When my mother was born, she also lived her life as a human. I was not raised to believe in magic, but somehow destiny has a way of making things happen. My best friend belonged to the witch coven I am to become High Priestess of now, and she introduced me to magic. I converted and Paganism became my religion. I could do magic as a human, but I could not be introduced to any other supernatural beings. I would only learn about them later in my life. I completed an initiation ceremony into the coven as a human at twelve-year-old.
When I turned seventeen something miraculous happened, I received my markings. Miraculous to me that is, because I didn't know I was supposed to receive markings. I completed my initiation ceremony as a true witch, and then the whole supernatural world was revealed to me. My grandmother couldn't become my Keeper because she never knew she was a Chosen. I have always been a less powerful witch than other witches, but I never knew why. I never found my soul mate either, but I never knew I was supposed to find him. I didn't know I was supposed to be a Chosen, because Chloe hid the book when Claire didn't become one. The book will only reveal itself for a Chosen to read it in its entirety.
I didn't have this information when I did the locator spell a week ago, but I now know that this is the reason why said spell worked. I was supposed to have been a Chosen. Once the book was located, I read and reread it, so as to not miss anything. I called Ren and we discussed the book in detail then deciding that it would be best to train Dravon. Ren started bringing Dravon to my house to learn how to block his thoughts from Emmaline, until she can complete her initiation ceremony. I also know now that Ren definitely knows more than he has ever told me or Dravon. He has promised to take me to meet Chloe when it is safe, but first things first is Emmaline's initiation ceremony, her birthday party, and my Keeper ceremony.
The chirping of my cell phone interrupts my thoughts and reading. I look at the text, already knowing who sent it. I put on my jacket and lock my door before I even text Emmaline back. I hurry to my car, and once inside my new midnight blue Camaro I look at my text and reply.
Molly: I am on my way Emmaline. Please, calm down!
Emmaline: Ty. Gran. I will be out front.
I am pulling out of my driveway when I receive another text.
Unknown: We need to speak! It is urgent!
I am trying to decide if I should reply. Who could this be? What could this be about? How did this person get my number? I finally decide it is better to reply then to worry excessively.
Molly: Who is this?
Unknown: Grayson Davenport
Molly: Are you related to James?
Grayson: Yes, I am his father. We need to speak immediately!
Molly: I will meet you at 2 pm at the park. What is this about?
Grayson: I'll be there. It's better if we speak in person.
When I arrive at the front door of Great Falls High, Emmaline is outside in the arms of James. She is tightly hugged to his chest. He is holding her like she is a feather. At this point, things are starting to fall right into place. I am so excited, because it is all happening. I know what Grayson wants to talk about now, and it's all starting to make sense. There is only one more thing that is a puzzle to me, but I don't have time to think about that.
James carries Emmaline to the car. "Hello, Ms. Layton, how are you?" James sits her in the passenger seat, and fastens her seat belt carefully.
"James, it's Molly or Gran. Are you coming to Em's party tonight?" I ask.
"Yes, Molly, I will be there," James answers, looking at Emmaline. "Em, Am I still escorting you to your Gran’s for your party tonight?"
Emmaline looks at me for confirmation of our plans for tonight, and I know she is not able to answer him. She looks utterly exhausted, like she has run a marathon.
"Yes, James, I think you still need to give Em a ride to the house, because I have a few things to take care of before the party," I reply.
He smiles at Emmaline and releases her hand. He carefully closes the car door, and waits until my car is out of sight before he goes back inside.
Emmaline is asleep before we are halfway to my cabin. I hurriedly text Ren so that he can let Dravon know where she is. I don't want a crazed, lovesick vampire panicking inside school. Somehow, I just don't think that will end well.
Molly: Ren please let Dravon know that Emmaline is with me. I am taking her to the cabin, so I can try to explain. I have a meeting with Grayson Davenport at 2pm at the park. I don't have time to explain why, but it is all coming together.
Ren: I will let him know, be careful, and keep me informed. I was just getting ready to text you. I take it that you already know, but the signs are there. Dravon has texted me verifying this fact. I will have him there tonight, so we can complete the necessary actions. He is going to need her sooner than we anticipated.
Molly: Yes, I know, but she hasn't told me fully. I will arrange the appropriate gathering, and let you know what time.
Ren: Ty Molly.
I awake Emmaline when we arrive at my little cabin in the woods, near the underground library. She is startled and is looking around nervously. I pat her hand to give her some reassurance. I make my way around to her side of the car and help her stand.
"Oh, My God! Gran, what is going on?" she asks before we are even inside.
"Let's get inside Em, and I will explain," I reply calling her by the pet name I gave her when she was born.
I hurry to the stove and heat some water to make tea, while Emmaline sits at the table. "Oh, Em, I am so sorry I couldn't tell you before. I know that you're upset at me, but please understand. I will explain all of this to you as soon as the rest of the Coven is here to witness your initiation ceremony. If you accept this life, I will be able to tell you more," I start to explain.
