Secrets of the Unity

Chapter 5: Mural: Part 1

Olivia

***2 minutes prior***

I'd never mentioned it before, but I hated that Kyson went behind my back and asked Alpha Conner to change my room.

Although Alpha Conner never mentioned Kyson's name, I knew he had something to do with it. His reaction when I told him that I was moving into the packhouse a year earlier than what Mom, Dad, and I had discussed was more than enough for me to know that he was going to do something to intervene. And low and behold… I was right!

When Alpha Conner told me that I had to choose a room on the Alpha's floor, Dad —the only reasonable backup I had that could change his friend's mind— was away on a business trip with Isaac, per usual. And Mom —being the over-protective mama bear that she is— had no issue agreeing that the first floor wasn't safe enough for me.

I was pissed at her for agreeing with the Alpha. I thought she trusted me and my decisions, but clearly, she didn't. I was devastated that I had to move. I'd spent hours begging and pleading for them to let me keep my old room, but no one let up.

My first pick was perfect for me.

The room I’d chosen was on the first floor, close to the fountain garden, which was also close to the west and south forests. It was in a quiet corner of the packhouse, and none of the douches from Mountain-Hills stayed on that side because they wanted to be closer to the east forest, aka, 'Rave Woods'.

Staying on the west end of the packhouse would've provided me with easy access to a good, dense, and quiet forest to sneak off to, and a safe space where I could watch the elements in peace.

When I put the pieces together and figured out that Kyson had meddled with my living arrangements, I was livid. I was more pissed at him than I was at Mom and her friends —more specifically, Conner— because now I'm directly beside the east forest, which is super loud every full moon during the pack's Full Moon Bonfires; I'm nowhere near the fountain garden, one of my quiet places in the packhouse; and I can't make it to the dining hall to stare up at the ceiling without walking a mile in my bedroom slippers! It's so frustrating!

My anger and discontent were all I could think about as Kyson said, "You're my little sister, OJ, you always need protection."

I was ready to give him every ounce of pent-up anger coursing through my veins. But, before I could, the doors to the elevator slid shut, leaving me alone with the dickhead of summer twenty-eighteen.

Without wasting a second, Sage cleared his throat to speak.

Great… he wants to have a conversation. What a joyous day I'm having! Once again, note my sarcasm.

"Just an FYI, your friendship with my brother and Trevor means nothing to me. I want nothing to do with you." I spoke before he could, keeping my gaze forward. "Going down that road with you was the biggest mistake of my life. And I refuse to make that mistake again." I had to make it known where I stood, or else Sage would think he had a chance at redemption, which he didn't.

Sage spoke softly, his voice full of remorse. "Look, Livy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I-I mean, I-I did, but I never meant for-" I cut him off, walking off the elevator as soon as the doors opened, still not sparing him a glance.

I rushed past the living room and down the hall on the right to get to my room; Sage was hot on my tail. I knew he'd follow me to talk, but I didn't care to hear what he had to say, he'd said enough two summers ago. And when he was finished, I nearly lost my life, while sacrificing more than I thought I ever would in my entire life.

When I left that cabin, I was physically covered in scars and carrying a shattered heart in my chest. I was damaged and broken. Sage couldn't have cared less about me then. So, as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing that needs to be said. The past is in the past, and we need to move forward… without one another.

I was almost to my room when Sage grabbed my wrist and whipped me around. His force was alarming, but more so, enraging. I stared into his eyes, almost certain that he could feel the white-hot rage flowing from me. But that only lasted for a second. Almost instantly, I was tangled up in the string of his deliciously sweet and salty oceanic scent. My anger subsided for a split second; I was hypnotized.

Damn, this man is sexy. A tiny, sultry voice in my head whispered. It was almost enough to pull me out of my trance… Almost.

The grip Sage had on my wrist brought back sensational memories of when we'd make love. He would hold my wrists tight in one hand, pinning them down above me, while the other was placed on my hips, holding me down onto his long, thick-

What are you doing, Olivia!? He hurt you! Get a grip! I cut off my ravenous thoughts.

