Darkest Wolf

III

My mother smiled widely as she brought out the cake laden with white frosting that hid my brother's favorite red velvet cake under it while my father carried out the one made of Devil's food cake and coated in a thick layer of chocolate frosting.

Everyone surrounded my brother and I while we sat at the table and waited for our cakes, Ida kneeled next to my brother with her arm affectionately draped over his shoulder and another resting on his chest. Even though my cousins were next to me laughing loudly and singing the words to the happy birthday song in a ridiculously loud tone I couldn't help that pinch of jealousy. My emotions aren't my own, their my wolves.

So you say.

Shut up.

"Dear Ethan and Eve," everyone screamed," Happy birthday to you! Make a wish!"

Ethan and I held hands and blew out our candles to the applause of our parents, Alpha and Luna, Uncle Luke, Aunt November, Uncle Kian, Aunt Holly, Aunt Thalia, Grandpa David, Jade, Gwen, Max, Jackie, Ida and a few friends of Ethan's.

There was some well wishing and hugs before Jade and Gwen grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. We climbed into the trees, once we were high enough Jade pulled a cigarette out of her jacket and lit it, making Gwen snarl at the scent.

"Those are awful for you."

"Prude."

Gwen rolled her eyes before dropping to sit on the branch and patting the seat next to her. Climbing trees is something my dad showed me how to do when I was little, he said it was how he used to go everywhere. When no one else was there, the trees were.

"I believe I owe you this."

"You gave Ethan his gift already?"

She shrugged in a way that said "yes, yes she did" before pulling that small purple box out form behind her and passing it to me. I clapped my hands together before excitedly pulling the ribbon apart and opening it to reveal a beautiful necklace with a black circle and the phases of the moon imprinted on it.

It was a necklace any wolf would love. My eyes flashed to a purple shade as I admired the necklace.

"Thank you," I whispered. She took it out and hung it around my neck so it laid right on the top of my black turtle neck laying under my jean jacket. The warmth of my skin made the metal feel cool. I brushed my fingers over the top of the moons," They're silver."

"But it's not really touching you so it won't effect your wolf. Call it a hidden way of self defense."

"It's a real piece of art," Jade added as she let out a long drag," Don't lose it."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Gwen wrapped her arm around me and we all fell into a comfortable silence up in the trees of the Jade Forest, watching the rest of our loved ones party below. It was a long while before my mother and the other oracles dropped to the ground. I could hear their screams from up here.

I jumped down from the branch I was on, rolling once, twice before getting back on my feet and running to the party area with all the speed in me, Jade behind me and Gwen running ahead of us. The oracles were chanting words that didn't make sense until we got closer.

"The moon is red and the sun... white. Things are dark and light at the same time like the colors are fighting with each other. A girl with blond hair stands face to face with a man who's hair was darker than the girl's soul. All around the pair forces swirled, gold for the man and dark red for the girl. The heavens versus the blood needed to unleash hell.

"Another girl pulled at the man's arm while he went towards the girl but he didn't stop. He threw the girl off of him, her head hitting a rock in the process and blood spilling over her hair the color of innocence.

"The girl was Ida. Ida is dead. Ethan killed Ida. Eve launched herself at Ethan, releasing her energy slowly as she did so. Ethan lets his mingle with the dark. Another wolf howls in the distance. A dozen wolves make themselves known. A shadow of an animal rushes out onto the scene, his love for the evil one clear-"

All 3 oracles took in sharp breaths and started coughing. By now Jade, Gwen and I were at the edge of the clearing and watching as the event took place. My mother's eyes blinked rapidly as she tries to get the last of the bloody tears out of her blue eyes. Dad holds her while she realizes what just happened and everyone turns to me. 

The one made of evil.

_

The party dispersed. My mother was trying not to sob downstairs, I didn't bother trying to decipher if it was because of her prophecy or the aura I left behind me. Ethan was trying to comfort her but she didn't want to hear it.

I almost wished I was in there with them but it was in there with them but it was safer for them that I stay in the trees for now. I can't do anyone harm up here.

Except yourself, my wolf reminded me with a nod at the ground a good 20 feet below.

I shivered at the darkness of the thought.

"No," I told her sternly," They would never forgive me."

"Most people aren't that smart. I'm proud."

"At least someone is."

"Hey, your mother is proud of you," his warm hand grasped my shoulder.

I shrugged it off.

"Look at them," I nodded to the mother and son below," They're so good."

"And we aren't?"

"We were born this way. Neither of us are any good, dad."

"You're half right," he sat down on the thick branch as we both gazed down at my mother and brother in our house just a dozen yards away, "We were born this way. It took me a long time to accept that I am no sin to this world. Now, that's not a lesson I can force upon you but I can tell you 2 things that might help."

"Yeah? What?"

"The first is, that fall? Not enough to break your neck."

I scoffed at his comment and went to go to another branch. His hand shot out and grabbed my ankle. I passed him an annoyed look.

"The second is that you, Eve Wright, are very loved."

I'm not usually so sentimental when someone says things like this but I felt my eyes turn to a light grey and the tears start to come. The entire pack must know by now that Ethan and I are destined to do such destruction, my brother and I are to fight each other, he could hurt his mate and some mysterious wolf would save us. I turned around and hugged my father as tight as my arms could go around his large shoulders. When I pulled away he stared at me for a second, his eyes the same grey as mine before he kissed my forehead and disappeared into the dark of night.

I am loved.

I need to find the person who would love me more than anything.