Chapter 2. “Just” a story

Josie POV

"WHAT???!!! two and a half years?? And you didn't find it strange at all?? Oh, Josephine…you should have told us! Your father and I are here for you, whenever you need us, why would you hide this? We would have more time to...” when she suddenly stops.

“I do trust you! Both of you, it’s just…wait, what do you mean with more time? More time for what???” She is hiding something from me. Something big. That I can tell. “What are you not telling me??”

And then she sighs, starting to fidget with the end of her dark green skirt looking down at her feet, trying to find her words.

After what seemed like forever, she finally begins her storytelling.

“I inherited my mothers’ powers as well, not only the wolf part from my father”.

Oh wow, I knew that her mother was a powerful witch but I was always told that she took more into my fathers’ side, therefore she is more werewolf than witch.

“And from a small age, with 8 to be precise, I managed to even control them, which for a young witch was unheard of. My older sister always discouraged me secretly not to train so much, but with my mothers’ support I was seen as a teenager as the next coven ruler, after my mother would have stepped down... Susanne always fought with her, but she was simply not that gifted... My mother loved her dearly, she was her daughter born from her first love, before meeting my dad, her destined mate. She also had witch-training session a couple of times a week but was not showing so much progress…thus getting angrier each time she didn’t accomplished a task.”

“I still remember that awful day. My daily nightmares remind me of it constantly. What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, the equivalent of my wedding day, was now a reminder that my life will be forever incomplete”

“But I thought you and dad had a wonderful wedding, I’ve seen the pictures, you were so happy…What happened?”

“In the beginning it was. Everything I could ever dream of, from decorations, all the organizing, the amazing flower and lights setup in the ballroom hall to the moment when your father and I spoke our vows...”. She furrows her brows and continues. “When everybody was dancing their hearts out, with your father and I in the middle, my stepsister crashed the doors and came in almost floating, visibly pissed off, along with a terrible wind that made her long scarlet-red hair fly around her. So much power oozed from her, and it took us by surprise, not having enough time to react as she spoke the words that changed my life from that day on. ‘With this seal I bind you dear sister’, she said sneering at me, ‘your powers won’t be of use anymore! thus you will live as a half werewolf from now on!’ she screamed as her hands were conjuring a blurry gold glowing chain wrapped into a sphere between her moving hands, and pushing it towards me with her last spoken word… The chain wrapped tight around my chest and arms, suffocating me…trying to penetrate my skin, all while I heard her sarcastic voice in my mind ‘the only way to break the seal is when your mate leaves this earth...consider it a wedding gift, dear sis’!!’ She laughed mockingly in my head while I was in extreme pain, gasping for air until I passed out, falling unconsciously on the floor… “

“Oh, mother!” I said as I pulled her into a hug. I know there’s more to the story but I can feel she needs the comfort. After a few sobs she says, “Wait my darling, there’s more to it...”

“Why did nobody intervene??” I asked impatiently “I mean, your mother and father were both there, right?? She was a powerful witch from what you told me…why didn’t she do something to protect you??”

I don’t know the whole story behind my grandparents’ relationship, only that a couple of days after my parents’ ceremony she took off disappearing into thin air…nobody could locate her even after all these years.

I could see that this event took a toll on my mothers’ mental health, but for me and my sisters, she struggled to be her best version of herself. I asked my grandfather a few years ago about grandma if she is dead, but he reassured me that she is very much alive somewhere, because he didn’t ever feel the mate bond snap, just severed. He described it like she was being alive but very far away from us.

Still sad and missing her, but he managed to survive without his mate near beside him, which is a very hard thing to do. Most mates grow weaker when their counterpart severs the bond, some of them even die. I suppose I didn’t quite realize what a powerful Alpha my grandfather was. My heart ached for him seeing him like this and if I ever encounter my famous grandmother, I would surely give her a piece of my mind.

My mother continued her story.

“My parents were there, but they couldn’t reach me. It was like in that moment I was being surrounded by a wall of a hurricane-like wind, and nobody could approach me.”

Hurricane-like wind…and then I instantly remembered my nightmare from before... with large eyes I listened what my mother was telling, hanging on every word.

“It was clearly a powerful black magic that somehow my stepsister managed to use this time. She wasn’t a powerful witch, her being half human, but she must’ve done something…something terrible in order to gain such power...”

“After I passed out, I was told that she discharged a very thick black smoke around her as she disappeared laughing hysterically…”

“Mom? What does that have to do with my dreams?” I ask in a serious tone, slightly impatient.

“Well...” she sighs “when I was passed out, I remember being in a complete darkness feeling a complete hollowness inside me like no other, and then I heard her voice coming from many directions as creepy whispers, saying ‘My sweet little sister...always sweet, always loved...always cute’ and I could feel the way she grimaced the last word...

‘My wedding gift comes with a bonus for your future offspring...’ came a whisper from my left.

‘don’t worry, no thanks needed though! Ha ha ha ha...!’ another one from my right.

‘Your firstborns’ mate will forever be with her, but never to touch...’ is heard from my left.

‘Never to hear...’ comes from behind.

‘Never to claim... ‘dark whispers surrounding me this time.

‘Oh my, I’ve shared a precious little secret with you…’ she giggles sickly sweet.

‘Indeed, you will have a daughter. And you can’t do anything to help her!!! Or yourself!!’ she said, her maniacally laughs ringing louder and louder as I covered my ears but without any real success in dampening the horrific sounds.”

I watched her with my eyes fixed, my heart skipping a beat. No, this cannot be true...forever be with her, but never to touch…

“You’re saying that I am... cursed...? never to …find my mate...???!!” I ask almost choking as my eyes began to sting from the unshed tears that unwillingly gathered in my eyes.

No, no, no, this cannot be happening. There must be a way…and then I realized something.

“Why now mother??” I ask eyeing her suspiciously.

“Is something going to happen on my 21^st birthday? What did you mean that you would have more time??”

She raises her beautiful bright green eyes looking deep into mine as she states.

“On your 21^st birthday you will get to feel your mate, I don’t understand exactly how…but because you cannot claim each other…” she pauses, staring at me with love and fear for what she is about to say, a single tear dropping on her right cheek, “...it will slowly weaken your life force until...”.

Shit. That’s a hell of a birthday present.