Chapter 3- Vega

The drive had been uneventful; my little Bettle defied my expectations by not breaking down halfway on the highway. The hotel room, though cheap, was surprisingly well furnished, and the staff exuded friendliness. Hunger gnawed at me since the only thing I had eaten since leaving the record store was a bag of chips that currently occupied my passenger seat. According to the front desk girl, I stumbled upon Howler's Bar on my quest for substance- the hotspot in town. 

I positioned myself at the end of the bar, away from the partygoers and prying eyes. The last thing I wanted was for some creep to approach me tonight. The bartender served me my favourite go-to drink, Cr, my own Royal and paired it with my favourite greasy food. In solitude, I sipped away at my drink, curtaining myself with my hair from the outside world. The hard liquor was calming down my nerves of the anticipation of tomorrow. Very soon, this chapter will be closed with the added knowledge of meeting my sperm donor. 

A whisper in my ear arrived like a grounding force. Jerking around, stone-grey eyes met with mine. The owner of these eyes looked like a man who had just walked off the cover of a fashion magazine: chiselled jaw, intense nose, full pink lips and short-cropped brown hair screaming perfection. 

"Can I help you?" I managed to ask from my dry throat. 

"I haven't seen you around before. I'm Altair," the grey eyes responded. 

Very original line, I thought, rolling my eyes. I turned back to my drink, hoping this guy would take a hint and move on to one of the girls looking for something tonight. But this guy was annoyingly persistent and claimed the empty stool beside me. 

"You know, when someone provides their name, it's common courtesy to do the same," Altair said as he signalled at the bartender, and they placed a chilled pint of beer before him. 

"I don't give my name out to strangers," I replied, refusing to glance in his direction. 

 A chuckle came from the back of his throat, "Technically, I'm not a stranger anymore since I introduced myself. But in that case, I will call you Star until you tell me."

It surprised me that he had chosen that word as my nickname. If only he had known about the coincidence. 

"What brings you to town?" he asked after a beat of silence. "Passing through or planning to stay for a bit?"

"Do you normally ask this many questions to people you just met?" I shot back, securing my guard in place. 

"No, actually, this is pretty new to me."

"Listen, what was it again- Alister? I want to finish my drink in peace. I would say it's been a pleasure... but it wasn't. So goodbye." 

"Are you usually this friendly? My little fiery Star." He joked, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Tingles ignited under my skin as his finger lightly brushed against my face. "And it's Altair. Like the Star." 

Shocked rolled through my body as the memories of reading the story of Vega and Altair played through my mind. What were the odds that a stranger in a bar in the middle of nowhere had the name of the Star connected to mine? I threw back the remainder of my drink, feeling it burn down my throat, and slammed my money down onto the counter. 

"Listen, I'm sure any other girl would love this attention. I. Am. Not. Interested." I spat out, grabbing my bag and scouting off my stool. "Have a nice life."

I stalked off, hoping to leave Altair and tonight's encounter in the dust, and headed towards the illuminated existence. I glanced over my shoulder and found that Altair had followed suit and was close behind me. Taking a moment of the slight distraction, I failed to notice the wall of a man cutting into my pathway, leaving me to collide with his chest. Rebounding off him, I ended up falling backwards; hands pressed against my back as someone caught me, interfering with my fate with the floor. 

Darkness started to creep its way into the corners of my eyes. The crackling laughter of my nightmares began to flood my ears. No, not here. Panic started to prickle against my skin. I picked up my feet and started high-tailing my way to the exit, pushing anyone in my way. The fridged air embraced me as I stepped out of the bar, with the welcoming sting as my nails dug into the palm of my hand. It's okay, you're awake. You're not dreaming. I whispered to myself, trying to fight off the rising panic. 

"Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Altair's smooth voice broke through the fight. His hand landed on my shoulder. 

"No," I replied through clenched teeth. I shrugged off Altair's hand and set off down the street. 

"Hey, wait!" Altair's voice chased after me. He was gripping my hand in his, halting my movement. "You shouldn't walk alone at night. I can be dangerous." 

"I can take care of myself. Thank you." I yanked my hand away and started to hurry towards my hotel. But before I could take another step, a firm grip encircled my waist, spinning me around. I came face to face with Altair. His eyes bared into the depth of mine with concern. 

"Please, let me walk with you," he pleaded. 

I sighed in defeat. "Fine, but keep your hands to yourself." 

Altair released my waist, holding his hands up in surrender, silently agreeing to my terms. We continued in silence as the night sky shimmered with stars. Their light was untamed by the city glow, and their constellations painted the night sky. I looked up and admired them in awe for the wonders that they held. 

"Vega,' I whispered into the night air, bringing Altair to a sudden stop.

"What was that?" he asked in confusion. 

"My name," I explained, staring into his eyes. "My name is Vega." 

"Vega," Altair rolled my name off his tongue. "How fitting." 

Something inside me urged me to ask what he meant, but my dominant side shoved it down. We continued our journey without another word. Not much longer after we had arrived at my modest overnight accommodations. 

"Well, this is me," I announced, approaching the entrance. 

