"Please, everyone calm down. We all know the essence of our ancestors do not make mistakes. I understand we are confused by the essence color surrounding the girls, but it could be as simple as the girls marrying another coven's upcoming high priest. So please, let's not panic. We will figure this out, there is no need to worry."
I had to say something to calm the members of my coven.
Even though I knew what I was saying was logical and it seemed to comfort people, I know there was a far more complicated meaning behind my girl's essence color.
"MOM, DAD, NANA!" Margot screamed hysterically.
I turned towards her and when my eyes finally reached her, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.
I immediately shimmered to my girls.
"Melia honey, what's wrong?"
"She passed out and I couldn't get her to wake back up, she was mind-thinking to someone about her wolf," Maisie said frantically.
"Her what?" Baine questioned Maisie.
"That's what I heard her say. I only heard the end of the conversation when I bent down and touched her arm, she looked terrified, " Maisie said through tears.
I sternly grabbed her by the arms so she could read my mind.
"Enough! I need you to be brave. Did you hear anything else, maybe from the person Melia was talking to?"
Immediately, Maisie squared her shoulders and her tears dried up.
"Yes, she said her name was Ember and that she was Melia's other half, her wolf."
"Good, girl."
"Mother, please address the coven." I looked over at my mother, then back up at Baine "Hold on to them".
He reached down and grabbed hold of Melia and Margot's arms. I reached out and grabbed his arm, shimmering us all into the Coven house.
"What the hell is going on, Athena?" Baine looked at me, clearly upset.
I raised my hand up to him.
"Maisie, please take Margot upstairs," I said to my girls.
Once they disappear up the stairs, I turn my attention back to my husband.
"It sounds like the binding spell burnt off a lot faster than we thought it was going to. They are too powerful to keep any part of them concealed, especially without Rosalie here to help me." I said to Baine as my mind wandered back to my late sister.
Rosalie was my baby sister and my best friend. She raised my girls like they were her own when I was unable to do so myself. If I'm being honest, the girls were more hers than mine because she was the one that was there for them. She's the one that kissed them goodnight, kissed their boo-boos, taught them all they needed to know, and loved them unconditionally for the first twelve years of their lives.
That was until she and the kid's godmother, Kiada, were murdered trying to keep our children safe from the cold ones. To this day, no one knows how the old ones found them or how the kids survived such a brutal attack. We were just lucky that August could sense his children were in danger. He fought off the cold ones, bringing Rosalie, Kiada, and the children home to the coven house. He crossed right over into the coven territory without a second thought and man was my mother mad, but she got over it.
That was the day, I knew she would protect August and our children, no matter what the cost.
“Athena”
My husband wiped the single tear that escaped down my face, pulling me from the past.
“We are going to have to tell them, Baine, they need to know.”
“We knew this day would come. We couldn’t keep this part of them hidden forever, my love.” Baine whispered and squeezed my hand trying to comfort me.
“I know, I just didn’t think it would come so soon.”
“Eighteen years have flown by. We should never have listened to my mother, six years just hasn’t been enough time.”
“She was only trying to keep us all safe, plus the girls loved living with your sister and we loved going there to be with them. We were there every possible minute.”
“Everything was so much simpler then. Now the coven is even more uptight, the strictest it has ever been.”
I sighed as I moved Melia’s hair out of her face.
She is so beautiful, my baby.
As Melia was quietly snoring, I laid my hand on her chest so I could feel her heartbeat.
We couldn’t take her to the coven doctor, not that we needed to.
I knew she was just overwhelmed and exhausted.
She has had one hell of a night.
“Maybe we should make a trip up to the lake. We have always loved it there.” Baine interrupted my thoughts.
“We didn’t really have a choice. That was the only place we could all be together as a family for the first twelve years of our girls' lives.” I countered.
“Your sister said you both loved it there as kids” Baine crossed his eyes at me, causing me to smile.
“What if she doesn’t want to come home after she knows about her . .
“Knows about my what?” Melia cut me off.
She stretched, yawned, and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
“Baby, you’re a wake.” I wrapped my whole body around hers.
“I’m fine mama.” Melia chuckled and hugged me back.
“Do you remember what happened?” Baine smiled down at her.
I removed my body from hers so I could study her face.
“Sort of, I remember someone mind-linking me but I didn’t know who it was. I had a really bad headache and I know I fell over my own gosh darn feet but then everything went black.”
“Do you remember anything the voice had to say?”
“She said her name was Ember and that she was a wolf.”
Melia had her nose all scrunched, looking utterly confused.
“Why are there wolves on the coven grounds and why can one of them mind-link me? I don’t understand mom, what is going on?”
