Chapter 6
“Audrey, it’s time,” Miranda spoke behind Audrey who was standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom. It’s been two weeks since she appeared in the Secret Coven as her aunt called it.
She had refused to leave the room to meet people and refused visitors too. She was now in charge of her life and she decided what she wanted or did not want to happen, as long as it concerned her.
She felt this unexplainable surge of power within her like she could do anything now, but she did not know how to put what she felt into action. Miranda had told her that the second voice she heard was her spirit guide, and it was what teleported her into their Secret Coven.
Audrey had questioned Miranda on everything she wanted to know about herself and she had discovered that she possessed the wolf of the moon goddess, and she was the reincarnation of Catherine, the strongest witch in history.
But, those were all based on theory. Today, she was ready to go out and see what she was capable of. The old Audrey would have been nervous as hell as she did not know if the people of the Secret Coven would accept her; but, she was done with that era, she no longer cared what people said or thought about her. She knew the whole truth or at least, half the truth about herself now, and no one was going to make her believe otherwise. This was her brave change!
“Let’s go.” She looked at herself one more time in the mirror and smiled.
This was the new Audrey; she looked so beautiful, she could not believe her eyes. Her red hair was neatly combed down, stopping at her waist, she marveled at how long and beautiful her hair was, it had always been unkept and in a tight bun. Her skin was as radiant as the full moon. She scoffed when she thought of the full moon. She was Pack-less and she didn’t care one bit.
She didn’t want a mate, she did not want what happened to her mother to repeat with her. Audrey took a deep breath and followed Miranda out of the door for the first time in two weeks.
They passed through a living room that had everything in white! Four sofas were joined together, facing a rectangular white television. She marveled at how they managed to keep everything sparkling clean, then she remembered that everyone here was a witch. A white witch. As they stepped outside, everything seemed like it came straight out of a Disney fairy tale movie.
The grasses were greener, the trees were so tall and large with huge branches that grew the size of a five-year-old, with beautiful white statuses of beautiful women placed beside the trees.
They came to a stop in front of a big house with a large double door.
“Are you ready?” Miranda asked Audrey, making sure she was not having double thoughts at the last minute.
“Yes.” Audrey nodded.
Inside the hall, up to a hundred women were standing around a huge round fire pit. They wore uniform long white gowns, each holding a glass of candle, and their long hairs were neatly combed to the back.
Miranda motioned for Audrey to walk into the circle. Audrey took a deep breath, then slowly walked into the circle, standing near the fire pit. The women lifted their candles above their heads and bowed their heads to Audrey in respect.
“Sisters!” Miranda spoke from the circle.
“We are honored to have the very first and most powerful of our kind in our midst today!”
“We are honored, oh great one!” The women chanted in chorus.
“My bloodline has lived generations as the descendants of the first witch, Catherine; and lately, as time went by, everyone believed that the story of Catherine the great one was a myth. But here! now! Catherine stands before us, alive! And stronger than ever, because now, she has been blessed with a wolf, not just any wolf; the wolf of the moon goddess!” Miranda looked around the circle and saw hope in the eyes of her sisters, she saw reverence for Audrey in her sisters' eyes.
“Now, as white witches, we shall help her recall her powers.”
Miranda finished and lowered herself on her knees and the sisters followed suit, placing their candles in front of them. Holding their hands together, they closed the circle and started chanting with a soft soothing voice, in a strange language that Audrey did not understand.
Audrey suddenly felt like her body was being possessed by someone else, she felt like she was present but she was no longer in control of her body, but she was accurately aware of what was happening around her.
As they continued chanting, Audrey felt the fire beside her grow bigger and stronger, like something or someone was trying to reach out to her from the fire. Her whole body started glowing in an intense golden light, like the sun was rising from within her, and her red hair looked like it was in flames, glowing in red and golden-yellow flames, her green eyes had now turned to a glowing bright red. She knew without a say, that Catherine had been awakened.
“Children.”
A serene soft voice echoed amidst the chant. Audrey felt Catherine’s strength and power consume her whole being. She heard a voice that spoke through her but did not belong to her, she could feel the love and affection Catherine felt for the witches, like a protective mother to her children.
The sisters seized their chanting, their heads bowed, and no one dared to look up at her blazing light. They had never seen one with such power, they had only read about her in books which did not do justice to the real deal.
“We have to prepare, my sister has become stronger in my absence, she has gathered more dark powers to herself, and dark witches still roam the earth. We have to send them back to their realm. They are planning to attack with more powerful dark forces than the last time. But we are stronger. Do not fear, this time; I am with you. My sister shall not succeed a second time.”
“Through your power, we prevail. Your words we must follow!” The sisters answered in chorus.
“The amulet.”
That was the last thing Audrey heard before she collapsed.
*“Isabella!”
A woman’s voice called out in the dark forest.
*“Do not go, Isabella.” A woman held onto Isabella's wrist, preventing her from going toward the voice that was calling her.
*“I have to, Miranda. She has to grow with her Pack, not like me…a rogue.” Isabella whispered, rocking a sleeping two-year-old baby in her arms.
Miranda nodded and reluctantly let go of Isabella's wrist. “I still believe that I would have taken better care of my little niece.” Miranda caressed the baby’s face.
