I have no idea how long it's been, but I do know where I am. I have been chained in this clearing for at least a few days. I don't know how long I was knocked out before we got here. But I sat beside two spots in the grass, they look as though someone had been laying in them and never got up.
At night I would beg for the moon goddess to help me, but she never came.
I would lay in the spot on the grass where the indentation was, my body fit perfectly. This spot felt warmer than others. When I would close my eyes to sleep I would have these vivid dreams. And this night was no different.
*I was floating from above softly being planted on the ground. I looked up at the sky and smiled at the moon. Only I was watching myself like a third person. I stood from the spot I had been placed and began walking towards the trees. How have I not noticed this before? Wolves began to come out, but I wasn't afraid. That's when I heard myself speak. "My pack, it is I kiala I have returned to you, now you must listen to me. You have abilities that others do not and you have to trust me. Close your eyes and feel the moon beat down on your fur. Picture yourselves with two legs instead of four, picture arms and fingers, picture feeling the moon beams on skin." I watched as they all listened. One by one the shifted into naked humans, I could hear the confusion from the crowd. "The moon goddess has blessed us with a gift. We can shift between the two figures, human and wolf. We will live longer, be stronger and faster, and will be destined to have mates who will love us for eternity. All she ask is we do not forget about her. Our mother, the moon goddess. We will feast and run every full moon to honor her, praising and dancing in her honor. We will not allow our children to forget her. I am your Luna, and once my mate finds me he will be your alpha. Our titles will be passed down to our children and we will be prosperous. Come my loves, let's celebrate in honor of our mother." The werewolves let out a howl to the moon goddess as they all began to talk to each other and walk away. I tried to follow but my feet stayed planted where they were.*
'This is not a dream my child.'
What who said that? I tried to open my eyes but couldn't.
'It is me Layla, your mother, don't tell me you've forgotten me.'
Moon goddess?
'Yes my dear, I have come to speak to you. Keno has followed your soul back to earth as you had said and now he wants revenge.'
How do I stop him?
'You have to remember Layla. Remember who you are. Remember your destiny. Remember your duty to not only myself and you, but to your people. You are the original werewolf. You are my first daughter. I will always be with you. Just look to the moon and howl. I will be there. Listen to kiala. Much like you she has taken another name I believe it is Avery. But listen to her, she is wise beyond your years, she remembers.'
With that my eyes fluttered open to reveal the clearing. The sun was rising and I felt my body tense. I looked at the spot I was laying as flashes of my past flew across my vision. This is where I laid down to die next to kiala's fur. This is the clearing I would prais the goddess nightly with the Forrest watching. That wasn't a dream, that was a memory.
'There you are Layla, I have been patiently waiting for you to surface.'
Oh kiala my dear friend how I have missed you.
'You must not let keno know that you remember. You have to make him believe you still think you are just Rox. I have to pretend I'm not here because the wolfsbane faded a few hours quicker than he planned. Call out to your father let him know where you are. Trust your instincts.'
With that she faded to the back of my head. I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep still Incase keno came back while I mind linked my father.
'Father, I am in the clearing in West Virginia. Enisi knows where it is. Tell her I remember. She will understand. I have to go now he is coming back. I love you.' I threw my mind block up so he wouldn't distract me.
"Wake up my love." I ignored him on purpose knowing Rox didn't wake easy.
"I said get up!" He yelled kicking me in my side. I gave a load groan holding the spot he just brutally hit.
"What the hell was that for!" I screamed at him. He just smiled at me.
"Do you remember who I am yet my love?"
I gave him a duh look. "Ya your Kamron the psycho who kidnapped my mother, then me, and now possibly broke my damn rib!" I spit at him.
He just frowned at me.
"I thought for sure this spot would make you remember. Do you not realize the perfect body indentation underneath you? How your body molds perfectly in it? Do you really remember nothing?" He asked looking kind of broken.
"No I don't all I know is I'm freezing and I want to go home." I said I'm a quiet whisper hoping he would think it wasn't me.
