Origins

Awakening

I awoke to a knock on the door after what felt like 5 minutes of sleep. I groaned and rolled off the bed and after taking a minute to stretch, I shambled over to the door. When I opened it, I was greeted by my brother's stupid grinning face.

"Good morning sunshine! How was your nap? I feel refreshed and energized! Are you ready to go grab some lunch? I'm starving. I hope the chef prepared..." Please, dear Goddess, make him stop. I do not have the energy to deal with this. I turned back to my room and grabbed my phone from my nightstand. I decided that emptying my tiny bladder was more important than whatever Cillian was still prattling on about so I headed into the bathroom to relieve myself. When I came out he was still talking as if I'd never left. Did he even notice?

"Cillian." I held my hand up, signaling for him to cease and desist. He quieted down immediately. "Sweet brother. I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person. So your constant talking? Not okay at the moment. Let's go downstairs and get some food and me some coffee hopefully and then I promise you can continue whatever it was you were saying."

I rolled my eyes. There's that goofy grin again. He held his arm out to me and I hooked mine in his and we headed down the stairs like that. When we made our way into the dining room everyone stopped and stared at us. Everyone looking in our direction smiled and bowed their heads at us.

"Uhh... What's going on?" I whispered to Cillian. All this attention was making me a little nervous.

"They're acknowledging you as an alpha. They're welcoming you home sister." Cillian whispered back.

I was in complete shock. I knew my parents were Alpha and Luna and that Cillian would one day be Alpha himself but I never expected to be considered an Alpha as well. It made sense logically but I didn't know how to respond to any of this. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I bowed my head in return and smiled at everyone. This seemed to please them as they all stopped staring at me and carried on with their duties. Cillian led me over to the table and pulled a chair put for me. He took the seat next to me and we sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before a young woman walked over to us.

"Alpha Cillian, what can I get for you today?" she asked sweetly. I could see the way she ogled my brother and I couldn't help but giggle. He turned to me with questioning eyes but I waved him off. He turned back towards the young woman, "I think I'll just take a BLT with some chips. Aaaannnnd... I'll just take sweet tea for my drink."

She nodded at him and turned to me, "And for you, lady Alissandra?"

I was flustered. There wasn't like a menu or anything I could order from so I wasn't sure what to do so I did the only thing I could think of. "Um.. I'll have the same. But instead of sweet tea could I please have some coffee?" she nodded her head.

"I'll have that out for yall as soon as possible." she scurried back into the kitchen and Cillian turned to look at me again.

"What was with the giggling?" he asked. How did he not notice the poor girl staring at her?

"Dude how did you not notice that? She was practically undressing you with her eyes." I laughed.

He just blinked at me. "You think she's into me?"

Wow. He must not have a lot of experience with girls.

Before I could reply to him, the young girl came back with our drinks. She also brought out a lot of single serve creamers for me which I was incredibly thankful for. I looked over at Cillian who was just staring at her. She looked up at him and immediately stared down at the floor when she realized he caught her staring. He flashed her his most dazzling smile and she turned the darkest shade of crimson.

"What's your name pretty lady?" I think his tone was supposed to be seductive but it was obvious that he was nervous because his voice cracked halfway through the sentence. He frowned and cleared his throat.

"Alpha. My name is Niamh," she whispered, looking down at the floor once again.

He hooked his finger under her chin and made her look up at him. "You wanna hangout later?" Good Goddess. The girl turned even more red and nodded her head before scurrying away to collect our food. She returned a few minutes later with our plates. "I'll pick you up at the base of the stairs around 5:30. We can go to the feast together." She nodded and set our plates down and took off towards the kitchen again.

"Boy you really have her flustered. Poor thing. I don't know if she could have turned any more red." I laughed quietly and dug into my food. I know it was just a sandwich and chips but I moaned at how good it was.

"Note to self, the way to your heart is food. I'll be sure to let any potential suitors know." I choked on a bite of my sandwich when he said that. He frowned and started patting my back gently.