*“Isabella!”
The voice was getting closer to them.
*“Here, a gift I got from the witch market, for protection. It’ll look beautiful on her.” Miranda smiled as she placed a red amulet shaped like a half-moon around the baby's neck.
*“Yes...it does." Isabella sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
*“I'll be waiting,” Miranda said and went behind a huge tree, waiting for Isabella.
*“Luna Aurora.” Isabella bowed her head to a beautiful woman who emerged from the other side of the forest, a guard followed her closely behind.
*“Isabella,” Luna Aurora called softly, walking slowly to Isabella. She stopped right in front of Isabella and raised her hands to her face, caressing her teary cheeks. Isabella sobbed harder as she felt the gentle touch of the Luna on her cheeks.
*“I know you had your reasons, I know you better than they do. But I’m not going to ask you why because I trust you. I love you.”
Isabella broke out in loud sobs as she heard those tender words from Luna Aurora. She could not form words as she still struggled to catch her breath in between sobs.
*“I can’t go against the Alpha, but I beg you to give your baby a better future. I promise on the love we’ve shared; I will treat her like my own.” Luna Aurora outstretched her arms, giving Isabella the chance to give the baby to her of her own will.
*Isabella hugged the baby close to her body, she sniffed and kissed the baby many times before reluctantly putting the baby into Luna Aurora's outstretched arms.
*“She is yours now. Never tell her about me. I am not worthy to be her mother. Promise me? Promise?” Isabella pleaded with Luna Aurora.
*"I promise.” Luna Aurora nodded. It was the last wish she could do for her, for old time's sake.
Isabella nodded, silent tears streaming down her face.
*“We have to go, sister,” Miranda said behind Isabella, as she came out from behind the tree. She did not bother acknowledging Luna or her guard.
*“Goodbye, my friend!” Luna Aurora smiled sadly at Isabella then turned and started walking back in the direction she came from. Isabella stood there, unmoving. She stared at their retreating figure until they were covered by the thick trees of the forest.
*“Let’s go.”
Miranda held her hand and walked in the opposite direction from where Luna and the baby had gone.
*“Argh!!!”
*They heard Luna's voice cry out deep in the forest.
*“Don’t, they are already in the Pack territory.”
Miranda held back Isabella who wanted to run to the voice.
*“Run! A dark witch!” Miranda held Isabella's hand, dragging her to run with her.
*“Watch out!!!”
Isabella looked forward and saw a huge tree falling toward her.
“Argh!”
Audrey sprang up in bed, breathing harshly as if her head had just been raised from water for a short air in a torture session.
“It’s okay, it's just a nightmare. It's alright.”
Miranda sat beside Audrey's bed and offered her a glass of water. She rubbed Audrey's back as she drank the water, hoping it would help her calm down and let her know that she was back to reality.
Audrey finished the water to the last drop and returned the cup to Miranda.
“The amulet,” Audrey murmured
Miranda paused her hand midair as she heard what Audrey had said.
“Where is it?” Audrey asked, resting her back on the headboard.
Miranda placed the glass down and returned to Audrey's side.
“I wish we knew what that was or where it was, but we don’t. We will try our best to look for it, I promise, Great one.”
“Don’t,” Audrey whispered.
“What?” Miranda asked.
“Don’t talk to me so formally, I’m still your niece. Right?” She looked at her expectantly.
“Of course, dear child.” Miranda hugged Audrey to her chest. Audrey hugged her back, feeling the genuine love of her aunt.
“I feel your emotions, why?” Audrey asked her aunt.
“You’re a witch and a wolf, you can do a lot of things now, but you have to learn when and how to use your powers, which we will help you with.”
“Rest now, you’ve been out for a day. The surge of power that entered your body must have been too much for your weak body, but not to worry, it’ll be fixed in no time. I just wished we knew what the amulet was, and where it was.” Miranda sighed hopelessly.
“The amulet…you gave it to me sixteen years ago, in a forest, I think.” Audrey scratched her head, hoping her dream was the lead they needed. Miranda turned her head sharply toward Audrey, staring at her like she was seeing her for the first time.
“You can relive the past?!” Miranda was astonished. Memories of what Audrey said came flashing through her mind like flashcards, like it just happened yesterday.
“I guess that’s what it is, Who was the woman mother gave me up to?” Audrey needed to have a clear understanding of everything, so would know what she was unto.
Miranda sighed and adjusted herself on the bed.
“Luna Aurora. She was the Luna of the Grey moon pack. But she died two weeks after that night. She got shot by a dark witch‘s poisoned arrow, and after much suffering, and not responding to any treatment, she died." Miranda paused, searching Audrey's face before she continued.
"Her mate, Alpha Aloha, became a shadow of himself after the death of his mate. He barely kept living; and when his son turned sixteen, he made him the Alpha of the Grey Blood pack, then he vanished. But after a month, his body was found hanging on a tree inside the Pack's forest with a letter he wrote to his son neatly folded into his front pocket. The poor boy was lost.” She started at Audrey's face again, searching for a reaction. She knew from the time Luna Aurora died, that everything changed for Audrey in the Grey Blood pack.