Chapter 51: Chapter 51

I stood in my closet looking for something suitable for dancing but also for dinner. I couldn’t find what I was looking for that blended both together. Everything was either too formal, business, or relaxed. There was no happy medium and it annoyed me. I just decided to dress in a business attire, that was appropriate for a Royal to wear during a dinner party. I will just have to come up and change clothes after dinner I guess.

Dinner went by smoothly as everyone ate and made small talk. Plans were finalized on when we would be moving. News came that Dexter had blown up the house of Everests cousin, Jeremy’s, up in smoke and set the surrounding building on fire. Jeremy was left seething in anger as he lost every possession he had. The only few things he didnt lose, was what he brought with him here.

“I am so very sorry Jeremy. But we will and can rebuild, I promise you that.” I sat back in my seat and felt him calm down some. I knew it was hard for him to do.

“Thank you Avalynn. I know it is just the fact that we all worked so hard on that place. I am just glad we are all safe in the end. We can replace the material things.”

Everest looked over an nodded “We will be rebuilding anything that he destroys cousin. I promise you and everyone here that we will rebuild.”

“Thank you, cousin. I really appreciate you.” Jeremy had a tight smile.

“So when do we leave again?” Brent asked.

“Tuesday at dawn. We will stop midway which should be just outside your pack Jeremy. From there we will split into our two groups. We will go around one way as King Brent and his mate, Miranda, will come in the opposite way.” Everest told everyone at the table. “We will have them surrounded on all sides.”

“Okay, sounds reasonable to me. I just wanted to make sure so everyone is ready. Combat training the next two days in wolf form?” King Brent asked.

“Yes, you are correct. We will need to teach them as much as we can. We will also need to retouch on basics with them all.” Everest told him.

Brent leaned back and took a sip of his wine and made an agreeable sound before speaking “Very good then.”

“Miranda and myself will be working together on strengthening my ability to tap into stubborn minds. She is going to use her magic to hide Amber and Claire’s mind and I have to work to connect them to mine.”

Miranda nodded “It isn’t going to be easy to work around witches magic, but I am going to show her how to do it quickly. If she can break through my magic, she will be able to enter any mind with ease from here on out.”

“But it will be worth it in the end. It’ll open up access to everyone’s mind, like Sarah. I can read her only sometimes. A lot of the time she has shut me out completely.” After dinner I went upstairs and changed into a black dress that hit at my knees, black heels, and pulled my hair up in a high ponytail. I looked at myself and nodded in approval. I felt good and I looked hot! This will definetly do!

I walked down stairs and ran into Miranda.

“I am so happy yall are coming with us.” I told her.

“Me too. I don’t think we will be out too late, the training is going to be mentally exhausting tomorrow and I will need my rest.” Miranda told me as we stepped onto the elevator.

“That is a good point. Dance a little, have a nice drink, then back home to sleep.” I agreed with her. Trying to break through tough minds to read their thoughts while in my human form was going to be difficult. We stood in a comfortable silence as the humming and beeping from the floors were the only thing that was heard.

I wondered how Charlotte was able to tap into people’s minds easily.

“Thats because it’s harder to hide our thoughts from one another. We are all connected to the Moon Goddess.” Charlotte told me. Okay that makes sense.

The night was a good release of pent up nervous energy. We invited several members out with us and a good amount showed up. We danced with our mates and had a few drinks before heading home.

When I got home I washed my face and took off my make up. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. Everest was in the shower and as much as I fought the sleep to wait for him, I fell asleep. I didn’t even feel him get into the bed.

I woke the next morning anxious and excited. It was combat training with Charlotte first this morning. Then thus afternoon I would be linking up with Miranda and the girls. We were going to work on getting into others minds better.

I got dressed, ate a protein packed breakfast, and went to training. Training was a breeze and Charlotte was an absolute Rockstar. She seriously had some amazing skills. We have our shifting down, ready to fight in less than a second. I was doing so well they moved from two lycans fighting me to three and threw in a wolf for fun.

It was difficult, especially when they all rushed me but I got the higher ground and when I snapped at the wolf, stopping at his fur line he was ruled dead. I moved between the three lycans. I watched as they circled me and one lunged unexpectedly from behind. Charlotte kicked, using the force to the launch herself forward and took out another lycan in the process. She turned to the only one left and they crashed into one another; biting, clawing, and rolling in the dirt. Charlotte held nothing back and stopped at the fur line with a snap. She won and had gathered a decent crowd around her. There was clapping and our eyes found Everest. He was wearing a proud smile and nodded his head.

“You’re ready, officially, with your combat with multiples. We are proud of you both. Now go ahead and go work with Miranda. She is waiting for you on the outside yard of the garden.” Everest linked us.

