Callyn
Do you ever get the feeling that something bad is about to happen? Maybe it was the way Catori stood by my locker, or maybe it was the look on her face, but I knew whatever she was about to tell me, I wasn’t going to like.
“Whatever you have to say just make it quick.”
“How do you know I have anything to say? I could just be tired.”
I tilt my head slightly to the side. “I can tell by your face. I mean your expressions always give you away.”
“You got me there.”
“Spill.”
“So, the other night, after your birthday party, I had my first vision.” I feel my eyes grow wide, and my mouth opens in shock. “Yeah, it was weird but there’s more.” I nod for her to continue. She sighs, looking down to the floor. “I don’t know how to tell you this. What I saw…,” she shakes her head. “You all die,” she whispers.
“Excuse me, what?” There’s no way I heard her right.
“You all die, Callie. I saw you and your boys die at the hands of a witch. There was someone else there, but I couldn’t see his face. I could only hear what he was saying.”
No, no, no, that can’t be right. There’s no way I’m going through all of this just to die. I didn’t survive my father, no my stepfather, only to die. I didn’t survive that barn fire, an abduction, and a battle to die now. I can’t; I won’t. I can hear male voices around me, but the sound of my own beating heart is drowning out everything they’re saying. My chest feels tight like I can’t get enough air. I can feel hands on me as the darkness clouding my vision tries to take me.
My body feels light. Slowly, my vision returns to normal, the tightness in my chest eases. That’s when I feel their energy, each unique. Graydon’s energy is hot and powerful, Zeke's strong and balanced, Max’s light and playful, and Lucian’s grounded and warm. Their energy is helping me. I realize it’s their hands I feel on me, surrounding me, protecting me.
“Come on sweetheart, say something, anything.” I can hear the worry in Zeke’s voice.
“She’s got two seconds before I pick her up and haul her ass to the nurse.”
“You have to keep calm, Graydon. This isn’t helping her any.” As much as Lucian was trying to keep everyone calm, I could still feel his anxiety. Snap out of it Callyn.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I’m okay,” I whisper.
“Oh, thank fuck, angel.” Everyone gets quiet. “You had us so worried,” Max says right before he envelops me in a hug. A second later, I hear his voice in my head.
Seriously angel, you scared the shit out of me.
I know, I'm sorry. I just started to freak out. I wasn’t prepared for what Cat had to tell me.
What did she say that scared you this bad?
She didn’t tell you?
No.
It was nothing good. I just need another minute, and I’ll tell you all at the same time.
Take all the time you need, angel. We’re not going anywhere.
We learned that while I can communicate with each of them telepathically, they can’t with each other, and I don’t project my thoughts to all of them. I have to concentrate on each of them individually. We hope that with time and the strengthening of our bond that we’ll all be able to communicate with each other without having to try. It will come in handy when we have finally taken over. We would be able to talk telepathically and come to an agreement.
“Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” Graydon bellows. He’s close to flipping his shit.
“She says she needs a minute. Damn, calm down; you’ll get your answers. Callie, can you please tell us what happened before Graydon decides to go Hulk and start smashing.”
I can picture it in my head. Graydon with his scowl, arms at his side, and hands balled into fists. I can see his chest heaving, moving more rapidly the angrier he gets. A giggle escapes my lips. This is what I need to shake the fear still clawing at my insides - to forget the words that Cat had said. A moment to forget about the impending future and enjoy my boys for just a moment. I take a step away from Max and mimic the way I see Graydon in my head.
I deepen my voice. “Graydon angry.” I pretend to smash something in front of me. “Graydon smash.” The boys and Cat start laughing. It’s just what I need to calm me down further.
“Why you little,” Graydon says as he stalks toward me. “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”
I nod my head yes, while I bite my lip, trying to control my laughter and smile. He may sound serious, but I can see he’s struggling to keep a straight face. I smile cheekily at him. I don’t even move. I know he would never hurt me. He sighs, finally breaking.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute. I wouldn’t take this from anyone else.” I open my arms, and he walks right into my embrace. I love that I’m just tall enough to be level with his chest. I lay my ear right over his heart and listen to the steady rhythm. It calms me a little more. I feel him lay his cheek on the top of my head. He inhales, breathing in my scent which calms him. “Will you please tell us what’s going on now?”
I take a deep breath and repeat what Cat just told me. A chorus of cuss words could be heard.
