Filed To Story: Falling for the Alpha As a Student Novel
Automatically, I took a petal from the stone bowl and realized I was right about it being wet. It was covered in some kind of lavender lighter fluid. Using my candle, I lit the petal on fire. “With this petal, I summon thee,”
I said firmly as I tossed the petal into the fire. Soon, I was surrounded by the glorious scent of freshly cut grass and I felt an overwhelming sense of protection and warmth. Hazel stepped back into the center of the circle and took a petal out of the bowl as she placed the bowl and her candle on the table near the fire pit. “With this petal, I summon the spirit of the guardian to the circle,”
her voice boomed through the air as she lit the petal on fire and tossed it into the fire pit. I was expecting the fire to glow purple as it roared to life, but it didn’t. It bloomed all the colors of each element all at once, cascading us in a circle of light and warmth. The fire grew larger than it had before, and I took a deep breath as each element danced around us. We were each connected by a string of light, making the circle come to life. The light grew so bright I had to squint to see properly, but it was huge, and the fire only intensified. As it grew stronger, I had to look away and close my eyes, as did everyone else, including Hazel. When the heat of the fire died down and I felt the elements simmer around me, like they were wading in the air, I opened my eyes slightly. The light had calmed down enough for me to open them all the way. Hazel had already opened her eyes, as did my mother. Enzo opened his after mine and then his mother opened hers. Though the string of light still connected us, we were no longer blinded, but we were breathing heavily with pounding heartbeats. I stared at Hazel, trying to figure out what had happened and if the spell worked. But she wasn’t looking at any of us; her eyes were fixed on something else. She was staring up at the night sky with large eyes and her mouth hung open in shock. My mother was the first to follow her gaze and then her mouth dropped open as well. I soon followed both their gazes and saw exactly what they were looking at. There was a strange dark circle in the sky, darker than the typical night sky. Within that circle, was a small light; not like a sun, but a little dimmer and easier to look at. It was also completely white. I squinted to see what the ball of light was, but I soon realized it wasn’t a ball of light at all. It was just too far away for me to see it fully, but as it came toward us, I realized the light was taking the form of a woman. The light that surrounded this woman started to form and shape until I realized that it was her white and flowing hair that drifted through the wind and wrapped around her thin and perfectly shaped figure. She was a small woman with a short white dress and porcelain skin. Her beauty was indescribable, but she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her skin was so fair that it glistened under the moonlight and then came to life with the fire that shined upon her. On her skin, I realized there were small orbs of light that seemed to be making some sort of giggling sound. It was like they were talking to her, but it also sounded like children giggling in her ear. She continued to near us until she reached the center of the circle; though she still hovered over us, it was clear that she was significantly smaller than the rest of us. Her size was child-like, however her features and her ocean blue eyes held some much wisdom. Though she looked ageless, it was clear she was wise beyond her years. The orbs of light that seemed attached to her, the ones that seemed to be giggling and whispering, descended from her and danced around her, still keeping their circular forms. We all stared at her with our mouths hanging open, clearly dumbfounded and unsure of what to say. I don’t think any of us were breathing while she stared around our small group. Then her eyes landed on Hazel. “Hello, my darling,”
the woman began to say in a voice that seemed almost musical. “I am Aura… the Guardian of this Earth.”
Lila’s POV
Hazel instantly knelt to the ground and bowed her head low in respect to the guardian. The rest of us did the same. The guardian, Aura, scanned us with her beautiful blue eyes with an expression unreadable, yet filled with serenity. She was beautiful and fierce at the same time; it was almost intimidating and difficult to look at her for an extended period of time. “Guardian of Earth, thank you for coming,”
Hazel said, speaking in a tone that was low and direct. “You have summoned, we have come,”
Aura said, looking down at Hazel. “Tell me, daughter. Why have you summoned—”
Her voice broke off and she looked off in the distance at nothing particular, as if something had just called for her. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes while she floated to the ground until she was kneeling beside Hazel. She pressed the palms of her delicate pearly white hands to the hard mass of the ground and took in another deep breath. It seemed like she was smelling something, or maybe she was just taking it in. But what she was taking in, I wasn’t sure. We all remained silent, not daring to speak while she intoned herself with the earth and felt the ground with her hands. Then her eyes opened, and she let out a gasp before floating back into the air and resuming her spot just above Hazel’s head. “Darkness…”
she whispered. This time when she looked at us, I saw that her eyes were glistening with sadness and remorse. If she wasn’t already porcelain white, I would have thought she had gotten whiter, but that couldn’t have been possible. A single, sparkling, tear escaped from her left eye and washed over her cheek. It didn’t drip from her though, it disappeared once it reached her chin. “The earth weeps with pain and agony,”
she spoke in a tone so low I had to strain to hear her. “Darkness had touched down and it hurts the earth in its core.”
