A/N: Surprise! Chapter 5!
Remember the next two chapters will be sub-chapters, so ask your questions now!
Chapter 5
Twenty-Nine Years Ago:
"Yvette, you were asked to stay away from the wolves!"
"Well I'm sorry moma but they needed to be taught a lesson!" Yvette snapped back at her mother.
"A lesson that you're not equipped to teach! Now they're coming after all of us! Why couldn't you have just listened?"
"I can handle my own, you act as if we're not powerful! I've seen you and grandma in action. You can take them with your eyes closed."
"That doesn't mean we should! We have been at peace with the Steelridge wolves for years and then you, my daughter- a child of a not one but three Supreme goes off and wedges a war with fucking WOLVES! Do you know what kind of danger you've put us in!"
"We're not in danger moma, they have literally no way of winning this!" Yvette replied dismissively before her mother grabbed her and shook her.
"They have healers, powerful healers that can detect energy. They're also not just wolves, some of them have abilities. Yes we are powerful but our minds and our ability to THINK FIRST is why we are able to maintain." Darlene said, shaking her head knowing she would have to clean this mess up.
"Moma stop being so afraid we should be able to roam where we please! That damn wolf should've never come my way and threatened me!"
"Darlene!" They heard and Darlene knew what she had to do, she brought her hand up and placed it on her daughter's chest. Yvette felt the air leave her lungs for a brief but intense moment before seeing only black, she could hear everything but could not see a thing.
"Where the hell is she?" Paulina asked.
"Moma-"
"Don't you dare moma me girl!" Paulina responded with a dark look.
Paulina Grey was a fierce older woman who had successfully passed her coven to her daughter after it was passed down to her from her mother. There was an old prophecy written about their family, how one Grey woman would be the complete destruction of the Steelridge wolves and how that would bring a bigger threat to their small town. Yvette sealed that prophecy the second she challenged the Alpha.
As the prophecy goes a woman of both healing and destruction would meet a man of animal history. Their union would be the undoing of all.
Darlene wasn't sure how or why her mother believed it would be Yvette but after her challenging the alpha she understood because no one ever challenged an alpha and lived to tell it.
"You let that girl mess with the damn Alpha! Now we have to hold council with the wolves, something that hasn't been done in years!" Pauline said, shaking her head.
"She didn't-" Darlene started but stopped because she didn't know why her daughter was there until it dawned on her why her teenage daughter would be this upset.
"Yvette, why were you out that far?"
"I- I was just wandering around." Her daughter replied and she knew immediately he was lying.
"You were with that Alpha!" Pauline shouted and Yvette jumped slightly.
"This is a damn lover's quarrel!" Darlene chimed in, shaking her head.
"No! It's not, I wasn't with the Alpha I went to get James! He was helping one of the beast that tried to attack me and then the stupid Alpha showed up so I hurt him too… I thought they were going to hurt him."
"James? James Jones?" Pauline asked and Yvette just nodded.
"Oh hell… this isn't good."Darlene said as there was a knock on the door. They all stood there before the knock came again and Pauline shot her daughter and grand-daughter a very telling look before opening the door, it was the tree.
The Divine Spirit Coven consisted of twelve elder witches, Pauline being one of them and they made the tree. Each elder was essential to keeping the coven together, they also only intervened as a whole when things were extremely out of control. Pauline let out a sigh because she knew why they were there and she understood what her role would be in this moment, she was no longer mother or grandmother. She had to be a part of the tree and they worked as a whole, when her branch fell her daughter would take the role but as she looked at her grand-daughter she knew she would never have that honor.
"Pauline, Darlene we have been made aware of the current situation and as much as it pains us, we have to meet with the Steelridge council." Josephine, the eldest of the group said , speaking calmly but sternly.
"Jo, we need to discuss this as a whole." Pauline replied, shaking her head.
"We did, your involvement makes you biased and we can't further put ourselves in harm's way especially with your daughter flying off the handle." Talia, another elder said and Pauline let out an annoyed huff.
"That's not how we do things." Pauline replied and the women only looked at her before turning their attention to Yvette.
"You have done enough for the day." Talia said before her eyes flashed and Yvette fell to the ground.
"She will not wake until after we conclude our meeting with the wolves." Josephine explained and Darlene in that moment felt helpless because she could not help her daughter get out of this.
…
There was a thickness in the air that was almost suffocating, Dwight wasn't sure why his father was so angry and he wasn't sure why they were opening the gates to witches but he knew whatever it was it was huge.
He watched as the Joneses and four older women all dressed in green piled out of large SUVs, Dwight wasn't sure why but he felt himself get on high alert especially when the women looked at him, narrowing their eyes at him before proceeding inside.
"Think this is about the crazy girl that attacked your dad?" Jon, Dwight asked.
"Almost certain, she nearly injured my dad! She put up a hell of a fight and he came back with some scars that's for sure." Dwight replied.
