Chapter Seven: The Prophecy

Elena rolled over to the sound of her alarm shrieking into the early morning silence. That would explain why her conversation with her mother was cut short. Now the real question was whether it was a dream or if the conversation was real.

She wasn't sure how to ask her aunt without raising her suspicions. Surely Gail could be trusted, though? She was just like Elena, a lowly omega. She couldn't have been the one to kill her parents. Not if she told Elena about the possibility?

Deciding right then and there that if there was one person in this world she could trust, it was her aunt. She had always been there for her, no matter what. Gail was her mother's sister, so she must know what this chest was. Elena trotted down the stairs to find her aunt drinking coffee at the kitchen island.

"Good morning," Gail said.

"Morning. I need to talk to you, and it's got to stay between us."

"Oh boy. That sounds like I shoulda put something a little stiffer in this coffee," Gail replied.

"Do you believe that the dead can speak to us?"

Gail had just taken a sip of her coffee and almost spat it all over Elena. "What do you mean?" she asked very carefully.

No sense in delaying the inevitable... "My mom came to see me in a dream last night and said whatever is going on with me is her fault. She said there's a prophecy and I need to find her book in her special chest," she blurted out in one breath.

The color drained from Gail's face, leaving her as pale as the lace tablecloth. "So, it was all true. Maria came to me when you were about five. She said you were showing signs of being special, marked by the Moon Goddess. But there was more. There was a prophecy that one day a child would be born, and she would become the strongest of the wolves. She would cast out the corruption among the packs, and peace would reign again." Gail paused, breathing deeply.

"But why didn't she ever tell me any of this? Who was the child?" Elena asked.

"Child, let me finish. There are things you need to know. I am a witch, and so was your mother. Our families have always been the farthest things from wolves. But your parents met and fell in love. I couldn't let my little sister run off on her own, so I came, too. I told you that I had a weak wolf and was an omega because I realized your mother never told you the truth."

"So where is my wolf?" Elena demanded.

"Your mother must have suspected that you were the child of that prophecy. To be quite frank, you should not have been born." She lifted a hand, "No, let me finish. In most cases, only a werewolf can give birth to another werewolf. Any others who try typically die during the birth. Your mother was a powerful witch, and she focused that energy on her womb to protect you and bring you into this world."

"What does that mean?" Elena asked.

"There was always a chance that you'd be a witch, but her actions all but guaranteed it. And of course, with your father an Alpha, you were destined to be a wolf. Something else no one expected was that your parents would also be fated mates. I believe that their love and that bond had just as much of an impact on who you've become," Gail said.

Elena sat in silence. She was getting frustrated. Her aunt was talking in circles. What did this have to do with her, and who had she become? 

"Your mother saw the signs of both a great wolf and a powerful witch rising up within you and feared you would be the child of the prophecy. At that time, there was an ongoing, open hunt for the child. Some claimed to be protectors, while others were unashamed to be willing to harm a baby. So, she did what she thought was best. She bound your powers and your wolf," Gail said, hanging her head low.

"B-bound?" Elena stammered. "How do you know?"

"Because the binding is coming undone right in front of me. And I can see the tendrils of my sister's dying magic. I'd know it anywhere. I couldn't see it when it was whole because her spellcraft was so artistic. Now, tell me about the Alpha King's son."

"I knew I should have stayed in bed. The other night on the full moon, there was a mountain lion in the driveway. Damien and his minions were out hunting and saved me. When I got inside, I stupidly looked back outside, and he was looking in at me. And the Moon Goddess decided to bless me with a mate. A mate with a publicly chosen Luna," Elena grumbled.

"Well, at least it didn't turn out to be that Matt boy. He was a real loser."

Elena put her head in her hands and sighed. She loved her aunt, but the woman could be completely insensitive sometimes. 

"Anyway, I've got to get ready for work. You enjoy your day off," Gail said, getting up from her seat. She rinsed her coffee cup and put it in the dishwasher before heading to her room.

Elena was left to her thoughts. With nothing really planned for the morning, she poured herself a cup of coffee with cream. Just as Gail was about to walk out the front door, she remembered to ask her about the chest Maria mentioned.

"You know what? She very well could have meant the antique chest at the foot of my bed. It's been handed down from mother to daughter for years. I was holding onto to be your first housewarming gift when you eventually get married," Gail explained.

"Do you mind if I look inside it?" Elena asked.

"No. Just please put my room back how you found it. I'll see you later." With that, Gail left Elena on her own for the rest of the day.

Her excitement to find the book overcame her desire for her morning jolt of caffeine. With her coffee long forgotten, she made her way to Gail's room. Her aunt enjoyed a minimalist lifestyle and hated clutter. Her room was a clear reflection of her preferences.

Gail's bed was the showstopping centerpiece of the room. It was a custom-made gift from Elena's parents as a thank you for everything she had done for them while they were getting ready to have her. The gorgeous wooden headboard was intricately carved with flowers and stained a deep brown. At its foot rested the chest.

Elena knelt in front of it and lifted the top open. Inside were neatly folded blankets that she had better return folded exactly the same way or else. She felt around the lid for anything that moved. At first, she felt nothing suspicious. Just as she was about to give up, the wood shifted just a little under her fingertips. 

Carefully, she tried prying the panel open with her fingers, but she couldn't get a solid grasp. She looked around the room and noticed a letter opener on her aunt's nightstand. She rushed over and grabbed it. Returning to the chest, she gently inserted the letter opener into the space between the panel's edge and the chest lid. Elena wiggled the letter opener until the panel came free, as a book with a black cover fell into the bottom of the chest.

She set the letter opener to the side before replacing the secret panel and picking up the book. Once everything in the room was back into its rightful place, she took the book back to her room to begin her investigation.

The writing gave it away immediately that this was someone's personal journal. After reading a few sentences, Elena realized it was Maria's. The more she read, the more she noticed a tingling sensation throughout her body. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but it was strange. Was there magic in her mother's writing?

She continued to flip through pages until she saw the words that confirmed everything she didn't want to believe. 

I have failed to protect my child. I have bound her from growing into her power as a witch or finding her wolf. I cannot risk losing her to these fanatics who are out for blood...