I Am the Alpha and the Omega

The Seer

After the most humiliating breakfasts to end all breakfasts, Alpha Felix put his best foot forward and decided to take all the Alphas and the Werewolf King out on a tour of the mountains. They would leave that same morning and be back the following day. It would be good for some Alpha male bonding, for the wolves to stretch their legs and hunt, and it would give the women-folk a chance to have the men out of their hair. Felix and his brothers would lead the way and Freya's brothers would follow at the rear to make sure nobody got lost.

    "Will you be back in time for tomorrow's party my love?" Freya asked nuzzling against his back as he packed a knapsack with clothes and provisions.

    "Yes my sweet, we will back by tomorrow morning.  If it helps we will try and return AFTER breakfast," he chuckled.

    "Please do, although I have no qualms about hosing the males down and making them clean the dining hall again," said Freya giggled in reply.

After the men departed for their excursion, the ladies spent the rest of the day pampering themselves in preparation for the wedding. For a large portion of the afternoon the mud mask covered Lunas managed to scare off any disturbances and interruptions to their therapy.  Some of Ariadne's bridesmaids also joined in and gossiped about how fine Westwood and Persepolet men looked. They were eager to find their mates.

    "You'll be able to meet them tomorrow evening at the civil ceremony, after they have come back from their hunt," suggested Thea, rolling her eyes at the silly girls.  Although she was the youngest of Freya's siblings and not a lot older than Ariadne, she had yet find her mate but didn't think it dignified to chase after men.

Ariadne enjoyed her facial and body scrub, and was deciding what colours to pick for her manicure and pedicure when Kiona joined her. Being a shadow of her former self, while the children ran amok in the gardens and helped collect flowers for the petals needed for the wedding ceremony, she showed them around and supervised them.

    "What colours are you going to pick for your nails Ari?"

    "I'm not sure, what colour do you think I should pick?"

Kiona looked at the nail polish bottles seriously and studied them carefully. For six-year old to be doing anything seriously was a sight to  behold. After much deliberation, as though the wrong choice was going end the world, she handed Ariadne a bottle of a nude shade nail polish and another clear polish full of silver sparkles.

    "You know little one, for a tomboy, you have a great sense of style," Ariadne chuckled.

Kiona rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and pretended to scowl.

     "I forget sometimes she is 6 going on 60," Freya teased. "You should hear how she tells me off, sometimes I quite forget who is the parent or Luna and who is the pup! You remind me of my grandmother when you make that face."

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, finalising the catering arrangements for the civil wedding tomorrow and the Werewolf Ceremony being held two days later.  The house was slowly undergoing a transformation and as if by magic, it was blooming.  By night time, there were fairy lights adorning the verandah and the paths leading to and from the house. Fresh flower baskets with pansies, petunias, verbena and violas hung cheerfully welcoming people with their eye-catching colours and scent.

Later that night, after the children were sleeping, the ladies gathered in the living room and decided as it was Ariadne's last night as an unmarried wolf, they ought to play some games and have a little fun.  After tonight, she will be forever bound to that possessive Alpha and her life would completely change, she would no longer be a daughter of this 'House', by name.

The night included a lot of pizza, ice cream and bananas. Although the bananas were not for eating strictly speaking, some bananas didn't even last until the game! The games ranged from spin the bottle, variations of pin the 'tail' on the wolf and some good old fashioned karaoke. Kiona who had never stayed up this late looked around in fascination and wonder.  She was given permission this one time, to stay up - it was her only older sister getting married after all. After singing themselves hoarse, the maid of honour and Ariadne's best friend Alexa announced that she had a couple of surprise activities. Firstly, she informed the she-wolves to strip and join her in the pool for drinks, more games and music as the night was still young, but before this, for something a little different, she had invited Esmerelda (Esme) the pack mystic or seer to grace them with her presence and read the good fortune that the bride-to-be  was going to have. This was a lesser known tradition, but important in some packs especially for Alpha families as they mainly sought seers for guidance and most importantly their blessings; blessings from the Moon Goddess, from the Element Deities and of course from the seer herself.

As Esme entered the room, everyone became silent.  She was a tall, slim woman, with piercing silver-grey eyes and matching wavy, waist length hair that accentuated her tanned, caramel skin.  Nobody really knew how old she was and she never seemed to age. She walked forwards slowly with a staff in her left hand and she wore a deep green cloak that rustled as she moved.  There were anklets on her bare feet that jingled pleasantly with every step she took. She bowed to Luna Freya who returned it with equal solemnity. As Esme observed the other beings in the room she stopped and looked at Ariadne. Walking to the windows and opening them a little, Esme sat cross-legged on the wooden floor  by the window and putting her staff down, she motioned for Ariadne to join her. Ariadne slowly walked over and sat down facing her, nervous and not sure what to expect.

    "Just relax my love," Freya cooed. "She is just going to see your future and give you her blessings."