"What do you mean by this life, Gran?" she asks me puzzled, but doesn't wait for a reply before she is anxiously letting it all out. "Listen Gran, I don't know what the hell is going on, but what I do know is that I have a freaking pentagram on my back. I woke up this morning just fine, and took a left turn detour into wackville. I know you are not going to believe a damn thing I'm saying, but I am telepathic. Well, I am telepathic with one person, Gran. The one person that I would have never expected, and do you want to guess whom? Dravon Riley, that is who!" she says all in one breath, exasperated.
"Emmaline, I do believe you, and this is all the way it is supposed to be. There are certain rules you must follow now. Your parents can never know about this life, because if you tell them it can and will be punishable by death. The pentagram is supposed to be there, Em. May I please look at your back?" I ask.
Emmaline turns around so that I can raise her shirt, and there at the bottom inside the circle next to the fifth point of the pentagram is a unity symbol.
I am so happy at this point I am almost in tears, and I grab Emmaline and just hug her tightly. "Em, I can't tell you anymore just yet. I have a few things I need to do. I will drop you off at your place, but you need to just be patient. It will all be explained soon. I need you to not contact Dravon, because he is already aware of the situation. Can you do that for me, Em?" I ask. I know that I am asking a lot of her, but I have no choice but to follow the rules.
"Sure, Gran. I will do my best," she replies smiling at me.
When I see her smile, I know in my heart she is going to be fine.
Chapter Five
Emmaline
There I was snuggled up to James like I was seeking shelter in a terrible storm when Gran arrived. I was so comfortable I didn't want him to ever let go. I was surprised that I fell asleep during the car ride to Gran's cabin that I didn't even know existed. I still don't have any answers, but somehow, I feel more at ease now that I know my Gran is with me every step of the way, no matter what this journey is.
The ride to the condominium was much like the ride to the cabin, except I was awake. I notice a moving van when we approach my driveway. I get out of the car, and the first thing I see is a young guy
. He looks to be my age. I wave bye to Gran as I walk up the drive. I know that he has noticed me, because he continues to look at me out of the corner of his eye. I am not particularly excited by this thought, because I just feel like something just isn't right.
I carry that feeling upstairs and climb into bed, because I think I really need some rest. Today has already been like two lifetimes to me.
Chapter Six
James
My seventeenth birthday was two weeks ago. I can't believe that it took that long for me to discover who I am, and to meet my parents for the first time. I say the first time because it is the only time I can remember. They sent me away to live with my grandma when I was three, because I wouldn't have my first change until I turned seventeen. I couldn't be a part of their supernatural world until then. I am a Canis Lupus Nubilus, which means that I am a Great Plains wolf. This means I am a werewolf, but an unusual one because I don't turn hairy every full moon. What it means is that I become a wolf when I choose, or I can call on any of my wolf senses when needed. I am thankful to the witches for that gift. I don't want to have to change every full moon, and with their magic that is possible.
I know now that is the reason why my grandma and I moved here. It was to meet up with the pack, but my grandma doesn't know that tad bit of information. My mother is half wolf, because she got the gene from her father but not my grandmother. My mother has never met her father, and because he didn't know that a half-breed could still be a wolf he left her. My grandma and she lived by themselves until she met my father. It was either pure luck or destiny that my father found her when they were sixteen. Their bonding brought forth my mother's wolf gene, and a few years later I came along.
My father, Grayson Davenport, is Alpha of the Canis Lupus Nubilus pack in Montana, which of course means my mother Lily is Omega of the pack. My mother is the only half-breed, so they didn't know what would happen when I turned seventeen and left me for my grandma to raise. I am three-fourths wolf, and one-fourth human. They didn't know if I would turn or not, since my mother and I are the exceptions to the rule. It may take mating to bring forth my gene also.
It has been very strange since I met them. I love them because they are my parents, but I am just now getting to know them. I mean it is weird to wake up one day, and realize that your parents didn't desert you because they didn't love you. They did it to protect you, so that you wouldn't be put to death. Of course now, I am torn between the parents that I want to get to know and the woman who loved and raised me. I know that I will have to leave soon to protect her, but it is killing me inside. I have already had my first turn on the night of my seventeenth birthday, because I didn't know what was happening to me.
Emotions play a major part in uncontrollable changes. I know I can just call on my wolf senses when I need them, like the rest of the pack now. I wished I would have known this first and foremost, because it would have saved me that painful change and the anxiety that came with it. My gran can never find this out. I have to train very hard to learn the discipline to control my emotions, so that I won't turn without choosing to do so.
My father wants me to finish out school here in Great Falls, but I don't know why. I would think that he would want me to get to know the pack. He has left his Beta Connor close to protect me, and see to it that I get to school while my father attends to pack business. Everything was going along smoothly, and then out of nowhere life threw me yet another curve ball. It's not like finding out I was a wolf wasn't enough for me to deal with already.
This morning I was on my way to the bus, where I met up with Emmaline like every other morning, when something strange happened. Em passed out, and I caught her before she hit the ground. It was different though, because when I touched her this time there was a tingling sensation that went from my head to my toe. I felt warm and content, and I had never felt that amazing before. I comforted her, and settled on the bus next to her all the way to school, trying to figure out what had just happened. It wasn't until first period when things just kept detouring into ultimate craziness.
