Called by the Goddess

Chapter 5: into the forbidden forest

~Kate~

As I got near the forbidden forest, I felt a pull, like the forest was inviting me to get in. The trees themselves seemed to welcome me. “Weird!” I thought.

Before I could dive into my feelings, mr. Winger appeared from behind a big tree on the border of the pack territory. “Good, you’ve made it this far!” he smiled. “Let’s get you to safety! Follow me”.

I was too confused to say anything or ask questions, so I just nodded and followed him. The surroundings looked vaguely familiar from this morning, when she did not really pay attention to where she was going. Mr. Winger sniffed and took a turn, saying: “you’d better get your clothes from this morning, before anybody else finds them.”

Oh… right.. she had totally forgotten about her shredded clothes. Not that she could wear them ever again, but it made sense not to leave them lying around, so she grabbed the pieces and stuffed them in her backpack.

“Follow me, just a little bit further”, mr. Winger said to her. She sighed and followed him, curious as to where they were going. “Did mr. Winger say she was going to stay at his mother’s house? I never knew he had a mother... Well, obviously, everybody has a mother, but never heard of her and didn’t know she wasn’t part of the pack. She couldn’t be, if she lived outside here. Djeez… so mr. Winger has a lot of secrets, it appears. And how does he know mum and dad. I never knew his first name was Bob, ...” her mind started to spin around, just as they reached a clearing in the woods.

The view she encountered made her mind go blank. She saw a very cozy looking cabin, smoke coming out of the chimney. She stopped and whistled slowly to herself. “Nice digs, mr. Winger, did you grow up here? And how did you become part of our pack? What the hell, oh sorry for the language, is going on, can you please explain it to me now?” I felt questions tumbling down my mouth, like I had no control over them. And I realised that I was very close to losing control all together. I started trembling again, just like this morning.

“Deep breathes Kate… breath in through your nose, out through your mouth, like this” and he showed me how he did his outbreath through pursed lips. I mimicked him and to my surprise it really calmed me down somewhat.

“Let’s get in, I don’t have long, so I will start explaining after we get you settled inside. When I need to go, mum can take over”. Just as mr. Winger said these words, the door swung open and an elderly lady was peering out at them, with white hair, wrinkles in her face and bright blue eyes that had a twinkle in them that made me feel more at ease at once! Despite her age, she stood straight and had an aura of power and strength around her.

“Hey little one, I have been expecting you, welcome to my humble house” I heard her voice in my head. Wait, what? I knew that voice. I had heard it before. Earlier this day in fact, she had told me that I was too loving to hate…

I looked at her with what must have been a puzzled expression on my face, for she looked at me and chuckled. “Come in, child, and we will explain everything to you!”, she said this time out loud, while holding the door open.

I went in, followed by mr. Winger, who kissed his mum on the cheek. “I cannot stay long, mum, I have to leave in 15 minutes top”.

“That’s ok son, we don’t want to raise any more suspicions than necessary!” the old lady responded. “Come, sit, make yourself comfortable! I am Selena Winger, High Priestess of the order of the Moon Goddess, but you can call me Granny, like everybody else! And you are Hekate, or do you prefer Kate?”

“Yeah… uh, I am… Kate is fine” I responded hesitantly. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Mrs Winger, uh, granny, led us through a small hallway into what looked to be the living room. There was a comfy looking couch, and a matching chair, both bright green, with some brightly colored throw pillows. You could see through to the kitchen and a staircase wound its way to what I assumed was the second floor. The back of the house had huge windows, looking out over a beautiful garden. From the big dinner table, with 8 chairs around it, you had a great view of the garden.

On the dinner table, plates and napkins were waiting, like lunch was about to be served, but no food, I noticed. Mrs. Winger, not sure if I could get used to calling her granny any time soon, she had a way too royal vibe coming off her. I smiled at her, not sure what to do next and still fighting to keep in control, holding back my tears.

“Ok, good, we will get along nicely, my dear, especially if you share some of those yummy sandwiches that I smell from your backpack.

Oh yes, that seemed to make sense. I started dividing the sandwiches over the plates, glad that I had something to do.

“Here mother, have some cake as well”, added mr. Winger as he handed her the bag my dad had given him.

“What a treat! I don’t often get treated to food made by the pack’s top chef and top pastry chef! Did your parents teach you how to cook? I hope so…” she said while rubbing her tummy.

I couldn’t help it, I chuckled. “Yeah, I know a little bit about cooking and baking, though I am nowhere as good as mum or dad” I answered truthfully.

“Sweetheart, please sit down in this chair for me”, mrs. Winger asked me, inviting me to one of the chairs around the dinner table. “Let’s get you a bit more relaxed and give you some answers, before you lose control again, shifting twice in one day might be a bit much for your body to handle at this point in time”.

I was not sure that sitting down would help me stay in control, but I complied, having recognized the hint of authority in her voice, and well, honestly, because I had been drilled my entire life to obey those of higher rank than me, which, I was told again and again, was everybody...

