Evangeline A True Warrior

Evangeline’s shame

  The mounting emotion in the room was intense to say the least. It was only going to get worse. I needed Carol to reach her newest shift. She was so weak though. If I’d been here sooner she wouldn’t be this bad off. I could practically see death, lingering over her shoulder, waiting to snatch her soul from us. If she can’t shift.. I’ll have to force her which could kill her anyway. s**t. I had stepped IN it. 

“What are you Evangeline?” I found myself smiling at this insanely bright child. 

“Why do you insist on asking?”

“I’m sure I’ll be glad I know.” Carol truly was a great kid. It was always unfortunate to see such young children burdened with such big responsibilities. I can’t think of a reason not to tell her. Or everyone listening to us talking.

“My first true form is a dragon.” There was always so much shock every time I told people what I was. It’s unimaginable! I myself haven’t ever seen another dragon, not for lack of trying either. “If you continue to be strong Carol, I’ll show you one day.” She seemed excited about the idea, I hope it was enough of a push to survive. “I’m going to need to see your new shift Carol. It’s going to be very hard but you need to be persistent.” She nodded her head, the silver cord I’d created to connect her self conscious to mine touched her palm. Closing my eyes I could see her animals fighting for dominance. The new one a confused and badly wounded panther, backed into a corner in her mind while the first shift, a lion, stalked it further. This is where her strength would be needed. She had to settle the fight. 

“Carol. Make sure they understand they are equals, you are alpha.”

“Okay Evangeline.” She sounded close to passing out so I opened my eyes. She stood in front of me shaking hard, her eyes closed focused on her task. Around us the air had grown humid but at the same time our hair stood on end from static. I could see the cotton on Carols t-shirt straining in the same direction as her hair. She let out a fierce roar that I heard echo around in her self conscious. She had handled her animals. 

“Shift into the panther Carol.” She shifted flawlessly and sat down on her hind legs and plopped the rest of her body in front of my feet. To exhausted to make it further. She was beautiful. Such a black it looked impossible. I was very good at healing shifts that were the same as mine and luckily for Carol I also possessed a black panther in me. I shifted with her, my beast almost three times the size of hers, crouched down low in front of her and blew one single breath into her body. It looked like a frost, resembled one too with its cold temperature too. The panther took a huge breath and shifted back to a tired Carol rubbing her eyes. She stood up and got back into bed to sleep again. I shifted back and faced Atlas and his pack members who hadn’t moved at all. 

“Carol is a lion and a panther now. I sense she’ll have one more animal after that. It won’t be like this again. Next time she’ll know what to do. She’ll get no more than a mild head ache. She needs training though. Proteus has chosen her, if she cant stand with him.. well he’s a god so she needs training. I could offer it to you. All of my pack is highly trained. She would do well with us should Proteus call on her. She’ll sleep tonight but feel brand new in the morning. You should be very proud of your daughter. She is fiercely strong.” I didn’t seem to be reassuring anyone. If anything they looked more alarmed then when we walked in the room. 

Haley was the first to speak. “KC said this man was a god earlier but I didn’t think she meant an actual god. Right?” Her question confused me, she really thought I was talking about what? A cult leader that had convinced me he was a god or just some nonexistent god?

“Yes, an actual god. How do you think your daughter is able to do what she just did? An odd genetic thing? No. Unfortunately she came into contact with a god. So get her training.” 

“This can’t be real. She’s expected to fight in a war! She’s six years old. How will she ever be a child after this? Why did it have to be my baby?” Her distress was less and less tolerable the more time I spent in this woman’s company. It was about time they found out what I was really like to be around. Mean. 

KC stepped in before I could show my true colors.

“Eve. Don’t  be an ass hole. Give them what they need and let’s go home.” She knew they weren’t going to let that slide, she was just giving me a chance to seem like less of an ass hole now that I finally got to be one. 

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t want just the necessary information. Give me all of it!” Sam demanded and I smiled at KC she knew me so well. 

“Are you sure you want to know? At the expense of secrets being revealed and reputations being ruined? I mean both of yours of course. See I can see your souls and that means I know exactly what made your daughter call out to the heavens and wish a god to answer her. Are you ready?” They were genuinely surprised by the insight that the adult life their daughter now had, was of her own choosing. Atlas had remained silent this whole time and I just couldn’t look at him. It sucked to feel his doubt about me. Feel the lies about trusting me wrap around my neck, suffocating me. I kept trying to remind myself that he didn’t know me yet but it hadn’t helped much so far. 

“Tell us Eve.” Haley answered all brave and ready to fight. 

“You are both murders.” The shock in the room when I said I was a dragon was nothing compared to now. Haley started backing away from me shaking her head. Sam looked like he could murder again, just me this time. 

“Sam. I love you, but you know I won’t let you touch her. Back the f**k up NOW!” Atlas yelled directly behind me. I didn’t even hear him come up to me. I had missed his warmth. I didn’t know how I’d gone my whole life without feeling it. Sam backed up a couple steps and bowed his head. I could practically here some of my girls swooning over my new mate. I couldn’t resist, I had to look at them. The moment I looked they all fanned themselves or pretended to swoon. The twins looked like the had passed out on each other. KC had fainted in Flossy’s arms while Flossy fanned herself. Alora had sat on the arm of a recliner and was pulling her halter top away from her neck. Man I loved them. Always being my goofy side. Looking back at Haley and Sam, I breathed deep to finish what I had to say.

