The Unwanted Wolf

Ginger let go of me, and it took a moment to reorient myself. I blinked a few times, looking around the room. Mark, Rie, and Daniel were staring at the two of us. I could see the questions on their faces, but none of them spoke first.

“What was that?” I asked, sitting on the couch. I felt a little lightheaded after all of that. It felt like a lot of information rushed into my brain in a moment’s time.

“I was looking at what made you you. It showed me your potential and possible future,” Ginger explained.

“Possible future? So what we saw wasn’t a prediction?” I asked, thinking about the shadow chasing the wolf.

Ginger shook her head. “Nope. It’s impossible to predict the future. All you can see is a possibility based on potential.”

“What did you see?” Daniel asked.

I hesitated, not wanting to sound crazy at the image. “Well, there was a girl who transformed into a wolf. Then a shadowy figure started chasing her. After being cornered, she repelled the figure.”

Mark grabbed my hand and squeezed. “What does that mean?”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure.”

“It means she will face a great evil. If she’s prepared, she will win the fight,” Ginger explained.

“A great evil? Would that mean Theron?” Rie asked.

“Who is this Theron?” Ginger asked. She moved back over to the pot in the middle of the room.

“That’s my half brother. He’s the one trying to kill me because he wants to inherit the powers of his family,” I explained. I looked over at Mark and squeezed his hand back. I wished I didn’t have to face Theron again, but I knew it was inevitable. He wouldn’t stop, and I knew I wouldn’t be free to live my life until he was gone.

“No, he can’t be the great evil. He is weak.” Ginger didn’t hesitate in her statement.

“How can you be so sure?” Daniel asked. “Can you see his future too?”

“Don’t be silly, boy. It is just common knowledge. He is the second child to the Caspian Coven. Even if he manages to kill you and get his coven’s powers, he could never be as powerful as you, my dear. He craves power for the sake of power. Those who do can never truly be powerful.”

“So who would this great evil be?” I asked. The thought of having to fight someone more powerful than Theron made me queasy.

“Who knows? It will be revealed in time I suppose. It’s not worth worrying about until it’s worth worrying about.” Ginger buzzed around the room, grabbing more bottles and pouring a few drops here and there into the pot. She taste tested it and licked her lips. After a moment, she nodded her head. “Perfect.”

“Shouldn’t I prepare for it?” I asked.

“No, no, we must prepare for the impending fight with your brother. That we know will happen.” Ginger walked over to me and stopped directly in front of me. “For today you rest. Tomorrow you train. Bond with your mate. It will help your familiar come back.”

Mark turned to me and raised his eyebrow. I mouthed to him “later.” He nodded, understanding.

“So where do we stay for the night?” I asked. The little house didn’t look big enough for all of us to stay here. It wouldn’t make sense to travel back and forth. At least half the day would be wasted traveling.

Ginger held her finger up. She grabbed a box of knick knacks and pulled out a stick of chalk. She pushed some boxes to the side, clearing up an opening on the wall. She proceeded to draw a rectangle on the wall. Then she dropped the piece of chalk, and pressed her hands against the wall. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she took a deep breath.

Time slowed, and I could feel the energy pulsing from her before I saw anything. It was strong and came in waves, pulsing around her body. Her hands started to glow, and then the entire chalk outline glowed. It grew brighter and brighter, and I had to look away because it was so bright. After a moment, the light dimmed, and I found myself blinking, dark spots filling in my vision as if I had just been staring at the sun.

“Did you just make that door?” Daniel was the first to speak.

I looked over to where the chalk outline had been, and sure enough there was a new door where there had been a wall previously.

“No, the door just appeared out of nowhere,” Ginger said sarcastically.

“Well, it kind of did,” Rie muttered to herself.

Ginger waved her finger at Rie. “Ah, but you are mistaken, girl. It didn’t appear from nowhere. As I said before, my speciality is breaking things down and building them back up. I broke down the materials that already existed to create something new.”

“That is absolutely incredible!” Daniel jumped over to Ginger. He pulled out a small notebook. “Can you describe to me how you did that?”

