Chapter 12 - Alisha
The next morning, both Brad and I have to hurry to go to work, but we linger in every moment. Even the light touch as we brush by each other, or when our hands accidentally bump as we reach for the sugar, feels somehow thrilling.
Brad drives me to work, and the moment we get in the car, the air of peace surrounding us starts to fray. We’ve made something wonderful between us, something real—but I know outside of this beautiful, shiny bubble, there’s a world of confusion and danger to threaten it.
I give Brad a quick kiss when he drops me off, and the smile we give each other is communication beyond words. There is still a sliver of icy fear inside me, an echo leftover from my past trauma, but it is getting thinner by the moment.
I meet Grace near the entrance, and she shows me around the main buildings. A little café that’s usually only open on weekends, plus an office and a casual room set up for staff.
“Are there actually other people here I have to meet?” I ask, looking around the room and seeing jackets, mugs, and shoes that obviously belong to different people.
“For almost every day of the year, there’s just me,” Grace says.
“A couple of groundskeepers come and go. They’ll be mowing and pruning all over the place, and we don’t really run into each other much.
Most weekends and on any holiday, the café and shop are open, and the place will be full of guests.
On those days, we don’t really do much. It’s better if we stay out of the way of the crowds. ”
“Okay,” I answer, following Grace out onto the sand pathway that runs right around the gardens. “What do we actually do each day?”
“There are several areas devoted to different types of plants,” she says.
“Like roses in one sector, petunias in another. We’ll take a walk around now, and I’ll show you.
Our job is to make sure the plants are healthy, the garden is neat and tidy, and to see if new plants are needed in the area.
It’s good for the people who come to enjoy the garden to see different things when they come. ”
We walk for some distance, with Grace detouring down side paths to take me into little meadows devoted to separate types of plants. The gardens are fenced in by low stone walls and hedges, or trees and shrubs that support the decorative plants in the courtyard itself.
Along the way, we see random people. An old man reading a book in the rose garden, a teenage girl listening to music near the hawthorn tree, and a young couple having a picnic near the daffodils.
“So, the garden is open all the time?” I ask.
Grace chuckles. “Did you see any gates that could be locked? It was set up by one of the older matriarchs. She wanted every member of the pack to have a sanctuary, and an excuse to grow all the plants she loved.”
“It is a beautiful place.”
“It is,” Grace agrees, smiling. “Come on, let’s head back to the nursery.”
I follow Grace through the winding paths back to the large, covered area closer to the entrance. She sets me up to repot some seedlings, and the familiar, repetitive work allows my mind to wander.
The memories from last night come back to me, sensory moments that flood my mind and rush through my blood. Having my hands in the soil and the scent of flowers around me enhances my sensitivity until I’m swaying gently back and forth, my eyes closed as I drift away from the real world.
“Alisha,” Grace says, giggling. “Where did you go?”
“Oh, sorry,” I answer, looking down at my hands. “I haven’t messed up, have I?”
“No, not at all. You just totally seemed to forget which planet you were on.”
“I did,” I admit, chuckling as I go back to potting the seedling. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay,” Grace says. “It’s not like I’m your boss…well, technically I am, but don’t think of it like that. If something is bothering you, you can tell me. I’d like us to be friends.”
I smile warmly at her, feeling safer and more comfortable than I have in a long time. “I’d like that, too. I feel connected to you—and this place.”
“That’s great,” Grace answers, smiling. “I’ll just make it clear, though, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but I’m here ready to listen if you are.”
“Okay…well.” I pause, not sure if I really want to do this, then I plow forward before I can think too hard.
“Brad and I got it on last night,” I blurt out.
“We have a pretty complex history, and I wasn’t trying to make this happen or anything…
it just kind of did. Now I feel like I should be worried, scared…
I don’t know. But all I can feel is joy. ”
“That’s great!” Grace says, rubbing my arm. “I’m happy you had a good time with him. Is everything…okay between you now?”
“I think so,” I answer. “This morning was almost crazy. It was like moving in slow motion, almost. Caught in our own little world, every moment stretching out forever.” I sigh. “It was fantastic.”
“Okay, now I’m a bit jealous,” Grace mutters. “It’s been a damn long time since I felt that way.”
“We can’t have that,” I reply, looking at her with surprise. My eyes linger over her long, honey-blond hair, pale green eyes, and tall, slender shape. “You’re gorgeous. Why the hell are you single?”
“It’s a long story,” she says, waving a hand. “I want to talk about you for now. That must have been some mind-blowing sex, if it’s taking you to another dimension this late in the day.”
