Melvina walked towards her mate, a bit worried. She knew that he was unwell, but she had been surprised when he had gone for the fortitude of a seat, after standing for barely fifteen minutes. It meant that his system was weakening. She blinked back the tears which were threatening to spill from her eyes(for she didn’t want to lose him anytime soon), and quickened her steps, all the while, cursing that fateful day which he had been poisoned.
The day had been sometime in August, three years ago. There had been a conference meeting which had involved her mate, his brother and the Alphas of some neighboring packs. The conference hadn’t taken place in the pack, but at one of the other packs.
And that had been where he had been poisoned.
She hadn’t known how it had happened, or who had been behind it, but her mate had been brought back by the Alpha of the Fauger’s pack and one other pack, in a crippling situation on the night of the same day.
She still remembered that fateful night like it was yesterday, as she placed her hand around his neck fondly; his grunt was the only sound of approval.
She had wailed that night, waking up her sons from their slumber. They had called for Jack, the pack doctor, who had begun a treatment that had ensured his being able to stand now.
Later that night, the Alpha of Fauger’s pack had revealed that Peter had fallen from his seat while he had drunk from his own goblet of wine, and that he believed that her mate had been poisoned, although the others in the room had discounted that theory since the wine had come from the same wine bottle.
Since then, she had been trying in her own secret ways to find out what had truly happened that night but to no avail. Her friend, Lydia and Bridget, had been helping her then, but they were missing now. She wondered if they were alive or dead. She was sure that it had been Leonarya that had taken them away.
“Prescott…” She heard Emma beckon to the squirrel who strolled towards her, and furrowed her eyebrows, aware that her mate was also watching another section of drama, dramas which had ensued since the human had set foot into the pack.
Why?
When Prescott came to Emma, he lifted up his right eyebrow, wondering what she wanted now.
“Could you wake him up?” Emma asked, placing her palms together as if she was about to pray. She was rather, pleading that he should help.
Prescott heaved in slowly, before nodding and walking toward a still Anthony on the floor.
The others were watching with curious eyes.
A touch of his small palm on Anthony’s forehead, a muttering of some intangible words, and Anthony opened his eyes, slightly at first, wide open the next minute.
Immediately, he tried sitting up from the floor.
Maya rushed towards him, helping him in that so much a great struggle for him, because his body was still readjusting to the fast healing process.
“Thanks.” Maya said to Prescott.
He nodded, before walking away to stand by Emma.
The latter patted his head, fondly.
“You are the best escort, you know.” She said, and he shook his head, as if letting the praise sink in. An act that caused a laugh to escape Freya’s lips.
Emma turned aside immediately at the sound of her chuckle, and gave her a glare.
“Stop it. She is not the enemy.” Prescott muttered, staring between them.
They looked so much like twins. He thought.
“We are not twins!” Emma blurted out, having heard Prescott’s thoughts, drawing in the more, the attention of their audience.
Prescott shrugged, not wanting to banter with her.
“It could be.” Julius stated.
“Do you think Leonarya is your real mother? Do you think your parents are your real parents? For all you two know, you might have been separated since birth. Having watched and noted the comparisons within your body and systems, I can confidently say that you both are twins, and if not that, definitely related.” He concluded, causing Freya’s and Emma’s mouths to fall agape.
“I think my twin is right. Freya, your grandmother, the good witch, doesn’t know of your existence.” Aiden said, breaking another ice.
“I had read it off Leonarya’s mind. I don’t think she is your mother. It is true that you are a mage, but you are also half of my kind, and I’m sure that Leonarya doesn’t know anything about us, nor would any of my kind sleep with her.” He continued.
“Emma too. You are not a human. You might smell like them, because you have lived with them, perhaps since child birth, but I don’t think they are really your parents. You should ask them, when you visit again.” He concluded.
Freya and Emma looked at each other, opened their mouths to say something, then shut it.
“So, what am I then?” Emma croaked out, not wanting to believe Aiden, but having no choice. The signs had all been there, but she had ignored it for so long. Her strange red hair which no one in her mother’s or father’s lineage had. The fact that her father treated Amelia fairly than her. Her mother’s indifference, a few times towards her. And the fact that she had powers that no normal human should have. The more she thought on this, the more agitated and anxious she became
“Who is my mother then?” Freya croaked out, the same time interval as Emma’s query.
She was beginning to connect some dots she had ignored before. Her mother’s fake concern. The fact that she had spent almost her entire life in a prison. And lastly, the secret; the fact that she felt no close knitted-ness or kindred-ship with her mother, no matter how hard she had tried.
She had thought it was because of the fact that they had stayed apart for so long, but now, with Julius’ explanation, she was beginning to think it was something else.