Chapter 18 - Tyler
I have the sudden urge to go to Arianna and comfort her, sensing her shock as if it's physically pulsing off her.
I'm hardly surprised that she's a witch, much like my good friend Delilah.
When I first met Delilah in black ops, naturally, I had my reservations about her.
Not only was she the only she-wolf brave enough to join the squad, but she was also witty and sharp-tongued, much like I've noticed with Arianna.
But as time went on, Delilah and I grew closer, and I'd dropped the preconceptions I'd grown up having, like seeing witches as the enemy.
From Delilah, I learned that there are two types of witches—white witches and dark witches who wield black magic. Good and evil exist in every species, just like there are rogue werewolves out there.
There was always something different about Arianna, and our true mate bond brought my attention to that every time I touched her.
She's always been special, and right now, as she listens intently to Delilah speaking highly of her grandmother, she needs me.
Not vilified by my inability to get over her moving on and having a pup with another wolf, not cold and heartless and unfeeling, as if the true mate bond doesn't transcend everything of the past.
She needs me present, and that's why I push away my inhibitions and go to her, crouching in front of her to join her in listening to Delilah recount tales of her grandmother, Azura Badillo—one of the most powerful witches to exist in the Golden Tree Sisters coven.
“No one knew that Beatrice had a daughter,” Delilah explains.
“I guess because she didn’t have powers, the coven didn’t think it was important to keep tabs on her.
But this right here isn't any ordinary journal, Arianna.
It's a grimoire, and only the most powerful witches in the coven are allowed to formulate original spells and potions, like your grandmother did in here.”
“My mother didn't tell me anything…” Arianna laments.
“She probably had no idea. The magic must have skipped her, and your grandfather must have hidden her things after Azura died, and didn't tell your mother about it.”
“That makes sense,” Arianna relents, glancing at me. “That's why my inner wolf was guiding me toward coming back and finding the journal and this necklace. I would have never guessed otherwise.”
Delilah nods. “A witch will always get the calling and gravitate toward the coven when it's time. Perhaps that's why I'm here today. It's always divinely orchestrated.”
Delilah's knowledge about the magical world seems to leave Arianna in awe, and there's a moment of silence that stretches, which I break when I remember that there's a threat at large.
“Your visions…you've been seeing the rogue werewolf that's been crossing our borders…”
“I think so,” Arianna concedes with a frown, and shrugs. “I'm not sure. I don't know how these visions work, and if they're supposed to mean something.”
“Trust me, visions are always foretelling the future,” Delilah smirks proudly. “It helps keep trouble away.”
“So, I'm looking forward to my imminent death, then?” Arianna chuckles wryly.
“Not if we can intercept it. We'll need to tap into your abilities and unlock them fully, so your visions become clearer and come at the right time. If the rogue that crossed Moonshine's border today was the same from your vision, you're almost there.”
“I'm not sure if it's linked,” Arianna shivers. “I mean…the man I'm seeing in my nightmares and in that vision was supposed to be a human. I was so sure of it. Now he's showing up as an oddly-formed werewolf creature.”
“A mutated rogue wolf…” I add. “You haven't seen what they look like, but we've seen enough in black ops to recognize them, even by scent. We've…dealt with a few.”
Delilah nods in agreement. “If you'd like, I can help you unlock the full extent of your powers. You might find that you're able to do more than just have visions.”
“I mean, the visions alone will help us fight whatever dangers come our way,” I suggest. “If you can see the future, you can help the pack with your gifts.”
Arianna becomes silent and purses her lips, appearing to have a million thoughts racing through her mind with how tightly her brows are knit.
“Sorry…will you excuse me, please?” she murmurs as she slowly rises to her feet.
I straighten up and move aside, only for her to walk toward the door with her head bent and leave for the hallway without saying a word.
When I turn to Delilah with a questioning frown, she only offers a nonchalant shrug.
“She'll be fine,” she snorts dismissively, picking up the leather-clad book from the box and turning the pages. “Now, I need to figure out which of these spells can be used to unlock her powers.”
“You're gonna help?” I ask, still frowning.
“You're damn right I am!” Delilah clicks her tongue. “She's a fellow sister, and there's no way I'm leaving her in the dark while she's going through it.”