"You're supposed to chew first Alice." he said quietly. I turned and glared at him.

"You're the one talking about potential suitors while I'm trying to eat! I literally just got my real family and you're already trying to pawn me off on someone!" I exclaimed. He held his hands up.

"Whoa! No one is trying to pawn you off. It was a joke Alice. Lighten up a little!" I grunted and turned back to my food.

We finished eating without any more outbursts and Cillian stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and he led me back upstairs. Instead of going towards our rooms this time he headed the opposite direction and knocked on a door halfway down the hall.

"Enter," I recognized my father's commanding voice from inside the room. Cillian opened the door and ushered me in.

"You wanted us to come see you after lunch sir?"

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you both. First, Alice, how are you settling in your new room?" my father asked. I could see the hope in his eyes and it made my heart clench. They really wanted me to be happy here.

"It's amazing. It's everything I could have ever dreamed of. Thank you so much," I replied, smiling.

He smiled back and I could see the relief in his eyes and hear it in his voice. "That's good. Good. I'm very glad you like it. We made sure to get all your favorite things. I know it won't make up for everything but I really hope it's a good start." I nodded at him. "Good, now that that's out of the way, I have some news." Cillian and I looked at one another and then back at our father. "This year the mating ceremony is supposed to be held here. However, because of extenuating circumstances," he looked at me and continued, "we are considering moving it to a different pack. We're trying not to overwhelm you. This is all very new to you and honestly, I don't even want to think about you possibly finding your mate already. We just got you back and I'm not ready to let go of you yet."

I smiled at him. Spoken like a true father. "It's fine dad. We can hold the mating ceremony here. What are the chances I find my mate this early anyways? You had to wait over 100 years to find mom."

He frowned but nodded his head. "I'll let the elders know then. It's to be held in 2 weeks." he looked over at Cillian and I saw his eyes cloud over. I looked over at Cillian as well and saw his eyes were cloudy as well. They were mindlinking right in front of me. Seriously? I thought we were past all the secrets.

Their eyes cleared up again and Cillian grinned down at me. "Let's go little sister. I got a surprise for you!"

We headed towards the office door and as I was pulling it closed behind me my father spoke up, "Alice," I looked back at him. "I thought you might like to know, you were born first." he grinned at me and I couldn't help but return it. I shut the office door and turned to Cillian.

"Lead the way, little brother." I could see the shock on his face plain as day and he glared at dad's door. Then he smirked and looked at me.

"You may be 5 minutes older but I am well over a foot taller than you. Therefore, you are the little one, sister."

I growled at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Let's go asshat."

He rubbed his shoulder and chuckled then headed down the hallway back towards the stairs. I followed close behind him down the stairs and through the dining room. We went through a pair of French doors that led to the backyard. I glanced around and saw a beautiful flower garden off to the left and had to go explore. I walked through rows upon rows of flowers, stroking the petals on each plant as I went. I came to a stop at the center of the garden and stared at the plant in front of me in awe. The petals were a creamy white color on the ends but towards the center the color changed into a vibrant violet color. I reached out and gently touched a petal and the flower snapped shut. How curious! Cillian walked up behind me and laughed.

"I see you've found mother's pride and joy. This is a flower that she discovered in her travels with dad before we were born. She brought it home and planted it. She couldn't figure out a name for it though. She struggled for years to come up with the perfect one and nothing felt right." he explained. "Until you were born. The second you opened your eyes she realized she had the perfect name all along. Alice, let me introduce you to the Alissandra Lily." I gaped up at him in surprise. He smiled back at me. "This, is my absolute favorite flower in the whole garden." We sat and stared at the flower for another minute before he bumped my shoulder with his.

"Come on! This isn't the surprise." he grabbed my hand and led me back out of the garden. We headed towards another building to the right and about 500 feet behind the pack house. When we got closer I realized it was a massive garage. Cillian want through a side door and I followed along behind him. When I made it through the door I stopped. There, right in front of me, was my car. How the hell did they get it here so fast?! I looked over at Cillian and he grinned.

