34. Chapter 34
Another New Beginning
Mandy, Charlotte and I settle back onto the couch.
All ten of our mates file into the room, sitting wherever they can find space.
For Hutch, that space was on the floor in front of the couch, leaning against my legs.
One of Charlotte’s mates sits beside her, pulling her back against his chest. August moves to sit by Mandy’s side, holding her hand.
Once everyone is settled, Charlotte turns to look at me.
Smiling softly, she grabs my hand and begins her story.
“So, as you probably know by now, there are lots of different Supernaturals. Shifter, Witches, Vampires, and Fae are the main groups. The Fae haven’t really come to this realm since the tension started between Witches and Shifters.
The Vampires, not wanting to pick a side, stepped away from both sides.
What the Lancaster Witch did split our world apart.
I’ve been fighting for the last three decades, since I became the High Priestess, to find a solution to the tension.
” Tears gather in her eyes and she has to take a deep breath to collect her emotions.
“So, a bit of backstory. All Supernaturals have Omegas and Alphas. Once upon a time, we existed in harmony, living together among humans and all worlds and society flourished. Then the Curse happened. The humans were terrified of the power that we had, so they pulled away from us and, over time, forgot about us completely. The Fae left, went back to their realm to stay out of the fighting. What you have to understand is that without Alphas and Omegas, the race will die out completely. Already, the Phoenix shifters are dangerously close to being extinct. You breaking the curse saved the race and you didn’t even know you were doing something amazing or the amount of power you radiate. ”
She stares at me in awe. I feel like everyone in the room is staring at me like I’m some sort of hero.
It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because I never wanted to be some big important person that saves a whole race of people.
I just wanted more from life, wanted to experience all that I could.
Wiggling in my seat, I try to avoid the attention and silently beg for Charlotte to keep going so the focus shifts off of me. Thankfully, she does.
“Well, that is how the tension started, one woman threw a Witch Fit and doomed the entire world. Witches, as a race, were split. No one agreed with the curse, but we couldn’t do anything to fix it.
Some of them thought it was for the best, that the races should stay separate while others thought, like me, that the only way for Supernaturals to survive and flourish is together.
The two different responses to the curse broke us.
Your mother, and her twin, didn't believe the same way as me. They thought we were better off separate. Now your mother, she truly believed it, but her twin… I think she was just hurt that her Wolf mate left to be with his family.”
Yeah, no surprise that my mother was a separatist. She always had very loud opinions about the shifters and how we were better off without them.
I never would have guessed that she was a witch, but now that I know more, it makes sense.
I am surprised to know that mom has a twin sister.
She always said she was an only child and her parents are dead.
“They did something awful. They were both banished as a punishment, they can’t come back to the community.
Your mother, she didn’t show any remorse, said that she would spend her life doing what she could to get rid of the shifters until she died, so the elders bound her magic.
They cut her off from her power and basically doomed her to live as a human until something kills her.
It's brutal, but not a bad punishment for what she did and said.”
Tears are now rolling down Charlotte’s cheeks.
I don’t feel anything hearing how awful my mother was, and is.
But I can imagine how hard it was for her to see both of her sisters banished.
To know that two people she grew up with are gone forever, and that one of them was punished so severely.
I know I would be a wreck if something happened to Abby and I didn’t grow up with her.
“So, when the curse broke, all of the Supernaturals felt it. I’ve been approached by the Hive Queen, Kahmil, and the Fae Queen, Jorja. They want to meet to discuss what we do now. We need a Shifter representative, and I suggested Mandy.”
I turn to Mandy and smile at her, excited that she was chosen to speak for all Shifters.
She smiles back, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
Mandy shakes her head and squeezes my hand.
“The Alpha council denied the request. They took a vote and decided that the representative should be chosen by all. It has to be an Omega, as the other races follow an Omega leader, as it should be. There is going to be a … competition, though that isn’t quite right.
They want to assemble every Shifter Omega and they requested for Charlotte to come and select the one with the most power. ”
“Yes, and I agreed. You should be getting an email sometime tonight. The Howl University Early Start Program is being suspended for the rest of the summer and all registered Omegas are being summoned to the Sacred Grounds. We will meet with the other leaders and select the Representative for the Shifters.” Charlotte explains what is happening and my phone beeps, announcing an incoming email.
Looking down I see the exact email Charlotte said I would get.
I smirk, but it's only to hide my nerves. On one hand, I’m happy classes are canceled and I can spend time with my mates, on the other, I’m a little scared about who will be selected as our representative.
What if they don’t want to work with the other races?
What if they are mean and only want what is best for themselves and not the Supernatural community as a whole?
“Well, there isn’t anything we can do about it until the leaders come to an agreement, so we shouldn’t worry about what we can’t change. Let's go eat.” James is the one to fill the silence that descends on the room after my email came in.
Slowly, we make our way to the dining room.
We don’t talk about the fate of the world anymore, or about the representatives or really anything else that is important.
We spend dinner getting to know Charlotte and her mates.
Well, I spend the time getting to know them, the rest of my family already knows them well.
The night was amazing and Mandy invited the Coven to stay with us since we are all going to the Sacred Ground tomorrow anyways.
They accepted the invitation and we all went to bed.
My mates don’t ask about the selection tomorrow and I don’t offer anything about my feelings about it either.
We spend the night together, loving each other and having sex until we all crash.
The next morning is just as quiet as the night before.
I’m not sure if my mates are more nervous that I won’t be selected or that I will.
Honestly, I’m not sure which I’d prefer either.
On one hand, I don’t want the responsibility of having the fate of an entire race on my shoulders, but on the other, I have so many ideas on how to bring the races back together.
Not just the Supernaturals, but we need to bring the humans back on board if we truly want to live free.
I’ve noticed that my mates like to match what they are wearing to what I have on, like a subtle claim on me to the rest of the world.
It's a statement to tell everyone that they belong to me. I love it. It makes me feel seen and loved without any of them having to say a word. Today, we are wearing jeans and simple shirts. Mine is white long sleeve shirt. My mates are wearing white tee-shirts, except for Hutch who is wearing a long sleeve Henley like me and has on a green ball cap, backwards like always. I put on green sneakers to match Hutch and smirk at the heat in his gaze when he realizes we are dressed exactly the same. I even go as far as to steal CJ’s green ball cap to wear for the day as well.
I put my hair in pigtail braids that hang down my shoulder and stop at my waist and the only makeup I have on is mascara, eyeliner, and clear lip gloss.
Simple, but cute. Plus, I look like I belong with my mates.
I know that everyone says mate bonds are sacred and not often messed with, but I still feel better that everyone can tell they are mine just from a look.
Each of the guys have their mate marks on display and my wolf purrs with satisfaction.
She is in an exceptionally good mood today, when she was really quiet yesterday.
Focusing on the bond between us, I nudge my essence against her, silently checking that she is okay.
I can see her in my mind, rubbing her head against me and snuggling into my neck.
Tiny purrs leave her throat and I get the impression that she is content with everything going on. Well that makes one of us.
We meet with the rest of the group and take off.
Somehow, one of the dads managed to rent a big van that all thirteen of us can fit in and one of Charlotte’s mates drives.
We head off the reservation, and into the woods.
My wolf is practically jumping around in my chest, her excitement battling with my own trepidation.
The last time I was in the woods, I was attacked by a rogue wolf and my whole life changed.
There is a feeling of deja vu that is warning me that going into the woods today will be just as life changing as it was all those months ago.