The Luna's Chance

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The heat of the council fire licks at my skin as I sit, cross-legged, among the semi-circle of Stone and Fire pack members. Their faces are illuminated in a dance of shadow and flame, each one etched with lines of experience and secrets untold. For the first time since I discovered my healing gift, I’m about to learn I'm not the only one in this pack who's different.

"Many of us here have an affinity," Errol, the grizzled elder, begins, his voice as rough as the bark of ancient trees. "An edge over mere skill or strength." His eyes flicker across the gathering before resting on me. "We've heard of your touch, Lane, the way flesh knits and bones mend under your hands."

I nod, a knot of nervous energy forming in my stomach. The idea that there are others with unique gifts both thrills and terrifies me. My hands subconsciously rub together, feeling the latent power in my fingertips.

"Tell her," someone murmurs from the shadows, and all heads turn toward Finn. He steps closer to the fire, its glow playing off his blonde hair and casting green flecks in his eyes like emeralds catching sunlight.

"Your ability is rare," he says, locking his gaze with mine. "But you're not alone in possessing something...beyond normal."

His admission sends a shiver down my spine. Beyond normal—a phrase that once would have made me feel alienated now holds the promise of kinship.

"Like what?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough to be heard in the hush that has fallen over the group.

Finn's lips curve in a half-smile, though his eyes betray nothing of his thoughts. "Let's just say I have a knack for seeing the 'what-ifs' of life." He pauses, searching my face as if weighing the impact of his next words. "I can glimpse alternate timelines—possibilities of what could happen based on choices we make."

I stare at him, stunned. The notion of peering into paths not taken is almost too much to comprehend. Is he saying he can predict the future? Or is it something less certain?

"Have you ever seen..." I trail off, unsure how to finish the question.

"Your path?" Finn finishes for me. "Many times."

The fire crackles, throwing sparks into the night sky, as the weight of his revelation settles over me. Finn, with his ruthless reputation on the battlefield, holds a sensitivity to time itself within him. It's a jarring contrast, yet somehow fitting for the complexity I've come to associate with him.

"Can you control it?" I venture, my curiosity piqued despite the strangeness of it all.

"Sometimes." He shrugs, a nonchalant gesture that belies the gravity of his talent. "It's not an exact science. More like catching glimpses through a moving train's window. Fleeting and fragmented."

"Does it help?" I press on, leaning forward, drawn to the enigma he presents.

"It helps us strategize, prepare," Finn replies. "But no timeline is set in stone—not even for those of us in the Stone and Fire pack." A murmur of agreement ripples through the others.

I take a moment to let it all sink in. Here, amidst those gifted with their own hidden talents, I realize there's so much more to understand about this world and my place in it. Finn’s unique sight, my healing hands—we are threads in a tapestry far more intricate than I had ever imagined.

***

I sit beside Vee on the soft earth, our backs against the rough bark of an ancient tree that's seen more seasons than any of us can fathom. The moon is high, casting a silver glow over the clearing where members of the Stone and Fire pack have gathered. Laughter mingles with the sounds of the forest like a harmonious symphony.

"Look at them," Vee whispers, her strawberry blonde hair shimmering in the moonlight. Her voice is filled with a warmth I hadn't heard since before her abandonment. She nudges me gently, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears of joy. "They're our family now."

My heart swells as I take in the sight before us. Each individual here, unique in strength and spirit, has accepted us without question. They train together, share stories, and most importantly, they care for each other. Here, amid the camaraderie and shared purpose, I feel something click into place—a piece of my soul that had been wandering, searching for a home.

"Did you ever think we'd find a place like this?" I ask Vee, turning to face her.

"Never," she admits, the corner of her mouth lifting into a smile. "But I've never been happier to be proven wrong."

The laughter around us ebbs and flows, and in this moment, I realize it's more than mere happiness—it's belonging. The void within me, carved out by years of uncertainty and the heavy responsibility of my healing abilities, is finally filled. This is where I'm meant to be, not just as a healer, but as Lane, the girl who once thought her gift was a curse.

"Me neither," I confess, my voice barely above a whisper. But Vee hears it, understands it. We sit in comfortable silence, basking in the newfound sense of peace that envelopes us.

The night carries on, and with every passing hour, my certainty grows. Finn, with his timeline glimpses, and the others, many with their hidden talents, have welcomed us into their fold without reservations. It's a trust I've never experienced before, a trust I'm ready to uphold and return tenfold.

"Thank you," I murmur, not to Vee, but to the universe, to fate, or whatever force guided me here. My gaze drifts across the faces illuminated by the flickering flames of the nearby firepit—faces that are quickly becoming as familiar as my own reflection.

Vee leans her head against my shoulder, her presence a comforting weight. "For what?" she asks softly, though I'm not sure she needs an answer.

"For being here, for being you," I say, my voice steady and sure. "For finding this journey with me."

She squeezes my hand, a silent vow between us. We may not know what the future holds, even with Finn's glimpses into alternate timelines, but we know one thing: together, in the Stone and Fire pack, we have found a home.