Wolves of Enchantment

Chapter Two: Welcome To My Life

Axel’s Point of View

My damn alarm clock blared, yanking me out of my peaceful slumber. But her words still echoed in my mind: "I'm waiting for you, Axel." I groaned and shut off the alarm, feeling frustrated. That recurring dream always leaves me confused and wanting more. The girl's face is always a blur, her voice unfamiliar, but the urgency to find her never fades.

Tonight's bonfire should be fun, a chance to hang out with friends from school before summer ends. My mom was excited to have Emily and Jason's foster daughter, Lilith, joining us. She was starting her senior year and didn't know anyone yet. My little sister Ember had already met her and couldn't stop raving about how amazing she was.

But first, my siblings and I had to finish our chores before our family and friends arrived. It's just part of our reality; we have to balance our supernatural lives with maintaining relationships outside of it. How do you even begin to explain to someone who doesn't believe in werewolves, witches with angel blood, or incubus demons that I am all three? And on top of that, I'm part of a set of triplets each with a different father. It gets even more complicated when you factor in that our dad happens to be the popular teacher at our school, always surrounded by mostly female students. Sometimes, I wonder if they're really interested in me or just drawn to Anton Foster's son.

Things could be worse. Jackson's father is River Foster, a world-famous former rock star from the band Random Sass. Jax seemed to have it the easiest out of all of us. His dad, Phoenix Carter, was the local sheriff. Anton, River, and Phoenix were all marked and mated to my mother, Sage Winters-Foster. To complicate things, Anton and River were brothers. Yeah, welcome to my world. It’s a little dark and confusing here.

My siblings and I also possessed abilities mirroring those of our parents. Mine showed up at a young age, and I quickly learned to control my incubus abilities when puberty arrived, as it made for some awkward and challenging moments. My school attendance was inconsistent because of that, but I was lucky that my Uncle Joey worked as the guidance counsellor.

I ran my hands through my short, dark hair and quickly put on some basketball shorts and an anime T-shirt before leaving my bedroom. Seraphina met me in the hallway, wrapping herself around my legs.

My familiar affectionately asked, "How did you sleep?"

"I dreamed about her again. The last thing I heard before waking up was the girl telling me she was waiting for me. Again," I sighed.

Seraphina acknowledged. “I'm sorry, Axel. I know that these dreams leave you feeling unsettled and lost.”

“Do you think it could be your mate?” my familiar asked.

I wasn't sure. I had a distinct feeling that I was supposed to help this girl somehow, but I had no idea what that involved. I knew that, like my Aunt Raven and Dad, I could see ahead to some degree, but I had never mastered their ability. Aunt Raven and my Dad assured me it would be easier to discern in time. I hoped they were right because it was frustrating never to understand these dreams about the mysterious girl I had.

“I have no idea. I do know I need a coffee and a muffin if any are left,” I said.

“You better hurry then. Sage’s blueberry muffins don’t last long,” Seraphina laughed.

My parents stood together in the kitchen. I could see the longing in my Mom's eyes as she stared at the coffee pot while my dad tried to offer her a coffee mug. Mom was struggling with having to drink only decaf coffee.

She is pregnant again; this time, my Dad is the father. River was the father of my sister, Ember. We had recently discovered that the baby they would welcome would be a girl. I was thrilled by the news, but Ember was even more excited. She disliked being the only daughter in the family.

This was just one more reason why it was challenging to maintain friendships, let alone a romantic involvement, with someone who wasn't involved in the supernatural realm. My mom's pregnancies were very brief. My brothers and I were born after only three months, and we grew at an accelerated rate. Ember was born after only five months. Human pregnancies typically last nine months. Based on my mom's rapid growth over the summer, I predicted that the baby would arrive in just four months.

"You seem exhausted, Axel. Is everything alright?" my Mom asked.

“I'm okay. Please don't worry. I just had some strange dreams again,” she said, offering a small smile, hoping that she would stop worrying about me. Stress wasn’t good for her or the baby.

"Did you dream about the same girl?" my father asked, also clearly worried.

I nodded in agreement and inhaled the rich aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. I noticed my Mom's discomfort as I stood beside her, so I gently shifted away, giving her some space. She was missing her caffeine fix.

.

"Grandpa Dwade will be arriving shortly. If you ever feel like talking, he's always there to listen. Your grandfather is also bringing the gifts that Malin specially made for you and your brothers," my Mom said.

I couldn't help but grin when thinking about that gnome. He was always a highlight of my summer visits to Grandpa Dwade's realm. Malin wouldn't reveal the details of what he was crafting for us, but he assured us it would be unique to each of my brothers and me, offering protection and blessings. I wonder what Malin thought we needed protection from.