I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes tight.
“We have a lot to talk about baby girl but it can wait until tomorrow. Let me help you upstairs to your room so you can get some much-needed rest.” Baine jumped in and saved me.
I took my daughter's hand and kissed it, “I’ll explain everything tomorrow darling, after breakfast. For now, you need to rest.”
Baine scooped her up in his arms like a baby and made his way toward the steps before she could protest.
Right before he disappears up the stairs, I see Melia snuggle into her father's chest.
I swiped a tear from my cheek and opened my mind-link.
“Mrs. Wilson, will you please bring me a cup of tea? I’m in the family room.”
I closed my mindlink.
How am I going to explain this to my girls without them hating me? We have concealed parts of them their whole lives. Parts that make them whole.
I know it needed to be done for our coven and my mother wouldn't have had it any other way, but what about my girls and I? When am I going to start doing what is best for us?
I hated myself from the day I gave my girls up. I knew our lives were never going to be what I dreamed them to be.
I missed their first steps, their first words, and their first day of school. So many firsts I missed, and not because I chose to, but because I was forced to.
How could I have been so weak?
How did I let it get this far?
I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open, but as soon as my dad laid me on my bed and closed the door behind him, my sisters attacked me with questions.
"What happened, Mia? "
"Are you all right?"
"What did mom say?"
"Enough with the questions, I don't have any answers." I snapped at them.
Maisie and Margot climbed into bed with me, squishing me in-between them.
Maisie laid her head on my shoulder and Margot stroked my hair.
We opened our mindlink:
"I honestly don't know what happened and mom wouldn't tell me anything. There is something going on though, something they have been keeping a secret. Mom was really anxious and upset but she refused to give me any answers until tomorrow. It has something to do with Alpha August and his pack being here tonight. How could a wolf mind-link me? Why were any of them even allowed on the coven grounds and why had they been allowed to stay? If I had a wolf, why didn't she come and introduce herself in person instead of scaring the bejesus out of me? Is she like my bodyguard? I doubt a werewolf can be somebody's pet, she is a person with an alter ego. Like a superhero! Well, kind of . . "
"That's enough, Mia, worrying to death isn't going to help. We will just see what mom has to say tomorrow. What else can we do?" Maisie said, cutting my rambling short.
Maisie cut off her mindlink and rolled onto her back.
I turned on my side, wrapped my arms around her, and rested my head on her shoulder.
Margot nuzzled up against my back and we all fell asleep.
ATHENA POV "Do you think the girls are awake yet? It's going to be a long day, maybe we should let them sleep in?" I questioned myself more than Baine. "Procrastination won't save you, baby. It's time!" I rolled my eyes at my husband. He kissed me on the forehead as he pulled me off our bed and then swatted me on the butt as he pushed me out of our bedroom door. I crossed my eyes at him and he stuck his tongue out at me before I took off toward the girls' rooms. I love that man. I'll never understand how he can make me smile and feel like everything is going to be just fine on one of the worst days of my life. As I opened the door to Melia's room I was not prepared for what I had seen. "Leporem" I whispered. My camera appeared in my hand and I snapped a couple of pictures of my beautiful girls. This was a memory I wanted to keep forever. Maisie was hanging off the edge of the bed, Melia was hanging on to Maisie for dear life, Margot was all sprawled out with her head resting
MELIA POV I’m glad I'm not the first one to speak. Even if I knew it was what my sisters were expecting of me. My head was spinning and my brain was running wild with unanswered questions, but when I finally opened my mouth to speak, nothing came out. Biologically, Lily and Vera aren't my sisters, but in all other respects, they were as much my sisters as Maisie, Margot, and Kira. Even though all this information was hard to wrap my head around, I'm glad mom decided to share it with all of us because I really need my sisters right now. Vera was the first of us to speak up and it was like she was reading my thoughts. Vera looked down at her hands and when she lifted her head back up to look at us, she had a grin on her face. “From birth, I was raised as your girl's sister, it was like our moms were sister wives from the very beginning. I don’t think we have ever spent more than a day apart from one another.” “I know Aunt Athena isn’t my mother, but after my mom and Aunt Rosalie
ATHENA POV“Baine, where could she have run off to?”“We will find her, honey. All of the warriors are out looking for her now.”“It’s been five hours since she left the coven house. The rogue activity has been at an all-time high for the last couple of months, they could kill her!”“Athena!” My husband grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place.“That is very far from the truth and you know it! Our girls may be young but they are fighters, they have trained their whole lives to protect themselves.”“Don’t you dare snap at me!” I pushed myself out of my husband’s grip.“My child is missing and the only thing you have to say is that she can take care of herself!”“I’m sorry to tell you buddy boy, but training to fight and fighting are two completely separate things!”Baine rubbed his face and took a deep breath before he spoke.“Yes, honey, I know and I’m sorry, but I’m just as scared for her as you but worrying to death isn’t helping either one of us.”I knew he was right, but I would n
