SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Twenty-seven
Amethyst’s Pov:
Relieved, I closed my eyes and imagined Tim down to every last perfect detail. As this was the easiest way to open the portal to avoid detection. I inhaled deeply as the winds raged. Joseph gasped at the sight of the portals opening. Proudly, I flashed him a bright smile. The awe in his eyes caused my heart to flutter and my cheeks to warm. There would come a time when he got used to this, and when that day comes, I will miss that expression.
“Amazing. I’ve seen nothing like that before,” Joseph gaped. Flattered by his words, I did my best to hide my blushing cheeks. “Father was right. He always said my mother told him the Goddesses blessed me, never believed it until now.” He grinned, kissing my cheek. “How does it work?” Joseph asked sheepishly. “Just walk through. We will be in Timothy’s room in an instant.” I grinned at his boyish charm.
Although Joseph was hesitant, he walked through, with me close behind, to collapse the portal behind me so none could follow. “Thyst, thank the Goddesses you are ok,” Timothy exclaimed. Unfortunately, Timothy seemed to forget I’ve brought Joseph and rushed to embrace me. Waves of anger rolled off Joseph. To his credit, he remained silent.
Even though I still enjoyed Timothy’s touch, I pushed him away. The hurt which crossed his face for a moment broke my heart. Thankfully, he soon realized why I did what I did. “Joseph, what is it you wish to speak to me about?” Timothy asked, regaining his cool and collected demeanor.
Joseph sent me a questioning stare; I nodded my head, hoping he would trust Timothy. He sighed, running his hands through his sexy dirty blond hair. “Where to start?” he muttered, plopping down on Timothy’s bed. “The beginning would be best,” Timothy replied dryly. I glared at Timothy as I took Joseph’s hand in mine. “Tell him what you told me,” I smiled, hoping to encourage Joseph.
Timothy’s eyes flash between Joseph and me throughout Joseph’s tale. When Joseph finished, both he and Timothy cast their eyes down. For a long time, no one uttered a word. The stress of the situation flooded my senses from the anxiety of both men sitting in the room with me. “Thyst, we need Madeline,” Timothy finally spoke. Without a word to him, I opened a portal to collect her.
Without a second thought, she walked through the portal, knowing I would not do this if it wasn’t something serious. She peered around the room for a moment, taking in the atmosphere before her eyes finally settled on me.
“Well, this looks like a party I didn’t want to be invited to,” she teased. I suppressed a giggle as Timothy sent her a pointed stare. “Madeline, our suspicions were correct. There is more than meets the eye going on here. The witches have their talons hooked in deep. We are going to need to play it smart if we are going to fix this issue for all who are involved,” Timothy said. As he kept his eyes locked on to me.
“For now, everyone is to go back to their respective rooms. Rest the best you can. We will regroup after dinner. It would seem we need to come up with a solid plan to deal with this latest development,” Tim ordered.
We all nodded our agreement before I opened portals back to our respective rooms. “Maybe we should lie down until dinner is ready?” Joseph asked, patting the bed next to him. Instantly, the heat rushed to my cheeks. He grinned sheepishly as I lay next to him. Joseph wrapped his arm around me, allowing his fingers to brush softly against my arm before he leaned his head against mine.
“How old are you, Amethyst?” he blurted out. Surprised, my heart skipped a beat. “When I first found you… Even though my memories are slightly foggy, I could’ve sworn I heard you say you have not waited 181 years for your mate,” he said. “Uhm, I am a witch. We don’t age the same as wolves do. Since our life expectancy is far longer than yours, we find our mates after living more than one lifetime,” I tried to explain. Suddenly, I was uncomfortable about my age.
Joseph stiffened, causing my heart to race. What if he wasn’t ok with his mate being older than anyone he ever knew? “There is a good chance you will pass away a lifetime or two before me,” I whispered, swallowing hard. “That doesn’t answer my question, Amethyst,” Joseph said. His bluntness took me by surprise.
“You need to know I am not like most witches. I have not aged the same. Uhm… I have the gift of foresight. Most witches do not. Therefore, my physical age doesn’t match my spiritual age, as I can see through time. Physically, I’ve walked this earth for 200 years. Spiritually, I am not sure. I’ve seen more lives, and many outcomes changed by a single choice to truly know it,” I whispered. I clenched his shirt and waited for him to react with disgust or outrage.
