The Two Alphas' Fated Witch

Mother

I want to inquire more about this cool "mind-linking" trick, but as three firm taps resound upon the front door, I know there's no way I'll get more out of them. Not right now, anyway. I sigh, get up from my stool, and head to the door.

Upon its opening, I do indeed find the dark-skinned form of Mrs. Santiago. Dressed in casual, yet warmer attire, her hair is done up in her signature bun. Complete with her signature sparkly-blue mini hat. She smiles brightly, once she sees it's me. That smile has always been contagious. "Ali! Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Mrs. Santiago," I respond. Taking a couple steps out of the doorway, I gesture inside. "Please, come in."

As this kindly woman enters the cabin, her warm eyes flit across the common area. "My, this is quite the place."

"Thank you," Joey says. He walks over to us as I close the door. There's a bit of an awkward silence until he decides to speak again. "We just finished some breakfast. Would you...like something to eat?"

As soon as he makes this offer, her smile disappears, and she turns to him sternly. "Mr. Sylvain," Mrs. Santiago instantly replies, "Although I believe we should remain cordially, due to the situation, I would rather we not try to pretend any of us are pleased with me being here. So please, do not force yourself."

Ah, so it wasn't just me feeling the tension in the air, although I had thought it was coming from Eric, who is still sitting at the bar. He's been glaring at Mrs. Santiago since she walked in. Once she says this, however, I do notice even Joey seemed a little forced in his politeness.

He sighs and nods as tension notably lessens. "I couldn't agree more." After a deep breath in, he pushes his still damp hair back before continuing. "We'll keep this professional then, for all our sakes. I'm headed out. Eric will remain in the house. Set up wherever you'd like, but if you must leave, bring him with you."

"Though we'd prefer you stay inside," Eric says. From his demanding tone, I can tell what he really means by the word "prefer".

So does Mrs. Santiago. "No need. We can get started inside. I'll make sure to follow your recommendations if that changes, though."

After another moment of uncomfortable quiet, Eric returns to the last bits on his plate, and Joey puts on his shoes before heading through the door. "I'll be back soon."

And with that, one werewolf leaves, while the other remains. Eric finishes his meal, gets up, and begins cleaning the dishes. He's pretending to ignore us, but I know he is very conscious of Mrs. Santiago's presence. Even her shifting her weight causes his head to turn slightly. I guess this will take some time for everyone to get used to.

"Do you wanna get started in my room?" I ask, turning back to my new teacher.

She smiles and nods. "Wherever you are more comfortable, Ali."

We make our way past the aggressive dishwasher and into my new room. As we walk through, Mrs. Santiago looks around. She goes to the other side of the bed while I shut the door, a little relieved to be away from that stifling vigilance. "So...how do we get started?"

However, instead of preparing for my training, my mentor sits down on my bed leisurely, and pats the other side. "Oh, we can get started later. How about we talk a little?"

She can't be serious. "Mrs. Santiago," I reply, a little impatiently, "Don't you think we should begin as soon as possible?"

"Yes. However, magic is based on our emotions, and it's pretty clear you are not in the right state of mind, at the moment. So let's just talk for a while. Okay?"

I really just want to get started, but she's the teacher, so I do as she says. Coming up to the bed, I scoot in a little and sit cross-legged. "What do you want to talk about?"

She smiles at me. "Well, for starters, how are you doing? You got a lot of information yesterday, so I'm sure you'd like to talk about it more."

She's not wrong. Ever since last night, so many questions have been swirling in my head. About my magic. Magic in general How I can control it. They have all just been buzzing through my brain cells continuously. However, one simple curiosity continues to float by more often than the rest.

"You had mentioned my mother was a witch..."

From her expression, I can tell she was expecting this. "Ah yes. I figured you'd want to talk about her." She slides up further on the comforter in order to sit across from me. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything, if I'm being honest."

"Then I guess I should start from the beginning.

"When I first moved to Crescent City with my family, I was very young, and very nervous. As a witch, living in a place full of werewolves was like walking into a pit of snakes. One false move, and I would be done for. But my father had changed jobs, so we had to come here. My mother, who was also a witch, taught me to trust no one, and to always hide my magic. So I stayed as quiet and invisible as possible. Most of my peers just assumed I was shy. We remained cordial, but I didn't really have any friends.

"However, that changed when your mother moved into town. She ended up in my class, and immediately we knew about each other."

"What? How?"

"Witches give off auras, similar to that of werewolves. Wolves distinguish each other based on scent. We, however, can feel the energy each other creates. It's almost like magnetism; we're drawn to each other's powers. So, when we realized we had this common secret, we instantly became very close.

"Susanne was different from me in her interaction with others, though. I had been taught to lie low and stay away from other people. She, however, radiated throughout the school, and the city itself. It wasn't just because she was beautiful. She was kind, helpful, and the epitome of an optimist. You can see how someone like that would be so popular."

I nod, and grin a little. "Cassie's like that, too. Her enthusiasm has always been contagious."

This causes Mrs. Santiago to beam with pride. "I'm very glad to hear that. Thank you, Ali." She places a hand on one of mine and gives it a squeeze. I smile back, glad to have given this bit of joy to her. This woman and her family have always been there for me, so anything I can do for them makes me feel like I'm finally returning the favor.

"And just like Cassie, Susanne's kindness and brilliance were linked to her magical abilities. Cassie's magic deals in emotions and relationships, which makes her a great listener and adviser, though also a little temperamental."

I can't help but giggle a little. That's the understatement of the century.

"Susanne's magic, like I said, was more about healing and protection. Just being near her made people feel safe and calm. No matter how tired you were, if Susanne talked to you, or even sat next to you, it was as if you had taken a twelve-hour nap. And trust me, we needed those, even back in my day."

I chuckle, understanding completely, and remember a few of my own all-nighters. "I remember feeling that, too. Mom was always upbeat, ready for anything. There were days Dad came back from work, completely drained. But the moment Mom hugged him, kissed him, and welcomed him home, you would've never known he'd been in the office at all, let alone all day."

"Ah yes, your father. You know it took him about four years to win your mother over?"

"Really?!" This is news to me, though I'm not very surprised. I know very little about my parents' childhood. After all, Dad never really talks to me... "How come?"

"Well, as I said, your mother was very popular. All the boys in school liked her, to some degree. A few tried to ask her out, but she always declined. Politely, of course, which only made them like her all the more. Your father was no exception. He would ask her out at least once a week. He tried everything. Flowers. Chocolates. Poems."

I can't help but laugh at that one. "My father wrote poems?!"

She cringes at the memory. "Trust me, they weren't very good. To be honest, I don't really know how they ended up together, but one day she told me they were dating, and that was that. I was surprised, but they truly seemed happy together."

They were. I smile at my own memories of my parents being together. My father had always been a stern man, but when it came to Mom, he was the gentlest person on the face of the earth. Her very voice would melt away any anger he had for us when my brothers and I got into trouble. Gods, how things have change...

Forcing thoughts of my father away, I finally ask something I've been wondering the most. "You mentioned how witches have Spirit Animals. Like Cassie's is a Rabbit."

"Yes?"

I lock eyes with Mrs. Santiago. "What was my mother's?"

A part of me already knows the truth, but I want to hear it. To make it real and to understand my mother all the more.

"It was the Unicorn. Susanne was a Unicorn Witch."