Chapter 48
Nyah
I know my mate is a badass, but the way Elder Nelah put him in his place, damn! She had me tightening my lips. Maybe I should have warned Braxton that Elder Nelah could be the sweetest person in the world until she felt disrespected or insulted in any way, you will see a different side of her, just like Braxton just did.
Braxton remains still as our fathers follow Elder Nelah to the wigwam.
“Are you, okay?” I asked Braxton, rubbing the top of his hand, scanning his face. He looks dazed and confused but shakes it off.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” he replies.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Let’s go inside with the others,” Braxton answers before leading me towards the entrance of the wigwam.
My eyes focus on the dim lighting before going straight to Elder Nelah standing behind a small altar with daddy on her right side and Bryant on her left.
The shit is spooky as Hell, but I’ve seen enough scary movies to determine when shit isn’t real but at this moment, I’m second guessing myself. Such as several candelabras burning around the inside. Not being sure if they were hanging from micro filament, unseen to the naked eye or if they were in place to represent the Gods.
As Braxton and I took our place in front of Elder Nelah, we whipped our bodies around as the tarps to the entrance loudly closed.
“What is this?” Braxton swiftly questions, forgetting about what the Elder had just put him through.
Stepping in front of my mate, I ‘m willing to take on whatever punishment she would cast on him this time, but instead, she said, “Now that the five of us are away from Pack, I can relay what the Gods have spoken and showed me.”
As if they were given unspoken instructions, daddy and Bryant move behind Elder Nelah.
She digs into her satchel, instructing us, “I want to formally apologize first because I never wanted to bring pain to any of our members, but sometimes pain is necessary when needed.”
Confused by her words, I was about to ask her to elaborate when she brings out a fist full of what looks like dust powder, then opens her hand, then blows the powder into me and Braxton’s faces.
Blinded by the powder, Braxton and I fell to our knees as the substance filled our lungs. I cry out as the most unbearable pain surges through my body.
“Nyah,” Braxton grunts before he lets out a guttural wail. He has to be feeling the same pain as I am.
Thinking that because of the bond, my agony is projecting onto him, so I try to fight through that shit. I can’t have him suffering because of me.
A warm hand touches my shoulder. “My child, this is something the both of you have to go through together,” Elder Nelah says. How did she know I was trying to suppress my pain?
“Stop this,” I hissed through clenched teeth, attempting to wipe the powder from my eyes, waiting for Skia to come forth. Where the Hell is she? She said she would always be here when I needed her.
Elder Nelah rubs my shoulder, responding, “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. It’s almost over with.”
The ferocious howl that comes from Braxton ceases all movement and sound in the wigwam.
“Braxton,” I cry out, blindly waving my arms in front of me to find him but stop when another wave of pain leaves me paralyzed and unable to speak.
“Bring the sacred water now,” I hear Elder Nelah shout.
Moments later, I feel the cool liquid being poured over my head, then running down my face. That water must have been blessed by the Gods because as it flowed over me, I felt reborn.
“Open your eyes, child,” Elder Nelah instructed.
Blinking the excess water away, I’m able to see her. Daddy and Bryant are next to her holding buckets, but their focus isn’t on me. Turning my head to see what has their attention, I gasp.
“Ballian,” they say at the same time.
Sitting to the right of Braxton is the biggest fucking wolf I’ve ever seen in my life. I thought daddy’s wolf was huge, but his is no comparison to Ballian.
Ballian’s shiny black fur looks unreal, and those crazy looking yellow eyes are the same. It’s one thing to see them staring back at you through Braxton, but to see them attached to the wolf himself is eerie.
Wait, if Ballian is here, where is Skia? I asked myself as I looked to my left, then the right where I’m met with red eyes attached to a black wolf as well.
“Thank you for remembering me,” Skia says with a snort.
Did she just speak, speak to me vocally and not mentally?
“I sure did,” she laughs.
Her sarcasm couldn’t stop me from jumping to hug her around the neck.
