Everything freezes. It's like my brain was disconnected from my body, like I was floating in a blank space in my mind. Sister. I don't have a sister. Do I? Flashes of memories try to surface, and if this were a few hours ago, I would gladly welcome them. But now? I don't think I can handle it.
"I don't have a sister," I say, my voice sounded weird to my ears, but I couldn't understand why.
My mother looked at me through tear-filled eyes. "You did though. If you would just let go, you would remember. We've had this exact same conversation several times before."
I couldn't understand what she was talking about. I couldn't believe that she was still lying to me. I would remember this. There's no way something this traumatic could be forgotten, right?
"Where are you going?" Everett asked, standing up.
I looked down, not realizing I had even stood up. "I can't be here right now," I whispered.
"Sweetheart," Atticus says, reaching for me.
I pull out of his hold, "Don't touch me!" I look at all of my parents with blurry eyes. Am I crying? I felt anger building up in me. "You sent me away!" I yelled, feeling such agony in my chest.
Axel looks absolutely shattered at my outburst. "Maeve, you killed someone in our clan. What were we supposed to do?!"
I knew he was right, but... "Not send me away like I'm some problem you can get rid of!" I say, backing out of the room more.
"Maeve, please sit down. We need to talk more about this." Mom said as she tried to approach me.
I shook my head hard. "I don't think I can," I say, feeling so small at this moment.
"You can!" Mom said, grabbing my face in her hands as she looked at me with the dominance only a Luna could possess. I felt like a small child again, reversed back to when she would hold me and tell me that everything would be alright. "Just let them in," she said softly.
I closed my eyes as tears trekked down my cheek. I inhaled deeply, letting my walls down, and was immediately assaulted by visions of the past.
"Hey, put that down!" Kellan yelled with laughter.
I stood in a misty haze, looking around at the messy room around me. Toys were littering the floor while drawings scattered along the walls. This was the old playroom at one of the smaller pack houses on the land.
"Maeve." I turned around at the sound of my name, but Kellan wasn't talking to me. Or well, this version of me that is.
A smaller and happier version of me was laying down on my stomach, drawing. I must have been about 12 years old at the time. My hair was longer then, almost completely white. I grinned at whatever Kellan was pointing at.
My eyes locked with a much smaller child, one of about 6 years old. Her chubby face was smiling from ear to ear as she moved her hand around in a circle. Movement caught my eye as I watched her levitate toys around the room, one being Kellan's favorite toy, an action figure of a superhero.
"Lily, seriously, put that down!" Kellan scolded her, but he wasn't mad. I could hear the amusement in his voice.
Lily?
The name flickered with recognition as I was suddenly pulled into a different memory.
"Lily!" I yelled as I ran across the field leading to the lake.
"Meve! Meve!" She screeched with laughter from behind me.
Suddenly I felt myself being picked up from the ground. "Hey!" I yelled, immediately bringing myself back down. I whirled around. "What did mom say about that, Lily?"
Her blue eyes widened and began to water. "I can't use my pow hers."
I shook my head. "Not like that, no."
"Cause I'm diff rent?" She asked with a frown.
I felt tears sting my eyes. "Yeah, just like mommy."
She smiled again. "And like you!"
Yup, just like me. But the frown returned as she stared at her hands. I couldn't stand to see the look on her face. "Only puppy."
She smiled at me with her missing front teeth. "Puppy!"
I watched with a smile as she shifted into her small werewolf form. The sight was too adorable. She was the youngest shifter we had, and I could see that everyone in the pack had noticed that detail too.
My chest hurt watching her. She was so innocent, so oblivious to the evils of the world. She was too young to realize the pain that she caused though. The deaths that have occurred from her hands. It was too risky to allow her to use her powers. I didn't like it, making her withhold, but what were we to do?
The memory washed away until I was left standing in another memory, rain splashing down onto my face.
