My Fated One

6. TEACHING MOMENT

POV (LUCAS)

The warm smell of baked bread and fresh milk wafted around the kitchen, as I tapped my foot in irritation and began to chew on the end of my thumbnail. Little Annabella, Thomas' baby sister, was sitting in her highchair staring at me with big doe eyes. While the Luna of the pack spooned a bowl of porridge out of the pot for her. It was hard to believe Annabella and Abelia were the same age or maybe the reason I had never seen Abelia in this light was due to our past.

Abelia had never felt like a child to me, or perhaps I had never cared to notice if she was. For if I did actually view her as an innocent then where would I have put my hate. Thus, in my first life with her, I saw only a burden. A creature that had stolen everything from me. Yet, in the future, when she was finally reborn again, I wanted to make certain that was not the case. Carefully and meticulously, I watched over her. Lurking in the shadows of the Goldenrod's Estate always ready to jump in if need be.

I can still recall the first time Sebastian told me Abelia was now a witch and that the Elder had adopted her into his family. It was hard to stomach. Harder even to watch as she struggled to play with the other children or even be accepted. One day I couldn't take it anymore and broken the rules I had set for myself. She was only ten at the time, a small little thing that looked sickly and malnourished. I knew that was not the case, for if those bloody witches had done that to her I would have stolen her away and killed them in the process. No, it was because her wolf had been taken from her causing her body t suffer. But I did it for her own good. Because in the future, moonlight wolves were just as valuable as they were in the past. Which meant, that she could have been manipulated and used just like we had been int he past. I quickly found out how correct I was. When I witnessed the same heartless actions of the MoonLight Pack from the 9th century being replicated by their future generations.

The moment Abelia's parents knew she was a Moonlight-Touched wolf she was separated from her family. I knew this would happen, that even if I tried to change the past Abelia's spirit, or her bond to her cursed fate, would do everything in its power to make the same things happen again. However, this time I was there to save her mother from death and her father from his demise at the loss of his mate. However, I was not strong enough to stop the course of Abelia being viewed as different and dangerous. Which is why I sent Zander's spirit, from the past, to protect her and created the concept of a moonlight pair. He would be her guard and she the goddess that needed his support. It only took me nearly a thousand years to create that narrative, but it worked. And Zander, being one of my most trusted guards during the rebellion to dethrone Alexander, was more then willing to sacrifice himself to save our queen. I still remember the look he gave me as he bled out on the battle field the day Abelia died.

(FLASHBACK - ABELIA'S FIRST LIFE IN THE PAST)

"Run Lucas, leave this land. There is nothing left for you here." He gasped as I clutched his bloody hand.

"No, Zander you're wrong. There has to be a way to remove him. To make him pay for what he did!"

I shouted, as I held my dying friend in my arms desperate for revenge but also feeling that it was completely outside my grasp. Wilson, his younger brother, was at my side and devastated at the loss of Abelia. For like many, he had fallen for her charms, maybe more so than most. And for him to have to watch his brother meet the same end, all on the same day, was just far too much for him to handle. So the fact that it broke him did not surprise me, for I was only steps away from madness myself.

"You're wrong!" He screamed. "You're both wrong! We are some of the most influential and powerful werewolves of our time. There must be way we can challenge fate. To reverse it. I refuse to believe she is dead and that this is how it all ends for us!" He cried, causing his brother and me to gaze at him in confusion.

"Wilson, what are you saying?" I said, as he reached out and grabbed Zander and my shoulders.

"Lets change it. Let's go back."

"Go back? Are you mad?" Zander coughed, as I I tried to apply pressure to his wound. "There is no going back from death Brother. There is no spell that can reverse it or remove it."

"Even so, what if we rewrite it. Change the ending of the story. "

"Rewrite it? Change the ending? What the hell are you are you taking about?" Yet, as he spoke. As he continued down this path of deranged rantings, I could not help but feel that he might have been the most sane one of us all. Yes, rewrite it. Go back to before everything went wrong. Change history, so I could protect her and...

But what if didn't work? What if this was actually the ending to her tale? Then that would mean we would forever be stuck in a never ceaseing loop of reliving this terrible fate over and over again. No, it wasn't enough. Even if I tried to stop Abelia she could very well still fall for him again, because I had no idea how they had met in the first place. How could I stop their cursed encounter if I didn't even know what brought them together? Meaning, even if we went back she could still end up on the end of his blade and then where would we be? Back here, in this moment, holding my dying friend in my arms and listening to my other friend turn into a raving lunatic. No, I had to be more invasive, more creative than just turning back the clock. I had to show her the error of her ways by letting her experience this all one more time. She had to feel the pain of betrayal, and remember it, and then she would never consider Alexander as her future.