"No can do love I vowed to bring you home and that's what I'll do. You'll love me like you love that mutt! You'll see!"
With that he stormed off leaving the tray of food in front of me. Damn I didn't realize he even had that. I should really pay attention. I lowered my mind block, I could feel someone fighting against it. I yawned Incase he was watching from the tree line. I took one bight of the read in front of me and laid down like I was going to go back to sleep.
'Layla'
I knew who it was immediately.
'Yes enisi it is me. I remember it all. He took me to the clearing where I grieved kiala. He doesn't know I remember. I'm going to fulfill my prophecy.'
'Yes my child, yes you will. Listen to kiala, she knows the truth wether you will see it or not. Her wolf eyes can't be lied to.'
I smiled in my mind.
'Enisi, did you know I was Layla?'
I could hear her smile.
'Yes my child, I knew it from the moment I say your green eyes. You were the first born daughter in our family line. The first real redbird blood to be female. The rest of us were only mated into it. You are the rightful redbird woman. The second of her kind. You were the only one who held enough honor to be gifted the soul of your great great great great grandmother.'
'I love you enisi, I promise I will finish this.'
'I know you will. Your father is on his way. Finish it before he gets there or else the cycle will repeat until you do.'
I heard someone coming, so I threw my mind block up..
"Are you awake?" I looked up to see a little boy around 7.
"well I was trying to nap but that didn't work out to well." I said rubbing my eyes and sitting up.
"What's your name kid?" He gave me a goofy grin.
"Chester, what's yours?"
"Rox." I said holding out my hand. "Why are you out in these woods alone? What's going on with that kid?"
He giggled at me. "I'm not alone my uncle is over there watching us. He said I BBC oils come talk to you. He said I might be able to help. He told me your name was Layla and you were to be my aunt. Is that true?"
He looked at me hopeful. "I'm sorry hun. My name isn't Layla, it's Rox. And I have a family at home I need to get back to. Do you know what these are on my wrist? Did your uncle tell you?" I asked hoping to get some answers.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Sure it's just wolfsbane on some regular vine cuffs. He said they are traditional. Something about history repeating itself or something."
That asshole.
"Chester lets go come back here now!" Kamron seethed at the boy.
"I'll talk to you later uncle keno is mad at me now." I waved good bye to the child before turning my attention to keno.
I could see how his soul danced behind his eyes looking for my soul to do the same, but I won't let him see it.
Before I could look away he started stalking towards me. I gave him my best smile.
"Kamgaroo can we go for a walk please? My legs hurt." I said pointing at my feet, using the nicknames we gave each other as kids. I could see a flash of the old kam behind his eyes.
"If you think it will help you remember then ya let's go. But you have to keep the cuffs on." I nodded my head.
He sighed. "Come on roxamilion."
We walked for about 10 minutes before either one of us spoke. Of course it was him to speak up first. "You know I still remember the first time I laid eyes on you." I looked at him with my eye brow raised.
"Ya so do I. It was Mr. Green's first year of kindergarten. We were table buddies." He shook his head.
"No, not that first time. I'm talking about Layla. We were 7 years old, your father had just rescued my sister and I from the river. We had fallen in trying to cross to get to the good fishing spot were our mama and papa use to take us. After they passed away, no one took us anymore and we missed it. It had been raining for a few days, so the current was strong coming down the mountain. I was holding my little sisters hand careful not to drop her. But the current was to strong and knocked her little legs out from under her. I wouldn't let go so I fell too. We screamed as we crashed against a rock, I held on to my sister trying to shield her body from being crushed between the current and the rock. That's when you and your father appeared out of no where, like angels. Your father jumped in, risking his life for two children he didn't know. He pulled us out to safety. You were standing there helping my little sister warm up while your father hung his jacket over my shoulders. He carried both of us back to your village where the woman took us in, and cared for us like their own. We had been on our own for months at that point, only surviving on the river water and small game I could catch with traps I had learned from my father before he passed away. Ever since the day you emerged like an angel to save our lives, I have been in love with you. Please just come back to me Layla. I know your in there."
