Destined

Dark-Haired woman part 2

"Where do I even start?" The woman says, moving to sit on a small boulder between two trees.

"the beginning is always a good place," I joke. moving to sit with my back against a tree.

The woman smiles softly but shakes her head.

"Who's beginning? Yours? Mine?" she shrugs her delicate shoulders as she looks to the sky, "The one before me? The one before her?"

"I don't understand."

"My point is that all of us have one unanswered question. Where did this power actually come from? You've got it from me. I got it from another. She got it from someone else. No one knows where it started or why." more questions than answers popped into my head and I tried not to let my frustration show.

"I know what you're thinking because I remember being in your shoes many years ago. It didn't make sense and honestly, some parts never will. Have you discovered your powers?" Her fingers lace together as she looks at me like how my school teachers would look at me.

They knew the answers and they would watch me with patience as they waited for me to get there.

"I can see colors around people. I think mates will have matching colors," I think about my dad and Asher both with their different shades of red around them.

Even Dylan and Jaclyn had the same shade of blue.

"Correct, the colors you see are the mate bonds waiting to form. As the gift develops, lonely or desperate wolves will come to you and your mate for guidance or a second chance," the woman nods thoughtfully, "anything else?"

Reed's call is closer this time, pulling my attention away before I can answer the question.

"Is he going to find us?" the woman asked gently, her eyes staring off into the distance where the call came from.

"I don't know," I whisper, my gaze dropping to my feet. I honestly don't know if I want him to find us or not.

I want to share this with him as he has the gift too. But it was mine to have first. And Reed seems to think that I will go to shadow wolves with him without a thought to Moonstone.

Maybe finding out what all this power and circumstances mean will make my choice clearer.

"Where is your mate?" I ask suddenly, remembering that she said she would go to him.

The woman takes a deep breath, her fingers lacing together in her lap as she watches a squirrel run passed us.

"He's been gone for many years now," I can hear the sadness in her voice even though she doesn't show it, "The locket is a blessing, but has a curse attached too. I can't go until I've passed the power on completely."

My fingers reach for the locket but only find my skin. I got so used to wearing it, that I didn't even realize it wasn't on anymore.

"I tried to give it to another once, but she was killed before -"

"Killed? He wasn't her mate was he?" Harley's story comes to the forefront of my mind.

He had said his grandfather was mated to a wolf who was chosen. I didn't think anything of it, but it would make sense, especially considering he wouldn't bite over my mark. He said that would kill me and the locket would go back. I didn't realize then but he said it with such certainty as if he knew from experience and not just a guess.

"I didn't warn her, I didn't think to-"  She nods solemnly taking a steady breath, "So I needed you to be extra careful. I needed you to be my savior," her eyes glass over and for the first time, I could see the tears building, "I needed you to free me. It's been so long that I've been without him."