Chapter 37
“I feel like we’ve been super distant lately. Am I crazy or do you feel like there has been a disconnect?” I asked Jasper mid-walk to our favorite clearing. His head swiveled in my direction but he didn’t immediately say anything.
“I think that’s my fault. Just a lot of shit has come up all at once in my life and I guess I’m just tryna figure it all out. I’m sorry you feel like I’m pushing you away or anything” his frown made me feel bad for bringing it up.
“I know you have all those trainings and new responsibilities. That’s why I haven’t brought it up much. I just felt like you were in distress lately. I say I'm so in tune with your emotions but maybe I shouldn’t dig so deep” I tried to turn the topic playful.
“Distress, uh, not distress” he tried to disagree. This was the exact thing I was feeling though. There is something going on with him but if he isn’t ready to talk about it I don’t think I have a right to try and force him.
He'd been so patient about my willingness to discuss my past. I can extend that same courtesy.
I'd told him about that affinity-link and he agreed that it explains exactly what we are to one another. It’s brought on a whole new level of connection knowing it’s almost cosmic that we met and became friends.
Even still that doesn’t make me entitled to his every thought, which is why I won’t push this nagging feeling I have that Jasper is distressed about something.
“So, Mel is back today?” He asked once we got to the clearing. We never do much there but sit around talking or laying on our backs looking at the sky pass us by.
We smoke here too but that’s usually when Melanie is around. It’s just a peaceful place to be. Right now we're going to sit and spend quality time together without the bustle of our town getting in the way.
I didn’t want to be at the pack house. And he didn’t wanna just sit in my cottage. And out in public people would always stop and say hello to their Delta, so here we're being hidden away for our own sakes.
“I left her a note on her door to come meet us in the clearing so she might pop up” I told him.
“I’m going to snitch on you and tell her about me walking in on you and Devran” he smirked. I swatted his arm which he flinched away from before laughing.
“Speak of the devil” Jasper randomly hollered out. I was confused until about 30 seconds later Mel appeared. He has supernatural hearing and enhanced sense of smell so he knew long before I did.
“I know you bitches missed me” she announced as she came and hugged me by the neck. I coughed out like I was choking.
Really the smell of jasmine wafted in my nose and it’s a scent I know well. Whenever she’d sneak into my room at night it would be the aroma that filled the space around us.
“How was it visiting your family?” I asked her.
“Entertaining, my younger cousin is mental. I’ll tell you about it later” she said, throwing her feet up on a rock and cupping her hands behind her head. “That cloud looks like a penguin” she stated randomly.
We all looked up at the sky at the same time. A thought crossed my mind at that moment. I didn’t want to be keeping secrets from my friends. I wanted them to know about Gran’s prediction that I'm a Mystic. I hope they even know what that is because I barely do.
“Guys” I said out loud in a voice that told them I was about to go into story time. Both sets of eyes shifted to me at once. “Spill it,” Mel said right away.
“Okay...I’m aware this is going to sound crazy but...well, Gran was really the one who thought this to be true. I’m sorta just going off of what she said” I couldn’t continue because Melanie groaned and told me to stop babbling.
“I think I have mystical powers,” I blurted out.
I can tell that was nothing at all what they expected from me. Melanie even sat upright as they both gawked at me.
“Let me explain from the beginning.” I decided to tell them in chronological order from Nealin Sr. cream all the way to the meditations and my practicing of elemental magic.
Their jaws were on the floor.
“I’m sorry but I can not believe you until I see it with my own eyes. I’m dumbfounded” Jasper shook his head in disbelief. I understood why they needed to see it with their own eyes.
Recently I've been practicing the wind trick so I decided to start with that before showing them the flower come to life thing.
“Okay, hold on” I stood up and closed my eyes. With my hands I motioned for a breeze to rise and sure enough wind passed through. When I opened my eyes they were gaping.
And that wasn’t a coincidence. I did it again and there was no denying it. I was calling to the wind.
“Do the flower” Melanie scrambled to her feet and searched for a dead plant.
She came back with a leaf which was fine. I held it between both hands and again let the magic run through me before producing a healthy leaf and handing it back over to her.
“This is....do you have any idea how earth shattering this is? Werewolf people have been waiting for the return of a Mystic for generations...my mom used to tell my sister bedtime fairy tales about Mystics” Jasper’s warm hazel eyes sparkled with wonder.
And it felt good to be looked at that way. Like I was a wonder. Melanie burst out laughing which regained our attention.
“What?” I chuckled, because her outburst was amusing. She brushed her thick dark locks all the way back and shook her head.
