Chapter 41
“The elders are looking for you. Let me escort you to the Packhouse, my lady” Jasper extended an elbow to me. I went along with his old timey talk with a silly accent and accepted his hand.
“Does this mean I can’t come?” Mel frowned as we walked towards the house. “Sorry, it’s Pack business” Jasper hollered to her from over his shoulder.
“You guys suck! I’m always left out” I heard her whine before she just walked away.
Inside the house I wasn’t feeling playful anymore. I felt awkward and tense but I had Jasper by my side and I just held his arm to feel my comfort and safety.
I accepted several hugs from Leslie and many others in the house before being addressed by the men in Devran’s office. It felt like we had come full circle.
Not long ago I was hiding behind a half open door listening to them slander me and now I am here for a very different reason.
As soon as we entered many of the men stood up. My eyes caught with Devran’s. Alpha Conan approached me and gave me a hug to thank me and to show he was glad I had recovered.
“Young lady, we all know why you are here. Many of our people witnessed you performing acts of magic to help our people during the evacuation” one of the oldest looking men of the bunch spoke out first.
A lot of these guys are wrinkled and some are cranky while others are wise. Some are grey. I know one man to be the one who performed the ceremony of the changing of the Alpha when he was dressed in ceremonial garb.
I just continued to look at him because the man speaking had yet to ask me anything.
“Is it true you summoned wind to clear our paths to safety?” He asked. “It is,” I nodded. I still stood very close to Jasper who just kept beside me for support.
“And is it true that you brought rain to wipe the fire out?” He asked me. “Yes.” All the men around the room began to whisper and lean to one another while I waited.
Devran said nothing but his eyes burned into me.
“How long have you known you possess mystical powers?” He asked me. “Not long at all,” I told him honestly.
“And yet you were able to perform such miracles so soon?” He asked me in a way that made me feel suddenly interrogated.
“I reacted with fear and worry for the people, it unlocked something inside me much larger than what I was used to” I told him but looked at everyone in general.
“Am I being interrogated here?” I decided to ask my own question now.
“No, sweetheart, this is just the formal stuff,” Conan assured me. I nodded for them to continue. “And before this incident were you working with your gifts?” The man asked me.
“Gran had an inkling that I might possess a gift and she asked me to meditate on the full moon at the sacred circle to see what came up.
We agreed it should remain private until I figured out what was going on.
Gran advised this because she didn’t want to get people in an uproar if we weren’t sure I even had a connection with the elements.
"Over a series of weeks I discovered I could heal a dead flower and I also had access to knowledge I hadn’t previously known when I made a plant based cream for warrior Nealin Sr to help with his scars” I took a deep breath and continued.
Jasper squeezed my hand telling me I was alright.
“His scars have drastically improved and I had no reason to know such things on my own. I started practicing the summoning of wind when I learned I can call upon the air as it is an element. That’s what helped me get started when the fire was occurring. I just tried it.
I didn’t know it would work” I said honestly.
Because there was a great chance nothing would happen when I tried to use my gifts. Again the murmurs continued. I looked up at Jasper and he nodded at me in reassurance for a second time.
“Would a small demonstration be possible?” A different man asked. I looked at him but then turned to the other person who was approaching me.
In Devran’s hand were two dead flowers. I nodded and took them.
I did the same thing I always do. I shut my eyes and closed them between my palms until I felt the stirring inside me that told me I healed the flower.
When I released my hand and showed the crowd many of them covered their mouths in awe.
“Mira, I know you were unfamiliar with these Mystic people before my mother told you about them, but you have no idea how big of a deal this is to Werewolves everywhere. Mystics were great allies to the Wolf Pack’s all over” Conan explained.
I nodded and listened to what else he had to say.
“Should we address the elephant in the room? Mira was meant to be Luna and your prejudice got in the way of that happening” Jasper surprised me by speaking up.
Devran growled in low warning. “Had we of known-” one of them went to speak but I held my hand up.
