Two Alphas: One Broken Girl

Chapter 4- The Lake

In the space of a single heartbeat every event of this strange and terrible morning were erased from my mind. I was suddenly ten years old. I was a wholly different version of myself. One that was gone. Dead. I had mourned her.

I remembered her in a flash. I came to this lake every day that I could. Often sneaking away with my twin to go swimming. It was our special secret place. Through my misty eyes, I managed to catch sight of my reflection in the calm surface of the water. My round young face, shining gray eyes fringed by thick eyelashes. I was ten and I was happy.

My breath was caught in my throat. My mangled heart struggling to beat out of shape. My stomach dropped to my feet, and I shut my eyes. I didn’t know I was falling to my knees until I felt the sharp cold stones of the bank cutting into my bare knees.

The forest was silent. The lake was still, and the only sound was my ragged breathing as I desperately tried to hold together my broken pieces.

Orion. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m so sorry.

I wanted to say it out loud, but I couldn’t seem to make the air move up my throat.

It had been a mistake to come here, today of all days. I don’t know why I thought I could do this. I was pathetic. I forced myself to open my eyes and stand on my trembling knees. This was once our magical special place, but now it was a dark cursed place. I would be 18 at midnight tonight and then I would be free from my parents’ control. I could leave, like I’d planned. Travel to neighboring Havendell Moon and take my chances as a rogue. I would try to get paid work and, with any luck, I might be accepted into their pack with time. That seemed the happiest future I could hope for. Anything would be better than this.

I decided I needed one more look at this place. One more look, and then never again would I return. I raised my head and looked squarely at the lake. It was a large lake. Nearly 3 miles in diameter and almost perfectly round and quite clean. It was surrounded on all sides by tall trees with a narrow strip of rocky bank. Thick patches of reeds, waterlilies, and other water plants grew through much of the lake, making it appear vibrantly green. It was beautiful. It was terrible. I took a step backwards. Just as I turned to run out of these troubled woods, I heard something. Not something from the woods, something from within me.

Wait!

I shrieked so loudly some birds took off from the canopy above chirping shrilly.

Orion? It didn’t sound like him, not exactly. It was an unfamiliar voice, but at the same time a voice I felt I’d known all my life. I suddenly worried I was finally going crazy. The voice chuckled at me

No, well, not really. I’m his wolf.

I was completely stunned. My mind seemed to be working very slowly and then all of a sudden it was racing ahead. I have a wolf! Wait…I have HIS wolf? That wasn’t possible. Was it? People don’t get other people’s wolves, do they? I had never heard of such a thing. I was quite certain of that. What did that mean for me? What did that mean for MY wolf? The Orion wolf seemed entertained by my frantic speculation.

Oh, she’s here too. He said casually in response to my wondering about my own wolf. I don’t know what her deal is though. I think maybe she’s just not quite READY to talk to you. But I sure am. I’ve been waiting AGES.

Even though it was not the same thing as talking to my brother, the way this wolf acted reminded me of him fiercely. I felt hot tears running steadily down my cheeks. For a moment, I just stood there still as a stone waiting for him to speak to me again, but it seemed like he was waiting on me, too. Are you…am I… HOW, I struggled.

The Orion wolf still seemed completely nonchalant, like this wasn’t INSANE. I will explain what I can to you, I promise, but you need to get moving if you’re going to make it to school on time, Phili, the wolf encouraged.

I flinched. Orion was the only one who ever called me that. I hadn’t heard that name in eight long years. It broke me out of my trance enough that I automatically started walking obediently back up the forest path.

The sun had climbed more in the sky, and I was surprised at how much time had passed. I was in shock. I still didn’t understand what was happening to me, but his I knew: assuming I wasn’t actually crazy, I had left this lake 8 years ago for the first time without my brother and now I was leaving with him (or, a part of him, at least). I felt a smile creeping across my face stretching my face in an unfamiliar way. I would worry about the rest later. The important thing was, I had a piece of my brother again and I would worry about the rest later. For now, that was enough.