Hastily, I masked my hungry lust with blazing anger. Sage wasn't getting off the hook that easily.

Unfortunately for me, he knew all the ways to subside my anger. He wrapped his arm around my waist, dragging a sharp inhale of breath from my lips.

I looked up, staring into his blue-gold gaze. I saw nothing but love and lust decorating those mismatched orbs.

In one swift motion, Sage pulled me flush against him and attacked my lips with his in a fiery, breathtaking kiss. My body went limp in his arms as his taste captured me. Our lips molded together in sync, like pieces of a puzzle; pieces that were always meant to be.

Once free of my hazed mind, I kissed him back, savoring his decadent and familiar taste.

The kiss grew rougher, wilder, hungrier. One would think we were once lost in a desert without any sustenance and the only source of hydration was each other's mouths. We were edacious for one another.

Sage's hands roamed my body, caressing and gripping every sensitive spot that could make me his again. It was almost like he'd engraved every spot of mine into his memory.

I moaned softly as his tongue infiltrated my mouth, giving me a satisfying taste of his signature sweet and salty flavor. I tugged on his silky black curls, pulling him closer, silently praying that our bodies would morph into one for all eternity.

Whenever our lips touched, the only thing I could feel was Sage. His lips, his tongue, his hands. There was only him, and I didn't know how to pull away.

Everything in me was begging to forget our past so I could enjoy this moment to the end. The end being both of us cumming together while he slowly pumps in and out of me as I moan his name in his ear. But that was just wishful naivety.

He lifted me off the ground by my thighs and slammed me against the wall. My legs —having a mind of their own— wrapped around his waist so that our privates were pressed together.

I ground my clothed flower against his c**k. His member slowly grew erect against my core.

Sage met my grinds with a seductive ferocity, taking his time, and moving slowly against me. I could feel my arousal seeping into the seat of my bodysuit. A low growl rumbled through his chest. The vibrations of the animalistic sound ricocheted through me, sending a welcome shiver down my spine.

I'm not sure what it was; if it was his growl, the shiver that it caused, or the smell of my arousal that snatched me out of my lustful state, but I felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over me.

This is wrong! I don't want this! I can't allow him to use me again!

I put my palms against his chest and softly pushed against him, trying to break the kiss. Sage didn't get the hint and continued to move his lips against mine. I could feel myself slowly falling back into the kiss, back into him, and that was the last thing I wanted. I knew what would happen if I allowed myself to fall into his trap again. So, I did the only thing possible… I bit him… hard.

Sage yelped in pain and released me, jumping back. He moved so fast that I barely had time to catch myself. Thankfully, I did before my butt hit the floor.

"What the hell, Liv?! You bit me?!" He yelled, holding his lip, and checking for blood.

"Well, I tried to push you away, but you didn't stop, so I did the next best thing!" I yelled back. Tears flooded my eyes, threatening to spill over; I bit them back. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he affected me.

"If you wanted me to stop, all you had to do was pull away and say, 'stop'!! You didn't have to bite me!!" A low growl rumbled through his chest, this time, full of anger.

I harshly wiped the tears from my eyes and sniffled. "Well, you had no right to kiss me! So-"

Sage scoffed in disbelief. "I don't have the right to kiss you?" He took a step forward, forcing me to take a step back. I was pressed against the wall again, trying to keep a foot's distance between us.

"No, you don't! You lost that right the day you treated me like s**t and abandoned me!" I gritted, looking into his eyes.

It's hard trying to keep a brave face in front of Sage. Deep down I knew that he could see through every petty attempt of mine to hide my emotions. He saw me, and safe to say, I saw him too. Well, at least I thought I did, but now, I'm not so sure. Especially after what happened at the end of that summer.

"Liv-" "STOP… calling me ‘Liv’!! You, your betrayal, and your lies ruined my name for me! So it's June or nothing else!" The tears fell. I quickly wiped them away.