I sat down and was a bit confused, because Mrs. Winger did not sit down as well, but she moved until she stood behind me. “Now close your eyes for a bit, honey, feel your feet making contact with the floor, with mother earth”, she told me. Things kept getting weirder, but I complied and did as she asked. I felt her laying her hands on my shoulders. I felt her hands becoming hot and felt a calmth spread down through my body, all the way to my feet and into the earth.

“Wow, cool trick! Thanks”, I said, sighing with relief and opening my eyes again after I felt granny, that title seemed a little less difficult now, step back and take a seat next to me.

Mr. Winger smiled and said: “Ok Kate, time to explain to you what is going on. Have you ever heard rumors about a prophecy amongst the omegas?”

“Uh, yeah, vaguely, but I reckoned they were just stories to keep our hopes up, nothing for real, otherwise my mum would have told me” I was sure of that at least.

“Yes, well, your parents were supposed to have that conversation with you on your 16th birthday. I am not sure why they didn’t”. mr. Winger said.

“Why don’t you ask them yourself”, mrs. Winger suggested. “You can mindlink to them, they didn’t really disown you from their hearts, it was only to make the pack believe they had, so your link should still be intact. And I am sure they would want to know you got here safe!”.

I felt a rush of relief at those words, I had been afraid to never be able to talk with my mum again, but mindlinking was maybe even better!

“Mum, dad,…” I tried. And at once I felt a sense of huge relief and love speed towards me.

“So you are safe Katie?” I heard both my parents at once in my head.

“Yeah I am fine, I am at mrs. Wingers place and she seems really nice and welcoming. Mr. Winger is here as well” at which point I heard mr. Winger and his mother say hi, so I knew it was the five of us in the mindlink. “But I need to ask you about this prophecy thing…” I continued. “They say you guys are the one that ought to tell me, and that you should have done so on my birthday, so I am really confused, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to tell you, but just couldn’t get myself to do so, since I feared it was you all this time, I wanted to give you a few more weeks without having to worry about the whole fate of the pack and myself a few more weeks of denial to be honest”, I heard mum in my head. “Oh sorry you all, give me a sec, I have to deal with the alpha for a minute, working out the menu for the next week, so cannot seem preoccupied with something else. Martin love, take over for me, will you, it is time she gets some answers”

“Ok then, cupcake”, my dad started. “Like you gathered by now, there is a prophecy, among the omegas of our pack, nearly forgotten by those in power.

In this prophecy, it is foretold that one day, a young, very powerful and talented omega girl, otherwise known as ‘the chosen’ will reclaim our power. In order to do so, she has to be cast out of the pack first, to study and grow and get ready to claim her rightful title as the Luna of the Luna pack, on the night of her 18th birthday. The chosen one, the one called by the Goddess, can be recognized by the silver specks in her eyes after her first shift. The call will be made to her when she is only 16 years of age”

“Wow… I don’t know what to say or think”, I stuttered. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“It is custom to tell the prophecy to the possible chosen ones on their 16th birthday, to prepare them in case it is them. So it was with me and my mother”, my mum interjects. “Yeah, don’t worry, the alpha just left”, she responded to my worries that I didn’t even put into words yet. “Look Katie, I was going to tell you on your birthday, I really was, but you were so happy, it was such a precious day, the first time in weeks that we managed to make time, just for the three of us, I couldn’t bring myself to ruin the moment, because, like I said, I already feared that it was you”, mum confessed.

“I think this is quite enough for today”, mrs Winger interjected. “Kate is exhausted from today's events. Bob, son, you have to get running to get back to the school in time, so hurry along. Kate say goodbye to your parents for now, don’t worry, you can get in touch with them whenever you want, but for now it is time to eat and sleep, tomorrow we will start with your training and you will meet the rest of our little forbidden pack, as we like to call ourselves, otherwise known as the order of the Moon Goddess”.

She was right, I was exhausted and although I had thousands of questions roaming around in my head, I was too tired to formulate one in a way it made sense, so that had to wait. So I waved goodbye to mr. Winger and dived into mum’s sandwiches, noticing that mrs. Winger did the same. After we shared the last pieces of my dad’s cake, I let out an enormous yawn. Ok, time for bed, Katie dear! Follow me, your room is ready for you.

We went upstairs, where she led me to a beautiful room. There was a huge bed, bigger than the bed my parents shared. A desk with a window behind it, looking out over the back yard, a wardrobe for clothes, bookshelves and a couch that looked, as everything in this house seemed to be, very comfy. And with all that, there was still a big open space with a carpet covering the wooden floor. I looked around in awe. “Is this all just for me?” I asked incredulously. Mrs. Winger chuckled at my question. “Yes dear, this is your room. You will need it to study and for your exercises and training” “Wow... “ I sighed… this room was bigger than the one I shared with my parents. “And over here is your very own bathroom!” mrs. Winger continued, showing me the door to the bathroom. I suggest you go to sleep, it might be still early, but you have been through a lot today and your wolf needs her rest as well, after her first shift. Feel free to roam around the house when you wake up, but please don’t go outside yet, until I have introduced you to everyone!”

“Ok” I managed to say before a big yawn broke through.

“Sweet dreams, my dear!”

“Thank you, goodnight mrs., euh, granny Winger” I yawned. I only just took the time to take off my jeans, before I crashed into the bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow!