Sisters By Chance - The Dawn (Book Two)

Home, "Sweet" Home...

Raven's POV

A massive bonfire radiates warmth and light over those closest to it. But the rest of the backyard has been swallowed by complete and dense darkness. There is no moonlight, no stars, nothing. I feel my long cloak float over the moist grass behind me as I walk toward the light with rushed strides. My heart is pounding wildly in my throat as I force air down my lungs to calm myself. It doesn't work. Not even my hand in Tim's is enough. His thumb is stroking my skin, drawing circles over the same patch. I think he's trying to calm me, but I want to run screaming in the other direction, disappear from view, and hind until it's over, but I can't. I can only keep walking toward the light.

Bossman isn't here yet. Neither is Doggie. But Lucas is waiting by the fire. He's standing in the light talking to Bigg Boobs and her mate. He's as handsome as ever but has somehow lost his appeal. I tilt my head to the side and frown. Sure, it's hard to make out his features because of the light behind him shadowing his face. But I used to worship every inch of this man. Whether or not I could see him never made a difference. Tim gives my hand a light squeeze, making me look up at him. His face is bathing in warm light as he smiles reassuringly at me. There is a sparkle in his eyes I can't place. He's mouthwatering to look at, so beautiful it almost hurts. And he is mine. I squeeze his hand back while trying to plaster a smile on my face. It's more of a grimace than anything else, but his smile widens, and his eyes flash darkly. Thor is showing off his presence, making my heart jump in my throat. I don't want to leave.

My stomach is in knots as we reach the center. The warmth hits my face and washes over my body. However, it does nothing to soothe the growing panic inside me. Lucas gives us a curt nod and a tight smile. He then turns his attention to something behind me, and his face erupts in a smile. Sofia and her other man must have caught up to us.

Voices buzz in the evening darkness - like a dull hum in a beehive. Tim wrapped me in his arms and held me to rest my head against his chest. His heart is beating hard and strong, drowning all other sounds and pulling me into a trance-like state where I feel hidden and safe. My heart slows down until dropping back down in my chest. It resumes a steady rhythm enabling me to inhale deeply and finally calm down. We stand together, inhaling each other's scent, waiting for the end of our beginning.

When Tim's body straightens, and the beehive suddenly becomes silent, I know - the time is here. The time we've been waiting for.

I turn in Tim's arms, grasping desperately at the feeling of safety, holding on to it for as long as possible, only to see Bossman walk through the darkness - followed by the Summer Moon pack's Alpha and warriors. Alpha John is tall and radiates power. My skin prickles from anticipation. I've seen movies where the leader holds grand speeches to motivate the troops into action. But John doesn't seem the type. I wonder what will happen. How do wolves get themself worked up before a fight? Everyone around me is crazy calm. While I've been gulping down air like a fish on dry land until Tim forced my heart back in place, they have been casually mumbling and waiting.

The alphas mumble between themself before grabbing each other's right arms under the elbow and nodding as if finalizing a decision. The Summer Moon backs up into the darkness as Bossman steps forward. The warmth from the burning logs behind Tim is giving way to his aura of power and determination. I expect him to boom over the grounds for all to hear, but his voice is smooth and steady as he talks to us, yet, turning to every individual on its own.

'I appreciate every one of you, your effort and upcoming sacrifice. We're one force, one pack, one family. Thank you all!' He tells us as his aura keeps sending waves of the emotions he has put into words. Strength and confidence build inside my chest, making me stand tall, despite not being a wolf. I can feel his trust in our mission. In us. In me.

'Let's bring home your Luna!' John roars, and a symphony of howls erupts in the darkness, filling the air with an eery yet empowering sound. Tim joins his pack while keeping his arms around me. Unable to howl alongside them, I raise my wand high in the air - sending golden stars into the night - creating fireworks that dance over the sky. I hear the sickening popping of joints as the men and women around us shift. Some wolves get loaded with massive gaskets on their backs and take off in groups, bolting through the forest and leaving us behind.

Bossman steps forward with Doggie one step behind him - this is it.

'Good luck!' He tells me with a grave nod.