"Olivia," Sage whispered. He tried to comfort me, but I stepped to the side, out of his reach, and faced him. I had more that I wanted to say… that I needed to say, and I was going to say it. This time Sage was going to be the one walking away with a broken heart, not me.

Thinking back on our past together, a fresh wave of tears came and graciously spilled. I didn't feel the need to hide them this time.

"You hurt me, Sage! You hurt me bad! You have no idea all the things I've endured alone because of you and what you did to me! And now, you're back and you think that a sorry ass 'sorry' is going to make it better?! Are you serious?!" I sniffled and wiped the tears from my chin.

Sage seemed hurt and confused, but knowing him, it was just another show. Similar to the show he put on two years ago to get me to fall for him.

"Olivia,"­­ — I threw him a death glare, forcing him to correct my name— "June… I promise you, I never had the intention of-" "Of getting me to fall in love with you?! Of breaking me into pieces?! Of DEGRADING ME and making me feel worthless?! You never had the intention of doing that?!" I growled.

"June, I am so sorry! But you have to understand… I did it to protect you! There are things that you couldn't even begin to understand that were at play back then." He tried to defend his actions, but I wasn't hearing any of it.

I turned around with a scoff of disbelief and walked the remaining two feet to my door. Sage moved in front of the door, blocking me from entering my room.

"Olivia, please." He begged.

"Get out of my way," I mumbled. The tears were still falling.

"Olivia, you have to believe me. Please! I would've never done anything to hurt you if it wasn't of utter importance to keep you safe!" He tried to grab my face, but I pushed his hands away.

"Well, I don't believe you! My heart doesn't believe you! And the scars that cover me physically and emotionally, don't believe you!" I sobbed softly, looking into his mismatched eyes, wishing that I could believe the shame and pain that I felt coursing through him. But every inch of my glued heart told me not to trust him and to keep my guard up at all times, and I was going to listen to it, without a second thought.

"You broke me, Sage! You have no idea the things that I've lost because of you! I'm not going to let you do that to me again!” I sniffled. “I don't trust you, and I don't believe you! And I refuse to let you in a second time! So with that being said… Get. Out. Of my way!" A shaky breath left my lips, cleansing me of all the hurt and pain that I’d been holding in.

Sage chewed on his bottom lip and squeezed his fists together. I could see it in his eyes, the urge to hold me, reassure me, and soothe me. It was part of the Alpha wolf in him. He wanted to comfort and protect; it was in his nature, but he knew that was the last thing I needed… from him at least.

A tear slid down his cheek in defeat. With a sigh full of sorrow and apprehension, Sage stepped aside and let me walk into my room, which just so happened to be right down the hall from his. Lucky me! Sarcasm, once more.

"I really am so sorry, Liv," he whispered as I began to push the door closed.

The door was nearly closed when I halted, sniffled, and wiped away my tears. "Yeah… So am I," I whispered back. I closed the door softly, letting the latch bolt click into place.

I covered my mouth, trying my hardest to silence my sobs, until I heard the latch of Sage's door click into place. When I heard his door close, I uncovered my mouth and let my sobs and tears go, flowing with ease.

The dam that kept me restrained had broken and caused a flood within. All the pain and anger that I'd been holding in these past two years was palpable in every sob. My grief was crippling. I couldn't hold myself up anymore. I slid down my door and laid on my side, curling into a fetal position, crying even harder from the pain that plagued my heart.

And that's how I stayed… sobbing my heart out on the floor in my room.

******

I’m not sure how long I’d been crying, but I knew I couldn’t stay there forever. I had to go down for dinner, otherwise Kyson would go berserk and send out a search party for me.

It took me a minute to gather my bearings, but I managed to get off the floor and walk to the bathroom to take a shower.

When I got out, I did what I could to soothe my puffy red eyes, but nothing seemed to work, so the only option I had was to do my best and hide them. They’ll go down eventually.

I moisturized my body and put on a dark-brown sweat set and a pair of black and white New Balance 574 Core. I took out my braids and pulled my hair back in a low puff and grabbed my phone and keys before heading to the dining hall.

