Finding Her Fated Mate

CHAPTER 3

　　As Farida continued talking, Erin couldn't help but be drawn once again to the giant wolf painting that featured a werewolf with an uncanny resemblance to her. Now that she has seen Devon in person, she knew without a shred of doubt that he was the male werewolf in the painting.

　　But how could he have known her? He may not have a remarkable face, but Erin was sure that if she had ever met him before, either in human or wolf form, she would have recognized him today thanks to her sharp memory.

　　"Outstanding, isn't it?" Farida asked beside her, jerking her back to reality.

　　"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, I got carried away with my thoughts," Erin apologized, slightly embarrassed. "What were you saying?"

　　"The painting," Farida nodded at the masterpiece that has held Erin's attention since the moment she set eyes on it. "It's breathtaking, isn't it?"

　　"Yeah. Is this one of Devon's works?"

　　"Yes. He spent months working on it in his office and as soon as he finished it last week, he brought it down here."

　　"Why here? Why not out there in the main gallery?"

　　Farida shrugged. "I don't know. He has vehemently refused to display it and wouldn't say why. You can't imagine how frustrating it is for me to leave this beautiful body of work to remain hidden here like this. Trust me, if this baby makes it to the front, it will be snatched up within seconds."

　　"I know," Erin agreed. "Does it have a title?"

　　"A Werewolf Fantasy," replied Farida quietly. "I love it."

　　"Very apt."

　　"And there's a story too. According to Devon, the stone in the painting levitating above the wolves is called the dream stone, passed down from generation to generation by werewolf ancestors. Legend has it that the stone has the power to take the keeper to their past or future to seek the truth they wish to know."

　　Erin replied with a raised eyebrow and Farida raised her hands in surrender.

　　"Don't look at me, I didn't make up the story, Devon did. And the best part? There is an actual stone to prove that this werewolf legend thingy is true."

　　"Are you serious?"

　　"Hold on, let me show you," said Farida, and she walked over to a small desk at the end of the room and retrieved a small tan pouch from the drawer. She brought the pouch to Erin and emptied the content onto her open palm. The translucent stone was cool to the touch and was the size of a large lemon. It looked like a diamond but it didn't have the luster to qualify as one.

　　"It's – it's beautiful," Erin whispered, mystified. "Where did he get this?"

　　Farida shrugged. "He didn't say. Besides, I kinda believe he made that story up to give the painting an air of mystery, not that it needs that to sell by the way."

　　"You may be right," Erin said, her eyes still glued on the stone.

　　"And on that note, I say we get on with our work for today," said Farida.

　　"Sure," replied Erin, handing the stone and pouch back to Farida for safekeeping. She couldn't shake the feeling that there might be an element of truth in Devon's story about the stone. It may all sound somewhat woo-woo to Farida, especially the bit about werewolf ancestors since she was human, but for Erin, it was believable.

　　Her werewolf ancestry thrived on legends and many of them were true, so this story about the dream stone might just be legit after all. She made a mental note to ask her sister-in-law, Aubrey, about it later tonight at the Full Moon Feast.

　　Six hours later, it was time for Erin to pack up her stuff and go home after a busy day of work. Who would've thought there was much work to do in an art gallery?

　　Farida had been such a great supervisor; patiently taking her through the gallery inventory, showing her the basics of curating remarkable pieces of art, guiding her through intricacies for displaying the right pieces on the main floor, and which spots were best for different paintings depending on their sizes and visuals. It had been such a wholesome experience for Erin that she couldn't wait to come back to work again tomorrow.

　　She couldn't help but notice that she didn't get another glimpse of Devon after their awkward meeting in the morning. As she backed out of the parking space in front of the gallery, she thought she saw someone stepping away from a window upstairs just as she looked up. She suspected the person might be Devon and she wondered why he had acted so strangely with her earlier. She wondered if he had never participated in the Full Moon Feasts and how come she had never noticed him before.

　　There weren't many werewolf packs in their clan and newcomers were always introduced on their first attendance, so if indeed he had attended before, she would have seen him and recognized him when they met today. And he'd called her by a strange name too – what was it? Edwina? Or was it Edna?

　　Erin shook her head as if to clear away her thoughts. The more she thought about her encounter with her new boss, the more the situation confused her. For the first time in her adult life, she was looking forward to the feast tonight because she was sure that was the best place for her to get answers to this new puzzle that she has stumbled upon with Devon.

　　Later that night, barely an hour before midnight, she ran beside her parents as they made their way to the forest near the Denali mountain where they would be congregating with their fellow werewolves.

　　When they arrived at the rendezvous, other clan members were already present and everyone was in their werewolf form. As usual, the Chief, Gary Silver, took his spot on a raised boulder in front of the gathering to address everyone. He was a majestic silver wolf with an air of authority that is befitting of his position.

　　"Family, friends, welcome to this quarter's Full Moon Feast," said Gary proudly. "You all know how much I love these meetings because it's our only way of keeping in touch with our werewolf ancestry over time. I am glad that centuries of living among humans have not robbed us of the memory of who we truly are."