Suddenly, he stopped rubbing my arm. Joseph’s gaze burned into me. I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. “So, how long have you been Timothy’s Beta for?” he asked. There was something in his voice which brought my eyes back to him. “Since I became the High Priestess of the Moon, they are one and the same,” I answered, unsure of what this had to do with my age. “How long ago was that?” he asked. Joseph did not hide his annoyance. “The day I turned 18.”
Joseph inhaled sharply, glancing away. “So, that’s why Timothy is so in love with you,” he muttered, almost to himself. It was my turn to cast my eyes away. This was where his questioning was leading to.
Not surprisingly, Joseph realized our relationship was far more than that of an Alpha and Beta. “Until I met you, I was probably more in love with Timothy than he was with me,” I admitted. While I was not loving this conversation, it was best to get this out in the open before someone else brought it up.
I swallowed hard. This was a conversation we needed to have. I appreciated I need to explain everything. The last thing I wanted was secrets between us. “I asked Timothy to mark me, twice. He always maintained that I should wait for my mate, for you. The last time I had asked, he almost did,” I sighed. Joseph sat up abruptly, causing me to fall backwards onto the soft bed. Before I could blink, he was over me. The hurt and anger in his eyes caused my breath to hitch in my throat.
“Why?” he demanded, tears threatening to leak from his eyes. “Because I was young and dumb. I am chaos to the Goddesses order. Because of this, I believed they forgot to pair me. They were not aware that I even had any powers until I was four. The Guardian of Hellena, the last queen of the Amazons, found out when I tried to hide to watch the battle. They had always believed my power belonged to Gretchen, the first Priestess of the Moon, as my mother and I were servants in her home,” I tried to explain.
“I fell in love with Timothy when we met. That was when I was four. I have never left our home until now. So, I didn’t think I would ever find my mate. As I couldn’t see him being within our pack. When I turned 175, I was tired of waiting for someone who I believed would never come. I demanded he mark me. He almost did until the Goddesses showed me a vision which changed my mind. In that moment, I realized I had to wait for you,” I choked out.
“Never once did I give a thought to how I would have to eventually explain all of this. Nor did I ever believe I would need to. I am so sorry, Joseph,” I whispered. His expression darkened, shattering my heart as the tears spilled from my eyes.
Joseph gently wiped the tears from my eyes before bringing my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “What was in that vision?” he asked.
“Normally, I cannot see my future. I can’t share with you what it was, as it’s not something I should’ve seen; They did it to keep me from making a huge mistake. What I can tell you, it was something I could never have if I had taken Timothy as my chosen. While they did not show me who my fated mate was. I accepted it was something I could only receive from him, from you, ” I admitted. To my relief, he considered my words, studying me.
“I guess it is to be expected. You’ve lived a long time. I couldn’t imagine needing to wait so long. You guys never?” he asked, even though he was afraid of my answer. “Never, while there was some gossip after my 18th birthday,” I sighed. Joseph gazed at me, wanting me to continue.
“After becoming the High priestess of the Moon, I fainted. Timothy took me back to his room to monitor me. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize I was part wolf, so I shifted in his bed. It was awkward,” I laughed at the memory. “Are you sure you are ok with me being old enough to be your grandmother’s grandmother?” I asked.
“Wait, you are also half wolf?” he asked, stunned. “Yes, why does that surprise you?” I asked. “Because I was told that witch and wolf hybrids are unheard of. Originally, the Goddesses did not mean for the species to crossbreed,” he shrugged. “I told you I am chaos to the Goddesses’ order,” I winked.
A sudden knock at the door startled me, as I let out a cry of surprise. Joseph was on edge as he reluctantly opened the door. “Beta Main, they will serve dinner shortly. Our Alpha hopes to see you and the Priestess there,” the Omega bowed before scurrying away. “Sanders is going to be there. How do I act like I don’t realize he is a witch in wolf’s clothing?” he sighed. “Easy. I take those memories from you.” I grinned.