"I have my ways." I squealed in delight and jumped in. The keys were in the ignition and I fired it right up. Cillian slid into the passenger seat and clicked the garage button on the console and the door in front of us slowly opened. I looked over at him in confusion.

"It arrived right before I came and woke you up. I came down and programmed it as soon as it arrived. I knew you were upset about leaving her behind." The garage door finished opening and I shifted into first gear and took off down the driveway.

"Let's go get you a birthday present." he programmed a destination into the GPS and I followed the directions on the screen. We pulled up to a small shop 10 minutes later and I parked like the other cars along the road. Cillian jumped out and stood waiting for me on the sidewalk. I climbed out and stood beside him looking up at the sign on the front of the store. NOCTURNO.

I looked at Cillian, confused yet again. He smiled and waved me in.

I walked into the door and was greeted by the chiming of bells and the smell of incense and a wide variety of herbs. I looked around and saw crystals of all types all over the place. I saw a small glass counter to the left which was filled with bigger more intricate crystals. There was a cahs register sitting on top. I wandered through the store just looking at everything. I found a small amethyst geode and decided to go ahead and grab it. I suppose this could be my birthday present. I made my way to the counter and waited patiently for someone to come out. Soon a woman came out of a doorway that had a moon phase tapestry hanging over it. I gasped when she looked at me. She had waist length blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes. Her face was heart shaped with a light smattering of freckles across her nose. She was the spitting image of Bellamy. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Well hello Alissandra. I was wondering when I'd be meeting you again. As you've probably already guessed, I'm Bella's mother. My name is Siobhan." she reached her hand out to shake. Once I got over my initial shock I took her hand and shook it.

"Wow. Bella looks just like you!" I exclaimed.

She laughed, "Well I should hope so. God forbid she look like her father. We're you wanting that lovely little geode?"

I nodded and placed it on the counter. She picked it up and placed it in a small brown paper bag and handed it back to me.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked. She just shook her head.

"It's a gift for the birthday girl." I nodded.

"Where is Bella?" I hadn't seen her since we arrived. I assumed she was staying with her mother.

She sighed, "That girl. You know her birthday is in a few days of course. She thinks she has a werewolf mate here in the pack and has been avoiding him like the plague. She thinks he's going to reject her because she's a witch and not a wolf."

"Do people do that? I thought mates were supposed to be soulmates. Two halves of a whole." I was concerned for Bella. That would break her heart if she was rejected.

"Sometimes, yes. But that's never happened in this pack. Bella's dad is even a wolf. He's my mate. This pack is very open minded and we all treasure the mate bond."

"Wait, Bella's dad is a wolf? Then wouldn't she be half wolf and half witch?" Siobhan shook her head.

"No, unfortunately. Daughters of witches are always blessed as witches but only as witches. Our powers pass through the women in our lines. If my husband and I were to have a son, he would be full werewolf."

Weird.

"Well thank you for the gift. Hopefully I'll see Bella around soon."

"I'll make sure she's there for the feast tonight. We don't want to miss your first shift with the pack." she winked at me and I waved and walked back outside. Cillian was still waiting for me on the sidewalk. He smiled as I walked out.

"Did you get to see Bella?" he asked, excited.

"No, apparently she's avoiding someone." He frowned and shrugged.

"Alright well let's get back to the packhouse. It's almost 4:30 and we have a dinner to get to. I'm excited to shift with you afterwards. I've been waiting for you so we can do it together. My wolf, Faolan, is very annoyed that I wanted to wait," he explained.

"You haven't shifted yet? I thought all wolves shifted on their 18th birthdays. With a few exceptions of course."

"I wanted to wait for you. We should have grown up together but we didn't get that chance. I figured this was one thing that we could do together."

We climbed back into my car and I started it up.

"I can't even shift tonight. I have to wait for Bella or her mom to pull the barrier down." I sighed.

