ALPHA RAIDEN~~“Someone looks happy and radiant this morning.” Otis crackled as I stepped onto the small training field the pack had. The big smile on my face grew even bigger as I shook his hand, paying zero attention to Jeremy who simply grumbled at my presence. “You are talking about you, right?” I feign ignorance and it is chuckled, shaking his head. “Stop fooling around. I'm certain your—” Otis began to counter.However, Jeremy snickered without an iota of niceness, “Yes, stop fooling around. We have to train. We have to be ready.” My brows furrowed, “Ready for what?”Otis and Jereney exchanged looks and I figured Otis lied to me when he responded, “Ready to go hunting for the week, Alpha Raiden.”I didn't push any further, as he invited me to duel with him. But at that moment, Aurelia, the reason for the happiness I had been drowning in, sauntered to the training field with Susanna beside her and, of course, my little girl, Katie. Why wouldn't I be happier? Aurelia has
AURELIA~~When I said I didn't remember the kids’ birthday until yesterday, I lied. I lied to Raiden.My heart was heavy as I left Raiden’s side, and walked back to Susanna who had become my training partner in place of Jessica. Of course, she couldn’t replace Jessica because she was physically weaker in comparison and because there would only be one Jessica. “You could have told him. He could sense the lie and your sadness–” Inara began just as I reached Susanna’s side and she looped our hands together. “How could I? I doubt he recalls anything about Dakota. Phoebe is the only living person who would know and sadly, we aren’t in the same pack and won’t be able to hold a proper ceremony for Dakota together.” I interjected my wolf.Dakota’s remembrance ritual should be held on the same day my kids turn six but I couldn’t do it alone and I wasn’t sure it was advisable to hold a death remembrance ceremony on the same day as the twins' birth remembrance. I could be jinxing the live
AURELIA~~The excitement coursing through me was intoxicating. This was it. I get to finally have something that would connect me to my roots on a deeper level. Mental connection was cool but this would be cooler.“Goddess please let’s this work. Help me find my identity.” I muttered a silent prayer but everyone was within earshot. They heard me clearly and felt my excitement.I was laughed at but soon I was asked to sit within the shallow lake and I was joined by the trio– Susanna, Mia Lu, and Lori. They held one another's hands, forming a small circle around me.“Close your eyes, child, and search deep within you.” Mia Lu’s voice called for utmost obedience. I did as told and the trio began to chant in a language I didn’t understand. However, the chants helped me relax and my mind opened up, my heart beating fast yet steadily. Minutes passed and I didn’t feel anything aside from the relaxation the water and chants provided.Nothing happened differently, not until I inhaled dee
ALPHA RAIDEN~~One fact about keeping secrets was the fear and guilt that slowly eat one away. For the past two days, while wondering what my kids' birthday gifts could be, I have also considered telling Aurelia what I saw in the future. I yearn to share with her.But I also feared that she would lose it. Or Not.I haven’t told her yet and she has been moody these past few days. For my own sanity, I made myself believe that Aurelia was moody because she was occupied with training and planning the kids’ party. I tried to help however I could but I knew I wasn’t doing enough.It was no surprise that I left my hut two nights before the party and strolled over to Otis’s hut. “We’re sneaking around.” Lex laughed as I tiptoed closer to the hut. I scoffed, “Jeremy can be anywhere. I don’t want him to see me.” It was hard to believe that I, Alpha Raiden, was snaking around but thankfully, I got to Otis’s hut before anyone could see me. I knocked once on the wooden door and pushed the
ALPHA RAIDEN~~Otis’s power shouldn’t be undermined. With him accompanying me, I realized that the forest wasn’t as big as I thought it was. What wolves like me see and try to navigate is an illusion and it was made to trap us without leading us to the location of the hidden pack. That was brilliant and would come in handy in times of war.I still couldn’t understand why the white wolf lost to Black Fur during the Great War.“They didn’t know how to utilize their abilities in a war and maximize their resources. They were too kind.” Lex answered that question and I couldn’t argue with him.Regardless of my thoughts, we reached the cliff in no time, the darkness of the night shielding us as we began to dash through a much more familiar forest. At least for me. Otis followed my lead and surprisingly, he was able to keep up with my speed. As soon as I was close enough to the pack, I opened my mind and searched for my connection to Andrew. My mind was a bit rusty after almost a month
AURELIA~~The ceremony for Dakota ended three hours ago and everyone who attended should be asleep by now, resting up to get enough energy for the twins’ party which would be starting by noon today. However, I was unable to sleep. Katie and Kyle were sleeping in my bed, unaware of the small party they would be having. Although that kind of party Susanna and I were able to plan wasn’t what I envisioned for my babies’ sixth birthday, It would have to do. But that wasn’t what bothered me. What keeps me up is the fact that despite my effort to get back into the Seer realm and get more clarification, I’ve failed. The visions have been hunting my soul for the past three days and even though I tried to hide my worries, It was becoming obvious to Mia Lu and the others that I had no intention of telling them what I saw and how it would affect the pack at large. “Have you stopped to consider that perhaps you need to sleep well and eat just as well to succeed?” Inara grumbled within me.
ALPHA RAIDEN~~“You are fucking crazy, Jeremy.”How I wished those words were mine but Otis beat me to calling Jeremy what he is– A crazy but highly observant man. He must have been observing everyone in this pack to ensure the survival of his kind all these years for him to have noticed that Otis and I were gone. “Susanna wouldn’t have made it easy for him to notice but he did regardless.” Even my wolf agreed with me.Susanna chimed with relief, “Oh, look. There they are. You were just being loud for nothing.” Jeremy’s face twisted into a frown and I knew he couldn’t believe his eyes. Truth was, we would have executed the plan and made Jeremy look like a foolish and crazy man who was obsessed with me if my mom wasn’t standing behind me.Yes, she followed Otis and me here because she didn’t want to miss the twins’ birthday and she was also excited about seeing Mia Lu again. Apparently, they used to know each other. “Well, you are not completely crazy, Jeremy. You were partially
AURELIA~~“Happy Birthday!”This is the ritual. It has been for the past six years. I gather people the twins are familiar with and wait outside my bedroom door, In Tristan’s pack it was a mini apartment but here in the hidden pack, it was a wooden hut. Yet the ritual remains the same. We waited for Katie and Kyle to come out of the hut together, as I knew they would, and blurted those two words with bright smiles, warm hearts, and all the energy we could summon. However, unlike their previous birthdays, I wasn’t alone at the front of the familiar crowd. Raiden was with me and we stood side by side with outstretched arms. Katie ran into my arms and Kyle went to Raiden their faces reflecting their joy. Also, Iris who had tears in her eyes, stood behind me, her voice being the loudest as we collectively sang for Katie and Kyle. Iris could have passed for the happiest person today if Katie wasn’t squealing… Loudly.“It’s our birthday?” Kyle couldn’t believe it as he grinned from ea