“Do you know how utterly stupid Devran and the rest of those misogynistic pigs of the council are gonna feel when they realize you're not some weak human but actually the second coming of the Mystic people.”
She threw her head back again and laughed for a second time. “You were there Jasper, you heard the shit they were saying at that meeting” Mel crossed her arms and waited to see what he’d say.
“That got out of hand so quickly. Everyone had been talking over one another and we all had different opinions. Honestly, they had no idea what to think about a human being mated to a werewolf. An alpha at that.
"But they didn’t take the time to look for a logical conclusion and that’s their own fault. Gran was smarter than they were” my best friend shrugged.
“What else can you do?” Melanie changed topics faster than whiplash.
“Eh, I’m not sure. This is very new. Look, you seriously can’t tell anybody. Gran was right when she said it would cause a lot of chaos and I want to practice and be comfortable with my gifts” I looked between them, but I knew I could trust them.
“You better make sure we're present the moment you reveal this to the others. I wanna see Dev’s face” Mel smirked.
I know it’ll feel like a sweet victory to prove them wrong. We spent the rest of our time in the clearing talking more about what they think my gifts might be, based on the fairy tales Jasper’s mother used to tell Grace as a child.
They said Mystics could heal the land when plagues killed the crops of the indigenous people generations ago when all the land still belonged to them.
They said they would make potions and creams to help heal the injured. It’s like being a witch of elemental magic. The possibilities were endless.
They were considered wise because they could tap into ancient sacred knowledge and commune with animals. All this is speculation but the stories were endless.
Some sounded pretty far-fetched like that a Mystic can walk on water, but still it was fun to talk about with my two closest friends.
I don’t know when I'll reveal what I am. Gran seems to have a general idea so I’ll follow her advice.
“So...should we tell her about Devran?” Jasper finally switched the subject. I slapped him at the same time Melanie exclaimed, “What about Devran?!”
I glared at my best friend but started on the topic of Dev and our strange exchange.
-
It was movie night in our town’s square tonight. Trevor asked me to go with him. Which I obviously said yes to. I would usually go with my friends but they were all for me having a second mini date with Trev.
I thought Jasper might think it was weird to date his good friend but he didn’t seem to mind at all.
I often think about when Jasper might find his mate. I pray she doesn’t get jealous of our bond and try to break us apart. I hope we become close friends too so that the dynamic never changes.
For now, Jasper is still single and doesn’t seem overly interested in dating aside from that one weird outburst he had where he randomly hooked up with Melissa from the Grey’s restaurant.
Tonight isn’t exactly a real date because most of our friends will be around us, but he promised me he had something special to add to the evening. I’m very curious as to what that means.
It was like deja vu having Melanie in my house rummaging through my things trying to find the appropriate outfit for tonight’s ‘vibes’ as she called it.
When I heard the front door I left Mel to her terrorization of my room to go say hello to Nealin.
“Do you have plans tonight? Everyone's going to the square for the movie. You’re welcome to join us. I’ll sort of be with Trevor mostly, but Jasper and Mel will be there. I’m sure they won’t mind you coming along” I offered him with a smile.
I felt bad that he didn’t really hang out with anyone and I felt like I could incorporate him into our friend group if he could just be a little less shy and nervous.
Mel would frighten him with her very IDGAF attitude.
Nealin’s expression shifted mid-invite and I wasn’t exactly sure why but he started fumbling over himself telling me he probably wouldn’t be able to make it.
I left it at that but I felt like maybe he didn’t wanna be around us for whatever reason. I guess because of his shyness.
“I found it!” I heard my best friend holler from inside my bedroom. I chuckled and popped back in to see what she picked. The top was a warm color and it was part of a two piece set that had flowy bottoms with beautiful print on them.
“Do that little side braid mixed in with your hair down. It fits the vibes” she told me. I just nodded along. She knows best when it comes to fashion.
I wouldn’t be wearing makeup. It just felt too casual for that. We’ll be sitting out on blankets on the ground and we won’t even be alone. This felt like the right amount of effort to look pretty without being over the top.
“Are you coming along, warrior boy?” Mel leaned into my door frame and arched a brow at Nealin who turned red at her attention. Her lips are always painted red so her mouth often becomes the focal point.
“Uuh, uh, don’t think so” he stuttered out.
It’s not even because he has a crush on her or something. He’s openly told me he's gay, but he still gets flustered the way one would around a crush.
“Suit yourself” she shrugged before telling me she was going to take off so she could get ready for Lyson who will be joining tonight.
She won’t be able to be all over him if her parents show up to the town event but I think they are playing a film for our targeted audience so I doubt they'll be interested.
I’m 18 years old and this is only my second official date tonight.