Enzo narrowed his eyes at me.
“Lila—”
“I’m fine, Enzo,”
I said quickly, staring up at him through my tear-filled eyes. “Let me protect my father and our warriors.”
He looked at me for a moment longer and then he gave me a small smile along with a head nod.
My father looked between us for a moment, but he didn’t argue. He turned away and went to join the others who were already heading towards the Coven house.
I took a deep breath and lifted my hands above my head, I thought of a large and purified shield surrounding my father and the others. I thought of it as protecting them from all dangers.
I kept my eyes closed and my arms raised; I wished I knew what was going on, but Enzo’s presence and protection from beside me kept me feeling calm.
After what felt like an eternity, I heard my father’s voice in my head.
“Great job, Lila. Thank you. You can release the shield. We got her in our possession.”
I sighed and lowered my hands; as I opened my eyes, my vision was clouded with unshed tears.
“Aiden and Ethan are taking Hazel to the Calypso Pack hospital,”
my father continued to speak in my mind. “Jazzy has cuffs on, and we are taking her to the Calypso holding cell. She told the other witches to stand down, so they wouldn’t hurt us. All is well for right now.”
I was relieved to hear that; he spoke to Enzo too because he gave me a long and steady smile as he wrapped me in his arms.
All was well…. For right now.
Third Person POV
Two outcomes were told by a prophet. The rise of the Volana population or the fall of the Volana population.
If the strongest Volana in the world continues to exist as she does, there will be a rise. However, if she ceased to exist, then there would be a fall.
Jonathan had known who the strongest was and he’d kept his eyes on her for some time. Typically, he wouldn’t have cared for her existence; it’s not like Volana’s had ever done anything to him and he was the richest man in the wolf population, so he had everything he ever wanted.
He rather liked Selene and he didn’t mind Alpha Bastien that much. It bothered him that Bastien was the one in charge of the Alpha Committee though, but Alpha Jonathan owned basically everything, so he couldn’t be too angry.
He even owned the very school that both their daughters attended.
Jonathan had a prophet in his family; his great grandmother who had sadly passed many years ago. But she had told him of a prophet that the strongest Volana wolf would rise from the product of true love between a Volana and an Alpha. If this Volana exists, the rise of the Volana population will be among us. But if she were to perish, then there would be a fall.
As soon as Jonathan met Lila during one of the Alpha committee meetings, he knew that she was the one that his great-grandmother had spoken of.
His great-grandmother also told him that she was going to be the one who cured Sarah of this curse.
The only way to cure Sarah of this curse was for Sarah to become the strongest Volana.
Since meeting Lila, Alpha Jonathan has had his eyes on her for some time. He knows that he’s not the only one who has had their eyes on her though. However, if his great-grandmother’s prophet was true, then all other attempts would fail and only his would succeed.
He’s been playing the long game and he’s been patient. He’s had eyes and ears all over the place. He’s had men posing as rogues to gather information. He has allies in other packs, watching and waiting.
He even has an ally of a different species.
“Why did you let that stupid rogue do all of that?”
Raymond, a lowly bear, and the father of Lila’s good friend Rachel, asked. “You should have just killed him when you had the chance.”
“I knew he ‘d fail,”
Jonathan answered simply. “His attempt was stupid. Plus, he posed as a good distraction. I’ve stayed under the radar for some time now, waiting and watching. It’s almost time for me to make my move…”
“I hope you know what you are doing,”
Raymond said, shaking his head. “Just don’t forget about our deal. I help you get that Lila girl, and you give me land and fortune.”
Jonathan only scoffed at his words; bears were so easily bought. Give them a little money and land and they will do whatever you want. Simple creatures.
“I never go back on my word,”
Alpha Jonathan assured him.
That conversation happened last night, around the time that word had gotten back that Paul, that rogue that was once a part of the Calypso pack, had died from Lila’s hands.
He wasn’t surprised. He knew how tough she was even without her abilities; this was what made her such a dangerous weapon and the strongest Volana to ever exist. With whom her parents were, it made sense.
“Do I have to go to school today?”
Sarah asked as she struggled to get out of bed.
Jonathan knew she was in a lot of pain, and she was feeling incredibly weak. The weekend was over, and Sarah couldn’t afford to miss any more school. Especially if she wants to win this upcoming election.
Losing was not an option, not in their household.
The only reason she wasn’t feeling well was because she kept using her goddess-given abilities. He told her to ease up on the use of that, but did she listen? Nope.
“If you had listened to me, you wouldn’t be feeling like this,”
Jonathan said with limited emotions in his voice.
He was hard on his daughter, but he did love her very much.
He wouldn’t be doing what he was doing if he didn’t love her. She was the only thing he had that was truly his. Since his wife died during childbirth, her last wish for him was to do whatever it took to protect their daughter. He kept his word, and he wasn’t planning on letting this “gift”
kill her.
It was his fault that this was happening to her in the first place. If he hadn’t pissed off that one witch many years ago, she wouldn’t have put a curse on his daughter’s gift. Now every time she used her abilities, she grew sicker.
There was no cure to this curse, but there were medications that made her feel a little better and stronger. But it won’t fix her, and it won’t break the curse that’s been placed on her.
There was only one way to break this curse, she had to become a Volana wolf, just as his great-grandmother had told him.
“How do I turn her into a Volana wolf?”
He had asked his great-grandmother while she lay on her deathbed.
Her eyes were closed when she spoke, and her voice was raspy. He had to lean in close to hear her; at this point, Sarah was only 6 years old, and he was terrified he was going to lose her.
“You need a witch that you can trust to do the job. She will need a Volana sacrifice…. But not just any Volana. The strongest Volana to ever exist. The product of true love between a Volana wolf and an Alpha. Once you have that wolf, a witch will perform the ceremony and the blood of the Volana will run through Sarah’s veins, curing her of the curse.”
“Who is this Volana wolf? How can I find her?”
“She will cross your path in the future. For now, she is too young, until she obtains her wolf, she will be useless to you.”
“How long will I have to wait? Will Sarah survive that long?”
Jonathan asked, holding onto his great-grandmother’s hands tightly.
She was his only living family left besides Sarah and he hated that he was losing her. The thought of losing his daughter destroyed him.
She took a shaky breath and let out a painful cough; he could hear the mucus in her lungs.
“Keep her from using her abilities…”
she said in a barely audible tone. “She will be fine for a while.”
That conversation continues to haunt Jonathan as he thinks about his great-grandmother on her deathbed.
He swallowed hard and looked down at his daughter who had lost a significant amount of weight and grew paler by the second.
“Take your medicine and get ready for school,”
he told her, turning away and walking toward the door of her room. He paused when reached the doorway and turned back to her groaning body. “Why were you using your abilities so much? It can’t be because of this election. We don’t cheat… you can win without using them.”
She was silent, staring up at her ceiling. She wasn’t going to speak.
He clenched his fists.
“You’ve gone this long without using them and now you are throwing away your life and for what? To show up that girl? Have some self-respect,”
he murmured, and, on that note, he turned and slammed her door as he left her room.
…..
Sarah stared at her closed door for some time before she turned toward her nightstand and took the medication her father had left for her. She swallowed the pills and took a long and steady sip of the water before sitting up in bed.
She knew she would feel as good as new in about 30 minutes when the medication kicked in, but it wouldn’t last long.