“I’ve heard this speech many times. Had you known that I wasn’t some inferior human you would’ve respected and taken me seriously. That’s in the past” I found my voice and stood up for myself against their decision.
Conan stepped forward. “You misunderstood us. We meant nothing against you” he tried defending them.
“She doesn’t wanna hear it. I explained already but she doesn’t see it our way. The Matebond has already been rejected and broken. There's nothing else to do about it so I suggest we drop it and move forward” Devran spoke but his voice was stiff and angry.
Nobody was going to mess with his authority right now.
“Is there a way you can repair the rejected bond?” Someone asked. I don’t even know who because my eyes had been pinned on Dev.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing” one scowled.
“If you were to ask the Moon Goddess for forgiveness maybe she would grant your union a second chance” the man who had performed the Alpha ceremony stood up and spoke over all of us.
“What?!” I couldn’t even hold my tongue. Jasper cleared his throat and tried taking over.
“You guys are treating Mira like a prop. You didn’t even ask her if she'd even want to try to repair this union. I think she has every right to refuse you all” my perfect best friend stood up for me.
“Jasper” Devran snapped. “What! It’s true” he stood his ground. When growls started getting louder I stood between Jasper and Devran.
“Guys, let’s not do this” I huffed. It’s just like in the beginning when Devran was hell bent on running me out of town and Jasper had to physically fight him to stand his ground and challenge Devran’s decision.
“Devran will find a new mate and I'll remain here as a friend to the community as I continue to learn what my gifts entail and practice them. I'll do my part within the community but the union between your Alpha and myself is already broken” I spoke level headed.
One man stomped his foot on the ground in anger.
“To accept a bond and take place as Luna would strengthen the pack tenfold to you being here as a friend to the people! You dare say you won’t even try to repair this bond?! Let the Moon Goddess decide” the man yelled, which made me flinch back and hide beside Jasper.
“Are you shitting me?” Jasper scoffed. Diego stepped forward as if to tell his friend to shut up for his own good.
“Did you just say to let the Moon Goddess decide on this union?! That’s literally what you were supposed to do the first time!! The Moon Goddess sent us Mira and YOU GUYS didn’t trust our Goddess and you broke her gift to us.
How dare you ask her to do what you couldn’t” Jasper rounded his shoulders and looked as tall and severe as I have ever seen him.
My happy go lucky best friend looked like the Delta he was at this moment. His cinnamon hair was soft on his forehead until he swiped it back harshly and his usually warm hazel eyes were hard.
“Jasper” Conan tried wrangling him in.
“No, I think this conversation is over. What do you think, Mira?” He asked me. Jasper is the first to ask me my opinion on anything.
“Yeah, I've explained what I know of my gifts and I gave you your demonstration. I won’t let you dictate what I do from here. You haven’t asked me a single thing about my opinion. I am not a prop” I told them before turning on my heel ready to leave.
I heard someone barreling forward which made me flinch and made Jasper whirl around. Devran body checked Jasper so hard he went flying and now a huffing alpha wolf was barricading the door.
“You leave when I tell you you can leave” he warned me with a snarl. I glared into his eyes saying everything I didn’t want to say out loud in front of his people. I can at least show some respect in that manner unlike these people.
“What the hell, Dev” Jasper huffed out as Diego lifted him from the ground.
“Mira, if the council thinks we can ask the Moon Goddess if she can repair this bond then we should at least try” he told me in a tight voice but he was trying to simmer it down. I could see his control lacking though.
“You realize you are asking me to put aside the fact that you already rejected me for harsh reasons and agree to be Luna to the Crescent pack and basically your wife” I looked at him incredulously.
“With the bond intact you would feel the connection between us that broke. You wouldn’t be forced into a loveless marriage. It would be fated” he dared to try to explain.
I laughed in his face.
“Good luck with your next mate. I do not accept” I told him, trying to duct under his arm and leave. He didn’t let me but his father called his name telling him we should calm down before having any more of this conversation.
Jasper followed me out.