'You too, Alpha!' I tell him as I bow my head. A smirk hides in the corner of his lip before he grabs me and pulls me in for a tight hug.

'Bring her here, give her to Sofia and Jacob, and make sure she's safe!' He begs me so silently only the closest to us can hear.

'You're Luna will be here waiting when you return!' I assured him as I wrapped my arms around his massive body, squeezing him. John releases a breath he was holding before letting go of me. He nods at me again with a small smile before turning to his brother. They grab each other's right arm and pull each other in for a hug while exchanging words as we did. He then turns to do the same to Lucas, Harry, and the other man I don't know the name of. It hits me that he is saying goodbye, just like me. Tim pulls me into his chest again and holds me from behind as we see Boosman hug Charlotte tightly before turning and cupping Sofia's face. He's stroking her cheeks with his thumbs and leans in to rest his forehead against hers. Sofia places her hands over his, holding him before letting go. Bossman turns without another word and shifts into a massive ombre gray wolf. The last thing I see is his tail disappearing into the darkness. Tim smells my hair before he kisses my cheek.

'You need to leave now, or I might not let you go!' He mumbles as he sighs.

'I don't want to. You know that. Don't you?'

'I know. I also know you'll come back!'

I kiss his lips over my shoulder before tearing from his embrace while clapping my hands together. Appearance is key.

'Alright, let's get this show on the road!'

'You in a hurry?' Harry laughs.

'Yep! Handsome over here is holding out on me,' I huff with a fake frown. 'I won't get laid until done with this s**t. So how about you crawl in here,' I tell him as I throw the backpack onto the ground. 'So I can hurry back and get my treasure box filled!'

Sofia, Jacob, and Bigg boobs laugh while Tim growls from behind me. Lucas and the other man sighs hard, shaking their head slowly. Doggie grinned widely with amusement swirling in his eyes.

'Sure thing, goeruges! Blue balls are the worst!'

'Yeah, can you imagen him turning this down?' I said while doing a small twirl.

'Nop! He's clearly lost it!' Harry mocks as he puts one foot into the bag. Tim growls again - annoyed over our little exchange. I laugh and throw a kiss over my shoulder while Doggie disappears, and I sip up the bag. A loud 'umph' and a series of profanities come from inside as I lift it and swing it around to put it on my back.

Tim is standing behind me, waiting for me to leave. I need to kiss him one more time. Then I'll be off. I promise.

'If I'm not getting any, you're not getting any. So no jerking off!' I coo as I grab him between his legs and feel him twitch in my hand. A rumble in his chest sends shivers down my spine.

'Don't you worry, love! I'm not doing your job!' He teases before kissing my lips and purring into my mouth. 'When your back, I'll have you on your knees...'

Oh yes, please, I think as my legs become wobbly and my peach clench.

'I love you!' I moan in response.

'I love you too!' He tells me before letting me go.

'I'll see you all in a bit!' I tell the others with a wave before turning on the spot while welding my wand. The last thing I see is my man as he stands, bathing in the warm light. Then everything disappears.

*

I'm sucked through nothing until I reappear on the solid ground opening my eyes to darkness. I can only imagine Doggie's face distorted and green as he doubles over inside his hiding place. The air is freezing as it pulls my cloak and hair. Darkness surrounds me as I stand on the open field, getting tugged at by the wind. The foot of the mountain is a barren wasteland. The freezing air swirled freely around me since no trees, bushes, or rocks got in its way. It's all open ground and a useless place for a battle. Shivers run down my spine like cold water as I contemplate our predicament and take tentative steps up the steep hill.

'Here goes all or nothing!' I whispered while adjusting the straps and pulling the hood over my hair, shielding it from the wind. It's not a long walk to the path between air and earth, sky and ground, transparent and solid. With every step, more and more of my kind appeared. The shield is still up, so here we'll wait until they bring it down, and we can all walk inside to join the festivities.

There are mainly women here, but it's hard to tell the difference because men and women are all dressed in the same-looking black cloaks. The difference is hard to distinguish in the darkness. But some of them are worn as others are like mine, new and barely used. I shift my weight uneasily from one foot to the other - staring at the invisible wall keeping me from coming inside. Some are in small groups, and most of them are in pairs. Looking around, I'm the only one alone. f**k. I need to blend in, not stand out. I tugged at my cloak anxiously as my heart shot back up my throat while I tried to figure out how to approach this.