Upon entering the hall, I saw Kyson and Trevor already seated at the ranks' table, stuffing their faces next to Sage, Tyler, and Toddrick. I didn't want them to see my puffy eyes, so I quickly pulled my hoodie over my head and pulled the strings tight so the fabric hid my face and took the long way around the room to the buffet table.

I got my share of Maddie's —the head chef's— special ricotta cheese lasagna, breadsticks, a mini strawberry salad, a bottle of cranberry juice, and a bottle of water before heading to my table, which was thankfully being held by Jackie and Josh. I pulled out my chair and sat down before digging into my meal.

I was surprised to see Jules at the table today. She doesn't eat at the packhouse much because her parents prefer to have her home for dinner most nights. But when she does have dinner here, she always sits at our table. Some days I can get her to join in on our conversations, but other times it's not so easy.

Jules usually eats in silence and then leaves to her room, but tonight she seems to be lingering a little. I noticed the few glances she gave toward the ranks’ table. I guess she’s as curious about the future leaders of the pack as everyone else.

I pulled off my hoodie and waved at her with a friendly smile; she happily reciprocated but paused when she saw my puffy eyes. She narrowed her eyes, giving me a look of worry and confusion that said; “Are you okay?” I just nodded and waved it off. I could tell she didn’t buy it but also didn’t want to pry or push me to talk, so she just nodded and dug back into her food. I breathed a sigh of relief that she respected my choice to not speak on it and dug back into my meal.

While stuffing my face, I took my time scoping out the breathtaking landscape of the forest, and the equally enamoring architecture and art of the dining hall; per usual.

Our usual table sits adjacent to the ginormous bay window that makes up the south wall of the dining hall. So, while we eat, we get a front-row seat to the twinkling trees of the south forest, aka, Crystal Tree Woods.

Crystal Tree Woods got its name from the glowing crystal-like sap that oozed from the trees on this side of the forest. When the moon is full, like tonight, moonlight shines down on the forest, making the blue and white bioluminescent sap from the trees reflect the moon's light, causing the organic fluid to twinkle and shine like a glowing crystal heaven.

When I was little, my mom would tell me stories about this forest. She'd say that whenever a gentle breeze blew through the trees, she could hear the most enamoring of melodies coming from the hanging leaves and vines as they danced together, creating a symphony of peace around the forest.

Although Mom could never describe what the melody was fully, she did always say that it was soft and charming and could soothe any aching heart.

That is one of my most cherished memories of my mom and me. And now that I get to experience the forest for myself, I understand what she means.

Most of the time, during the Full Moon Bonfires, I'd come down here and sit amid the trees on my mom's old bench and listen to the leaves chime, drowning out the noise of the young partiers on the east end of the grounds with its melodic tune.

On the days when it rained —which is quite often here in the pacific-northwest— I'd sneak into the dining hall with a sleeping bag, open the windows, and lie in the middle of the floor to stare at the ceiling while the melody of the rain and leaves chimed together in a soothing song. I'd stare at the ceiling in awe at how breathtaking the artistry coupled with the royal decor and design of the room.

With its golden accents, black and white marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and Italian Renaissance-inspired artistry littering the walls and high ceilings of the room, the dining hall had a royal, yet modern feel to it. The high, domed-shaped ceiling sat as the centerpiece of the room with a combination of pastels, dark hues, and impressive, yet familiar, forms of art that came together to depict an outstanding mural of the ancient, prophesied war of 'Unitatem et Sanctione'.

Unitatem et Sanctione is a prophecy of a war between the six ancient tribes and their mortal enemies that was predicted by a powerful enchantress during the Druid age. The mural in the dining hall is a depiction of that. The Renaissance-themed painting sets the scene of the charging point of the battle.

If you were to ask me which side was good and which side was bad, I could easily tell you which side was which.

The good side sat on the left side of the ceiling, adjacent to Crystal Tree Woods. The sky on this side was crystal blue and littered with fluffy white clouds and beams of golden-yellow sunlight shining down on the supernatural creatures below as if they were blessed by the Goddess for a speedy victory.

