The Risen

Calder's Apprehension

Calder's POV

I learned a lot over the weekend about Ari, but I could tell she was holding back. She didn't mention the floating fiasco or the reason she tied her arm to the bed post.  I couldn't blame her though because I was also holding back a lot about my past, we were just getting to know each other and I knew for humans relationships take much longer. But I could tell she was receptive towards me and felt at least some kind of pull towards me. I pray it'll be enough for her to accept my past. 

I feel like she'd take it just fine finding out that I was a werewolf. She seemed fully receptive to the supernatural. We delved into alien conspiracies and so forth over the weekend. She seemed to be fascinated by the unknown, I was more so in fear of what she'd think about my past. When she asked about my back piece dedicated to my dead family I couldn't bare to tell her... or why the pack despised me. 

I couldn't bare for her to give me the same look of disgust as everyone else. On Monday I had Erick by her a laptop and a mic. I didn't need her to work, my family still had generational wealth even with my current circumstances. But if it would make her stay so be it. I also offered to drive her where ever she wished to go but hoped she wouldn't want to leave the vacinity of the house. 

The nearest town was my hometown, my town, where my pack members reside. Though we are a much smaller pack now, I didn't want her to see the hatred etched on their faces. They were all usually too scared to approach me due to my strength and my alpha demeanor, however it didn't keep them from giving me dirty looks. She'd surely notice and I couldn't have that. 

She was also beautiful beyond comprehension but still different looking than the rest of my pack and her tattoos did make her that much more noticeable, if someone from my pack treated her poorly I don't know that I'd be able to contain my anger, or worse yet if someone looked at her. There weren't many women left in my pack and I'd like to see the man who tries me in such a manner. I'd see red. 

We spoke briefly about her tattoos over the weekend and some were quirky, funny and others were a little startling. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before. When she tied her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head I noticed behind her neck was a witches knot tattoo. Now I was starting to piece everything together and was completely in shock. 

Though I am sorry for what I have done, I would be lying if I said my hatred for witch kind was completely gone. At first I was weary and I'm sad to say I second guessed our matching. However when I asked her about it she blushed and said, "I'm embarassed to say I really don't remember why I got this one or even what it means. It's cool looking though... maybe it's from a flash sheet?"

Between that and the goddess symbol there's no way it was just a coincidence or by chance. Something was going on here. I felt bad that she was confused and really had no idea what was going on, or the symbolage on her body that would stay on her for life. I had this need to protect her no matter what, witch or not. 

*****

For weeks now between the slight flirting and the ever growing bond I was enthralled by her. She was very independent and very courageous. While watching a movie one night with me on the couch, she fell asleep. Her head had fallen against my shoulder and I stayed put and wrapped my arm around her back to make her more comfortable. When I saw Erick walk by he wiggled his eyebrows. "Making progress huh brother?" I rolled my eyes. As he proceeded to say, "Hurry up! I want mine! Goddess please..." 

"Can you pass me a blanket?"

Erick hurried along and brought Calder a blanket to drape over Ari. I made the slightest movements so Ari could stay laying on me as long as possible. I really do love her. I caressed her cheek and she moaned a little bit and fell back into a deep sleep. 

"Brother..." Erick whispered watching the interaction, "When will you tell her about us and when will we be notifying the pack... this is great news!" 

"I can't yet... and we need to know what's going on with her before we go delving head first into deep s**t. I honestly don't know how the pack will feel about her..." 

"Calder... they will see hope in her eyes, as I have seen every day since I came here. You know I can't stay here much longer, I must go back to the pack, they are without active leadership. You know they go through depressive states ever since... you know..."

He looked away in shame. "Just give me some time. Soon. You can go back though brother I think I'll be okay." Erick nodded and left the living room. I laid my head on top of hers and whispered, "Please understand love." 

Later on that night I carried Arieles to her bed, kissed her on her forehead and laid her on her bed. I had honestly forgotten about the tying of her hand to the post and went to bed. Before bed I thought about telling Arieles, how I feel about her. It had been a few weeks now that she had been staying with me and at the very least I thought it was time to tell her. 