A loud squeal behind me makes me snap my head, searching the darkness for whoever is responsible.

'AH! I can't believe we're back. It's been a year already. Oh! Do you remember the floating lanterns last year? They were magnificent!' A girl around my age gushes as she skips happily over the grass. Her face reviled itself as she tilted her head to look at the sky as if searching for lanterns. It's hard to make out her features. Regardless, I see her sharp chin and straight nose stick out into the night.

'Yeah yeah,' The other huffed behind her, slightly out of breath. 'I don't give a rat's ass about those lanterns flying around hitting my head. I'll have Ian bury himself deep inside me and not come up for air until tomorrow. I haven't had a proper f**k in weeks.'

The first one frowns while turning her head around. 'Is that all you're thinking about? Some wolf rocking your boat?'

'He's good at what he does; you should try. I'll lend him to you if you'd like. They can keep it up for as long as you tell them to!' Her expression was smug as she paused to catch her breath. The first one shakes her head disapprovingly while placing her hands on her hips with a scowl.

'I don't get why you'd want to have someone, you know, inside you. Isn't it messy?'

'Not necessarily,' the breathy one smirks, 'he does whatever I want or am in the mood for. It's not about him or what he wants. If he wants to finish himself off later, then so be it. I have no part in it. Hence I'm left with no mess!' She waves around her crotch area with a superior look, making the first girl gag before mumbling.

'It's still unnatural, mixing with the servants!'

'It's not like I'm about to reproduce with him. That would be unnatural!' The woman using the wolf named Ian as a s*x toy nods in agreement.

I'm so stunned by their conversation that I'm frozen to the same spot on the ground staring at them. The skinny-lantern-loving- witch is about to walk straight into me when she suddenly stops and yelps.

'Oh, hi! I didn't see you there!'

'Hello!' I croak before clearing my throat and repeating my greeting louder. It takes all of me to hide my disgust for the two women. Who are they to talk about wolves as if they were a lesser species?

Sure, they are amazing, at least the two I have had. But that doesn't give anyone the right to use them as living playthings without consideration for their feelings or needs.

I referred to Tim as my toy. But that's different! Isn't it? I didn't mean it.

A simmering rage is growing in my stomach as I try to suppress it and plaster a kind smile on my lips.

'I haven't seen you here before?'

'No, I'm usually abroad!' I smile at them. 'But, considering we're closing in on the final goal - I figured it was about time to come home!'

The first girl is short and skinny - all tendons and no meat. Her whole body looks like it would hurt you if she hugged you. She nods her head vigorously at me while smiling brightly. The other is taller and slightly rounder, softer. Her expression is bored, and her eyes hold no emotions as she looks me over from head to toe. She's pretty in an ordinary way, but her face could use a smile, and her eyes some life, or at least interest.

'You've been here before?' She wonders in a way that makes me think she's suspicious. I envy her poker face for a split second before shrugging my shoulders and answering her.

'Sure, like a hundred years ago with Mum! If I elaborate further, I'll give myself away. I haven't been here for years, so at the moment, I'm not getting caught in a lie.

'Well then, let us give you a tour!' The first one squealed while jumping up and down - clapping her hands in an exaggerated display of happiness.

'Sure! I'd appreciate it!' I smile back at her, faking excitement. 'I'm Regina. You are?'

'Oh, royalty!' She giggles as she winks at me, referring to my made-up name. 'I'm Paula, and this is Dawn!'

They make me want to puke on their shoes, but instead, I smile as if the names are the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

'Oh! That's beautiful! My name makes me sound like an old lady...' I pout, making Dawn smirk as if agreeing, while Paula dismisses my statement with a flick of her wrist.

'Poppycock! You look like a princess! I'd kill for your hair!' My long locks have spilled from the hood and flow over my cloaked collarbone.