We all remained silent, Hazel bowed her head lower and the rest of us did the same. Aura looked down at Hazel, nearing closer. “How did this happen?”
Aura asked, her tone, though still musical and light, was firm and filled with power. “What has happened to my earth, daughter.”
“I’m so sorry, Guardian…”
Hazel said in a tone that shook with each breath she took. I thought she now sounded weak and frightened, but this guardian didn’t bring me the same level of fear and I was confused by Hazel’s reaction toward her. She did this spell with such confidence, and now she appeared so frightened. “It was my sister… she had turned from light a long time ago and is now allied with darkness. She had summoned him to your earth and he is here to do harm.”
“Zagreus…”
Aura breathed, taking a deep breath once again. She didn’t say his name like a question; it was more like she was facing him directly and she was greeting him. But he wasn’t there; it was only us, and Hazel answered her anyway. “Yes, Guardian…”
“Your sister Jasmine was the one who summoned him?”
Aura asked, though she didn’t sound surprised, more like she was disheartened. “I’m afraid so…”
Hazel said sadly. “I am so sorry…”
“It is not your fault, daughter. You did not summon him to my earth. You did right by summoning us though,”
she said simply. “However, I cannot defeat darkness. My job is to not fight but protect.”
“Guardian, we summoned you today to protect us from this darkness. We don’t know what Zagreus and my sister are planning. We are frightened and we need protection. We don’t know what more to do,”
Hazel said, looking up at the guardian. Aura looked amongst us for a moment and then to my utter surprise, her gaze fell upon me. My breathing got caught in my throat and we stared at one another for what felt like a long time. She held my gaze, and something flashed in her eyes. “What is your name child?”
She asked, lowering herself so she was at eye level with me. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat before answering. “Lila…”
I answered, but my voice came out weak and soft like a little girl. I was instantly embarrassed. “Yes, of course,”
she whispered as if she should have already known my name. She stared around my face like I was some kind of science project that she needed to study. She reached her hand out toward me and I remained frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. Her fingertips grazed the top of my cheekbone and her touch left a cooling sensation in its place. I saw, from the corner of my eye, Enzo tensing, unsure of what was happening and who was touching his mate. “Your wolf, what is her name?”
“Valentina,”
I answered, my voice coming out stronger this time. She tilted her head with such curiosity, that she almost looked child-like. “Valentina…”
she repeated in a low whisper like she was testing the name out on her tongue. “Bring her forth.”
I found myself furrowing my brows together, confused by her request. But before I could ask her what she meant, I felt my body shifting and morphing into my wolf. Val had taken control and took on her full form. Soon, she was standing tall and proud in front of the guardian of the earth. I heard my mouth gasping from a distance as she watched what was happening. Everyone else was staring at us with wide eyes, unmoving. Aura just looked pleased as she stared around the face of my wolf. She reached her hand out and stroked Val’s pure white fur. Aura’s fingertips grazed Val’s shoulders and down her narrow and long body. “You are quite a beautiful creature,”
Aura breathed in wonder. “Thank you, guardian,”
Val said with a voice so strong I couldn’t help but be proud of her. At first, I didn’t think Aura would be able to hear her because wolves only spoke in one mind, but Aura smiled as Val spoke to her. “Your powers are quite impressive,”
Aura continued as she stared into Val’s eyes. “You are very powerful.”
“I am a Volana,”
Val explained proudly. “Yes, indeed. But you are different. Your powers range a lot larger than a typical Volana. I never sensed powers as strong as yours before. It’s incredible.”
“What does it mean?”
Val asked, curiosity clear in her tone. “It means you could be powerful enough to defeat darkness,”
Aura said simply. “You are what this world needs.”
Val had so many more questions but wasn’t sure how to answer them. “In due time, all your questions will be answered, daughter,”
Aura said, as if she could read our minds. “But for right now, it is protection that you seek, so protection I will give you.”
