CALIFF
“What’s happening to me?” Shadow just came out of the bathroom holding strands of her hair-her white hair. Since when did she get highlights?
I held it to inspect. When I couldn’t give her the answers, she said, “Exactly.”
“Zarah,” I called the witch.
The door flew open. Zarah didn’t come alone. My parents, Duke, Kindra, together with Zack and Lyon.”
“New hairstyle?” Duke asked with a deep line between his eyebrows.
“I wish,” Shadow answered, chuckling as Kindra launched to her in a hug.
“I have no idea how relieved I am to see you standing on your two feet.”
“With a highlight.”
“Good to see you, Luna.”
“Thanks, Zack. You okay, Lyon?”
“Yeah. What you did was a miracle.”
Her eyes widened as her gaze landed on my father. “You really look okay.”
“Beyond okay, Shadow. I feel like a reborn. I don’t feel pain anymore. And the scar was gone.”
“You’ve been awfully silent, Zarah.” I looked at Zarah. There was sadness in her eyes that she couldn’t hide it, even for a witch.
“This is what I’m afraid of.” Zarah came before Shadow, touching the strand of the white hair. “There’s always a repercussion, even if it’s a gift.”
“You mean, me healing a sick is not right? Then what is the use of a gift if I can’t use it on someone.”
“He was dying when you healed him, Shadow. I told you. You can’t use your ability even if your intention is good because you don’t have the training, you can’t control your healing ability, and you don’t even know the extent of your power because you don’t embrace your witch side. The next time you use your power on someone, the pain or the illness you healed will consume you.”
“What do you mean?” My father asked.
“She’s lucky she didn’t get your rare blood disease, but this is the warning sign.” She turned to Shadow. “Leave it to your pack, doctor, and nurses. And werewolves heal fast. Just do your job as their Luna if you don’t wanna suffer the consequences.”
“How do you feel, honey?” Mom asked.
“For someone who slept for two days, I feel fine. I’m hungry, though.” She touched her tummy.
Lyon and Zack chuckled. “It’s really her. She’s back.”
“What? Do you think I’m possessed or something?”
“Or something,” Lyon replied with a smile on his face.
“The witch said you were dreaming. What was it all about?”
“The witch has a name, dog.” Zarah groaned.
“Zarah,” Lyon had a bitter tone as he said his name.
“Let her eat, then you can ask her questions,” Dad said as he made his way out of the room.
Once we settled at the dining table, I filled her plate with a lot of meat and vegetables. “Eat. You need to compensate for the two days’ worth of meals you missed.”
“This is good for the whole pack.” Now she complained.
“There’s a lot of food in the kitchen, honey.” Mom placed a glass of wine before Shadow.
“Thank you. Now, please, stop staring at me. It’s rude to watch me eat.” She started eating, stabbing a piece of asparagus.
Everyone went on eating their food except for me and Zarah.
“Do I have another highlight?”
“No.” I looked at Zarah. “Will she get another white hair?”
Zarah shook her head. “Hopefully, she will do as I said. We won’t have problems anymore.”
“You’re her mother’s best friend. How old are you exactly?”
I glared at Lyon. “You’re rude, Lyon.”
“I’m sorry, Alpha.”
“I’m one-hundred and twenty-eight years old.”
His jaw dropped. “Wow. What were you doing during World War II.”
“What do you think I did for a black American woman?” Her eyes narrowed, but she wasn’t pissed.
“My apologies.”
“Thank you for waking me up, Zarah.” Shadow held her wrist. “How did you know where to find me?”
“I saw you there.”
“Did Mom see you?”
“She could if I let her, but I couldn’t risk it. You were getting weaker and weaker. You were drifting. What Elder Waylon’s body was like before you healed him was what exactly your body was accepting. Since you didn’t have knowledge of how to use it, instead of throwing away the infection, your body consumed it.”
“Why did you choose the cliff?”
Zarah looked at me. “Your mate. And you should tell him everything, Shadow.”
“I will.” She looked down at her food and picked up a slice of roasted lamb. “I don’t wanna lose everyone I care about and everyone they care about. And the pack means so much to me.”
“What do you mean, Shadow?” I asked as everyone went silent.
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“You have a mate and a pack, Luna. You can’t take every responsibility as your own. Alpha Califf has experience in pack businesses. It doesn’t mean you’re a hybrid that you can’t die. You’re still vulnerable. Either one of you two is the target. You are still defenseless. That’s why you should both have each other. You are stronger together.”
“Thank you, Kindra. I hope it enlightens her.”
Shadow glared at me. “What did I miss?”
“I know you broke the protection spell?”
“And?” She didn’t even feel sorry for her actions.
“Why did you do that?”
“To complete the mating bond, Alpha. Why do you think I did that? On purpose to make myself defenseless against the impending attack?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.” I shrugged my shoulder.
“Jeez. I feel like you’re regretting your decision. Maybe there’s a way to-”
“Shadow, calm down,” Zarah said. “I can feel your rage. You should go out and run your wolf later.”
“I’m sorry.” She pushed her plate away.
“You barely eat.”
“I’m good.” She got up. “Please, enjoy the meal. I’ll be downstairs.”
I had to leave the table and follow her downstairs. She went under the tree. She was stressing herself. I could feel it.
“What’s the matter?”
“I can’t do anything. I feel incomplete, Califf. I know I can help when the pack needs me, but I stand there and do nothing. How is it even fair?”
When I heard footsteps approaching, I turned around. Zarah came to us.
“What’s the price when you woke up Shadow, Zarah?”
“Warning. Consider it done.”
“That’s it?”
“Do you expect I will collect money? I could be a billionaire right now if I did.”
“Maybe you will let me fall asleep instead.”
“I’m not going to hurt Shadow. And the warning didn’t come from me. It came from nature and dead witches.”
Shadow rubbed her arms. “I was with my parents. I was eight in that dream. Mom put a flower on my braid. I was about to go to Dad when I saw a broken-wing bird. Somehow, it healed, and it flew back. I don’t know what the hell it was all about, but Dad told me I shouldn’t give up on something until I get it. Then you showed up, and I became me again.” She then looked at me. “Then I saw your wolf at the cliff. I was calling your name when I woke up.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Zarah said.
“Wait. You’re leaving already?”
“Yeah. I have a coven job. If you need anything, call me.”
“Let Lyon and Zack send you,” I suggested.
“I’m a witch, Alpha. I can create a portal right to my house.”
“Really?” We asked her in unison.
“Yeah.”
“Let me send you where you create a portal. I wanna see it.”
“Thank you, Zarah. I owe you one.”
“You don’t owe me anything when it concerns her.” She tipped her chin at Shadow.
I nodded at Shadow, letting her go with the witch. When they were far enough, they hugged each other. For a moment, I couldn’t read Shadow’s thoughts. She blocked me. Why? I didn’t know.
I found her in the room while Dr. Sallie was checking her up. “Is she okay?”
“I just wanna make sure there’s no other side effect medically on our sleeping beauty.”
“But she’s okay, right?”
“Yes. So far, she’s one hundred percent better.”
“Thank you, doc.”
Once the doctor left the room, I faced Shadow. “What did you and the witch talk about before she left?”
“I blocked you because I didn’t want you to hear it. I didn’t want you to know.”
“Tell me, Shadow. No more secrets between us, please?”
“I’m only doing this to protect you.”
“I should be the one protecting you, not the other way around, my Luna.”
She breathed deeply. “If I will use my healing gift again, or someone I love dearly will pay the price.”
“Fuck.”
“Exactly, but don’t worry, Alpha,” she said confidently. “I will only have to use it for you because you’re the only one I’m scared of losing.”