I thank her for the compliment as she passes me, and I turn to follow. I ask questions upon questions to avoid answering any of my own. Paula answered them happily until Dawn grew tired of the babbling and hissed, shutting her up. Paula gave me an eye roll while Dawn was distracted, and I forced a giggle.

'She's horny,' Paula whispered in my left ear as if it explained everything. I turn my head and raise my eyebrows as if I didn't hear their conversation earlier. It's not like they snook up the hill while whispering. Dawn walks off toward a group of older women, greeting them with exaggeration. Her voice is a phony version of the one she had before as she starts kissing ass and complimenting everything within range. Paula takes the opportunity to keep talking hushed in my ear.

'She's a Varlett. Her family has their own wolves, you know. It makes them think they're better than the rest of us. Sure, her mother is in the council. But it's not like she is one of the highest priestesses. It's the old blood keeping the wolves in their house!' She explained, making me nod. I remember the name Varlett, snobs all around if I remember correctly.

'Her older sister, Mona, offered herself to be on the list...' Paula whispers with awe. I turn my head to look at Dawn. I've never met Mona. However, I think they should end Dawn's life instead. She's just too witchy, and she uses people. I don't like her!

I wonder if my name is still on it. Or if they took it off when I disappeared.

'Well, I guess she's an important person then. Being a Varlett and everything.' I mumble. I feel the air move as Paula nog vigorously. 'She's next in line for her mother's place at the council. But it's going to be years until she takes the seat. Her mother refuses to step down!' She whispers. I feel a smirk roll over my lips as I think about my new family approaching. Give it the night, and they're all gathered under the crystal shield just past the treeline below us, waiting to eradicate these witches from the face of this earth. I'd like to see her try taking her seat when she's dead.

Paula seems harmless. Simple-minded perhaps - as she's thinking of wolves as inferior, but she doesn't seem dangerous. I engage in small talk while keeping my eyes locked on the darkness ahead. The large stone arch should appear with the words Potestas ad auroram above.

I never understood the words as a child - Power to the dawn. But now I get it. The blood from all creatures holds power, and they will harvest it to ensure the beginning of their world domination. I'm guessing the Varlett family has named their daughter Dawn as a tribute to the order. I still can't fathom how they can be so dead set on sacrificing their children. The old hags should kill themself if it's that important for witches to rule, then hand it over to the younger generation. But they seem just as daft as the old ones.

My body felt tense, but I kept faking interest in Paula as she gossiped about everything between heaven and earth until she fell quiet. A slight shimmer or vibration in the air catches my attention. A muffled squeal erupts from Paula as she jumps on her toes and claps her hands.

'It's happening!'

I square my shoulders and take a deep breath before stepping forward to get this over with. But Paula grabs my arm holding me back as she shakes her head and stares at me with big eyes. I look around and see the others waiting as well. Dawn steps to the side before extending her arm to a woman, offering to help her over the uneven ground. The old hag smiles as she takes her arm approvingly and lets Dawn lead the way forward. They reached the arch as it revealed itself and walked through as the words appeared with a dull glow. Paula and I keep still, waiting for the rest of the women to walk before us. I had forgotten about all the rules, the expectations of; what's respectful behavior and not, how to address each other, and how to bend and bow. John has never expected me to crawl.

So however annoying Paula has been until now, she could prove herself useful until I can meet up with Stella as planned.

We're the last to step onto the path that leads to my former home.

We're the last two to walk under the arch and become swallowed by the air- and the earth's mountains' darkness. They shoot up the sky like never-ending stonewalls on each side of us, shutting everything out. The moist air is compact, but at least we're sheltered from the icy winds. I could probably have heard the water run beside us If my heart hadn't pounded so hard in my chest. I walk one step behind Paula as we follow the others, still led by Dawn and the hag. Each step is a step closer, and my heart is hammering in my throat again. It feels as if it's never going to end until I see a soft light beaming ahead, and I get the feeling of walking toward my imminent death as I keep my eyes glued on the shimmering in the distance. My fingers wrap tightly around the shoulder straps as I cling to them, trying to hold on to my sanity.

One more step.

One less.