Wolves, Dragons, Fairies, Vampires, Enchantresses, Witches, Warlocks, and the Fae stood together on this side. Most of the beings wielded the natural elements, while the wolves with pitch-black fur and boldly colored eyes wielded the shadows. The powers of the creatures on this side seemed endless as long as the world around them was beautiful, vibrant, healthy, and strong.

On the right side of the mural, near the north wall, was the bad side. The sky on this side was dark gray with equally gray thunderstorm clouds and streaks of lightning striking down here and there. There appeared to be no divine favor for the beings on this side.

The mortal enemies of the tribes were everything that you'd imagine them to be. Vicious-looking creatures with rotten elements and green ooze dripping from their toxic bodies with bared teeth and torn wings.

Picture decaying and rotting demons, bat-winged fairies, sick gray dragons, dark witches and enchantresses, pale, blue-skinned vampires with blue hair and pale white eyes, and rogue wolves with matted fur and tribal patterns like the elemental wolves on the opposing side, but instead of different colors to represent the elements that they wielded —like their foes— they're patterns were dark blue and lacked symmetry.

The mural even went as far as to show the good side with healthy, growing, and fruitful plants and the bad side with rotten, dead, or bare plants. Like spring and a rotten winter.

As I said, it's clear which side is good and which is bad. But despite how it may appear, I don't think the mural is completely accurate.

Don't get me wrong, I see which side has good intentions and which side doesn't, but I just don't think it appropriate to name the gray side bad and the blue side good.

Call me crazy all you'd like, but I've always had this feeling, almost like an inner knowing, that the mural was only a surface-level scratch to the story of this standoff. There's a deeper reason why this war was prophesized. There's always a reason. Sometimes I can't help but think that I'm the one meant to figure out what that reason is.

"Olivia!" Jackie gritted and punched me in the arm, breaking my train of thought.

"Oww! What?!... Did you have to hit me that frickin' hard?!" I growled, clutching my arm.

Jules looked up from her plate, alarmed. I motioned that I was fine, and she nodded, pushing up her white-rimmed glasses, and went back to her food. I get the feeling that she doesn't really like Jackie and Josh much, but that's a thought for another time.

Jackie shrugged. "Well, you weren't listening to me. You were staring at that stupid ceiling... again." She deadpanned, giving Jules, who was also enamored by the mural as much as I, a side-eye glance.

"You still didn't have to hit me! What do you want?!"

"Don't remember. Your whining made me lose my train of thought." Jackie shrugged once more before digging back into her meatloaf. I just rolled my eyes at her and continued eating.

"Honestly, OJ, I don't get why you're so captivated by that thing. It's just a picture of a fake prophecy. We all know it's just a myth," Josh said, his words muffled by the immense amount of food in his mouth. He, too, was side-eyeing Jules, who was now looking between him and his sister, appalled.

Yeah, she definitely doesn’t like them. I concluded.

"Joshua, how many times do I have to tell you to stop talking with your mouth full?! You're not a pig!" I scolded.

Josh swallowed his food and smirked. "No, but I am a dog." He playfully snarled. I rolled my eyes with a chuckle while Jackie giggled at her little brother's antics.

We went back to our meals, making small conversation about the Full Moon Bonfire tonight. Josh and Jackie always ask me to go with them, and tonight was no different. I just responded with my usual answer; "It's not my type of crowd". So, in typical Josh and Jackie fashion, they teased me about becoming a shut-in, and in typical OJ fashion, I teased them about being underage drunks until they dropped the topic, leaving me to eat and daydream in peace.

Amid our meal, an uneasy feeling rose in my gut. Usually, when I get feelings like these, they're never wrong, and this feeling told me that all hell was about to break loose.

I was going to link Kyson and the guys, but before I could, a warning shot through the pack link from the Delta patrol.

Rogues have breached the northwest border!!

And just like I predicted… All hell broke loose.