"Vega!" Altair gripped my arm. "How long are you here for?" 

"Till tomorrow," I answered, turning to see the urgency in his eyes. 

"Can I see you before I leave?" 

"Goodnight, Altair," I murmured, stepping into the doorway and escaping his grip. The door closed behind me, leaving Altair's request hanging in the night air. 

Jagged rocks cut into the soles of my feet as I sprinted across the forest floor. My lungs, starved for oxygen, protested with every desperate breath I took. Above, a wolf hunting howl pierced across the open sky, urging my feet to move further. I sought refuge behind a massive oak tree that offered scant protection. 

The leaves crunched underfoot, a telltale sign that the wolf was dangerously close. I held my breath, clinging to the tree, chanting a silent prayer – a desperate plea to remain hidden. A searing hot breath brushed against my neck, and a low snarl echoed in my ear. They were telling me that my silent pleading had been unanswered. I spun around and found myself face-to-face with a giant wolf. 

Its fur was as dark as the moonless night, with an outer blue haze encasing its body. On its right foot, a white fur paw stood out against its obsidian coat. The amber eyes glowed against the darkness of its fur, locking into my indigo ones. For a passing moment, neither of us dared to move muscle. 

The creature's features began to shift. The wolf's snout elongated, reshaping into a human face. Fur receded, revealing smooth skin; before me stood a man. Not just any man, but the one whose persistence rubbed against my nerves at the bar tonight. Altair. 

My eyes snapped open, and my dreams were free from that icy grip for the first time in a year. No longer was I trapped in that dark, cold void. Shaking off the remnants of sleep, I took in my surroundings. The hotel room and its finishings came into view as the soft mattress cradled my tired body. The bed was far from the thrift store bed that William had helped me transport to the record store. The duvet lay pristine and white, thick enough to block out the worst winter storm, a stark contrast to my worn blankets back home that couldn't even protect me from a summer breeze.

The phone on the nightstand blinked a consistent red light, the beacon of a missed call. Sleeping through the ringing didn't come as a surprise to me. I could sleep through an earthquake if the pills had their way. The one thing that wasn't adding up was my ability to dream about the forest. I had taken my nightly dose before I lulled off to sleep, which should have kept the wolf away in the abyss. 

"Hello, my little star," the smooth tenor voice belonging to no other than Altair played through the phone receiver. It had taken me a few seconds. "Well, more like I forgot to ask for it last night. I told you this was new to me. So, I'm leaving you mine instead. I would like to see you before you leave town. Please. Call me." 

My finger hesitated over the delete button, internally battling with myself for a split second if I should copy his number down and if it was worth it. But instead, I pressed the delete, letting the number vanish into the digital world. 

After using the shower, steam embraced every inch of my body for the first time in a long time, instead of the lukewarm water that chilled into my soul. I ponder on my attire for the day. Was it more formal than my usual attire, which today's encounter called for? Or was sticking to my usual go-to suitable for today? I had planned to keep this encounter brief. Liam was already unaware of my identity, and I planned to vanish before he could process my presence.

I settled on my trusty, sun-faded skinny jeans and short crop top. It was forecasted to be warm today, and I could stay comfortable during today's drive. With my Converse back on my feet, I gathered up my remaining belongings. Not long after, ready for battle, I descended to the front foyer. 

"How was your stay, Ms. Wolfgang?" the front desk attendant asked as she demagnetized my room key.

"It was fine," I replied, preparing to exit. 

"Oh, I almost forgot. Someone left for you!" The attendant called out, stopping me from leaving. 

She placed a single starflower on the desk. I handled it carefully as I removed the business card from the steam. A message in carefully scripted writing read: 

I thought you would delete the message. S I came up with a plan B.

- A.C.

On the other side of the card, printed in gold lettering." 

Altair Coinin

With the number, I had sent into the digital void. 

Parked off the side of the road for 30 minutes, my gaze locked on the unfolded road map I had purchased at the gas station. Technology had never been my temptation, and my outdated flip phone met my needs. But out in the middle of nowhere, I struggled with the delicate paper, tracing the route with my finger. 

Wrestling with the paper to bring it back to its original form, I plopped back into the driver's seat. The starflower mocked me from the passenger seat of my moment of weakness. I should have tossed it back at the hotel, but it sat like a hitchhiker here. It was taunting me with the memories of last night. The engine purred to life as I turned the ignition back on, and my little beetle carried me and the memories back down the road. 

The large granite stone stood tall, its surface unmarred by a single crack. It appeared before me, just like a mirror image of the picture I had printed from the internet during my search. The road had carried me not far from my last pit stop. And now, before me, stood the final piece of the puzzle- a sign etched into the unyielding stone: Blue Stone Town. The sign surface bore time marks, yet the engraving remains sharp as if the stone master had just finished their work. 

Here was the beginning of the end, the gateway to the town that held my father. The beetle puttered its way across into the city of Blue Stone. The road ahead was uncertain, but I carried on with a purpose. The past was over, and the present was now, and I wondered if I would finally find my father- the missing piece to the end of my mother's story.