“Yeah, I can sense that she's going through a lot…”
Delilah looks up and tilts her face to the side, scanning my expression. “You care about her, don't you?” she asks, and when I take a deep breath, unsure of how to properly answer that question, Delilah gasps, a hand flying to her mouth when she springs up.
“Oh, my Goddess! She's your fated mate, isn't she?!”
I chuckle nervously when she makes the observation, rubbing a hand across my nape sheepishly.
“Is it that obvious?” I grimace, wondering how much longer I'll be able to hide it from the others, especially from my parents, once they return.
They'll no doubt still pester me about taking a mate of high ranking, just to keep up appearances.
That's all they seem to care about.
“Of course, it's obvious, dummy! I'm a witch, remember? I have a nose for these things,” Delilah giggles as she flicks her nose.
“So, why were you acting so surprised?” I frown when she returns to her seat.
“I'm just trying to lighten the mood. It's all so gloomy. Must be a lot going on.”
“Yeah, you have no idea…”
“And the kid?”
“It's a long story…” I sigh, not wanting to get into the details right now.
Especially not when my inner wolf feels a tug, and I sense that Arianna has shifted into her wolf form, drawing my attention to the window.
“You're really gonna help us, D?” I ask again, to which she looks up and narrows her eyes at me.
“I told you I would. I'll stick around for a few days, if that's alright.”
I raise a skeptical brow. “Of course, it is, as long as you're not neglecting your duties in your pack.”
“Well, apart from my betrothal, there isn't really much going on at Shadow Fang. Besides, I'd much rather avoid that whole scheme, and what better way than to help out a friend?” Delilah reaches out and pats my arm. “You look like you could use some help.”
When a whimpering howl echoes through the valley, it permeates through my heart, setting my pulse alight.
“You should probably go after her, Ty,” Delilah suggests as she keeps her head between the pages of the journal.
“She's definitely going through it, and I don't mean that lightly.
She's a werewolf and has just discovered that she's part witch.
Even though my mother was one, and I grew up knowing that I was part witch, it was overwhelming for me when my powers began to surface.
I can't imagine what she's going through.”
I nod fervently, glancing one last time at the window to get a sense of direction. As I pass by the living room, it appears that my friends are occupied with fawning over Noah, and the only thing I need to worry about is Arianna's condition.
Bolting through the back door, I shift into wolf form and race toward the mountain, only grateful that Arianna hasn't gone past the border and is still safe within our boundaries.
Though we'd managed to chase the mutated rogue off our territory, the danger remains looming, especially with Arianna's vision today. She said she suspected who it might be, but she remains unsure.
Perhaps I pushed things a little too far when I suggested that her gifts could be useful in the pack.
She just confirmed that she's a witch, her grandmother was a powerful priestess in the coven, and she's not taking it well.
Whinnying through my wolf nose as I mentally slap myself for coming on too strong, I race through the woods, approaching the base of the mountain, where all I can see are Arianna's ears perked up near the edge. She'd stopped howling, and she's probably lying down, defeated.
I can sense her anguish from down here, how she's wrestling with the overwhelming news that she's the granddaughter of a powerful witch.
She probably feels pressure, like she has shoes to fill that are a few sizes too big.
Knowing all about that myself, a pang of guilt grips my heart and has me climbing nimbly up the side of the mountain, not too close to where she is, because I don't want to scare her.
Once I'm at the top, I shift behind a bush, stepping out in human form a few meters away from Arianna. A lot is going on through her mind, clearly, and I don't want to intrude with the mind link.
“Arianna…?” I call out gently, and her ears perk up when she picks up the sound of my voice. Taking a cautious step forward, she turns her furry head toward me, her raven-black fur smooth and silky as it catches the gentle moonlight.
A pair of honey-golden eyes meet mine, glossed over with moisture that makes her appear frail and vulnerable to match the size of her wolf. Even when she rises on her paws, her frame appears meek, her nose pointed to the ground as if she's bowing to her alpha.
It's a natural response in her wolf form, but what's unnatural is her weeping in that condition, almost as if she's clinging to the wolf part of her. She'd been shedding tears, evident in the moist fur sticking to her pointed face, and my heart pulls tight.