Rejected - The Enchantress

I had placed the stone around my neck as Lauren instructed and managed to get almost three hours of uninterrupted sleep before being forced awake by the sounds of growls and grunts coming from somewhere outside my window. I lazily fling my legs off the bed and stumble to the window, observing the interesting, though slightly amusing, sight of the wolves training exercises. I am not sure how long I have been viewing the training before a loud knock sounds at my door. I turn just as the door slowly opens and Syrus steps into the room.

“I wanted to see if you would like to come down for lunch.” I smile and give a gentle nod as I walk toward him.

“I could eat.” He smirks as he lets me slip past him before following me out and closing my door.

“Was Lauren able to help you?” His brow is creased and his eyes are focused on the floor as we take slow steps toward the stairs.

“A little. She said she is going to do some research about my dreams. She said something about them seemed familiar.” I am pretty sure my expression perfectly mimics his.

“Can I ask what they are about?” I stop walking and take a deep breath before looking up to meet his questioning gaze.

“Can we go for a walk in the woods after lunch? I will tell you everything just...just not here.” He gives me a reassuring smile and nods.

We eat lunch in the crowded dining hall, not speaking, but our silence is not at all uncomfortable. He wasn’t kidding when he said his people are more accepting of my kind. I have caught sever people inspecting me, but it was with curiosity rather than hatred. Once we finished eating, he leads me out of the pack house and into the forest. We are both quiet until we are several hundred yards from the edge of the forest and I decide it is time to finally answer his question.

“My dreams don’t feel like dreams to me. They feel so real and sometimes, parts of them linger. Sometimes it is a sound, other times a smell. It is like my mind can’t completely rip itself from the dreamworld.” I begin, hoping he will not come out of this thinking I am crazy. I proceed to tell him about the dreams, beginning with he one that had been reoccurring for years then leading to the one about the dark haired woman watching the man be killed and ending with the one about the fire. I stop walking and watch him, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Have you ever heard of the Queen of the Forsaken?” He turns to face me with a serious expression.

“I don’t know much about her, just what I read in the books at the Mitchell’s.” He runs a hand through his hair and I can see that something is bothering him.

“I know what Lauren found familiar. The first dream you mentioned, that is almost exactly how the battle between the Queen of the Forsaken and the Dark Enchantress is described in the ancient texts. The detailed accounts describe the enchantress as a woman with long black hair and pale skin that resembled cracked marble. The enchantress had attacked Alpha Liam, the queen’s mate, with dark magic and struck him down. According to the texts, Selene herself appeared along with the great witch Avalon and they saved him. Maybe your read or heard someone talking about it when you were young.” I can understand how he would assume that since it would be the easiest explanation, one I had already considered and proved to be false.

“The coven would never allow someone like me access to their archives and the only books in the library about wolves were just basic information books. I have learned more in my short time with you than I ever learned from those books. Hopefully Lauren can find something.” I mumble the last part more to myself, trying to hold hope that she can help make sense of my dreams.

“I can take you to our archives. The text about the battle also had images and some history of the Dark Enchantress. There wasn’t much on her but they have some information.” While the idea of finding out more about the woman from my dreams is exciting, I can’t help the fear that is hovering over me.

“I would like that.” He smiles softly and holds out his hand to me. I stare at it for a moment, unsure of what to do, but eventually place my hand in his. He gently pulls me along behind him, weaving through the trees and brush until we reach a small stream with flowering trees and bushes sitting on either side, as if shielding it from the world beyond. A soft gasp escapes me as I slip my hand out of his and walk closer.

“This is beautiful.” The sun’s warm rays dance on the water, making it glisten like a pool of diamonds.

“I thought you might like it here. I come here a lot to clear my head.” I turn to face him, unable to conceal the smile on my face as a calm peace wraps itself around me.

“What weighs down your mind?” He smiles as he walks closer, stopping a few feet in front of me.

“Being an alpha is not always easy. There’s pressure to ensure my people’s protection, maintain alliances, aid in resolving disputes and the stress put on me to take a mate is overwhelming at times.” I consider his words carefully before responding, realizing my knowledge of wolves is lacking even more than I had realized.

“I had read that if an alpha doesn’t find his fated mate by the age of twenty one, he takes a chosen mate or a mate is arranged for him.” I stare intently at him as I wait for him to either verify or refute my knowledge.

“In most cases yes.” When he falls silent for a few minutes, I realize he has no plans to further elaborate willingly.

“How old are you?” He lets his gaze shift so that he is staring at the stream.

“Twenty four.” I nod, feeling as though I am starting to understand his situation more.

“So that is why you are being pressured to take a mate?” I can feel the air shift as sadness rolls off of him in waves.

“I had found my mate. I was nineteen and we had planned to hold the luna ceremony then would mark and mate each other just as it should be. A group of rogues attacked while she was traveling from her pack to join me here. There were no survivors.” He takes a deep breath before continuing.

“I knew before they even told me. Our bond was weak, but I still felt it. Because of my circumstances, the council has been lenient, but even they have reached the end of their willingness to sit back. They have offered to pair me with a mate that would be suitable for the position of luna, but I can’t just mate some stranger. I know it is what is best for my pack, but I can’t help being selfish about it.” He keeps his gaze set on anything he can to keep from meeting mine.

“I think it is pretty shitty of them to try to force you to spend the rest of your life with someone that you have built no relationship with. I don’t really understand the whole mate bond thing, but I don’t think you are being selfish. Your happiness affects your pack just as much as your discomfort and sadness does. I guess I got lucky with all that. The coven arranges marriages for its younger members, but I was deemed unfit of being paired. Trust me, I am thankful for that. I have never been so happy to be deemed unworthy in my life.” He turns to face me and it is clear he had not expected me to support his choice.

“I think they were just too blind to see your potential. Come on, I will take you to the archives before dinner.” He leads me back to the pack house, the trip is quiet, but we both seem to be at peace after our little adventure.