Ariadne nodded towards her mother and then turned back towards Esme looking at her.  Esme smiled and held out her hands and Ariadne placed her hands on top of them. Esme closed her eyes and began to chant a mantra in their ancient, native language that Ariadne had only heard in the pack rituals that were performed during the festivals or ceremonies. It was very powerful and filled her with great trepidation; a fear of the unknown. As the chanting reached a climax Esme opened her eyes and her eyes became pure white in colour, emitting a warm glow as she stopped. She started speaking in an other-worldly voice.

        "Ariadne the Benevolent, first of her name, brings great joy and fortune to her House Wynchwood-Alverii and to those dear to her. She will rise to her challenges, be a merciful and just Luna providing the line with many heirs as the Moon Goddess has willed.  The element of water favours Ariadne, for the tides of time will test her.  Her aura and energies flow from her heart and this will be her greatest strength. Blessings ever on you, child of the earth."

That said, Ariadne bowed down to Esme who placed her palms on Ariadne's head and bestowed her blessings.  Esme placed her own hands in her lap and remained in a meditative state letting Ariadne rise  and step away.  All the other ladies one by one bowed to Esme; she provided them with a vision, some guidance and blessings. Once they were all done they joined the others by the pool and Esme sat there glowing in the warm light that emanated from her being as if she were expecting someone and a few moments later, Freya stepped forward.

    "Esmerelda, mighty seer of seers," proclaimed Freya bowing. "I have been blessed by the Gods and Goddesses with many things for which I am very grateful. Though blessings are not ever enough, I request some blessings and guidance not for myself but for my younger daughter Kiona. Please would you honour her with your counsel."

    "Luna Freya Alverii-Wynchwood may you always be blessed. Kiona, please step forward."

Kiona was scared and not sure what to do, she had no idea her mother was going to ask her to do this.  Nervously she peered out from behind her mother and stepped forward.

    "Sit my child," commanded Esme, holding her hands out.

Kiona looked at this powerful woman in front of her in awe.  She looked so ethereal, so beautiful and yet the power emanating from her seemed terrible, it made her uneasy.  Nevertheless, she obediently sat down and held her hands out. As Esme's fingers made contact with Kiona's there was a sudden electrical jolt and the lights went out. Freya cried out in surprise and rushed to go find some candles when the light switches didn't work. With her werewolf sight Kiona could make out Esme's features and saw she still sat in front of her with a very faint glow. Esme closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were black with red glow about them. Scared by this Kiona closed her eyes still holding onto Esme's hands.  Through the open windows a wind blew through the house and there was a lot of pain showing on Esme's face, her hair flying wildly. She forcefully released her hands from Kiona's and everything suddenly stopped and the room returned to normal as though nothing had happened. Esme looked at Kiona and shook her head sadly. 

Kiona opened her eyes, she looked around and saw everything was back to normal. She turned to Esme who was no longer glowing and looking at her, expressionless. As Freya returned with candles, she saw the electricity had come back on and sighed thankfully. However, when she the two of them sitting in silence she was slightly perturbed.

    "Esme-ki (ki was added as a sign of respect), what did you see?" Freya asked.

Esme rose to her feet, her 5'10'' frame towered over Kiona and she looked at Freya with a grim expression.

    "Luna, I am sorry but I wasn't able to get a full reading. A great many visions clouded my view and so I cannot say anything for certain," Esme explained calmly.

    "Thank you Esme-ki. Kio, why don't you go and have fun in the pool, I need to go through the wedding rituals with Esme-ki," Freya responded, smiling at Kio.

    "Ok Mama!" Kio ran off happily, relieved there wasn't anything sinister going on.

Freya took Esme by the hand and led her to a table and poured her some iced tea.

    "Ok, tell me the truth Esme."

    "Perceptive as always Freya. You should have carried on your studies, you could use your gift too."

    "I always planned to Esme, but I had other responsibilities. My children, the pack it -"

    "I understand, but you have put it off for too long. Kio has the gift.  She is going to be very powerful, but she is still too young to understand. You need to make her aware of what she can do."

    "I will have that conversation with her when she is ready, when it is the right time."

    "For some conversations, there is never a right time Freya, time is running out. I can sense a terrible, grave danger approaching. My visions today showed me destruction and death before the next full moon after this month passes, but not whose. I will keep looking for answers and I will help you train Kio, but we have to act fast."

Freya's heart sank into the depths of the ground beneath her; it was what she had always feared.  Her visions that she saw in her childhood may be coming true, but because she didn't attune her skills and train she could only see fragments of the story and she dismissed them as delusions. This had been a gift from her mother's side of the family, her mother and grandmother would see visions and were very powerful elementalists.  Freya's mother Isla devoted herself so heavily to the study of visions she went mad; her madness was her undoing and this was enough to drive Freya away from the art after her mother died. She also discouraged her siblings from dabbling in it and so their potential was never realised.

Esme stood up and pulled Freya into her arms and held her tightly. Freya couldn't fight back the tears that were forming and let them flow..

"Do not blame yourself Freya. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. I could sit here day after day having visions and could interpret them in so many different ways.  Even if I interpret them correctly, there is only so much we can do, which is nothing compared to the will of the Gods.  Let us train Kio, and prepare ourselves for a storm."