The Secret Origin

Caldones Queen

I laughed out loud from the shock of what I was hearing, "you can't be serious? I am no shape shifter or animal shifter. I shift into a fox, I have been shifting to fox form since I can remember."

Grace nodded, "I know that it is a lot to take in but I think that it is important to listen to the whole story," she said calmly.

I looked at Elijah who was intentally listening which made me think that this was the first time that he was hearing this story too. I looked back at Grace and nodded for her to continue.

"The Caledones protected their secret from all outsiders, mainly settling in rural areas so that they could live unnoticed by humans."

Grace stood up and walked over to the book shelf again but this time selecting a brown, leather bound book. When she opened the book, I noticed the Caledones symbol engraved on the cover. She flicked through a few pages and continued, "according to legend, the Caledones were the very first shifters and kept a tight knit community which were led by Domhnull and his wife Aileen. They lived happily for many years but when Domhnull was on his death bed he passed on his title of leader to his youngest daughter Aila and not to his eldest son, Fergus.

Aila was young but had a very passionate and brave heart which she proved time and time again where as Fergus was shallow and enjoyed flouting his power. As you can imagine, Fergus was not very happy so he planned to over throw his sister. Fergus new that if he had anything to do with his sister's death, then the elders could find out and ruin his chances of leading them so he had a cunning plan. He had heard of a small nearby village where there was rumoured to be a spell casting family. He tracked them down and began his plan of wooing the young girl, Mara. It was not long before he won Mara's heart and told her of his shape shifting powers. Whilst courting Mara, Fergus was also bedding other women but hid it well, or so he thought. One night, he and his friends were drinking around the fire while they laughed and mocked 'the foolish Mara.' Little did they know, Mara had begun to grow suspicious of Fergus and hid in the forest listening to them all. Her heart broke as she heard the man that she loved, mock her. She also heard him telling his friends of his plan to convince Mara to bewitch his sister into handing over her leadership role to him."

Grace walked over to the couch and continued the story, "Filled with rage, Mara called upon her ancestors who had past, she called upon the Gods, she called upon the elements and mother nature herself to give her their power. Mara cast a powerful spell trapping Fergus in a fox form to match his cunning ways. She also trapped Fergus' friends in fox forms, some in bear form, some in wolf form, some in cougar form and others in tiger form, all of them unable to turn back. However, as it was a red full moon, the Moon Goddess felt some pity for them and allowed them to take on human form whenever the moon is red." Grace paused for a moment, looking up to smile at me. "And that is the legend of how shifters came to be," she continued.

I sat with my mouth open, unable to comprehend what she had just told me, "so you are saying that my ancestors were the ones who did not revolt against Aila?" I asked.

Grace turned the book around showing me the page that she was looking at while telling the story. I gasped as I saw the drawing on the page. I stood and walked towards Grace to get a better look and read the caption 'Aila, leader of the Caledonii Tribe.' "She looks like me," I gasped. 

Grace reached out for my hand, "Willow, you are a descendant of Aila meaning that you come from a lineage of Caledones royalty. You have no idea of the power that you possess."

I took the book back to my seat gawking at the picture. "I mean no disrespect," I said to Grace, "but I can only shift into a fox so I think that you have this wrong."

Grace smiled at me, "I take no offence Willow. There is so much that you have to know about your origin. I have so much to tell you but I don't want to overwhelm you. It is late and I don't want you to leave until you know everything. May I suggest that you stay here tonight. That way we can continue where we left off in the morning."

Usually I would have declined an offer like that but I was in no frame of mind to confront my Skulk especially Nathanael. I nodded my head and Grace smiled in response. She picked up the velvet bound book and gave it to me, "take these and have a read of them. You may find out some more information about your tribe." Grace then turned to Elijah who was incredibly silent the whole time, "Elijah, take Willow up to your room and make her feel at home, I have to prepare some things for tomorrow."

We both stood up and Elijah led us back upstairs to his room. My body felt numb and my head felt as though my brain was going a hundred miles per hour. If this was true then I wasn't even a fox which meant that I would not be able to go back to my Skulk even if I wanted to. Elijah stood outside at the door way allowing me to walk into his room. He cleared his throat, "please make yourself at home. I will be downstairs if you need anything."

Without realising what I was doing I shouted, "No...please stay here with me. I can sleep on the sofa."

Elijah had a look of surprise and excitement on his face, "you take the bed, I can sleep on the couch, after all, we can't have the Caledones Queen sleeping on a two seater sofa," he said in jest.

I laughed, "I'm no Queen." I sat on his bed, motioning for him to join me while asking, " did you know that story...about me being a Caledones?"

Elijah immediately shook his head, "nope. I thought that you were a wolf, you have a wolf scent. Although I have heard the word Caledonia before, when I was younger."

Elijah looked me in the eye and I noticed a sparkle. He looked as though he was going to say something but then shook his head and stopped.

Wanting to know what he was going to say I said, "just say it Elijah."

He half smiled and asked, "could I see the Caledones mark on your leg?" You don't have to its just....it's quite intriguing.

I immediately stood up, unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them off exposing my legs. I then sat on the bed placing my leg over his to show him my thigh.

Elijah studied it closely, tracing the shape of it with his finger. The sensation sent shivers through my body and what felt like an electric shock in my groin.

Unsure if it was finding out that my ancestor was a powerful shape shifter leader or if I was loosing my mind, I pulled myself up, straddling his legs and kissed him. Elijah was surprised and froze as if I had turned him into stone with my kiss. I smiled against his lips which seemed to break him free and he started kissing me back. Slowly I began to feel a bulge grow in his jeans against my groin. He pulled his hand up, gently holding my face and pulled away from me. Out of breath he said, "I don't want you thinking that I don't want this because I really, really do. Willow you are amazing and I...I wouldn't hesitate....it's just that I don't think that you...you have had a really long day and I don't want you to regret this." He pulled my face up so that I looked at him. I could feel my face burn up in embarrassment and tears began to escape my eyes. He planted kisses on my cheeks and wiped away my tears with his thumbs. Usually, I hated showing my weaknesses to anyone but for some reason I felt safe just being my self and letting it all out with Elijah.

Elijah kissed my forehead, stood up cradling me and put me down on the bed. "Get some sleep and if you still feel the same way about me tomorrow, I promise I won't stop you," he said with a big, beautiful smile. As I laid my head on the pillow, I could hear a phone vibrate. Elijah reached into his pocket, took it out and stared at the screen for a few seconds before answering, "hello."

Elijah stood listening to who ever was on the other end. He then walked over to the bed holding the phone out to me. "It's for you," he said, "someone called Nathanael."