Golden Rule

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Miriam/Fernanda

At that moment my phone that has been on the table beside the bed rings. When I look down on it, I see my mom is trying to video call me. I can’t let her see me like this and I know I need to talk to her. I ignore the call letting the phone ring and look up at Violet when she speaks.

“I’ll help calm you.” Violet moves to get something from her bag on the long table and comes back quickly. She pours what I assume is holy water from the looks of the small jug and blows it on me. I clear my throat to call my mother back. I take deep breathes when I pick up my phone and tap on her contact. I can feel my heart pounding, I don’t want to break down while I’m on the phone with her.

“Hi mami.” I say sheepishly but I sound normal, the raspy-ness in my voice gone. My mother immediately starts to scold me telling me she was beginning to worry about not talking to me.

“And you know texting annoys me to no end, babygirl.” She continues.

“I’m sorry mami, I’ve just been so busy trying to get acquainted with everything and everyone. I’ve been so exhausted.” I explain to her which isn’t really lying. It’s all sort of true.

“I feel better now that I am able to hear your voice. Hours after you left I felt something strange, it scared me. I felt it had something to do with one of my pups and you’re the only one I hadn’t been able to check on. The texts didn’t really ease my nerves. I don’t know what that was then, I’m just glad you’re ok, baby.”

“None of us are pups any more mami.”

“You guys will always be my pups.”

We stay on the phone only a few more minutes before I tell her I need to get ready for my day. When I am finally able to get off the phone. I stare at it with a blank mind. I feel so lost. I’ve never kept secrets from my mother and though I didn’t outright lie to her I felt like I took advantage of her trust.

I feel someone enter the room and look up to see Violet walking back in.

“I promise if you want to go home, no one will be upset with you. I can feel your anguish Miriam.” She says to me.

I rest my head back completely on the bed and stare at the ceiling. I am truly at a lost here. I want the comfort of my family and the safety of my pack. But I can’t go back like this and without answers. I am completely convinced that my dad and brothers would want to fight, demanding answers. I cannot drag them into this without knowing something, anything.

“I’m convinced I can’t go to my family without some information. I know my father and brothers will want answers and start a war. They know warriors here; I can’t do that to either pack, I can’t do that to my family.” I ramble on.

“Take deep breaths Miriam. If you prefer to stay put for now, that’s what we’ll do. We will get both you and Fernanda answers, I promise.

I was a little embarrassed to ask but the curiosity would drive me crazy. And I was in front of a Tenok?! An actual member of the most infamous family of our region. I had to ask.

“Violet, is Fernanda really a Tenok?”

“Yes, Fernanda is the daughter of the late Montez and Orla Tenok.”

“The Tenoks died?” I asked shocked and Violet continued.

“After the rogue attack, we ran and hid her for all these years. We assume they found us somehow and now, here we are. Back to where it all happened to search for answers.”

“I don’t understand, the same rogue attack that took Luna Hope? We’ve only ever heard that the Tenok family disappeared, not that they were killed during that attack. What happened that you had to hide Fernanda?” She begins to tell all about the Tenok family being attacked and the parents killed and everyone that was lost the night confirming the former alpha Richard’s Luna. We never thought that the disappearance of the Tenok family had anything to do with the rogue attack that took the former Luna. Wolves assumed they simply left to enjoy their riches and live a life away from the dangers and responsibilities that came with their position in our world. They were royalty by all intents and purposes. They were charged with keeping all wolves safe and having the last word on any werewolf who committed a grave crime. How could we not know the Tenoks were dead?

At least not in my pack. It seemed like my pack got rumors not intel. Which was odd in itself. Canon Mountain and Golden Cross were allies. Why would they give the wrong information, half information or allow rumors about the Tenoks to circulate?

All through my life I’ve heard my parents talk about the cursed gold linked to the Tenok family who disappeared. My brothers grew up listening about and studying the rogue attack that took Golden Cross’s Luna. It was so well organized and no other attack like it before or even after.

How did they find Fernanda after all this time? How could our stories be connected when she is a princess who inherited all these riches from the Mother Mountain and I’m a no body. I may be descended from Alphas but I was no one important. Why was I attacked? Now I don’t think Fernanda and my situations could be connected.

“I can tell what you’re thinking, and we will get answers for both you and the princess. I promise.” Violet cuts off my train of thought which I am now realizing was giving me a headache. “Rest. You may not feel sleepy, but you should still rest. And once my spell wears off, your body will be even more drained” After saying this she puts her hand on my forehead chanting or praying something and I begin to feel myself slip back into a deep sleep.

********************

Fernanda

“I hope what Miriam said is true and you didn’t talk her into staying.” Father Fred says as he turns to look at me. I’m a little annoyed by his comment. But I do understand where he’s coming from.

“It’s true. We offered to take her home. She wants to stay for now and I’m glad she does.” I reply.

He looks at me intently and takes a step closer to me. I don’t feel threatened and my wolf likes this relative’s proximity. But then…. s**t. Still looking at me he says to Frida and Rachel, “Fernanda and I are going for a run. I know you’ll follow Frida, you can stay close but I need time with my niece.” I gulped. Visibly. s**t! “Let’s go Princess.” He says still not taking his eyes off me.