I shifted back into my human form and made my way to the garden. I walked along the pathway that weaved in and out of different flowers. It smelled absolutely wonderful out here. When I came to the end of it I saw Miranda doing her thing. I watched as Miranda was practicing her magic with a few volunteers, she was talented.

She held them up in the sky and moving them about. It was weird because I could see the magic she was pouring out from her body. It was like rope that formed like a lasso around the bodies of the wolves she held in the air. She was speaking to them calmly, because any other tone they would be freaking out.

“I can do this to multiples, I can create a force field bubble around all three of you like this..” She waved her hand through the air as a golden bubble drifted around and then formed around each one in the air. It was sort of beautiful to look at and witness really.

“Now if someone was to do anything at all to any of you, that bubble around you will protect you. It would not matter if they could throw fire, it would protect you.” I heard her tell them. I watched as she eased them back to the ground and the wolves who volunteered to help were all smiles.

“That is amazing, Miranda.” I walked over to her. “Your tethers of magic are beautiful too.”

“What? You could see them?” She looked at me confused.

“Well yeah.. Can’t everyone?” I frowned a bit.

“No, they can’t. It just appears like normal air to everyone. It’s invisible to nonmagic eyes.” She looked at me up and down.

“Are you sure you don’t have any magical abilities other than reading minds?” She questioned.

“I mean no? My birth parents were murdered? I don’t know a whole lot about them or my past, honestly.” My hand went to my locket around my neck and I sighed.

“Someone down your lineage may have a magical witch connection. You may possess a power you have yet to realize you even have.” She told me. “Can I see your locket?”

“Of course.” I took the connecting clasp off and placed the locket in her hand.

“This is very beautiful and very old.” She smiled at me.

I watched as she opened the locket and she frowned. “I wish I was home so I could know this for certain. But I am sure your mother was related my mother, somehow, some way.”

“What? Really?” I was confused, I swore my mother was a lycan.

“Yeah, I don’t have many pictures left from the fire but I am sure your mother was my mother’s sister or cousin. They look a lot alike but I never met her and the photos don’t have names of who everyone is on them.” She handed me the locket back to me.

I placed the necklace back around my neck “So you’re saying we could be cousins?”

She nodded her head “We would have to compare the photos one day but it could be a possibility that we are cousins. I am about eighty percent sure that is the same woman in a photo with my mother when she was in her late teens early twenties.”

“That is insane.” I looked at her with a frown. “There is a lot to uncover here for sure. We will have to do some digging. I am not from the North so maybe the South has more information than the North.” I shrugged.

“Maybe.” She also shrugged.

When I thought about it, for a moment, it kind of made sense. Why I could go into people’s minds and read their thoughts and see their actions before they acted them out. It was only a second but it was just enough time to anticipate the moves from my opponents.

“Well I guess we should get the show on the road.” I told her.

She nodded her head “Yes, come over here.” She walked over to a blanket and two pillows sitting across from one another.

I walked with her and she sat on a pillow and motioned for me to have a seat and I done as she motioned for me to do.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

I moved around and made myself comfortable “So, what are we doing first?”

“First we are going to meditate and center our mind and body. To do this we will breathe evenly and relax. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, and exhale slowly.” She told me.

I did as she told me and soon I felt more relaxed than I have in a very long time. The soft breeze kissed my skin as it blew. Even though about an hour went by, it felt as if only a few minutes went by when she caught my attention.

“There. Now look at me.” I looked at her and she had a glow about her. I looked at my hands and they had the same glow, not as vibrant as Miranda’s but still a small glow.

I heard Claire and Amber walking through the garden, on their way here.

“See if you can hear their thoughts.” Miranda said.

I closed my eyes to concentrate and find my center. I felt the connection link to them as I dug into their minds. I reached Claire first as I entered into her mind and private thoughts.

“I wonder what Miranda will do to block my thoughts? Will it effect all my connections? Will I be able to communicate through my link with Josh? Oh well he knows what we are up to and where we are.”

Amber’s thoughts also drifted into my mind; “Oh. These flowers are beautiful. Azaleas. How beautiful. Oh. That would be a perfect name for our pup if it’s a girl!”

What!? I cut the link and looked at Miranda who had a confused look on her face. “You’ll see in just a moment.”

They both exited the garden and made their way down to Miranda and me. I stood and walked over to Amber and gave her a huge hug. “Does he know?”

“He who and know what?” She frowned, obviously confused.

“Jameson. Does he know about the baby?” I smiled.

“Baby?!” Claire and Miranda said at the same time.

“How do you.. Never mind that would of been a dumb question. No he doesn’t, I just found out this morning.” Amber laughed.

I turned to look at Miranda “Is this safe for her to do?”

“It is. Nothing will happen or put her or the baby in harms way.” Miranda said. “But if she is not comfortable with it, I can always get one of the other volunteers from earlier to help.”