It broke my heart to hear the sadness in his voice, the broken man in front of me wasn't the same on I had known all those years ago. He just wanted love, it was something he had lacked growing up. It makes sense. But that didn't mean I could take it easy on him. Broken or not, he was damned to an eternity in hell, once I kill him of course. Seeing as he still doesn't know I remember I'll give him another day of trying before I end his misery.
"Were Layla and your sister close?" I needed to keep him intrigued.
"Yes and no. She became like an older sister to Malawi in some ways, but in others Malawi ignored her because she saw how much pain she put me through. She saw how much I loved her and strived to be good enough for her, so she loved her knowing she would one day be her sister. But on the other hand she hated the fact that she paid me no attention, braking my heart every night I'd go to talk to her and she would be in this clearing instead of with me."
Liar she loved me more than she let on, she would come and sit with me in the clearing. She would tell me how I should stay away from you because that much affection isn't normal.
"Did you ever have any other girlfriends or wives after Layla had left?"
Keno, or Kamron, or whoever he is just looked at the ground.
"Yes, after Layla had left us her father had no other children. So seeing as I was to marry his daughter he appointed me chief of the village. In turn I had to take a wife to have my children for when I passed on. So they could take over for me. I had married a quiet woman from our village, she cooked and cleaned well, I knew she would be a good wife and have many children for me. At one point I loved her, she gave me 9 children. I had 6 boys and 3 girls. I was proud, but I always knew something was missing."
Now I was curious who was his wife.
"What was her name?"
"Yael."
Well plot twist. You can't get one so you go for the best friend, real original.
"Kamron, or keno, or whoever you are my feet are getting tired can we go back? I really just want to take a nap. Chester kind of interrupted my last one."
He just looked at me weird.
"Why are you so tired? You've slept for hours."
Shit think of a lie quick.
"All this wolfsbane drains a person, it takes my body a lot of energy to try to heal bits and pieces so it doesn't kill me. And you my friend have been putting a lot of wolfsbane into my system as of lately."
I looked at the ground fake crying.
"I can't even hear my wolf anymore, it's quiet up there." I said pointing to my head
"I can't fee her anymore, it's like she is t there anymore and it scares me. What if I loose her? I've gotten so use to hearing her, feeling her, always having that friend I can talk to even when I don't know what to say. She's become a part of my heart and soul and now she's not there." I covered my face with my hands, fake sobbing, hoping he would feel bad.
Oh Layla what have I done to you, I didn't mean to take your wolf away from you. I just don't want you to try to run, I can't live without you anymore. I can't see you with another man anymore. I'll give you smaller doses of the wolfsbane less times a day. Maybe she will come back, you never know. Maybe she's sleeping, she sleeps doesn't she?" I shook my head no.
"She sleeps when I sleep. We are in sync. But please can we go back I just want to lay down, I'm so sleepy." I gave a fake yawn as I wiped my tears away from my eyes. Goddess am I getting good at this fake stuff.
"Come on my love, let's go lay you down. You poor thing, your probably exhausted after all that wolfsbane I knew I should have gave you less. Your little, and your wolf isn't that big." He sighed before grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the clearing.
"Here love, your favorite spot." I looked down and saw we were back at the body indentation on the ground. I sat down and waited for him to attach the cuffs to the place on the ground. When he did I just looked up at him and yawned.
"Good night Kamron. I'll see you when I wake up." With that I laid back down.
'Dad, he doesn't know the wolfsbane wore off already. I can only mind link while I'm pretending to sleep.'
'I'm almost there baby girl, don't worry. I'll get you out of this, me and Jaxx are on our way. Just hold on baby girl.'
'I have to do this myself. I have to be the one to kill him. Give me until tomorrow. I have a plan.'
'What do you mean tomorrow? We are only a few hours out from where you are! We are not leaving you there with him. I won't allow it, Jaxx won't allow it!'
'Please trust me dad, I love you. Tell Jaxx I love him too and I'll see you both tomorrow.'
I put my mind block up, hoping they would listen. Now to really take a nap because I am exhausted.