I knew, after the spell had been cast that many would say I was a devil for doing the ones I loved harm. Wilson would end up suffering the most. He would lose himself in the blood of a demon, just like how Sebastian had. While Zander, or Noah, would forever be locked in a perpetual state of regret for having lost Abelia, and would be playing my role as her brother. But it all had to be done. For the characters of Abelia's story from the past had to line up with the ones in the future. For if I wanted to trick fate, into accepting that nothing had change and that she was still following its path set out for her, I had to make sure every horrible moment was repeated. However, instead of a monstrous Alpha k********g Abelia, like in the past. In the future, Sebastian would do it. And with him playing the role of villain, I knew he would never actually harm her. But fate, did not know that.

Even as Aurora cried out in pain, as he dragged her across the floor of Basil Goldenrod's hidden room, it was all too clear to me how much it was killing him. That night, he was beside himself, and as frustrating as it was, I knew I had to console him.

(FLASHBACK - 3yr old ABELIA'S REBORN IN THE FUTURE)

"We were wrong. This was all wrong." He said, over and over again as I felt a growl in the pit of my stomach growing.

"It had to be done Sebastian." I said, through gritted teeth, as I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How can you even say that with a straight face? She died Lucas, didn't you see it? Her tiny lifeless body. And then the look Aurora gave me. I'll never forget it. In all my years on this earth, that will haunt me for the rest of my... "

SLAP!

"Are you done vampire wallowing in self pity and doubt! Because we don't have time for it!" I snarled, as his eyes glowed red at me.

"Did you dare hit me?"

"I will do so much worse if you ever say we are wrong again. Because remember, my vampire friend, you were the one that came groveling to me on your hands and knees asking to be a part of this. Not I, I did not demand your service you volunteered it."

I watched as my words quickly sunk in, as Sebastian rubbed his tender jaw and c****d his head at me.

"Your right Lucas. I can't believe I forgot such an import event." He said, a he took a seat and gave me a cocky grin. "So then, tell me, oh Mastermind, what would you have me do now?"

Removing Abelia's wolf and putting her inside Jasmine was a disgusting thing to do. But, like all steps towards change, certain sacrifices had to be made. Because, I had to mirror the effects Alpha Rodin had on Abelia when he locked her away and refused to let her learn magic, meaning Abelia in the future had be to be weak and defenseless. Furthermore, Sebastian and I both knew it was better to let Aurora be housed in another vessel, since her spirit was still too connected to Alexander to see the monster for what we really was. To prove my point, Alec went straight for Jasmine the minute he met her and she fell for him. It was almost as if they were drawn to each other, like a moth to a cursed flame. And in turn, Alec completely forgot about Abelia who was the one that had been saving him all along. It was too perfect. For the beast was just a boy and he was still showing his true nature of only seeking out powerful allies and disregarding those that could not help him on his journey to successes.

No, Abelia had to be cleansed of any past longing for Alexander. At least, that was what I told myself, that was why I did what I did. But seeing her bow her head in submission to those creatures. Watching as she picked her books up off the ground, that they had just knocked from her hands. Or trying to paste together torn papers of her homework that they had ripped up and rained down on her like flecks of snow, was just too much for me to handle. And so, I stepped out of bounds and revealed myself to her.

(FLASHBACK - 10 yrs old ABELIA REBORN IN THE FUTURE)

"What are you doing?" I said, trying to command an air of indifference when my heart was breaking. It was her first week at Ashefork and this is what she was getting? Why? I had made this damn school, crafted it just for her. I had set Sebastian, Vladimir, and Morgana on the path for the four factions to sign that stupid treaty, just so she could be accepted here. And this is what I was getting, witches and werewolves tossing her around and teasing and ridiculing her for being less then. Why? Why was everything so damn hard for her? Why couldn't I break the cycle and give her some peace of mind?

Slowly she looked up at me with the eyes of one that believed nothing would ever belong to them. Causing a growl to rumble from my chest at my irritation and annoyance at having failed her once again. But before I could think about what to say, or what to do, she overpowered me. Me, a thousand year old werewolf who had seen wars and started them, was completely powerless the moment she spoke.