“No, no. It is fine. If you say it is safe then I trust your judgment.” Amber reassured us all.

“Oh! Congratulations by the way!” I hugged Amber again before letting her go. “Okay then let’s get to work.” I told everyone.

Miranda began with mixing a drink, like an herbal tea that strengthens the mind. It helps shield you from, what she said witches call people like me, mind seekers. She walked the circle doing a chant and slowly I saw the tethers of her magic reach out to them both.

The tethers both shined and sparkled and had a different color. “Wow.” I said softly and saw the confused looks on Claire and Amber’s face. I didn’t pay it any mind. “Claire, Amber pick any color in the world and think on it hard. Practically scream it in your own mind. Avalynn, tell me those colors. You both let me know if she’s right.”

I knew the tether was not strong enough as I heard them both scream the colors in their mind. “Purple!” “Navy!”

“Purple for Claire, navy for Amber.” I told Miranda and she side glanced at them both as they nodded their heads.

“You’re stronger than the average mind seeker, that’s very good. Your Lycans abilities have probably moved to your human capabilities.” Miranda said as she continued to wrap them with her magic. It was now like a silver blanket or wall. That wall was connected to the tethers that linked them to Miranda.

“Hmm.” I mumbled and saw a smile form on Miranda’s mouth. She knew what I knew and suddenly both Amber and Claire’s thoughts vanished.

“I can not hear them any more.” I told all of them.

“Good. Now let us play a game. Well it is not a game for you but something you must do.” Miranda looked dead serious.

“Okay, what is it?” I asked and felt my nerves begin to creep up.

“Let us say that they are in danger. A type of danger that if you don’t tap through that wall Amber’s precious life will be no longer.” Her facial expression was blank and I could see she was serious. “But in order to get to Amber’s thoughts you must open Claire’s thoughts first.”

“Miranda you said it was safe!” I felt panic rise in me.

“It is, as long as you complete the mission. Time starts now.” She started the watch on her phone.

I closed my eyes and dug deep. If I looked at Amber I may just panic even more. What am I going to do? s**t!

Then Miranda started coaching me. “It will be easier for you. You can make your own tethers. Picture it as a vibrant color and reach out to them. Connect with their mind, their soul.”

Well, that made some sense. If I had a magical background I would be able to make a direct link to them and so that is what I did.

My tether was lime green as it stretched out to Claire first. I pushed myself to open the spell Miranda had cast. After only a few minutes I was able to break down that wall Miranda put up and was able to hear Claire. I pushed the tether to Amber. Her wall was stronger but it only took a little under a minute to reach her mind.

Miranda clapped her hands together and the spell she had around them disappeared. “They were never in danger. I just wanted to give you motivation to work quickly. I am sorry.” She apologized to me. “I didn’t know she was pregnant but I did get together with them earlier today to let them know I was going to fake put their lives in danger. I had to be able to sell it to you, because the enemy won’t be faking you, it will be very real.” She sighed.

I let out a long breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding in and felt mentally drained. “Oh thank the Goddess above because I was so afraid I would of failed. Oh s**t, damn.” I paced around where we were.

“Sorry Avalynn ” Amber said.

“Yeah sorry. We just wanted you to be pushed to your limit.” Claire also apologized.

“You guys, it is fine. I just, I am glad that I was able to do it.” I told them.

“You did very well. Again apologies.” Miranda said.

I could see why she wanted me to relax my mind and center myself, because I now wanted to take a nap. Well, eat some food then take a nap. We all left the garden and went back inside and did just that.

I slept right to dinner and only woke up because Everest came to the room and found me by accident. Apparently when they came to look for us and didn’t see any of us all of our mates panicked. They sent search parties out into the woods and never once thought to check our own bedrooms.

The spell took a lot out on all four of us. It was mentally draining and left me exhausted. To have to fight against witches magic, she told me on our walk back inside, is harder than reaching a blocked mind. That was comforting to know atleast.

Everest scooped me up in my arms and kissed my face and all over.

“Thank the Moon Goddess you are okay! We all thought you were all taken!”

“Oh we were just exhausted from our training session with Miranda. It was a lot and took a lot out on me. I was working against her magic.” I smiled at him as my stomach growled.

“Did it go well?” He asked.

“Oh it did. It was difficult but I did it, quickly too once I got through the first block.” I told him and he smiled at me. My stomach growled again and I gave a small smile.

“It also apparently has made me ravenous. We had a snack and everything before I came up here to nap.” I let out a small laugh. Dang, I was really hungry. So hungry that I could devour an entire horse or two.

“Come on. Get up and lets get dressed. Dinner will be ready shortly.” He placed a k**s upon my forehead and got off the bed.