Of Fate and Freedom

Chapter Two

“Saoirse! Slow down, my darling. Tell me everything, starting from the beginning.” My mother’s voice rings clear and calmly in my ear and brings my blubbering to a halt. I repeat to her, a bit more controlled, all the happenings of this morning as Moira, still numb with shock, lays her head in my lap.

Finally, when I’m through, Mother takes a moment before simply saying, “We’re on our way.”

Though the drive to our house in Cape Denia is only an hour from our parents’ estate in the thick forest just east of the city, it feels like half the day has passed before Orrin finally stirs from his slumber near Moira’s ajar door and excitedly bounds to the front door to greet our newly arrived guests.

“Moira, they're here,” I whisper soothingly as she sleepily lifts her head from my lap. I lead her through the hall to greet our parents, who have already let themselves in.

Father sits on the edge of my favorite armchair, his forearms resting on his knees and hands clasped tightly together. His short, wavy hair still lacks even a singular gray strand in his jet-black mane, though he’s well into his fifties. The only signs of his age are the crow’s feet that appear at the corners of his jovial deep green eyes as he smiles and stands to greet us. At almost two meters tall, he towers over us all, though it’s not a drastic difference to my sister and I who are just eighteen centimeters shorter. His broad shoulders make the charcoal grey button up he wears today seem too tight, and his suntanned skin ripples across the muscle tone peeking from under his rolled sleeves that’s unheard of for most men his age. I get my dark mass of midnight curls from him, as well as my green eyes that, “are as deep and wondrous as the forest,” in his own words.

“My girls!” He exclaimed as he wraps us in a bone-crunching bear hug. It’s hard to be anything other than joyful around my father, and I grin as I kiss him on the cheek.

“Hey, Father,” I say once he’s released us from his vise-like grip. Moira’s lips twitch into a slight smile, but shock still radiates off of her body.

I turn to face my mother, who’s casually but impeccably dressed in a silvery long sleeved blouse and form-fitting tailored jeans. Her hair, stark white since she was born, is intricately braided into a bun that sits just above the nape of her neck. Thick black eyelashes frame her navy blue eyes that rake over my sister and I, looking for what has us all worried. She approaches us and reaches a hand up to each of our faces to lightly caress our cheeks.

“Hello, my darlings,” she smiles as her singsong voice conveys all the warmth in the world. At her touch, Moira seems to snap out of her trance and flings herself into Mother’s arms.

“Mother, I’m scared,” Moira sobs into her shoulder as Mother gently strokes her silky auburn hair. She silently leads her to the large leather couch in the living room, and I sink into the matching arm chair that sits adjacent to the one my father again occupies.

Mother clears her throat, still stroking Moira’s hair. “Darlings, I understand your worry -- and worried you should be. You both knew this day was coming, but it should not have occurred until your twenty-fourth birthdays. I have called a meeting of the Council and they will be informed of this... development... later today. Until then, we should speak about what all of this means.”

She clears her throat, and her Alpha undertone coats every word she says. “As you know, we are conriocht, or shifters. By birthright, I am the Alpha of the Róisín Clan. Our lineage has governed the Róisín since its inception over 1700 years ago, and we have never lost when contested for our right to govern, which makes every Alpha from our family a True Alpha.

“As you are twenty-two minutes older, Saoirse, the birthright of Alpha will pass on to you when you’re mated and of age to complete the Rite of Ascension. Moira, until your sister bears a daughter, you will assume a position on the Council of Elders and train alongside Saiorse in the case of an untimely death. When she has borne a girl, you will have the choice to continue your work on the Council of Elders, or to pursue your affinity.”

My head is spinning. I knew all of this, but hearing Mother confirm that I will one day take her place as Alpha has caused a new wave of panic to take over. I don’t feel ready. I’ve slacked on my Alpha training to focus on my chosen affinity for combat. While average wolves’ affinities are ingrained in their beings since birth, members of Alpha families are permitted to choose their own. When I was young, I was sure I would choose mechanics. Father has a love for classic cars, and I spent most of my childhood lying by his side, helping him restore his priceless junkyard finds to their former glory.

But, when I chose my affinity, it was of no surprise to anyone. Father, who was the lead combat instructor in his home clan, assumed the role of Ròisìn's Leifteanant shortly after his marriage to my mother. His affinity was also combat, and I’ve trained with him vigorously since I was eight. Muay Thai was my favorite of the arts, and I couldn’t have had a better teacher. I spent most mornings after my runs with Orrin on our training grounds at the Róisín base with him, but I was always quick to evade my mother and the intense Alpha lessons I knew I’d be subjected to if she caught me. I know it is my fate, but at the time I had no pressing intention of becoming Alpha.

“Seeing as the blood of seventeen centuries worth of True Alphas runs through each of your veins, it provides each of you with heightened abilities and a rare slew of gifts that are only granted to those of your lineage. As both of you have such an ancient and powerful heritage,” she continues, “each of you have destined mates. The sooner you find your mate, the sooner you will master your affinity and fully unlock your gifts." I see Moira finally sit up on her own as Mother continues on, and I listen more intently because Mother has never mentioned much about mating until now.

“You will know instantly when you have met your mate because,” she chuckles and aims a sly smile towards Father, “you will immediately transfigure - if not already in your wolf form - and try to kill them. If they are prepared, they will seal your link by claiming you. If not, you will never be able to mate again and will have to name an heir and successor to the Alpha line immediately.”

Moira’s navy blue eyes, a mirror image of our mother’s, lock on mine as we both gasp in shock. Father’s laugh booms from across the room.

“Saorla, the poor lasses have enough to be frightened about already! Only two Alphas have ever actually killed their mates, and neither of them belonged to our clan.”

Mother narrows her eyes at him. “Merric, they need to know what is at stake. It is my duty as their Alpha and their mother to inform them.” Softening her tone, Mother turned to us. “Darlings, are you okay so far?” We both nod, still too shocked to speak.

“Good. Now, every conriocht receives their clan’s seal, placed just below their thumb and first finger on the back of their hand, on their twenty-fourth year of life. This is known as your Sealing Day. Our clan seal is two long stemmed roses crossed at the stems, but as members of the Conall lineage, your seal is slightly different. Just like mine, you have one long stemmed rose crossed with a scepter, denoting your link to a longstanding Alpha line. After receiving your seal, you must complete your First Transfiguration by the first full moon following your birthday. If you reject the transfiguration, you will lose your seal and forfeit your status as a conriocht, as well as your place in our clan.

“Transfiguring for the first time isn’t easy. You will survive, but only if you fully complete the ritual. The two of you should be prepared, but we will touch more on it later to ensure your readiness. The problem here, my darlings, is that you both received your seal four months before your Sealing Day. Worse yet, the next full moon will be a lunar eclipse.”

I didn’t realize that another lunar eclipse was so close. Lunar eclipses make it near impossible for us to transfigure, so most new wolves lose their seals and must leave the pack. The worry building up inside me is becoming more than I can bear, and I realize yet again that I have forgotten to breathe. I inhale and exhale evenly to calm myself as I wait for Mother to continue.

Mother furrows her brow ever so slightly, and her face mirrors the anxiety I feel growing inside. “The trouble is, we have only one record of any conriocht who has received their seal before their twenty-fourth birthday. It was a young man of the Darach Clan...” She seems to struggle with continuing. “...and he died mid-transfiguration. He wasn’t an Alpha, and he was a year younger than the both of you, but we simply don’t know how this will play out.”

You could hear a pin drop in the room. We all sit silently, taking in the weight of the information Mother has just given us. Even my Father, who is the most joyful person I’ve met, has a grave look on his face. It’s a lot to digest. My sister and I are destined to be some of the most powerful conriocht on this earth and we either won’t be able to transfigure and will lose our birthright and primal side, or we’ll die in the process of transfiguration.