"Your a werewolf." She exclaimed with excitement, drawing my attention back to her. I knew I must have looked like a wayward teenager, skipping class, but in reality I had not stepped foot in a classroom since I left Anya and the MoonWalker Pack in the hands of Sebastian and his children of the night. They say the mating bond is strong, stronger than anything in this world. But sadly, if you are the mastermind behind it, the illusion of love and devotion handed down by some illusive goddess of the moon, does not really make you bend and obey. However, blood and family ties are not so easily broken.

"Do they always treat you like this?" I said, as I knelt down and started to dust off her books and study the sentences written on those scraps of paper. Brilliant, she was astounding. If only I had trained her, worked with her, when she was little, she would have been exceptional. A healer for the ages. These books would have been written by her, passed down through generations as prized works that changed the world of medicine.

"You don't have to do that." She whispered out. "I'm fine."

"Your fine?" I laughed. "Then I guess that means you have accepted that the dirt is where you belong."

"Excuse me?" She said, her eyes flashing with just a hint of annoyance and disgust at me. I could not help but grin, for there she was, our future queen of Norweden.

"Am I wrong then? Didn't you say you were fine. That this was acceptable to you?"

"I...I...I..."

"See, you can't even deny it." I watched, as a spark of fury radiated off her body, and then with a deep breath it was snuffed out.

"Then what would you have me do, on mighty werewolf? I am not like you. I was not born with strength or ability. I can't outrun what fate has given me. I am powerless to it, all I can do is..."

"No!" I snarled, hardly being able to control my emotions. I knew my golden eyes were glowing, for I could see fear in her own, but I could not let her continue with this nonsense any further.

"You are not powerless to change your fate. Unless that is what you believe to be the case."

"What, but I am..."

"You are what? Small, worthless, better off on the ground at someones feet?"

"No, I just."

"Exactly, no. That is your answer."

"My... my answer?" I was losing it. All my thoughts about the mission were vanishing because for the first time I was teaching her. I was being an older brother, and mentoring my little sister to not let anyone hold her back. To not let fate dictate what she could or couldn't be.

"I asked you if you found their treatment acceptable. You tell me what your answer is." I watched as her fists tightened and her eyes narrowed in rebellion.

"No." She hissed. "I do not find it acceptable. I do not want to believe it is all I will ever get or be. But there is nothing I can do, for I will always be see as..." The tears that fell from her eyes nearly killed me, but I could not touch her. I could not comfort her. All I could do was show her that is was not over, not even close.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because it hurts."

"It hurts? You can't be serious." I said, as got into her face. "Don't you know the secret?"

"The what?"

Gently, I took her hand and placed it to her heart and said the only thing I could think of to give her the strength to get through this.

"This pain, this ache, it is impossible for another to heal. For the only person who can make it stop. Who can make it go away, is you."

"Me?" She said, as she looked down at her chest and then up at me.

"Yes, as long you don't accept what they think of you, you will always be powerful. Stronger then any one of them put together. Do you know why?" Slowly, she shook her head causing a warmth to strike my heart. "Because Abelia, it means they don't own you. That they can't control you. And that power can make the strongest man shake and quiver in fear. Even, a mighty werewolf, such as myself. If I can't command the hearts of men to listen to me willingly, then one day they will rise up and dethrone me." I said, with a smile, as I removed my hat allowing her to see my white blonde hair. And giving her a little sense that the secret I spoke of might have been something else.

"Who are you?" She gasped, causing me to reach out and ruffle her hair as her mouth opened in shock.

"No one, really. Just someone passing by that could not help aid a fallen pup that believes they are not worth saving."

I would find out much later that my little encounter with Abelia changed something in her. Wilson would one day explain that she saved him with her words and kindness. And when I asked him to repeat back to me what she said, I could not help but beam.

"It is a healers job to aid all, even those others believe are not worth saving."

I had taught her that, me, no one else. Because for just a brief spell I was no longer consumed with plotting revenge or trying to trick fate. No, for just one tiny moment, I was an older brother comforting his baby sister in her time of need. Even now, as I sat in the Alpha's kitchen. Waiting for the Luna to give me access to Thomas and begin the next phase of my plan, I knew there was no way I could allow myself to fail again. Even if I had to tear the world to sunder I would do it just to keep Abelia alive so I could have another teaching moment with her.