I'm sure she had some idea of my feelings for her but I'm sure its been confusing me not saying so and the last thing I want to be is friend zoned. But there were still so many secrets. Just then I hear Arieles door open. As I peek outside my door I see Arieles walk towards the door. Erick had also woken up, he looked at me in fear thinking our only chance at salvation was leaving quietly in the night. 

"Ari? Where are you going sweetheart?" I proceeded to ask. She didn't reply, didn't even look back and continued to exit the back door with my car keys. She seemed not her self and she would never just take my car, Ari was very respectful and knew she could ask me for anything. I signaled Erick over and said, "Erick something's not right? Let's get in your car quick and follow her. 

As we followed her I noticed she was going into town, into Risen territory. I gulped. How does she know about this place? Demetrius whined in my head. She told me she didn't see any towns coming to the farmhouse. "Brother this is bad." Erick said. She parked my pick up truck and went to the town center. It was midnight at this point, a full moon and no one was on the street. As she looked up I saw her eyes were completely golden and she had no iris or pupil, her eyes were fully golden. I gasped. 

She spoke, "Hear me!" She boomed louder than I've ever heard before in my entire life. It echoed into every crevice in town. A wave of electricity hit me and what I could imagine to be the rest of the pack. I saw people slowly exit there homes. Tired and weary and then shock written all over their faces when they saw me in town and then when they saw Arieles at the podium. 

She looked up and went into the sky, floating there in space. The pack members screamed out in fear. Confused whispers were heard all about. "Risen pack!" At that everyone had fallen silent. As I tried to call out to her I realized no sound was coming out of my mouth. I looked at Erick and he pointed to his mouth as well and shrugged. I realized Ari must be doing this but why? 

"I am only here for you to listen. I have a message. This is she the moon goddess. I am using this young lady as a vessel, my voice when something needs to be said here on Earth. She is my chosen. You will respect her as such!!!" 

With that everyone fell to their knees, me including. Erick was hunched over, with his chin almost touching the ground showing the utmost respect. 

"I believe it is time I show mercy onto this pack, after years of solitude." I noticed tears on most of my pack members faces. 

"However for what you have done there will be a price to pay. My wolves, my precious wolves, how little you know of our heritage, I am the mother of wolves... but I am also the mother of witches and you have brutally killed my precious daughters and sons born into magic so many years ago. As I looked from the heavens I couldn't believe what I had seen. My children brutally killing one another."

"You Calder!" She said pointing me out amongst the crowd, "... leading a charge that would essentially eradicate the other half of my heart, my witches!" 

"Listen here!" She said her eyes angrily a blazed at the crowd, "I will grant you mates. HOWEVER, I will also bring back the witches. I understand what led to the war however, one bad apple does not warrant for you to cut down the whole damn apple tree. Every species has its faults and only I have the right to make such a move!" 

"I'm so sorry my goddess!" I mouthed. My eyes glistening and watering. 

"What's done is done Calder, I give you your mate. " She said motioning to herself. The crowd looked between me and her, some hopeful, some green with envy. 

"I will tell you this my children. This vessel is my chosen, but she is also my first, the original witch. Your Luna! You will protect her with your lives for what you have done to her kind! As I continue to bring back magic and the witches they will be mated... to you all! You will protect them, love them, cherish them.You will see that they are just like you and I pray... no I know that you will love them as your own or suffer solitude once more."

As her speech came to an end She began to float down. I ran up to her and said "Please before you go!" I mouthed. Just then her voice was in my head, " What do you want Calder? I have forgiven you but you're still not on my good side.  "Will she remember this? Why can't she remember the symbolage on her body? How do I get her to accept me? I already love her so much." I replied telepathically. 

"Calder. She is unaware of her new found lineage. I had her tattooed for various reasons, in which I do not have to explain to you. Arieles doesn't know she was born for this, blessed by me. She blacks out whenever I take over, there's a lot of holes in her memory. Her soul is pure and that is why I chose her. If you harm her in any way there will be dire consequences, she is by far my favorite daughter. She will not remember any of this but you must start to be honest with her and whether or not she accepts you I leave wholly in her hands. Prove yourself worthy of her strength and beauty.Farewell child." With that her eyes went dark and Arieles fainted into my arms. 