The room has been so quiet for what feels like hours that, when Mother's phone rings, we all jump out of our seats. Mother, as usual, is the first to compose herself as she answers the call.

"Good morning, Elder Greer... Yes, I am here with them now... I apologize, time seems to have slipped from our grasp. Prepare the Council, we will arrive within the hour." Mother lowers the phone from her ear and ends the call, then swiftly stands up to face us.

"Darlings, take a ride with your father and I back to base. We have your former rooms prepared for you. There is no need to pack anything other than your essentials. Your closets are kept current with your shopping habits, and we make note of the toiletries you frequently purchase. Saoirse, we have Orrin's typical food stored in the mudroom, and we have added a bed for him in your room. Although you have chosen not to reside on base, it will always be your home and we continue to acclimate it to your needs and desires. If you find anything less than accommodating, let your father know and we will fix it at once."

Moira throws an incredulous look in my direction, and I'm sure my face is the mirror image of hers. They keep track of what we buy?! When we graduated, Moira and I decided to attend the largest, international Affinity academy in the world of werewolves: The Ossorian Academy of Cape Denia, and while Mother wasn't fond of us both living off of base grounds, we were only an hour's drive away. For two girls who lived in a True Alpha's shadow for twenty years, we could've moved right outside of our territory's border and we would've been happy. I've always hated the stares and overdone formality that comes with being the Heir Alpha, and I couldn't wait to get out into the real world. We did our best to keep our lives private so we could feel like normal girls and experience Academy life just like every other student. We should have known Mother would keep tabs on us at all times, but it was a shock to hear it confirmed aloud.

Father seems to notice the looks on our faces and breaks out in another roar of laughter. "Saorla, maybe next time let's not tell the lasses that you have them watched. They might feel suffocated again and move two hours away this time," he chuckles, not even attempting to cover his thick Ceallach accent. Mother, who was headed toward the front door, turns to him and I swear I can see literal lightning flash in her stormy eyes. Father's deafening laughter halts just as abruptly as it had started, and he stands to follow his wife through the door.

"Don't be long, darlings," Mother calls back to us, "we have a meeting to attend, and your father may not last the car ride home without you."

Moira shakes her head as she turns to me. "Father knows Mother can't stand it when he laughs at her. I don't know how the two of them have stayed married this long."

"They're a mated Alpha pair. Maybe others can go their separate ways, but they both knew when they were mated that it was for life. Besides, I think Father's the only reason Mother ever smiles. She's so serious all the time, so he balances her out really well," I muse as we head to collect our purses and Academy books.

"They may be mated for life, but that doesn't mean Mother won't end his a little early if she gets too fed up," she laughs as she reaches her bedroom door.

"Mother would never," I gasp dramatically, feigning shock at the very idea of our mother's quick temper striking Father down in one fell swoop. Moira rolls her eyes at me but her musical laugh echoes in the hallway as I turn into my room to grab my things. I emerge a few seconds later and breeze across the hall to Moira's room, where she is frantically digging through the piles of papers and trinkets she had overturned earlier in the morning searching for God knows what.

"Moira, I'm pretty sure whatever you need can be conjured out of thin air by whoever has been keeping tabs on us within the clan. We have to go and Mother's not a very patient person."

She doesn't even acknowledge me, instead pushing her slender frame under the bed still searching for whatever she's managed to lose this time. Suddenly I hear her gasp excitedly, swiftly followed by a loud thunk of what I assume is her head connecting with the bed frame, and I can't help but giggle. She shimmies back from under the bed, clutching her tiny hand around something shiny and silver.

"I couldn't leave without the charm bracelet Emmet gave me for our anniversary! I don't know when I'll get to see him next," she sighs wistfully. "I'm ready to go now, Saoirse."