“You both murdered a young woman two years ago, on accident but covered it up all the same. Your souls are stained with your guilt over it. Carol remembers. She knows what happened and the guilt is eating at her soul too. She wanted to help you, if either of you needed it. She wanted to be strong enough to handle anything, but she wasn’t. She wanted it bad enough, Proteus heard her and answered. He gave her the choice. Take the strength he’s given her for a favor in return or continue to find her own path to strength. Carol agreed to Proteus’s potential war. You should go get that young girls body and bury her where she belongs. She has a grave sight. Carol has visited before. She sees your souls now. So let go of the guilt if you can. Accidents happen and you went about it wrong but you’ve punished yourself long enough.” Haley had fallen to the ground crying. She mourned her daughter and hated herself for her past. Sam shook from head to toe with his shame. He wasn’t handling it nearly well enough. “Sam.” He looked up immediately at my firm tone. “Your family will always need you, don’t be an i***t over feeling ashamed. Put that energy to good use. You should all come to train with my pack. You’ll heal and be happy again.” I had caught him by surprise. He expected hatred or disgust from me, not understanding and solutions. I sighed and told him the truth about me. 

“When I was a kid and got my first shift as a dragon, I couldn’t control myself. I tortured countless people and killed more than I can count. It took a year for me to gain control and by then I had two more shifts to take control of as well. I remember shifting back into myself and couldn’t stand I was so tired. I had to fight every day inside myself, while my dragon tormented everyone. Killed everyone. I didn’t know what had happened while I was locked inside. I didn’t know how long it’d been, where I was, I could barely remember Sebastian. A young girl about ten was huddled in the corner of a cave. Apparently my dragon brought home a snack and hadn’t gotten around to eating her. But had burned her with ice and almost completely severed one of her legs. My soul is almost as black as they come. Feeling guilt hasn’t gotten me anywhere. It will keep you rooted in the same place, will you let it or be better?” 

I could tell that they had questions. Sam and Haley were both looking at me with wide eyes, Haley slowly standing back up with tears running down her face “What happened to the girl Evangeline?” Haley asked once she was standing next to Sam. Did I really want to tell them? Did I want these people to know me like that? I could feel Atlas moving closer to me, giving me his strength. I tilted my head back to look at him. His jaw was clenched but he looked at me with open love and acceptance. My throat was so dry, I hadn’t even started to tell them the whole truth and already my body was trying to prevent me from saying more. 

“The girl was so scared of me and obviously in so much pain.. I didn’t understand what was happening my mind was so shattered. I remembered flying and ice but I couldn’t piece together what had happened to me. My body was so tired I just dropped before her and passed out. When I woke again she was wiping sweat off my forehead, taking care of me, whispering to me comforting things like I’d had nightmares.” I was being dragged back into my memories, into the ones I wish I could forget. My heart was pounding and my breathing was quick. Suddenly someone touched my shoulder, I knew who it was before she started speaking. Alora’s topaz eyes looked down at me with so much love I thought I would weep.

“I would do it again Evangeline, I’m happier now. My life is better.” Atlas and his pack mates stood stunned at her words realizing she was the girl I’d almost eaten. “Your dragon came into our village and destroyed everything. I was an outcast, I was punished daily and that day I was locked in a metal box buried in the dirt and locked from the outside. When she landed the lock broke and I was free, climbing out of the box I came face to face with the biggest creature I had ever laid eyes on, with the most beautiful white scales. You were terrifying but also so beautiful it hurt to look at you. You roared and everyone ran, when your wings snapped back to take you airborne I was thrown to the ground and that’s when you snatched me up by my leg. It wasn’t you burning me Evangeline, your breath is what froze my leg. My body couldn’t take the pain and I passed out. I woke up in that cave with the white dragon sleeping beside me. I was so relieved to be out of that box I didn’t even know my leg was so damaged” Alora took a fortifying breath before continuing on. “When I tried to move I cried out from the pain and your dragon woke up. She paced for awhile sincerely distressed. I tried to soothe her but nothing was helping, little growls and purrs rumbled from her chest. Suddenly it was you Eve standing there, looking so lost. I was so great full that I was free I didn’t once think about what would happen next. Those villagers were vile to me. I didn’t do anything to warrant the wrath they directed at me every day of my life. You collapsed on the ground and I took care of you, knowing I would follow you anywhere and I still will. When you woke up I knew without a doubt that you hadn’t meant to hurt me, I knew you probably hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. Obviously I still have both legs” Alora laughed softly and hugged me so fiercely. “You healed me and gave me a home and a life to live. I have a purpose and could never think badly about you because of your past.” Pulling away she addressed the couple “Haley, Sam, this is a pack with so much love and healing. Eve truly saved me from a life I don’t even want to imagine and I don’t have to because of her. She is and always will be the best alpha I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. You and your family would be welcomed with open arms and loved regardless of what happened to you in the past.” She finished her beautiful speech and looked to me again with a smile pulling at her lips. “Alpha” she said as she kneeled before me one knee touching the ground and her head bowed. The rest of my pack followed bowing to me.

“Guys. I hate when you do that. You only do it because I don’t like it.” They all had a good laugh rising to their feet. Atlas hadn’t taken his eyes off me and I knew I needed to see his face. Make sure he still wanted me. I slowly turned to face him and looked up into his eyes. He was breathing deeply through his nose looking down at me. He settled his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Nuzzling my neck. 

“I can’t wait to see how amazing you are for the rest of our lives Eve. I doubt I’ll ever meet anyone as amazing as you continue to be.” 

I couldn’t believe the luck I had with a mate. He said the sweetest things to me and made me feel so.. whole. His praise brought tears to my eyes so I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him close to me.

“I’ll probably love you to much Atlas, but I’ll love you all the same” he kissed my cheek and my neck then set me down in front of him, his hands never leaving my body.