Chapter 3 : A Cookie and Some Coffee

Selyna’s POV

All the myths are true…my mind is reeling as I stare around the coffee shop, a double moccachino in the glass mug on the table in front of me. I am so glad that secretary, what was her name? Kristen?Kristy? Kirsty?yeah that was it! Well, I am glad she recommended this place…it has a cool vibe and really great coffee. The small coffee house has brick walls adorned with bright art and the staff are quite colorful themselves, I could see this quickly becoming a favorite hangout. I must have fainted because I woke up on a sofa in the Alpha’s office worry and awe on the faces of both the alpha and Ashe.

     It was a shock when I found out I was a witch, an actual supernatural being…real life witch, when  I was 13 the shock was quadrupled when I found out that not only was my best friend a Werewolf, or Wolf Shifter as they prefer, but over half the town was and their father is the Alpha of their pack. I mean I had heard that witches were real, I now know the difference between various kinds of witches, wiccans, and those who can only do subtle magics that most humans could manage yet deem themselves witches, but I had always thought shifters and werewolves and vampires and other supernaturals were stuff of myths. So, naturally finding out over 4 years ago that it was all real, that all myths are at least in part based on reality, that had been one for the books. It had taken a bit to get over my initial shock. Then today standing in that reception, I smelled a storm so strong I swore I could feel electricity surging, lightning running through the air and my body and I held on just a few moments before it overtook me and I fainted. What was that? It was even weirder than all the shocks that lead up to me finding out that I was a witch. I still wonder about that dream from my 13th birthday, but I have never had another like it.

     After I had awoken, I ate the oatmeal cookie in my hand, Ashe told me it was necessary and while it wasn’t as good as Melina’s it did make me feel a bit more steady. The Alpha asked me where I got my pendant and I told him it was all I had left of my real parents, the look he gave me made me think he knew more than he was letting on, but my mind was a mess…still is a mess, so I didn’t question him. After Ashe handed him a package from their father we were dismissed with a reminder that the alpha was there for anything we needed and that the packhouse was always open to us. I don’t know why but I felt like the alpha really wanted to keep us close.

     “Earth to Selyna, did you hear me?” Ashe waves a hand in front of my face with a smirk and giggle as I blink at them, coming back to reality.

     “Ahhh, nope! Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, bestie!” I grin guiltily for having missed out on our conversation.

     “Dude, I was asking if you are enjoying your pretentious coffee. This place is pretty chill, we should definitely hang here more, they have a local band playing friday night!” Ashe’s smile grows even bigger as my face must register what I am thinking.

“Definitely! This will be our pretentious coffee spot, although I think yours isn’t pretentious enough!” I giggle, eyeing their cup of black dark roast. 

     “Nah! This is perfect, you keep your fancy pretentious stuff!” Ashe retorts and just as I am about to reply a girl…no she wolf plops down next to us.

     “Hey bitches, uh or whatever!” the girl, a younger version of Kirsten with chunky blond streaks through her red hair, says in a bubbly, fake and over friendly tone.

I growl…that’s right I growled, hanging out with wolves must have me tapping into my animalistic side…I did not like her tone or the “or whatever”. Ashe’s eyes blow wide and they grab my hands tight.

    “Anyway, I hear you will be going to the University. Alpha told me to introduce myself and to let you know that if you need any help finding entertainment or making new friends I am here. Besides as future Luna…”

   “You are not the future Luna!” a husky growl that sends shivers through me interrupts the phony girl. “You aren’t even 16 yet, so can’t find your mate for another 3 months and I seriously doubt that I am it!” His dark, muscular figure looms over her and she scurries off giving a little wave as she slides out the back door. His intense eyes look between Ashe and I, going narrow as they hone in on mine, his nostrils flare, and his expression softens, slightly, “Hi! Sorry about the welcome wagon, it drags! I am not one to talk though…ah, I guess I need to apologize for earlier as well. I am Damian, Sean’s son. I didn’t mean to nearly run you over trying to escape my father earlier, but he pisses me off with his optimism and infuriating never ending list of dead ends. I really do hope for his sake we find Alpha Dimitri and he is alive or he will drive himself insane and drag me with him.'' The gruff guy rakes a large tattooed hand down his rather beautiful face in exasperation, falling into the chair that the overly chipper girl had vacated and taking the cup a gangly looking guy with long hair of a muddy blend of faded colors, green the most prominent is handing him. With a sigh he takes a sip then breathes deeply and turns to us. “I really hope to see you both at the back to school dinner my father throws every year, he’ll probably send you invites and it doesn’t drag as much as it sounds like it does,” he says before standing and walking out with his friend. That smell…it hit me at the packhouse, and hasn’t really left my nose since, it had grown fainter, less pronounced, but as he stood it seemed to settle over me, it smelled so good, like a

warm hug on a rainy day while walking in the forest…I know I started smiling and I am sure my thoughts about who I would like that hug to come from are way off, but I can’t seem to help myself.