"Actually, that was another reason I wanted to visit that store. Siobhan pulled the block down while you were in there."

I looked at him in shock. "But, I didn't feel anything. Wouldn't it have hurt?"

"Not at all. The only reason you felt pain before is because your wolf was clawing at the magical barrier. Since it was brought down by one of the ones who cast it, it was painless. Go ahead. Try to contact your wolf," he encouraged.

I sat quietly and reached out,

Hello?

Hello Alice. It's great to finally speak to you. My name is Saoirse.

Saoirse? This is amazing! I've been looking forward to meeting you since I found out what we are.

I've been patiently waiting for you for over 10 years little one. Ever since we shifted that first time I've been with you but never able to break through that barrier. I've felt all your pain and longing. Our brothers have felt the same way for years. Together, we will do great things. But first, tonight. we shift and run with our pack.

I swear I could see her lay down on the back of my mind and rest her head on her paws.

I looked over at Cillian and his eyes were swirling black pools. After a minute they cleared up and he locked eyes with me.

"Finn is so happy that he's finally managed to contact his sister. It finally got him to shut up about waiting to shift. He talked to her and realized that I was right." I smiled and nodded. I pulled out of our parking space and headed back towards the packhouse.

The entire ride home I was smiling. I finally had my wolf. I finally felt complete.

I parked the car in the garage and we headed back into the house. As we walked through the house we were bombarded with an array of different smells coming from the kitchen that had my mouth watering. I went upstairs to my room and decided to take a shower and start getting ready for the feast.

When I finished showering I walked back into my room still wrapped in a towel. I looked at my bed and saw a garment bag laying on it. I walked over to it and unzipped it. I pulled the dress out of the bag and was absolutely stunned at the beauty of it. It was a silk strapless fit and flare dress and of course it was the perfect size. It was a beautiful ombre color with the bottom being a soft ivory color and transitioning into a gorgeous violet color at the bust. As I walked towards the floor to ceiling mirror between my closet and bathroom a note fluttered to the ground. I picked it up and read it,

Alice,

I had this made for you to wear tonight.

I hope that it fits perfectly.

This dress should make you look like the princess you are.

All my love,

Mom.

I smiled at the note and set it down on the bed.

I slid the dress on and was amazed at how gorgeous it was again. It did fit perfectly and hugged all of my curves. I walked into my closet and found a pair of ivory heels to match it. I walked into the bathroom and decided to do a crown braid in my hair and then did my makeup. I settled on a light smoky eye with a nude lip. Once I was satisfied with my makeup I headed back out to my room. I looked in the mirror once again and nodded. I did in fact, look like a princess. I headed towards my bedroom door and as I reached for the handle there was a light knock. I smiled and opened it, expecting Cillian but was surprised to find my father standing in his place instead. He smiled down at me.

"Alice. You look simply radiant darling. I was hoping you'd be willing to allow your old man to escort you down to the feast?" I looked up at him and smiled and nodded.

He held his arm out to me and I looped mine into his. We walked slowly and quietly down the hall towards the stairs.

"I see the dress your mother had made for you fits perfectly. She's going to be so happy to see you in it." my dad was making polite small talk. I could tell he was nervous and I thought it was incredibly sweet.

"Yes. Mom has very good taste." I laughed and he joined me.

"That she does." We descended the stairs arm in arm and when we reached the bottom I saw Cillian standing with his arm looped into mom's. They turned to face us and my mother covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't stop the waterworks.

"Oh Alice. My beautiful girl. You look exquisite. My, I did a fantastic job with that dress!" She giggled and I joined in. I reached over and hugged her which she gladly returned, squeezing me tight.

"You look gorgeous little sister," Cillian chuckled.

We stood awkwardly outside the dining room.

"Well, should we get this show on the road? I'm starving!" I exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

"They have to announce us first dear." my mother explained.