I am sitting in first period listening to Mr. Hall talk about the Civil War, when I am literally pulled up out of my seat with an extreme urgency that I can't possibly deny my body. I am almost sprinting toward the classroom door before I even know I have vacated my seat. There is an overwhelming urgency that threatens to overwhelm and almost cause me to falter on every step I take. I have no idea where I am going, nor do I know what's so urgent. It's like my body is on auto pilot. I am in the girls' bathroom holding Emmaline snug to my chest before it even registers where I am. When I hear her speak to me, I'm literally shocked that she is in my arms.
"James, you are in the girls' restroom. How did you know I was here and upset?" she asks.
Instead of answering her question, I reply with my own. "Are you okay, Emmaline?" I ask.
"Yes James, I am okay. I need to make it to the senior parking lot, because my Gran is picking me up."
I have no idea why or what has come over me, but I carry Em through the hall not caring who sees. I am securely holding her on the sidewalk while we silently and patiently wait on her Gran, and the whole time I hold her snug to my chest listening to her calming breaths.
The entire time that I hold her that warm, tingly, comfortable feeling is there enveloping me in the most contentment that I have ever experienced. I have no idea how to explain in words what I'm feeling, but soon as her gran picks her up I need to text my dad. Something strange is happening, and my newly attuned wolf is picking up on it. I also need to have an overdue conversation with Emmaline. How do you explain something as strange as this occurrence to someone that has been your friend for multiple years? I mean, my thoughts sound crazy to me. What will it sound like to her? Will she think I’m a lunatic? I think it is inevitable at this point.
Once Emmaline is safely in the car, and they have driven out of sight I don't feel that overwhelming urgency anymore. I know that I need to text my dad, but I need to clear my thoughts so that I can have a coherent conversation with him. I have always loved books, because reading has always been my comforting action. I just sit down with a book and get lost in the characters' story. I forget all about my own troubles for a while, but reality soon comes crashing back down.
I am on my way to the library when I collide with Sadie. My heartbeat quickens as it always does when she is near.
"James, I was wondering where you went. I mean you left English like the building had just combusted into flames," she says with a smirk.
"I wasn't feeling too good, and I thought I was going to be sick," I say half-heartedly, knowing I'm telling a lie. "I ran into Emmaline in the hall, and she wasn’t feeling well either. Her Gran picked her up." I continue the conversation and steer her away from questioning me further. Sadie has a way of getting me to tell her things I would normally keep to myself.
"I didn't know you guys were sick. I hope I don't catch it," she says.
I almost laugh because she looks so concerned, but I hold back. "I need to return a book quickly, and then I will meet you in second period," I say so that I can escape to the library. I turn, heading for the library in the quickest pace I can muster while Sadie's eyes bore a whole in the back of my head with her questioning stare.
I pass the librarian, and she just smiles at me. I am in here so much she never fusses about me ditching class. I think she knows I just need the solitude, and I am a straight A student so there is no need to worry about my grades. I make my way to the poetry section which is my favorite one of the library, and I just slide down on the floor in exhaustion from the morning events, with overwhelming questions plaguing my mind. I take calming breaths; practicing the technique I am being taught. The last thing that I need to do is change here. I feel my fingernails trying to lengthen, and I feel that itchiness that takes over when I turn. It's a few minutes before I am comfortable enough to send my dad a text. Something about the library, mainly the poetry section, always has that
calming effect on me that I so desperately need this morning.
James: Father, there is something weird going on.
Grayson: Son, What is it?
James: I really don't know how to explain it. There is this girl that lives near me. Emmaline Watson. This morning she passed out, and when I caught her I felt this tingling, warm sensation all over my body. She was upset later in the bathroom, and it was like my body took over. I was in the girls' bathroom with her in my arms before I even knew it. Is this part of the senses?
Grayson: Yes, something like that son. Don't worry. I will explain everything later. Come straight to the normal meeting place after school.
James: Yes, Father.
I close my phone, and lean my head against the large bookshelf. I take some steadying breaths before I have to contemplate even going to class. I am dreading this with extreme passion, until Sadie crosses my mind. I love Sadie, and I have for a while. That is why all this is so confusing to me. Emmaline is my close friend, but there has never been any other feelings than that between us. I push all those thoughts to the back of my mind, and I am determined to make the best of the rest of my day. My father will answer all my questions later. I hope anyway. I know in my heart that I am madly in love with Sadie, so there has to be some other explanation for the way that I am feeling about Em.
Chapter Seven
Molly
I arrive at the park, and Grayson is sitting on the picnic table. He is six feet 3 inches tall with a muscular build to die for. He has blue eyes that resemble James's. The resemblance between father and son is actually uncanny. My heart quickens a bit in apprehension as I take in his appearance. He has a sharp jawline that makes his handsome face look rugged, but also screams seriousness. I can tell by his body language, he is used to being heard and getting everything he demands. He has the bearing of someone not used to anyone saying no. I already have an idea of what he wants to talk about.