I'd forgotten about Emmet even though we all just had dinner together yesterday. Dating comes so easy to Moira, I could swear that it's her real affinity. Emmet is her longest lasting relationship, though, so I have to give him props there. He's just a few centimeters shorter than Father, with hazel eyes and chocolate brown waves that fall lazily to his shoulders, which Moira disgustingly refers to as his "boulders" because of their size. I can definitely say without question that that man has never missed a day's training in his life, but he turns into mush the second he's around my sister, and I can't help but be happy for them. Moira takes my hand as we leave the house, seeming to briefly forget the reason we're leaving in the first place.

* * * * *

The drive back to base is breathtaking, as always. I lean my head against the window, ice cold from another flurry of January snow that is beginning to fall. Moira somehow managed to fall asleep within minutes of leaving our driveway. Mother is typing away furiously on her laptop, no doubt sending emails to prep the base for our return. Father just hums quietly as he eases Mother's silver Land Rover down the narrow highway through the hills of Northern Ossory.

Mother closes her laptop and maneuvers around in the front seat to face me. "Saoirse, darling, we need to talk." This is it. I knew I could only escape my duties for so long.

"What's on your mind?" I ask, knowing full well that I'm about to get the ass chewing of a lifetime.

"I trust you are enjoying your time at the Academy?" she prods, excruciatingly stalling the inevitable.

"I am. I'm doing quite well there, too. My grades are up to par with Moira's, finally." It was true. I was only four seats behind her in class rank, and we were both in the top ten overall.

"That is absolutely wonderful to hear, but darling, when we agreed to let you move off base and attend an international Academy, we did so under the assumption that you would continue your Alpha training with us. Were we misled?"

"No!" I exclaim, but then recant. "Well... maybe a little bit. But what's the point of moving away and discovering my own identity separate from the clan if I spend half of my time on base? What would you have expected if OA was in a different country? Besides, I'm taking my general Alpha classes at the Academy, and I still complete my daily combat training with Father every morning! It's just that between training, the Academy and the endless study groups I find myself in, I don't have any more time to spare without burning myself out!" The words come tumbling out of my mouth all at once, but I don't regret what I've said. Mother has never truly let me explore my identity until the shocking decision she and Father made to let Moira and I move off base to attend the Academy. I wanted to explore the world and who I was before I take on a role I've never really wanted, mate with a man that I may not even know, and pop out God knows how many screaming little conriocht children that I also don't really want. "I just want to be a girl - not a leader, not a wife, and definitely not a mother - for a little while longer. I'm sorry I haven't come home often, I just don't want to sit through hours and hours of training for a future I'm not ready to accept," I add on, hoping at the very least that she might understand where I'm coming from.

Mother's usual piercing gaze softens at my last words, and I internally breathe a sigh of relief. This talk isn't going as terribly as I thought it would.

"We cannot run from fate, my darling. But I understand your hesitance. Young girls need their own space to discover themselves. I envy you, you know. My mother never let me leave the base grounds without at least two guardians. I never had any time to myself, and she was of little help when it came to discovering who I was. And just when I thought I would get my first bit of freedom, mere minutes after my first Transfiguration, your father's clan just so happened to be running past mine when I caught his scent and immediately ripped through the territorial borders and attacked him, beginning the mating ritual. I had no control and no choice. He was my mate, and if I had somehow found a way to reign in my primal side, I would have forfeited everything I was trained for, everything I was destined to become. I went through my first Transfiguration, mated, and completed the Rite of Ascension, all in the matter of four days. So trust me, darling, when I say I understand your need to be independent. But, also trust that you will be unprepared for your own fate if you refuse to properly train to accept your birthright, and you may very well be the single-handed demise of the entire clan."

I know she's right. I haven't been acting like an Heir Alpha, and I know that will be changing soon. I just nod my head and face back toward the window just in time to see us turning onto the winding road framed by about thirty guardians that leads to the Róisín base.

We're home.