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17 | Portraits of the Past

There we sat. Me, cradled in his lap for god knew how long as we both came to terms with what happened between us.

It was blissful, and I felt content. There were no reservations, fear, or concern. It felt right. He felt right.

Despite the tumultuous roller coaster since my arrival, I hadn't felt more grounded than I did right now.

I had a mate. A soul mate. Was it too good to be true? Could it really be so simple?

As we nestled together, Phelan took the time explaining the concept to me. I became lost to the lullaby of his words as he told me stories, fables, and the history of how it all worked, and what it all meant.

It was like being transported to another world. A world of magic... and it captivated me.

The idea was such a foreign concept. It wasn't like dating in College, or swiping right on Tinder. It was a genuine, instantaneous match. The notion that only one person was destined to be your other half. But it wasn't just a notion, it was a simple fact. That, you were each paired together by the Moon Goddess, woven together as if pulled by the magic of the stars. It was like a fairytale.

He explained how when you are away from your mate, you get mate sickness, the Moon's way of keeping you together. And how when you mark your mate, you gain a telepathic connection, where your inner thoughts, dialogue and emotion become interweaved and engrained together. And the tingles.... nature's way of recognising your mate and confirming what the Moon intends.

His explanation of the mind link is what piqued my curiosity the most. Apparently it occurred with all members of the pack, which had explained a lot from what I'd observed between Sophia, Gunner and Phelan at times. But with a mate it was said to be different. That, you could feel their emotion, pain, or hurt.

I thought back to hearing Sophia saying that 'it had to be done' and I realised now what she meant. Her belief, and Gunner's, was that by marking me, Phelan would know my location, my state of physical well-being and emotions at any given time. And most importantly, we would have a means of communication that would ensure our respective safety in a crisis.

But what he expanded on made me realise that such a simple fix was never on the cards.

I wasn't a wolf.

I was broken.

Phelan explained that he wouldn't risk marking me. That, because of my hybrid nature, there was no way of knowing the effect it would have.

The bite was said to turn a human septic, poisoning their blood before they died from their infected wound. An adaptation designed to maintain the strength of the werewolf gene... to prevent the pollution of it.

But I was a hybrid. And as such, the effect was unknown.

Marking me would result in one of two possible outcomes. Either I would die from the bite, or it would trigger my own transition into my wolf.

We didn't know. It was a gamble, and without the immediate need to know, we set off in search of someone who could help us.

***

"Her cabin is just around the corner."

I watched as his hand steered the wheel around to the left as we hooked past the pine trees.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Magdalene. She is our Seer, and was close friends with your grandmother. She has been wanting to meet you."

I'd never heard that term before. "What's a Seer?"

Phelan smiled before explaining, "Humans call it a psychic ability... it's basically the same thing, Magdalene has a prophetic gift. She has helped our pack in immeasurable ways. But she has refused to discuss anything lately without meeting you first."