I heard Hazel sighing in relief and the others relaxing just as Aura withdrew her hand from Val’s fur. Without Aura instructing her, Val gave me full control and I shifted back into my human form. I thought for sure I was going to be completely naked when I shifted back, and I was bracing myself for the embarrassment I was about to feel. But to my complete amazement, when I shifted back, I was still in my clothes, unripped. I stared down at my clothing with my mouth hanging open. “You have enough power to feed my children,”
Aura continued, and this time she was speaking to everyone because her eyes traced over the circle. “The energy is incredible; it is as if we never left the earth grounds. They will be very happy here. I will leave them to protect you, however, I must protect the earth grounds because, without my protection, it will surely fall.”
“I’m sorry, Guardian, but your children?”
It was my mother that asked. Aura looked at my mother with a thoughtful expression and a small smile dancing on her lips. “You are the mother of this powerful wolf,”
Aura said smoothly; she didn’t phrase it as a question, but my mother still answered. “Yes; I am Luna Selene. Lila’s mother.”
“You are powerful too, but she is a bit more than you. You, however, have strong genes,”
Aura said kindly. “Yes, daughter. My children.”
She motioned for the orbs of light that danced around her and they continued to giggle. “They help me protect the earth and now I appoint them to protect you and your people,”
she explained, they began to glow brightly as they danced around her features, lighting her up in rays of light and color. “I have 4 children to represent 4 of the elements. They can each protect up to a city line. But only one territory for each of my children.”
“We can choose 4 territories?”
Hazel asked, looking amongst the rest of us with a frown. “Yes; they can protect every pack within their given city or town,”
Aura confirmed. “How long will we have your protection for?”
Diana finally spoke, turning Aura’s attention to her. “We are attached to the strongest power and will only survive if that power is still thriving,”
Aura answered and then she turned to face me. “As long as Valentina is able, we will be able to protect the areas you appoint us to, Lila. Indefinitely.”
“What?”
I gasped, wide-eyed. “Me?”
Then, Aura smiled. “It is your wolf that keeps us here and makes it possible for us to protect you. Valentina is our main source of power.”
Lila’s POV
I was completely frozen and dumbstruck over this news. I was powerful enough to allow these strange orbs of light to protect us? They can feed off my powers alone? Will that drain me? Make me weak? Will I be able to continue feeding them for long? I had just gotten my abilities back; what did she mean that I was the strongest in this group? I wasn’t stronger than my mother. I was just Lila. I wasn’t any different than a normal Volana; there had to have been a mistake. She couldn’t be serious. “So, as long as my daughter’s wolf is okay, you’ll be able to protect us?”
My mother asked, looking up at the guardian with hopeful eyes. “Yes, that is correct,”
Aura said, still keeping her eyes on me. “It is her power that will keep my children satisfied while they are not cocooned in Mother Earth.”
There was a long pause before Aura added, “Tell me, Lila. Where shall I send my children?”
My eyes widened even more as I looked from Aura to my mother, and then to Hazel. “I have to choose?”
I asked, my voice becoming less confident. “It is you they feed from,”
Hazel said, giving me a head nod. “You must choose 4 cities or towns for them to protect.”
“This was a lot of pressure; I didn’t want to make decisions like this. “Can’t we protect the entire world or nation?”
I asked, sounding disappointed by this choice. “It does not work like that,”
Aura said, a frown appearing on her lips. “Protecting the earth, which is what we normally do, does not protect your people. We can only protect the earth by preventing darkness from harming it any further than it already has. When darkness was conjured, it cracked the earth. I must spend time nurturing her and putting her back together. I must breathe life back into her. I can protect her from further damage, but that won’t protect your people; darkness can still get to you. I am extending my children and allowing them the freedom to protect those who reside on the earth, but they can only protect so much at once. They can each protect an area, but you can’t expect them to protect much more than the city lines. Asking one of my children to protect more than one city at a time, is asking too much.”
“Butt they can protect more than one pack?”
I asked for clarity. “If these packs are within the same city or town, then yes,”
Aura confirmed. “So, tell me, Lila, where shall I send my children?”
The orbs of light that danced around her glowed even brighter and their giggling grew louder, making Aura smile up at them. She whispered to them, and they seemed to be whispering back in a tone that I found difficult to hear. Come to think of it, I don’t think they were speaking English. “My children had told me your powers are quite delicious; they will be very happy here for as long as you need them,”
Aura said, a twinkle of love in her eyes. “They’ve already fed from me?”
I asked, my face warming. “They didn’t come near me though hand I didn’t feel anything.”