Opal Dreams

The man was not as awful as I’d imagined. Tall, deep red cloak, dark hair. Our meeting was long anticipated. Richard Savage, Alpha of the Black Claw Pack, was yet to find his mate. And of course, some shaggy old seer had conveniently dreamt up our union. There were many older wolves claiming themselves to be wise and with The Sight. Many of them dreamt of me. I suppressed a yawn. “My Lady,” He stood several steps below me and yet our heads were almost level. The huge man extended one hand and I gave him my own. He leant down for a kiss, and the moment his lips touched my skin, I snatched it back. Someone sighed, a silver haired old woman lower down, draped in lilac scarves. It was her I focused on, even while Richard straightened his jacket (and his pride), and my father gave me the side eye. He didn’t have to get too expressive with his disappointment, it could usually be felt like a storm cloud. Richard regained his composure, giving a shrug, a wink, and a smirk all at once. Anyone else would’ve looked silly. But of course he didn’t. “I understand that my strong energy can come as a bit of a shock. Maybe it means something?” I shuffled back a little, looking anywhere but him. The archway at the bottom of the stone staircase called my name, as did the wildflower gardens beyond it. Did he mean to imply that my repulsion was... a sign of him being my mate? I sniffed the air tentatively, and he smirked again. Mates were supposed to smell good. Mouth watering. His smell was a musk that I’d rank along with burnt toast. His self assured smirk conjured bile into my throat. Tired of this game, and all games before it, I turned to my father. “No.” This echoed into a silence. Richard visibly flinched, his shoulders slumping a little before anger possessed him. Women swooned over his bright blue eyes, over that trademark smirk. If only they could see him now, pinched with rage, visibly shaking. My father, long blonde hair appearing white over his black shirt, remained very still. Just one flash of those dark eyes and his Beta was standing behind us. Richards men stepped up from where they stood with the old woman, closing in to support their Alpha. My father raised his hand. The silence stretched on. “Please forgive my daughter. She can be very abrupt. It is a personality flaw, and does not reflect you, or your value as our welcome guest here.” My father the pacifier. The smooth talker. Always knowing what to say to soothe the fragile egos of men. He’d had enough practice, with all of the men presented to me. Richard was different they’d said, but I’d humoured him even less than the others. And he was repulsive, but it was the game that I despised. Richard glared at me, his eyes now black. “You!” He roared, pointing one unsteady finger. My father flinched, an uncharacteristic mannerism. Most men were appeased by his soft words, but this man had barely heard. He took one step forward and my father gave a low growl. His Beta Jared pressed closer to me, now behind my shoulder, warm and tense. “You think you’re better than me!” He kicked at the step in front, a deep crack appearing in the stone. “You’re a snivelling little girl, inflated by the dreams of the weak and senile. Dreams. They’re just dreams!” He kicked the step again, and a chunk of stone came loose. I flinched. Even the men surrounding Richard seemed taken aback, squinting at him and this tantrum. “She is a sorceress, with power only in dreams. How useless. Stay out of mine, witch!” My father stepped forward, his eyes hard, fists clenched. Anger made him into a monster that even he avoided. “If you’ll please just take a moment to-“ “And you!” He turned to my father, receiving a low growl from the wolves gathering behind us. “You should be reported. Flaunting your daughter around like a prize. Serving her up as a dish. Spread the word, lads,” He glanced behind him, “Opal Bane is... a fraud. A witch.” He spat on the floor and that was it, my father leapt through the air, shifting into his white wolf before landing beside Richard. The red cloaked man snarled, struggling for a moment, before his bones began to snap. I was still, stuck on pause, watching the chaos unfold. Jared leapt in front of me, and then the old woman was there. She pulled her lilac shawl so that it covered my shoulders. We slipped out of a side arch just as Richards dark wolf erupted and snapped at my father. I hesitated on the other side of the wall, flinching at the guttural growls and yaps. The woman shook her head, beckoning toward the trio of yew trees in the middle of the courtyard. Once we were hidden in between them, she gripped me by the elbows. I yearned to race back, my inner wolf was snarling, my family were facing a threat because of me. Why was I hiding? “Listen to me,” Her voice was soft, flowing as musically as water. Two grey eyes peered up. I didn’t move away, but twitched toward the sounds of fighting. It seemed to be getting quieter. “Your presence went to Richards head. He couldn’t handle your rejection... he is not usually so-“ “So it’s my fault? He can’t handle the word no and that’s my problem?” I yanked my hands out of her grasp. Her gaze remained steady, and it held me still. All was at once quiet. “You know full well that you have an effect on others. I suspect you experience these extremes often?” Her voice was calm, flowing, even. As if any word could be expressed in that same current of serenity. As if nothing would phase her. I felt my eyes fill with tears, lips twisting to contain them. How could this random old wolf know anything? She smiled, as if hearing my thoughts. “I dreamt of you the day that you were born,” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, welcome to the club. I’ll send you over some details about our annual membership fee.” She chuckled quietly, and we paused as several men ran past, boots slapping on the cobblestones until only silence remained. Our eyes met again. “Opal, you will have your choice of a mate. A time will come when you have to choose between two. Choose wisely, they are very different paths.” I suppressed the eye roll. Every prophet felt as if they were doing a good deed, throwing me a lifeline. I’d add it to my long list of meaningless fortunes. Her gaze held me still. “But your Alpha is not as important as you. You have this magnetism for a purpose. Only you can bring together two enemies who will otherwise cause mass destruction.” “Yeah, clearly,” I muttered, glancing back toward the stone stairs. No one was seriously hurt, I could sense that much. Low murmuring drifted over the courtyard but was indecipherable. “Listen to me Opal,” I was looking back into her eyes. “This story is yours to write but you must not underestimate the power of your pen. Your influence borders on compulsion. One moment of your repulsion and a great warrior is reduced into an infant, throwing his toys from the pram because he did not get his way.” I frowned, peering over at the obscured men, wondering if something was wrong with me. Were my pheromones on par with a skunk? Was my biology screwed? The old woman pulled her lilac shawl from my shoulders, wrapping herself back up. I shivered at the chill. “Your father has realised something today. He will send you away.” I blinked at her, stunned. She squeezed my arm and began shuffling away. I leapt in front of her. “What are you talking about? Nothing makes sense! My father would never!” Her mouth formed a grim line and she wouldn’t meet my gaze like before. “Be aware of how you react to others, particularly when touch is involved.” She nodded once and began shuffling away again, despite me hanging onto her sleeve like a little girl. My father appeared on the far side of the courtyard, wearing new clothes, not a hair out of place. His head moved, scanning, until he was walking my way. I released her sleeve, dread pooling in the pit of my stomach. I was no stranger to the prophecies of old women, but something felt off. I looked after her retreating figure, scarves billowing in a slight breeze. My father and Jared neared. “Hey, your name?” I called after the woman, but she just kept on shuffling forward, and then my father pulled me into his arms. “What the hell was that?” He asked, holding me at arms length. I felt small in his presence. Jared stood a respectful few feet away. I avoided my fathers gaze, watching the woman disappear behind a far wall. “That was public humiliation, coming from you. Could’ve started a war. You really should be more tactful.” He brushed an imaginary speck off of his shoulder. He studied me for a moment, dark eyes squinting, and sighed. His grip softened. “Opal my dear. You must leave the House. This has all got quite out of hand.” I shuddered, still looking at that empty space. She had been right about one thing.