I quickly handed her to Erick feeling very much exposed, "Erick take her to the car now." He took her from my arms and proceeded to walk hastily to his car. I stood at the podium for the first time in centuries. Pack members began to yell out, "Why didn't you tell us about her? You've abandoned us! What brings you here now?" another yelled out, "Is this some kind of sick joke?" another cried out "I just want my mate!" as he proceeded to hug and rock himself. 

"Pack members..." They continued to yell out comments and questions until I couldn't take the disruptions any more. "LISTEN UP!!!"I said  in my authoritative alpha voice. It went silent. 

"I understand I've made mistakes. Goddess knows how sorry I am. I let you all down and cost us...quite frankly.. the love of our lives. But I promise you this! I will do my best to get our Luna to accept us and love us... the way we've missed out on for centuries. I don't know about you guys but I don't care if they are witches. If she is a witch. I am the monster. She has shown me nothing but kindness in the time that I have known her. She only found me a few weeks ago...she walked right to my door step. A blessing, a shining light, a second chance we all so desperately need. I will take in the witches with open arms as the goddess has asked of me and I hope and pray you all will do the same. We will come together in unity and in love. This will make us stronger as a pack I just know it."

"Pffff.. we will not bow down to no witch!!" my gamma Robert replied. We hadn't spoken in many years, I was surprised to hear the hatred he still had for them. "That will mean the war was for nothing, all the lives lost, all the suffering, I will not stand by and watch us bend the knee for no witch!" He spit on the ground, his blue eyes burning with anger and hatred. 

I understood where he was coming from, he had experienced suffering from the war. He had known loss because of me. He had a mate and she was a great warrior back then but was killed during the war by an acid attack from the witches that had left her body barely recognizable. Robert was grief stricken and would've taken his own life if he wasn't left with their son to take care of, Jacob. 

"I don't want or need any second chance! Given the chance I would kill them all again!"

Now this I couldn't accept. Though I understood his grief and the grief of countless others, I will not risk my Luna, nor the mates of the other open minded pack members. Some had never experienced having a mate and this was affecting their mental health quite severely. His own son Jacob had been the one still hugging himself and rocking back and forth after his outburst. 

"Then you leave me no choice! You are here by stripped of your gamma title and exiled from this pack. You no longer belong to the Risen pack and are here by a rogue. I will no longer tolerate hatred towards any species. Our goddess is not leaving any space for this tom foolery. You will love or get lost! and you can take any pack member with you that shares your sentiments!!!" 

With that Robert looked around and said, "Lets get out of this dump guys! f**k him!" The crowd was silent. "Guys?" Still silent. "I know I am not the only one who risked EVERYTHING for this war and now we are supposed to just welcome the enemy into our homes. The people who murdered our loved ones?"

"These new witches are not responsible for any of the killings that happened backed then, they are innocent in all of this. We are the ones who murdered, who burned down and eradicated a whole species... their species." 

I glared at Robert. He then replied, "I WILL NOT BEND." 

"Come on guys! I rather stay alone the rest of my days then be mated to a witch... son? Lets get going." 

Everyone looked away. Jacob played with his fingers, "No..." Jacob whispered. But with everyone's werewolf hearing everyone heard. 

"I want my mate. You had love..I NEED it." 

"Son I will never accept a witch into my family! NEVER! A witch killed your own mother!"

"Just leave dad..." He whispered covering his ears and beginning to rock himself again. 

"FINE! A bunch of hypocritical bastards you all are. Mark my words Alpha Calder, you will pay for this." He angrily transformed into his wolf Luca and disappeared into the wilderness. 

"If you want to finally find real true happiness, you will do as I say and have an open mind and an open heart. Together we can finally end this chapter and move on to the next. We can give our pack a fresh start and bring it back to its glory with honor and grace."