Chapter 17 - Arianna #2
It's almost as if he's saying these things to convince himself, and I allow him to continue speaking without interrupting.
“But what I do know is that you were led back to Portland for a reason, and if it means that you require my support in this transition, then I will be there for you. As your alpha, it is my duty.”
As much as I want to trust him when his eyes are full of sincerity, there's still something holding me back from telling him the truth, that I wasn't happy at all while I was in Salem.
I was simply surviving, doing what I had to do to raise my son, our pup, and stitching the pieces of my broken heart together.
But I can't trust him with the truth, when I know it'll only lead to more heartbreak, more rejection.
I still find myself dissecting his every word, trying to find a red flag in them, but coming up with nothing.
If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Tyler is a damn good alpha, and all he cares about is the safety of his people, so they don't end up like his brother.
Even if that's the reason he can't accept our mate bond, then it's enough reason to trust him now, and accept his help while I make the—
“Transition…?” I frown as I tilt my head to one side quizzically. “What are you talking about?”
Tyler lets out a drawn-out sigh, slowly removing his hands from mine as he nods at the box. “What's inside the box?”
“It's…it's a journal…” I explain hesitantly as I remove the lid and show Tyler the leather-bound book. When he lifts it out of the box, he immediately opens it and flips through the pages, dark brows furrowed while his eyes glow with curiosity.
“A spell book…?” he thinks aloud as he lifts his eyes to mine, nodding slowly, thoughtfully. “Is this what your inner wolf led you to?”
I nod. “I found it hidden in my parents’ cottage. But I still don't know what any of it means, if it means anything at all.”
Tyler stares at me for a long moment, standing up as he passes the journal back to me. He's in deep thought with his finger hooked beneath his chin before he finally nods again.
“I know someone who might be able to help us with this.”
Before I can ask who he's talking about, Tyler goes to the door and pulls it open. He doesn't leave the room, just sticks his head out into the hallway and calls out, “Delilah! Can you come here for a moment?”
Delilah?
Who's that? And how will she be able to help?
Tyler steps aside when a new face appears at the door.
It's not the pregnant woman who went down to the bunker, but a different one.
She has the most stunning hazel eyes, her raven black hair cascading off her shoulders and tapering all the way down to her waist. A single streak of ice white flows down the left side of her part, her hair flowing like a graceful lace as she saunters into the room.
“This is Arianna,” Tyler tells the woman as he closes the door behind her. “Arianna, this is Delilah. She was on the same squad as I was during black ops. We—”
I'm too fixated on her eyes to hear him speak when he introduces her to me. Though I haven't seen her before, there's a flicker of recognition that surfaces like warmth spreading through my body, and I instantly rise to my feet to meet her, stretching out a hand.
She giggles, moving past my hand and wrapping her arms around me with a warm embrace.
“It's lovely to meet you, Arianna,” Delilah speaks sweetly as she pulls back. She notices the pendant hanging on my chest, and gasps as she reaches out with manicured fingers. “Golden Tree Sisters…?” she whispers in awe, and I frown.
“You know that name?”
Delilah looks up to meet my eyes again, nodding as she holds my gaze and smiles.
She pulls off the scarf covering her neck, revealing an identical pendant on her gold chain.
“Of course, I've heard that name before. That’s the coven I’m linked with.”
“C—coven…? You're a witch?”
“A witch slash werewolf,” she corrects with a grin. Her skin is soft like silk when she takes my hand and leads me back onto the bed, taking a seat beside me. “It appears you are one, too.”
“It's not possible,” I say in denial as I shake my head slowly. “I'm not—I can't be…”
Behind her, Tyler clears his throat and draws our attention to him. He goes on to explain everything I've told him to Delilah, and when he brings up the part about me finding the journal, Delilah turns to me and spots the box opened on the bed.
“Is that the book?” she points to the box, and I nod.
“It's a book of spells. And a few journal entries. But there's no name, except the initials on the front, so I don't know who it belongs to. It's not my mother's, those aren't her initials.”
Delilah reaches into the box and gasps, her finger tracing the embossed initials on the cover.
“Azura Badillo…” Delilah whispers in awe, then looks up with a frown. “Azura was a well-renowned white witch in the coven. She was one of the best, and she'll forever be remembered for her sacrifice in the Blood Moon War.”
“Blood Moon War? What does any of this have to do with me?” I ask, still confused.
Delilah sighs, placing the book on her lap as she takes my hands.
“Azura was killed during a battle with witches who practiced dark magic, Arianna.
She saved the lives of her friends and is considered a hero amongst our sisters.
But she didn't just save her friends, she saved her mate and the child they had together, protecting them from ever being exposed to the dark magic.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “I still don't understand. Am I like her? Am I like you?”
“It depends, if you're connected to her somehow. The mate she left behind was a Moonshine werewolf. The daughter they had was named Beatrice Sanchez.”
“My mother?!” I gasp, realization hitting me like a ton of bricks.
“You’re Beatrice Sanchez's daughter?” Delilah quizzes with intrigue.
I nod, my eyes growing wide. “That means… Azura was my grandmother!”