The golden veil is a rain of sparkles, and head after head disappeared from view as they passed it and vanished on the other side. Paula skips the last few steps before throwing herself at the veil with an excited giggle. I'd lie if I said I share her excitement. My stomach is in knots, and I feel like throwing up as I take a deep breath and pass the veil, entering the top of the stairs leading down the valley that holds my former home. Warm tingles spread over my skin as I walk through the sparkling veil. It's spread warmth through my body until I step out on the other side, and I am slammed in the face by heat and light beaming from the town below me. Even I have to admit: it's one hell of a sight!

The water is throwing itself towards the ground making all lights shine through a mist and creating a thundering sound at the bottom.

'Come on, Regina!' Paula called out as she skipped down the steps two at a time. I smiled at her faintly before turning my attention back to the town. It truly is breathtakingly beautiful.

From where I'm standing, I can make out the road leading to town. The main street is called the Fork. It leads to the center and divides into four: like a fork.

It's all I remember, and the vise is gripping my heart. Wonder what happened to Mum when I left?

I force my stiff legs to move forward, to bring me down the steps carved into the mountain wall, towards the music and life - floating lanterns, swirling lights, and colorful fireworks dances through the streets over people's heads and the rooftops. The outskirts of the town and the fork road have transformed into a marketplace. Laughter soars through the air while people walk between stands, talking and drinking. The party of the year has begun, and I don't have an invitation to show for it. But no one will check if I belong. I have the cloak, the company, and their arrogance on my side. They'll never look for an intruder cause they wouldn't expect one. Despite this, my heart thunder in my chest, louder and faster with every step I take toward my former life. I nervously adjust the straps of my leather backpack as I keep walking with Paula and looking around at everything and everyone.

'Do you have a place to stay?' She asks while curiously looking at a bubbling cauldron. Thick pink steam emerged and poured over the edges. The witch by the stand has matching bubblegum pink hair.

'Yeah, I'm going to stay with a friend. She lives by the air square, and we're meeting up there!' I tell Paula as she pays the witch for some colorful beans. She raised her brows a little when she turned to look at me, all while managing to duck as a floating pumpkin came right at her head.

'I'm from the foot of the earth myself. So, I'm not at home in those parts of the town. I've heard they have some nice places over there, though!'

'I just hope they know how to get drunk!' I smirk, making Paula grin massively. 'All witches know how to party!' She winks as we push past some people blocking the way. She hands me some pink, red, and green beans before shoving a handful in her mouth.

We keep talking over the noise around us as we check the stands for things we might need or want. I restock on herbs and various necessities I might have use for. It will be a long time until I'll get the possibility again. It's slow work - trying to walk down the Fork to get to the split where I'll turn towards the air mountain and Stella. But I have to admit: I'm having fun. The panic has subsided, and I'm just blending into the crowd - laughing, talking, bumping into people, shopping without a care in the world, or at least pretending I'm without care for now. As we reach the split - it's like landing in the mids of a dancefloor. People move all around, holler at each other, and wave. Someone yells out for Paula, and she gazes through the crowd, searching for whoever it is. I take the opportunity to rid myself of her company.

'This is me!' I tell Paula as I nod my head to the left.

'Do you need any help finding your way from here?'

'I don't think so. I'll follow the road until I reach the next square, right?

She nods her head vigorously and beams at me. Someone calls out for her again, and she whips her head from side to side, searching for the caller.

'Then I'll find it on my own, thank you!'

She jumps a little as she spots the woman calling out for her. She waves her way before turning back to me, telling me she got to go.

'Sure! The party is just getting started!' I tell her with a wink. I raised my hand to wave goodbye, but Paula threw herself at me, embracing me in a tight hug. I was right. She's painful to hug with her sharp edges. She smiled and said a hasty goodbye before turning and plowing through the sea of bodies. I miss Tim's strong arms, warmth, lips, and voice.

Exhaustion hits me. Fake smiling this much has left my cheeks and jaw sore. My eyes sting from all impressions, and my eyelids are heavy. I need to find Stella and safety before I fall asleep standing up on this road. I adjusted the backpack, then rubbed my jaws with my fingertips and sighed before I tried to navigate through the maze of people.