I follow Frida who leads me outside and I’m able to admire the house, or Hacienda like they call it, more. It was breathtaking, even in its state of abandonment. I wished with all my heart that I had memories of what it was like at its prime. When my parents were alive, I feel like my mother would have filled this place with wild flowers. I don’t know why I’m suddenly hit with that realization. I can almost see large vases in some corners with yellow, long stemmed wild flowers. I let out a long breathe. So much was lost to me.

We kept walking outside, Frida stopped at an empty fountain. It looked magnificent with a statue of a young girl holding flowers in one hand and hugging a large jug that I assumed spilled water into the fountain. What did surprise me was that the fountain was clean. Someone was taking care of it, like they were tending to the landscape keeping the grass from overgrowing.

“Who tends to the yards?” I ask.

“The alpha brothers get together twice a month and do it themselves.” My uncle says.

“Why do they do it themselves? Why don’t they just hire someone to do it?” I ask annoyed. I don’t want to like them or owe them gratitude. Alpha Brandon seems nice enough, I haven’t met the other one. But what if my life, other lives were ruined because of them. I felt my wolf instantly react to my thoughts with a yelp which made me wince.

“You should listen to your wolf. She knows more than you think. And to answer your question, they are good people. And they are loyal. Their family was always loyal to yours. Plus, no one, absolutely no one is allowed on these grounds, so they mean it by not even allowing landscapers to come.” He says.

I throw my head back to feel the sun on my face. I hated this, being here in this situation. I missed Noah, my Nana and Maddie more than ever. I should be at the hospital in Chicago right now, or tired out of my mind from staying up for hours and hours on end. I noticed that Frida stayed at the fountain. Standing and watching around for anything that didn’t belong.

“Should she stay out in the sun like that?” I ask.

“Your ancestor gave her a great gift. She is strong and smart, she knows her limits. Now, you know what I’m going to say, and-“

“Don’t say it. I’m continuing with my plan. I will get answers and I will get revenge. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”

“I will not say that I wouldn’t, but there is too much as risk.” He says looking at me pointedly. “There are other people’s safety to keep in mind, you cannot guarantee they won’t be hurt and what’s most important…” he says taking a small step closer to me. He sighs deeply “…Its not just you anymore Fernanda. Think of what you could lose if whoever killed Regina, Noah and Madison got to you. They had no qualms about killing in broad daylight in a city full of people. You have to-“

“I’ve thought about it, you won’t change my mind.” I say cutting him off.

“Fine.” He says exasperated. “Let’s go for a quick run, your wolf needs to connect to this land. It’s important for her. And before long you won’t be able to.” He says giving me small smile.

We separate to undress and shift. When we emerge and meet back I see his dark, reddish brown wolf is beautiful and strong. His wolf bows with one front paw in the air with his head low, his snout almost touching the ground. I internally make a face of annoyance.

“Fernanda, what color is your wolf usually?” I hear in my head. I look at him through my wolf’s eyes surprised we can mindlink. “We are relatives, close enough that we can mindlink without a pack bond.” He explains.

“She is usually a light brown. Why?”

“Your fur looks like it has golden hairs in it. Your wolf has been connecting to the land on her own somehow. We need to ask Frida if she knows anything about it. You look magnificent, like royalty.” He says starting to jog more into the woods. I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“Does it have anything to do with the Tenok family women? What she was talking about yesterday?” I ask following close to his side.

“More than likely” he responds. “C’mon, there is a creek just this way. And we’ll circle around. We need to get you back before someone notices your not at your place.”

We reach the river creek in no time and the scene looks like magic. Its green and rocky at the same time. The water flowing through it was beautifully clear so much so that my wolf’s togue hung out in admiration wanting her fill of the refreshing looking cool water. Both my uncle’s wolf and mine had our fill of the water and I continued to follow him along the creek. It felt like we were going in a circle when to my left the creek connected to the main river and I noticed the back of my family’s home, it was sitting up on a hill. It really did look majestic.

Straight ahead I noticed trees that looked like an orchard. It remined me of the peach orchards in South Carolina and Georgia. “What kind of fruit trees are those?” I asked my uncle.

“They are lime trees on this side and guava on the far side. Come, there’s something I want to show you.”

I followed him along the river’s edge. The sight of the land was indescribable. I felt pain in my heart at being denied the life I would have lived here with my parents. Siblings even. Damn my fate, I thought as I looked up to the sky and had to fight the urge to let out a howl.

Soon after, we came up to a large tree. It looked out of place, it was wider than any other tree in the area and looked like twisted smooth vines wrapped around themselves. The branches looked strong as they jutted out and I was hit with nostalgia.

“Your ancestors, the natives, had a connection to this land like no other before or after them. This tree represents the strength of your family. No matter who comes and who goes, this tree will be here to represent your family’s place in this land.

“Was… was there ever a swing on this tree?” I asked confused. Why did I feel like there should be a swing here? My uncle’s wolf looked at me with big eyes.

“Right up there.” He motioned with his wolf’s head for me to look above me. And when I looked up, I saw a wooden broad with rope wrapped around it and the branch to keep it in place. I looked at my uncle confused.