MELIA POVI opened my mindlink."Roxy, can you hear me?""Melia, where are you?""Rox, I'm at the corner of the territory next to the standing stones. Will you please come and get me? I'm beat!""I'm on my way."I closed my mindlink as I waited for Roxy to come and save my ass."Mia."Without any questions, Roxy pulled my arm around her neck and helped me to her cottage. "Lightning or Thunder?" Roxy questioned."Lightening"Roxy smirked but said nothing."Lay down for a little bit and I'll get Abuela's broom."I couldn't help but chuckle."Shut it, you know it helps." Roxy raised her eyebrows at me as she walked back into the room with her Nana’s old handmade broom.Roxy started shuffling around the room, sweeping forcefully. As she kicked up a mass amount of energy in my direction, it shimmered and sparkled in the setting sun's light that was shining through the window.I couldn't help but belly laugh at her as all the energy literally swept her up off her feet."Alright, alright, t
MELIA POVSpending a night with Roxy cleared my head. I had to go home to face my mother at some point or she would hunt me down and drag me home.But what exactly was I to say to her?I couldn’t believe she would hide something like that from us.I get what she did was forbidden, but to bind our wolves so that she could keep us in the dark just pissed me off.She was the one that chose to do things that she knew were wrong and I could even forgive her for that, but to wait until we were eighteen then and say "Oh, yeah, by the way, you're a werewolf and you have to be Luna to some strange man's pack" that was supposedly our biological father was just so messed up on a dozen different levels.I could always run away or refuse to do any of what they are asking.I wasn't exactly sure what the consequences of that would be, but I am now an adult and I refuse to let anyone make any more decisions for me!I sighed and let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. On the other hand,
MELIA POVI couldn't breathe, something was clawing at my neck and face.I sat straight up in bed, feeling for any claw marks on my neck. What a terrifying dream I had been having. I hated feeling like I couldn't breathe like I was being suffocated or drowned."Please moon goddess don't let me go out that way!"I let out a yawn and stretched before I threw my covers off and got to my feet. I looked down at myself.Why was I wearing day clothes? Where were my pj's?I looked around my room and nothing seemed to be out of place, so I decided to get ready for the day.As I walked towards my bathroom, I walked past my window and I didn't see any light trying to escape from underneath my curtains. Wait a second, was it dark outside?I started to panic.Something was wrong.I turned on my heels, moving towards my bedroom door. I had to find my mom.The door was locked.What in the hell was going on here? I was really starting to freak out, pounding on my door."Hello, what the hell is go
ATHENA POV "High Priestess." Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I opened my mindlink. "Good Morning Marty!" "Good Morning Ma'am. I'm sorry to disturb you so early but Alpha August is at the front gate requesting to speak to you." "Thank you Marty, I'll be right there." I closed off my mindlink. If August wasn't the biggest pain in my ass! I shimmered to the front gate. "WHAT?" "Good morning to you too, Athena." "Kiss my ass August! It's way too early for your bullshit." "Don't tempt me." August cut his eyes at me. If I wasn't so irritated with him I'd have blushed. "I guess you might as well come in since you insist on being such a nuisance." August belly laughed as he strolled through the front gate, then smiled that bread-winning smile directly at me. He had always looked just like a movie star. Perfect complexion, perfect white teeth, silver-green eyes, high cheekbones, square jaw, and a whole head full of thick silver hair that he has had since birth, I've been told.
MELIA POVHow could I have burnt my mom, was I really that angry with her? Yes, I was upset with her, but I would never hurt her intentionally, would I? I had tried all night to remember what happened but it was all still blank. I remember getting upset, I remember trying to put out my flames on dad's couch and even seeing mom and Nana appear next to me but then nothing. Why couldn't I remember anything? I remember an itchy, burning sensation all over my body, but then everything got really cool like I walked into the coven house's walk-in freezer. And what about Dean? I stood him up on our very first date and I didn't even mean to. If he liked me even a little he definitely doesn't now. I'll never be able to show my face at training again.I buried my head into my pillow and screamed. "Girls, I need you to meet me in the garden for breakfast in 10 minutes"My mom's voice was speaking like a megaphone in my already aching head.I opened my mindlink."Mom, is there any way I could p