war in around a year.”Alpha Kenny’s eyes went wide, “The first war?”I nodded, “Yep. That will be one alpha who is trying to take me. The second one will be in around three years.“That one will be with the witches.”Alpha Kenny asked, “What do they want with you?”I answered, “They want to drain my wolf’s power for themselves. If I find my mate and mark him, they will want him too.”Luna Kyra scowled, “Don’t you dare use that to deny the mate bond!”I shook my head, “I promised The Goddess that I would stay o
After listening to his thoughts some more, I told Luna Kyra what I heard. She linked Alpha Kenny. I heard Alpha Kenny growl, “What is Alpha Tolvar’s niece’s name? Why is she here?” The guys asked, “What’s the deal with you? Are you able to read minds?” Alpha smiled, “You have no need to know. What is her name?” The guy hung his head and sighed in surrender, “Okay. I don’t know anything about her but she’s been trying to get closer to her for the past couple years, but she graduated school early.” I listened carefully to his thoughts and found that to be true. I told Luna my findings and Alpha turned to the door after telling the man, “You are hereby sentenced to death. In return for your cooperation, we will make it fast.” The man replied, “That’s all I can hope for.” Alpha Kenny walked out and Luna Kyra forced us out of the observation room before one of the guards pulled his head off his shoulders. As we walked past each of the cells, I started hearing some thoughts that did n
Isaac continued, “Luckily, you have stayed within a group of us, so they wouldn’t be able to point directly at you, but a white witch can place a spell on you to make you undetectable to dark witches when you use your powers.”I sighed, “So how do we find one of them?”Alpha Kenny asked, “Can you ask the Goddess how to find one? I don’t have a clue.“We have spent so many generations avoiding other species that we forgot that cooperation can be beneficial for all of us.”I closed my eyes and spoke in my mind, “Selene, can you help us?” She asked, “What can I do for you, child?”I asked, “We just learned that every time I have used my mind reading ability, I have been detectable to the dark witches. Is there a white witch who can help shield me from that?”She answered, “I will contact my friend, Queen Winnie. She is queen of the white witch coven. She will just pop in, so don’t be afraid.” I laughed, “Thank you for the warning.”I opened my eyes to find Alpha and Isaac staring at me.