Ginger swatted at Daniel’s head. “Don’t be ridiculous, boy. Even if I explained to you what happened, you would never be able to fully grasp it. Without a sorcerer’s b***d, you’ll never experience what we do.”

“I see. I would love to inquire more from you, though. This is the first time I have ever met a sorceress before, and I would love to know more. Well, with the exception of Adira, but she knows less than I do about all of this.” Daniel didn’t even seem phased from Ginger swatting at him.

Ginger rolled her eyes. “Fine. I will answer some of your questions, but you must help me cook dinner.”

“What would you like the rest of us to do?” I asked. Even though this lady seemed a little off, she clearly understood powers better than I hoped to. I was willing to help out as a thank you for her promised help.

“You and your mate go rest. I need you both running at full capacity tomorrow. There is a guest area beyond that door, including two guest rooms. Pick which one you would like.” She started walking away, but then she paused and turned back to me, making direct eye contact. “The walls are soundproof, too.” She gave me a wink and turned back.

I felt myself blushing at that comment. I couldn’t do what she was insinuating with so many people around. Besides, Mark was still in recovery. I felt Mark’s eyes on me, and it just made my cheeks burn even more.

“Wait, what about me?” Rie asked. She still hadn’t moved from her corner of the room.

Ginger waved her hand in the air. “Help. Don’t help. Relax. Don’t relax. Do as you please. Just don’t touch my stuff.”

Ginger disappeared into the kitchen with Daniel following her like a puppy.

Rie shook her head. “He isn’t using his brain properly, is he?”

I chuckled at this. “He’s just excited. His thirst for knowledge is taking over the logical side.”

“It’s a little unnerving,” Rie said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him like this before.”

“I have,” Mark said. “Once, a long time ago. I agree, though. It’s a little weird seeing him like this.”

I shook my head, smiling. “Well, I think it’s cute.” I stood up and offered my hand out to Mark. “Should we get you some rest?”

Mark smiled and grabbed my hand. I helped him to his feet, but I could tell he already had more energy than before.

“You two have fun. Not too much though. I’m going to scope out the area to make sure we’re safe,” Rie said. “I still don’t trust this lady.” Rie left the room, heading straight for the front door.

I helped Mark over to the door Ginger had created. I grabbed the door handle and pulled. I half expected it to be a big joke, and the door would turn out to be an illusion of some sort. However, when I pulled the door open, it led to another part of the house, as if it had always been there.

There was a small open space that led to three doors. One was open and clearly led to a little bathroom. I picked one of the other doors at random and helped Mark into it. There was a queen-sized bed in the middle of the wall with a window above it. It was equipped with side tables, a dresser, and even lamps. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Ginger had created all of this just a few moments ago.

I helped Mark into the bed and looked around the room a little more. I was surprised to find fresh clothes in the dressor.

“She really thought of everything,” I said, exploring every nook and cranny of the room.

“It appears so,” Mark said. After a moment, he continued. “Why don’t you come lie down with me?”

I looked at Mark, and he was holding out his hand to me. I smiled and took his hand. He pulled me into the bed, pulling me to his chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

“I’ve missed this,” Mark admitted. He started stroking my hair. “I’ve missed you.”

I looked up into Mark’s eyes, and when he looked back at me, I felt a warmth growing in my core. I wanted to be with him and hold him tightly. I wanted every part of him, and I wanted him to take every part of me.

“I’ve missed you, too. There were too many days wasted with me not in your arms.” I felt a little silly admitting such a thing, but when Mark’s smile brightened, butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

Mark cupped my face and brought it to his. As our lips touched, my need for him grew even more. I melted into the k**s and never wanted it to stop. Something pulled at my chest, and I found myself breaking away from Mark.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”

I took a deep breath. I was terrified for what I was about to say with Mark, but if I truly wanted him to be my mate, I wanted no secrets between us. “Before we go any farther, I need to tell you some things. While you were in your coma, something happened between Jori and me.”