“It was. And it did,” I say thoughtfully. “There was this moment…after. I sort of blacked out or something. I don’t know, it’s difficult to explain. It felt like my senses were bigger than my body, and all I could focus on was the bliss and beauty of everything around me.”
I turn back to look at Grace, and she’s regarding me with a serious look, a small line between her brows.
“I know, it sounds silly,” I say quickly. “It must just be the power of multiple orgasms!”
“Really?” Grace asks, a little skeptically. “No matter how good an orgasm is, I don’t think you’ll have aftershocks twelve hours later.”
I’m about to cover her question with another flippant remark, but the sensation of my fingers in the dirt, the heavy scent of the flowers, and the cool wind on the sweat of my face all seem to collide together into one mesmerizing feeling.
Just like last night.
“Everything is enhanced,” I say, looking down at the seedlings.
I focus on the nearest one, just a little scrap of stem with a couple of tiny leaves.
When I look very hard, I can almost see tiny lines of light trickling through it, a network of tiny veins, alongside the vibration of the plant absorbing light from above.
“Look at it, Alisha,” Grace says. “Look at it even harder than you are right now, and feel that harmony inside yourself. Let it fill you, and direct it at the seedling.”
Her words confuse me, but I’m so deep into the trance, I don’t think too hard about it. I deepen my focus on the tiny plant, seeing the lines of light even more clearly. The feeling of love and contentment fills me, and I open my heart to it, spreading it to the seedling.
It trembles, and at first, I think the breeze has picked up, but I can’t feel it on my face.
Then, the tiny green stalk shivers and unfolds, growing taller before my eyes.
Little leaves appear, curling out to trace the stem.
I’m so shocked, I scuttle back a little, breaking my connection to the plant.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, barely able to speak.
Grace claps, making a glad cry as she shuffles over to hug me. “You’re a witch, Alisha!”
“What?” I mumble.
“I’m a witch, too,” she confesses. “I wasn’t sure if I should tell you before. Being a shiftless wolf is one thing; being a witch is another. Most people in town don’t know about me. But I can finally share everything with someone! Alisha, I’m so glad you came to our pack.”
“Wait, back up,” I say, holding up my hand. “Let’s go back to the part where I’m a witch.”
“This is your powers manifesting for the first time,” Grace answers happily. “It looks like they are tied to nature, and that’s why you love plants so much. Have strange things ever happened before?”
“Well…” I think for a moment. “There was a garden I used to visit as a kid. It always made me feel better to be there. Over the years, if I needed company, I’d find a big old tree to sit under and talk to it, even if it seemed silly. In my last apartment, I had lots of plants.”
And my poor babies all burned! Anything I’ve ever really loved gets taken from me…
“I’m sure you’ve always felt connected,” Grace says. “More connected to the earth than to wolves. It’s one of the things that drives their mistrust of us.”
I frown at that. “But Brad loves me.”
“Of course he does. He’s your mate. The love between you and the destiny of your souls is what activated your powers.”
I want to ask why it never happened before, but really, I already know.
I trusted him more last night than I ever have. Even though I still don’t know why he left me, a big part of me is just happy to see he’s still alive.
“There are no rules,” Grace goes on. “Everyone is different, and your powers will grow in unexpected ways, especially since you didn’t have any guidance. I can seriously relate to that, and I’m so happy I’m here to help you with this.”
I smile at her. “I am, too.”
“You’ll keep seeing manifestations of your powers now. Don’t try to figure them out or make sense of them, just let them flow. Instinct is the truest way to use your gifts. That’s why it all came together when you opened your heart and soul with your lover.”
I blush. “Yeah, I sure did that.”
“Good,” Grace giggles. “Get it while you can, girl!”
We laugh and then go back to the business of repotting the seedlings.
Even though I’m still confused and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m a witch, the feeling of joy is so wonderful that I can’t help but sink into it.
The wind seems to sing, the air caresses my skin, and the plants reach out to me with little, waving tendrils that make me feel right at home.
Even though the day is long and I’m tired and sweaty by the end, I feel very satisfied and fulfilled.
As I walk to the main entrance, I still can’t shake the blissful feeling, and I wouldn’t even want to try.
I lean on the stone wall, waiting for Brad, looking forward to a shower and a nice, long rest.
The second Brad shows up, the wave of exhaustion lifts. He jumps out of the truck and hurries towards me, and I rush into his arms. When our bodies press together and our lips meet, the aura of harmony around me increases, and I know Grace was right.
It is Brad who unlocked me. His love and my trust opened my soul and released my greatest power.