    “Yeah, for a grumpy asshole he is hot!” Ashe laughs at me. “Witches have some sort of fated mate system too, don’t you? When you meet your mate Damian will likely pale in comparison.” 

     Damn Ashe for knowing me so well! What are best friends for? I do think they are wrong though, no one could ever forget about Damian…his Dark stormy eyes, his black hair, his chiseled jaw and large, muscular, tattooed form, the hint of silver I saw on his tongue as he spoke (I didn’t realize wolf shifters could get pierced), he is so dreamy, but there is anger and frustration and resentment swirling around his aura, if I could read them so clearly I would have read the heartache, passion and creativity hiding behind all that darkness. There is far more to that grumpy guy than there seems and I want to find out what it is. 

     “Yeah there is I guess, I only vaguely know how wolf shifter mate systems work, but witches have soulmates, typically we can find our soulmate anytime after turning 21, but some can sense it mildly before that”, I say with a sigh. I honestly didn't pay much attention when I was being taught about mates 4 and a half years ago…maybe I need to ask Rayanne to repeat those lessons. 

     “Seriously, girl, it isn’t like you to fall for a pretty face, especially one with such a nasty attitude! What is up with that?” Ashe scoffs and rolls their eyes toward the door Damian had walked out through. Something about that made my stomach twist and anger bubble…I wanted to scream that he is more than just a pretty face and bad attitude, but I really don’t know him to defend him and I don’t know where the anger came from. I never get angry at Ashe. I bite my tongue and shrug. Changing Our conversation to our thoughts on decorating our home I sip on my moccachino.  The conversation flows and we finish our drinks and walk home.

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     My bed is calling my name. Whatever happened to me earlier, really wiped me out. Thankfully,  I had thought to make my bed before we went to the packhouse, because I collapsed into it as soon as we got home, not even bothering to get changed. 

Darkness…

All around me is darkness, a darkness so thick it is palpable.

I breathe deeply, trying to fill my lungs and calm myself to get some sense of where I am, of when I am. 

I hear it, it is faint but there is someone , make that 2 someones weakly whispering…it sounds like a woman chanting a familiar chant, I think Rayanne used that one before…what was it for? 

    “Honey, is it working?” the deep male voice inquires. The chanting stops and a faint glow lights the way as I drift cautiously forward…her flame red hair is messy, her gray eyes look tired and she has gotten very thin, but I would recognise my mother anywhere. 

     “Princess, you have grown up so much!”  she whispers, barely audibly.Wy do people love to call me princess? Ashe and Jane and my real parents all do. “I don’t know when or if I will be able to reach into your dreams like this again, you need to get help if you try to find us, but first find Rayanne Drake and Storm Ash to train you in magic and ask Sean Dumas to train you with the warriors, Sean can explain everything he knows more than most, more than he even realizes…” she pauses and a man with black hair and midnight blue eyes leans into the light, my father looks haggard, but I know it is him.

“Mom! Dad! Are you really alive? Where are you?” I cry. The tears roll down my cheeks and I feel their wetness, taste the salt, but I don’t care…I can’t get any closer, and actually feel myself fading back. “NO!!! I don’t want to go yet!”

     “Sweetheart, train, embrace your power, stay safe. If you seek us, do not try it alone!” my father says as I am sucked out of the dream link and sit up on my bed in my darkened bedroom. 

     “I love you, mom! I love you, dad! I will find you!” I say into the empty room, then sigh to myself. My throat feels scratchy and dry…my hand that I had reached to the bars that separated me from them with before I got sucked from the link burns…I look down and see a painful red burn mark, right where I would have clasped the bar…definitely a dream link, not a regular dream. I resolve to talk to Rayanne about this first thing tomorrow, but first I need a glass of water.