CHAPTER 2
Elena's POV
Thirteen years later……
"Elena, honey, come down for breakfast!"
The sound of my mother's voice brings me out of my reverie as I rub the cream on my face and look at my reflection in the mirror. Gold and ember flecks dance within my chocolate brown irises, making my eyes look almost cat-like. Groaning, I reach for the glasses on my small vanity and shove them on my face. Looking in the mirror once more, I blow out a sigh of relief at how effective the specs were able to tone down the weird colour of my eyes.
Pushing back the small stool, I stand and turn slightly to check my braid before walking out my room. Hurrying down the stairs, I smile as the smell of blueberry pancakes and bacon fill the air as I enter the kitchen.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart." My dad engulfs me in a bear hug, which I gladly reciprocate. He lets me down to my feet and then hold me out at arm's length.
"Look at my baby-girl. How is it that you are thirteen already, huh? I swear you were just pulling things off the table just yesterday with your chubby little hands and your face full of chocolate." He smiles down at me before walking me over to sit at the table in the middle of the kitchen.
My mom walks over with two plates in her hand and places them in front of my dad and me. She then puts a cup of coffee next to his plate and a glass of orange juice for me. She brings over her own plate and coffee and sits across from me before reaching her hands out on top of the table. My dad and I reach over and take a hand each as we all close our eyes.
"Dear Goddess, we thank you for blessing us with another day as a family. We also are very grateful to be celebrating another wonderful year for our beautiful girl, Elena. May she be blessed with the inner voice of a favourable guardian wolf. And may they guide and protect each other throughout it all in the years to come."
My parents both look at me proudly as I dive into the plate of pancakes and bacon. I feel their gazes on me as I drizzle the syrup on my stack of pancakes and look up as I hand the bottle over to my dad.
"I know what you're waiting for me to say. And it's still a no. I haven't heard any voice speaking or calling out to me. I know you said it would take time because we're omegas but I'm starting to get worried. What if I don't have a wolf?"
I catch the worried expressions on their faces and then the quick glance they share with each other before they plaster big smiles on their faces again. My mom reaches over the table to take my hand in hers.
"Do not worry about such a silly thing. Some people have to wait until they're eighteen for their wolf to call out to them. You still have time. Everybody has a wolf." She pats my hand and then picks up her knife and fork to cut into the strips of bacon on her plate.
"Freya and Brandon hear their wolves. I feel like I'll be so lame when they come over later and I have to tell them that I still haven't heard mine. I know both their families are from Beta bloodlines, but why should being an omega be like this? Did you guys wait this long to hear your wolves?"
There it was again. The exchange of a worried glance and then the quick cover up with a wide smile.
"Honey, your mother and I did hear our wolf call out in our mind when we were thirteen. You just turned that age. It has literally been hours. Maybe it will happen later on in the day. Why don't you finish up breakfast and we can take you outside to give you your present?"
The mention of birthday gifts took my mind off the wolf issue like a charm. Within minutes I was done with breakfast and hurrying out the front door. As I pushed the door open and stepped out onto the small porch, I was greeted by the most amazing white horse I had ever laid my eyes on. It's mane was thick and I could have sworn some locks were almost glittering like gold in the sunlight.
"Oh, my Goddess! It's so beautiful!" I carefully walk off the porch and slowly make my way over to the horse. I reach my right hand up to its nose and gently stroked the path down to its muzzle. The beautiful beast whinnied softly as I leaned in close and nuzzled the side of its face.
"You have to name her." I hear my dad say from the porch and I look over to see him hugging my mom who was smiling brightly. I beam back at them before turning back to the horse.
"The pattern on her forehead looks like a lily pad. So, I'm going to name her Lily."
The horse whinnies happily as though accepting the name given to her. I giggle as she pushes her muzzle into the crane of my neck and her breath from her nostrils tickle my skin.
"Oh, wow, that is a heck of a birthday present!"
I turn around and beam as my friends Freya and Brandon, walk across the front lawn and stop beside me. Freya engulfs me in a hug as Brandon wraps his arms around us together. We've been friends since we were little kids. My parents and I moved from our secluded little cottage and further into town so that I could meet friends and attend school. Freya lived next door and Brandon was not that far down the street. When we disentangle ourselves from the hug, they both hand me gift bags before carefully introducing themselves to Lily.
"She's a beauty," Brandon says as he slowly stroked Lily's muzzle.
"Does she have a name yet?" Freya asks and I nod
"Her name is Lily." The horse whinnies happily again as though introducing herself.
"So, has your wolf spoken to you?" Brandon asks casually, as Freya looks over with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, how does it sound?" Freya's smile fades a bit when she sees me hesitate. She quickly changes tactics. "You know what, let's not dwell on that just yet. We have cake and presents! Let's go inside!"
"But I want to hear about—" Brandon's words are cut off when Freya slaps a hand over his mouth and forcing him up the stairs of the porch. "Ouch, why did you pinch me?" he cries out while Freya continues to shuffle him inside.
I let out a sigh and lean in close for one more snuggle from Lily, before following everyone back inside. The sudden crackle of thunder in the distance has me looking over my shoulder as the sunny sky suddenly goes grey with dark, looming clouds.
"Come on, Elena!" I hear Freya call out for me as I turn back to the front door. Lily whinnies as she plucks grass from the ground and slowly makes her way over to the basin on hay at the side of the house.
I look over to the dark sky once more, before heading inside with my friends and family.