We heard a voice boom on the other side of the doors, "Evenstar Pack, welcome future Alpha Cillian Cavanaugh escorted by his mother, Our Luna, Maeve Cavanaugh." I heard applause and cheers and Cillian walked into the dining room arm in arm with our mother.

The applause died down and the voice boomed again,

"Evenstar Pack, please join me in welcoming home Alissandra Cavanaugh, escorted by her father, our Alpha Ciaran Cavanaugh!"

I could hear the roar of the crowd inside the dining room, though try as I might, I couldn't get my feet to move. I looked over at my father who smiled and gently encouraged me.

"Come on Alice, it's just one foot in front of the other. You can do this." I nodded.

Come on Alice. We've got this. There's nothing to be nervous about. Saoirse whispered inside my head.

I shook my shoulders out and stepped towards the doors, they swung inward and the roar of the crowd reached a deafening crescendo as we walked inside. Dad led me to one end of the table and pulled the chair to the left of the head of the table out for me. I sat and folded my hands in my lap. He pulled the head chair out for himself and continued standing.

He held his hands up and the crowd quieted down. "Thank you Evenstar Pack for joining us here and helping us welcome our beloved daughter home to us. As you all know, we gave long awaited this day and are so glad it has finally arrived. Tonight, we're going to feast and afterwards, we are going to witness my children's first shift. Once they've fully shifted, we're going to have a pack run. But," he paused and looked around at everyone gathered in the dining room. "Tonight Cillian and Alissandra will be leading the run."

Cillian and I looked at our father in surprise. Shocked murmurs and gasps circulated around the room.

"Dad, the Alpha is supposed to lead the pack run." Cillian interjected.

Dad looked down at him, "Are you not the future Alpha of this pack? Is that not what you've been training for your whole life?"

Cillian leaned back in his chair dumbstruck.

The murmurs continued around the room and dad held his hands up to quiet everyone down again. "Let's eat everyone! Enjoy!" He sat down in his chair finally and waved the waiters into the dining room. They passed plates out to everyone and once they made their way back out of the room he started eating and everyone followed his lead.

The rest of the dinner was full of laughter and talking. Once we were thoroughly stuffed we headed out to the backyard where I was waved into a changing room. My mother handed me a robe and a coat hanger to put my dress on. I stripped down and headed back out of the small room and stood next to my parents and Cillian.

Dad clapped his hands to get everyone's attention then gave me a little push forward. Cillian stepped up next to me.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," I whispered to him.

He smiled, "Just call your wolf forward and let her do all the work. It's going to hurt at first but you'll make it through it."

I nodded and called out to Saoirse.

FINALLY! she exclaimed and took full control.

She came forward and I felt myself fall to my knees. She pushed some more and I heard the popping and snapping of my bones. I waited for the pain to hit me and was surprised to find none. I looked down at my hands and saw them morphing into paws and watched the fur sprout out of my skin.

I thought this was supposed to hurt? I asked her.

We've already shifted once before Alice. This is a pain your body has felt before and can block out.

I thought it took several shifts for the pain to subside?

We're of Alpha blood Alice. We are stronger and more capable than most other wolves.

Finally, after about 5 minutes, I had fully shifted into Saoirse. I looked over at Cillian and he was only halfway through his shift. Saoirse padded over to him and licked the tears off of his face. He looked up at her and it seemed to help him as he finished his shift seconds later. His wolf, Finn, laid on the ground panting for a moment before standing back up again. Our wolves made eye contact and we howled at the moon together. As our howls reached a crescendo, everyone shifted into their wolves instantly, including our parents, and we felt an enormous rush of power. I looked over the crowd of wolves and then back at Finn and was surprised to see his eyes glowing purple. He howled once more and took off running. We all followed behind him and made our way around the perimeter. We made it back to the packhouse and all shifted back and made our way inside. I was exhausted from shifting and the run so I made my way upstairs to get a shower and go to bed. Cillian trudged up the stairs behind me and went into his room without saying a word to me. I shut my door behind me and made it halfway through my room before I collapsed.