“Where were you?” I ask, using her fur as a tissue to wipe away my tears, then leaning back.
“Ask her,” she replies, jerking her head towards Elder Nelah. “Every time I tried to get to you, something was blocking me.”
Elder Nelah smiles. “Nyah, you and Braxton had to go through this process without the help of your wolves. This is one and only time we will be able to separate your wolves from the two of you.”
Before I can shoot off the endless number of questions I had, Ballian’s deep baritone voice fills the wigwam.
“Mate”
I glance at Skia. If it was possible to see a wolf smile without it coming off as displaying a full set with canines in a threatening manner, then that’s how I would describe Skia’s expression.
She nudges her head into my side before saying, “My mate is calling. I hope he doesn’t think of me going to his side; I won’t put these claws on him.” To show emphasis she lifts her left paw and sure enough there’s razor-like claws extended.
I understand that the Gods chose Ballian and Skia to be our destined wolves, but did they overlook the part where these two are like oil and water?
Ballian carefully watches his mate as she approaches him. The sound of Skia’s claws scraping the ground echoes around the room.
“There will be no need for those,” he tells her.
“That’s yet to be determined,” she says, going to his side.
The side of Ballian’s mouth arches, displaying his sharp teeth. I have no doubt Skia is capable of handling herself, but if she keeps poking the wolf, I think she’s going to get more than she bargained for. But then again, what do I know? Maybe this is the way destined wolves initially reacted to one another. Perhaps this is the way they figured out who’s the dominant one. If that’s the case, then we saw who’s the dominant one when it came to our ordeal in the conference room when Ballian had Skia skedaddling away. Also, from the way she went to him after he summoned her. Yeah, Ballian is the dominant Alpha wolf in their mating. I can see now that Skia’s little game of playing hard to get won’t last long.
Braxton comes to me with his hand out to help me up. “You good?” he asks, enfolding me in his arms.
“I am now,” I reply.
“That’s good to hear,” Elder Nelah says, stepping forward. “I can begin to tell you what the Gods have sent me to deliver to you.”
“Excuse me, Elder,” Bryant interjects, holding his hand up.
“Yes, Alpha,” Elder Nelah returns.
“Noah and I are a little confused. How is Ballian here? We all mourned his death after the first war.”
Daddy points to Ballian, adding, “The last memory I have of my friend was him clawing and biting his way through at least twenty or more of our enemies before they threw that wolfsbane laced netting over him, incapacitating him as the poison bled through his fur and onto his skin. When the battle was over, we sent him off with the highest regard to the Gods. Ballian wasn’t just one of our Army wolves, but a close friend. So, to see him here now...”
“Don’t get us wrong, we are beyond enlightened to see our old friend. We’re just confused as to how he has become my son’s destined wolf and is standing here amongst us.”
Elder Nelah once again softly smiles. “And you have every right to be. The Gods know all and see all. Despite the other wars we have been through with Fenrir and his followers, our true God Vidar, has shown grace upon Ballian because he forfeited his life for the Pack. In all essence we didn’t lose Ballian that day. Vidar knew one day the ultimate war between the Packs would come which is why he didn’t let Ballian’s flame of life extinguish.”
“But why my son?” Bryant questioned.
“Because together, Braxton and Ballian will lead our Packs to a great victory. Braxton was chosen the day he was conceived.”
“Is that how Skia was selected to be Nyah’s destined wolf?” Braxton asks.
The Elder cuts her eyes in my direction. “You didn’t tell him or your father?”
“Tell us what?” Braxton and daddy say in unison as I stare at the ground.
“It’s alright, child. Tell them,” Elder Nelah urges.
Glancing up, I look into Braxton’s curious eyes, then my daddy’s.
After taking a calming breath, I say, “The Gods didn’t pick Skia to be my destined wolf?”
“Then who did?” Braxton inquires as daddy slowly walks over to us. Once he’s close enough, I take his and Braxton’s hands in mine.
I clear my throat and begin to blink away the tears that are starting to fill my eyes.