Water pelted onto the roof of the house. It was my favorite sound. I was lying under a cozy blanket, reading a book that I stole from mom's bookshelf. Axel would kill me if he knew I stole one of her romance books. Protective much?
A knock from the front door startled me. I glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was just after ten at night. It's probably mom and dads coming back from the party. I sighed. I'll admit that I was still pissed off that they wouldn't let me come. Something about it being, "adults only" as if I don't know what that means.
I made my way down the hall in my fuzzy socks and pajamas. My legs were freezing in the cold air of the house. I swear Everett was trying to freeze me to death in this place. The room was dark as I made my way to the door.
I glanced at the mirror on the wall, seeing my reflection. I was older here, maybe 15?
The room was silent, the only sound that could be heard was from the storm. Lily and Kellen were both asleep by now, and I didn't want to wake them. That would be a fucking nightmare.
I unlocked the door and quietly opened it, looking outside. My eyebrows furrowed as I stepped outside and looked around. "Hello?" I called out into the darkness.
What if it was just one of the packmates? But what did they want this late?
I shook my head, turning around to head back inside, but dark eyes met mine. "Hello darling," he said in a smoky voice.
Panic rose inside me as I shot my hands out, blasting him with my power. I watched in horror as he flicked his hand, disbanding my magic. He looked at me with amusement-filled eyes. "That wasn't very nice."
Before I could say anything, his hands shot out in a flash, darkness clouding my vision.
No. I can't, I can't watch anymore.
I awoke with a throbbing headache forming behind my eyes. Cool metal was wrapped around my arms, legs, and...neck. My eyes peeled open, cringing at the brightness of the room. Or well, the light shining over just me that is.
I lifted my head with effort as I focused on my surroundings. Well, I wasn't home that was for sure. Suddenly, the events of today rushed through me, making me suck in a sharp breath. No. I tried getting up until I realized the cool metal surrounding me were chains. And there was no way I was getting out of them.
The sound of a door opening caught my attention. I watched as the same tall man stepped forward, smiling at me. My stomach dropped. "Do I know you?" I asked, clearing my throat from the scratchy sensation.
The man smiled, almost a little too friendly. "We've met before, but I don't think you would remember." I opened my mouth to speak before he continued. "You've grown remarkably well."
I cringed away from him at that statement while he chuckled. "Not like that, darling. Your powers are growing quite well."
I don't know if I felt better or worse at his clarification. "How do you know me?"
His eyes darkened. "I don't know you perse, but I know your mother." I sat quietly as he continued. "I was actually with her when she was born, you know? It was quite a sight to see."
Okay, it's official, this dude was fucking insane. He was like, in his late twenties. There was no way he was there when my mother was born.
I shuffled in my spot, feeling the weight of the collar around my neck. "What do you want with me?"
He stopped, looking at me intently, which didn't help my rising panic. "I just want to help you reach your potential."
"My potential?" I asked with a feeling of trepidation.
"Yes." He turned, pacing the length of the small room. "You're special, Maeve." He stopped, turning to gaze down at me. "You know that?"
I swallow through the tightness in my throat. "I wouldn't say that."
He smiled fondly at me. "You're too modest. I know what you did last winter break."
Ice shot down my spine at his words. "I don't know what you mean."
He raised a brow. "Oh? So you didn't melt the ice over the lake?" He chuckled. "Let me guess, global warming is a real bitch?"
I closed my eyes. "It was an accident."
"The best always are." He was so close, I could feel his breath against my ear. "It was a magnificent sight."
My eyes peeled open. "What?" I whispered.
His smile was downright crazed. "It was beautiful what you did. One second everything was peaceful." He leaned in closer, caressing my cheek. "And then, chaos."
I know flashbacks are probably not as exciting but they are well needed. The next chapter will also be a flashback that will explain the important details of Maeve's past. There will also be big clues mentioned next chapter that I'm eager to see if anyone will point out.
Question: Any guesses on who this mysterious man is?