-
“UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE, they all seriously thought I would agree to just ignore their blatant disregard of me before finding out my gifts and then just repair what they broke!! Unbelievable. Stupid, ridiculous, it’s like- what’s the equivalent to a gold digger but for magic! That’s what they are!
Using me” I spat as I stomped off.
Jasper scurried along behind me letting me vent. I was surprised to see Mel waiting on my doorstep but she smirked and said, “I knew there would be a show to follow.”
I started telling her everything they said while aggressively unlocking my door and having us come inside. Nealin ended up being there so I started telling him too.
He was squirmish but he’s sort of always that way.
“You did the right thing. Make them regret it” Mel slapped me on the back which almost choked me. She sparked an herbal roll and took a puff but Nealin opened his mouth and squeaked, “Please don’t smoke in the house.”
Melanie looked right at him and chuckled while taking a second hit. Nealin was too chicken to ask again so she just continued until Jasper took it from her hand and put the joint out.
She scoffed but I thought it was cute how Nealin blushed and got all flustered that Jasper would help him out.
“You know Devran is going to show up at some point today, correct?” Mel asked me.
She was on the sofa with her feet on the coffee table. Jasper was beside her leaning on the arm rest and I was pacing the living room until I plopped on the floor and pouted.
Nealin was practically in his room. That’s how far he was standing from all of us.
“Yeah, I know, but he is going to get the same answer. He doesn’t even like me as a person. He just hopes the bond will slap a band-aid on that fact and have us get swept up by fake feelings if we accept the bond. NO FREAKING WAY. Just no”
I put my foot down even though everyone in the room was agreeing with me.
“You are a shiny new treasure, Babes, expect some phony friends. It’s gonna happen” Mel shrugged.
I knew she was right too. Most people were already kind and wonderful people, but there were plenty who also never paid attention to me. Or hated me. For example Melissa, and if she suddenly changed I would know why. I won’t just accept fakeness.
My gift is just that, a gift.
“Um...Is Alpha Devran really going to come here and fight? I-I really don’t w-want that” Nealin swallowed hard.
“You can hide in your room. I wouldn’t be offended. He'll definitely come. He always loves yelling at me and fighting” I sighed. Jasper looked between the nervous Nealin and me.
“I’ll stop him from coming over here. I’ll cut him off before he makes it” Jasper stood up knowing the sooner the better because I’m sure Dev was prepping to come any minute now.
“Thanks J” Mel waved him along. He looked back at us one more time before nodding and leaving the cottage.
“Hey, Woodsy witch, can you make me a sleepy potion because I’ve been sleeping like crap lately” Mel turned her attention back on me. I gaped at her then laughed.
“It’s called drinking herbal tea” I deadpanned.
“No eye of the toad or anything?” She tipped her head and sarcastically asked me. I walked over and grabbed a pillow for the sole purpose of hitting her. It made us all laugh.
Eye of the toad. I’m not a witch. I think?
“So, is the fun over? Because Lyson kinda wants to meet me in the clearing” she wagged her eyebrows meaning they were gonna hook up. Both Nealin and I blushed and covered our faces.
“Don’t come sneaking in here tonight” I warned her. “But I told my parents I was sleeping here” she told me. “Ugh, fine” I waved her out the door now too.
“Does she do that often or something?” Nealin asked me, not knowing our usual routine.
“When I used to live in the Pack house she would sneak into my room in the middle of the night and sleep over because Melanie’s parents are very old school about Mate bonds and not dating beforehand so they don’t let her have a boyfriend. That’s why they’re always sneaking around,
so she says she is sleeping over and then technically I guess she does” I chuckled.
“Should we leave her a key?” He seemed concerned.
“Oh she picks locks” I told him like that was something common. When he gaped at me I kinda realized that was a bit strange. I shrugged. “I guess we can leave her a key.”
I don’t even think a lot of people in the village lock their doors. As a pack they are trustworthy and loyal to one another so there wouldn’t be robbers or something.
I have the habit of locking everything but that’s because I lived in the human world where most people are bad people.