“My momma,” I whisper.
“Willa?” daddy murmurs, covering his mouth with his free hand. I nod, squeezing his hand.
“But how do you know this?” Braxton asks.
“Because she came to me after Skia, and I merged. She told me she was the one who chose Skia to be my destined wolf.”
Daddy slightly tugs on my hand. “So, you saw and spoke to your momma, my mate?”
“I did, daddy and she is just as beautiful as ever.”
I release Braxton’s hand as daddy pulls me into his large arms. “My Willa walks among the Gods.”
“Nyah, why didn’t you tell us this or me seeing that I am your mate? You told me about Skia, why leave out the part about your mother?” Braxton wants to know.
Lifting my head from daddy’s chest to look at Braxton, I can see the tinge of sadness in his expression from being left out of that information. That’s definitely not what I wanted. Daddy lowers his arms so that I can go to my mate.
Linking my arms around his waist, I reply, “Braxton, I’m sorry for not telling you about my momma but that little bit of time I had with her meant the world to me and I wanted to cherish it for as long as I could to myself. I was never going to keep it from you or daddy. I was going to share it with you all when my heart was ready to do so. You do understand, right?”
It takes him a few seconds until he holds me tighter. “I do. I think I would have done the same thing if it was my father.”
“Hey,” Bryant shouts. “I’m still alive!”
“I know,” Braxton chuckles.
“Humans are so emotional,” Ballian tries to whisper to Skia, but we still can hear him.
“Maybe you take a lesson from them and then you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time,” she throws back.
He lets out a low growl, glaring at her. “You’ll pay for that later.”
“What? Are you going to huff and puff before blowing my house down Mr. Big Bad Wolf?” she taunts, glaring back at him.
“More like your back,” he declares, making Skia turn her head in my direction.
“Help me,” she mentally says.
I laugh, getting ready to respond, but Ballian jumps in my head. “She can’t save you, mate.”
Skia snarls before racing out of the wigwam with Ballian in hot pursuit after her. The link between us becomes cut off as I try to call out to her.
Worried about what Ballian will do to her, I start wiggling in Braxton’s arms to get free. “We should go after them.”
Elder Nelah giggles, waving her hands in front of her. “No, the two of you will stay right here. The two of them have until dawn to remain separate from you and Braxton. After that, they will return to you. They are only doing what nature intended for mates. Your wolf knew what she was doing when she ran out of here. Skia knew Ballian would give chase.”
“But doesn’t it have to be a full moon out for them to bond?” Braxton asks.
“Not for them,” the Elder replies. “Their bond has already been sealed by the Gods. They’re just going out there in the woods to be nasty.”
My lips formed the perfect ‘O’ from clarity as I shook my head. So, this whole time Skia’s hot ass was just goading Ballian on. Shake my damn head.
“Enough about them. I have more things to go over,” Elder Nelah says. “The Gods relayed the war is going to be sooner than we think, so it’s time to put a concrete plan in action. When this is all said and done, the Packs of Vidar will remain standing.”
We sat on the floor, sitting Indian style before Elder Nelah dug into her robe and pulled out a peace pipe. She lit it and took a long pull before passing it to her left to Bryant who began to choke on the smoke as Elder Nelah found it amusing. He gave it to daddy who took in the smoke like a champ. As he handed it to Braxton, Braxton asked me, “It’s just tobacco in here, right?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “You never know with Elder Nelah. It could be tobacco, or it could be tobacco mixed with some of her special herbs.” I nudged him with my shoulder as he cautiously stared at me. “Braxton, just smoke the pipe. Elder Nelah would never put anything in there to make us incoherent. You heard her say we needed to start working on a concrete plan. Do you think she would give us something that would alter our minds at a time like this?”
“You’re right,” he said before taking a drag.
As he offered me the peace pipe, I gladly took it. I’m not sure if there is only tobacco in it but after everything that has happened in this wigwam, I have a feeling Elder Nelah had mixed in some of her special calming herbs.