“How are we supposed to fight a witch?” Zeke questions.
“We find one of our own,” Lucian states.
“How the hell do we do that? Do you know where to find a witch, because I sure don’t,” Graydon growls.
“Does anyone else feel like we are in over our heads?”
“I agree with Zeke. I don’t know what I’m doing let alone know where to go from here,” I state.
“I have an idea.” We all look at Lucian. “I think we should get all our parents together. They have to have some idea. We can’t do this alone. We’ll need their help coming up with a plan and with contacting other shifters. We need to scour those journals again.”
Max groans, “Not the journals again, anything but that.”
I chuckle. I reach for Max’s hand, interlacing our fingers. “How about we read the same journal.”
“I like the way you think.” He leans down and kisses my cheek.
With everything going on, these are the moments that I live for, that I will fight for.
Catori
As I watch Callyn and her mates, I can’t help but be a little jealous. I’m jealous of their relationship and how the boys are with her. Hell, at this moment Graydon - who would rather kick your ass first and ask questions later- is pushing a lock of Callyn’s hair out of her face. He cups the side of her face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. His touch so gentle, so sweet. It makes me wonder about what my life would be like if Elijah was still here. Will I ever meet someone? Is there another destined mate for me? Will I find a love like theirs? I look away not wanting to spy on the private moment any longer.
I clench my fist. The more I think about it, the more I’m getting pissed. My anger is not directed at Callyn and her mates. No. This anger is reserved for Kelsey, the she-bitch. She is the reason I don’t have my mate, and I have yet to make her pay for it. I will, one day.
“This is more information than we had before. We now need to take this information and one: tell our parents, and two: use this to our advantage. We make a new plan to counter this,” Lucian says breaking my thoughts.
“As if all of us dying is an option,” Graydon states as he crosses his arms.
“So, am I the only one wondering if Kelsey saw this. Obviously, she didn’t tell us, but she had to tell someone. Right?”
We all stand there with our mouths open. I know we were all thinking it to some degree, but coming from Max, it leaves me a little stunned. I honestly didn’t think he had any actual brain cells. Huh, you learn something new every day.
“What?”
“I never thought I would see the day that something intelligent would come out of your mouth.”
“That’s not the only thing that I can do with my mouth.” Max looks over at Callyn and gives her a wink while he bites his lip. I hear her sharp intake of breath. I roll my eyes. It’s Max. Ew.
“And just like that it’s gone.” I shake my head.
“Aww, don’t be that way Kitty Cat. I’ve been known to have a good idea a time or two.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever. I’ll meet up with you later.” I give Callie a quick hug before I turn and walk down the hall to my first class.
We have grown close over the few months that we’ve known each other, Callie and me. I told her more about how my mate died, and she told me about how her life was living her dad, which turns out was just her stepdad and not her real father. She was there the night I became the new prophetess, and we’ve both talked about how scared we are by our new roles, not having any idea how to deal with them. We are literally winging it.
You would think there would be a manual somewhere. A How to Guide of being a prophetess and Alpha Queen. Some form of written archives. Ugh. Stop this Cat. You are not a whiner. Get your shit together. Maybe this is something that me and Callie can do with the help of her guys. History is doomed to repeat itself. Case in point our current situation. We are gearing up for a war, just like our last Alpha Queen. The only difference, it seems, is we have time to prepare, make a plan, gather forces.
What the hell do I… we, a bunch of eighteen-year old’s, know about planning and fighting in a war? Nothing. This situation is so messed up. They have been lucky so far, but eventually that luck will run out. My first vision proves at least that much. I’m going to help Callie as much as I can. I won’t be like Kelsey.
I’m so lost in my own thoughts that I don’t realize I walked right past my first class. If it wasn’t for the fact that I accidentally bumped into someone, I wouldn’t have known. I turn around and walk back down the hall toward my class. Once there, I take my seat. I open my book bag, pulling out a leather journal and pen. I do this every time - pick up the journal, smell the leather and the parchment paper. Two of my favorite smells.
I’ve been debating on whether I should write any visions I have down. It could help in the long run. I pick up my pen and twirl it through my fingers. The blank page staring up at me. Screw it. I start to write, every little detail. There has to be something important in here. Something that maybe I don’t understand but Callie or one of the boys might. I could totally be over thinking this, but my gut is telling me that there is more to this. There has to be.