"Did your dad say anything?"
"He only said things were about to change and I think those women are a part of the Divine Spirit coven and I know that was James' dad, they're healers."
"Oh yeah, I heard James tried to heal your dad." Jon replied before they heard someone clear their throats.
"Shouldn't you two be inside?" Dwight's mother, Jillian asked.
"Sorry, we wanted to know what was going on." Dwight responded, earning a knowing look from his mother.
"Just know that after today a lot of what happened won't be remembered." Jillian said cryptically before shooing the boys along.
…
"We all know why we're here so we can skip the pleasantries." Howard Evans said after the last of the guests was seated.
"I can't imagine that there were pleasantries to begin with." Josephine retorted, earning a glare from a few members of the Steelridge council.
"Remember where you are, witch." Howard warned and she just smirked at him waving her hand so he could continue.
"Now, we are here to discuss the events that happened three days ago. I was attacked by a young witch and traditionally we would handle it on our own… in our own way but I've been compelled by the Joneses to take this route instead so I will allow you witches to plead your case before I make my final decision."
"We won't be pleading anything." Josephine spoke and the entire room was eerily quiet. "In fact we won't be explaining anything because we will be taking care of the young woman ourselves."
"Wait Jo, you need to reconsider working with the wolves." Justin Jones implored and she just shot him a look.
"If you're not willing to work with us then I will handle her myself as tradition goes and as do the bylaws that were signed centuries ago." Howard said, challenging Josephine's proclamation.
"Come near that child and you will never see it again." Maxine, another elder stated before taking the sight away from all the members of the council.
"You wolves have marched around like this is your world and we must bend to you but that stops today. You are not the most powerful things out there and you show it every time you shift when things don't go your way. This will be the only warning you will receive from us, if you come near any of us you will be the last generation of Steelridge Wolves." Josephine stated before nodding to Maxine to return their sight.
"You and your kind are to never step foot into these woods, Justin if you continue your alliance with them the same ruling goes for you and your family." Howard barked.
"We can't sever ties because they're choosing to handle the young girl themselves and we are only here because my son tried to heal you which I might add he did a good job… we can all come to a compromise." Justin replied and he could see the anger and hurt in his long time friend.
"The Steelridge Pack will withdraw it alliance and it's land from Cider Hills, you all will be granted twenty minute to get off of our land before I send the pack after whoever lingers!" Howard exclaimed before storming out.
The council looked on in amazement as their Alpha stormed out without another word, never had any member of the Steelridge Pack ever been spoken down to by… well anyone.
Dwight was the most shocked because he'd never seen his father that upset before and he'd also never witnessed anyone speak to him like that, he like the rest of the council started in pure shock before noticing one of the women looking at him intensely.
He tried to look away but she held his gaze as she walked over to him, earning looks from the pack before she stopped directly in front of him.
"You will bring the Alpha that will change everything."
"What?" Dwight questioned, completely confused.
"The prophecy has been written and your pup will break tradition. Years from now this moment will come back to you and you will remember these words… The kind will heal but the evil will destroy. He will meet the one he calls mate when he least expects it and she will be of the kind and the evil. She will be the undoing." The woman said before snapping her fingers and walking away.
Present Day
Dwight hadn't remembered that day until a few weeks ago, he wasn't sure why the memory unlocked until now. The Jones girl was his son's mate and he knew it before he did, based on the confused expression Sam was sporting he wasn't comprehending anything fully.
"So you're saying the woman I saved from Finn is my mate and she will be the undoing of all?" Sam questioned.
"Well yes but when a witch reveals a prophecy it could mean a multitude of things. She said you would break tradition and that your mate would be of kind and evil, the kind will heal and the evil will destroy. She is the daughter of James and Yvette Jones so she's exactly who they were speaking about." Dwight explained.
"Hmm and who was the witch that told you this?"
"I never got her name, I just remembered it honestly but you have to stay away from her."
"How exactly do you expect me to stay away from my supposed mate? My strength is slowly fading because I haven't been with anyone and have mated, the ball is nearing and we have an even bigger threat out there."
"You can't put the pack or yourself in that kind of uncertainty."
"You didn't see what happened in the woods, she didn't know about any of the things you just told me… hell she didn't even know about us!" Sam exclaimed.
"You don't even know if it's her, hell I'm not even sure if what the witch said was true." Dwight countered, sighing.
"Well then I guess it's time we find out." Sam said more to himself starting to walk away but Dwight stopped him.
"You can NOT go across that line, what happen those years ago didn't end when the women left and if you're talking about the woman I think you're talking about then she does not like our kind and she won't like that her daughter might be the one an Alpha falls in love with."Dwight warned.
"She can't hurt me."
"She damn near killed your grandfather and she was younger than the girl you saved." Dwight retorted and Sam couldn't help but wonder.
"You're afraid of them aren't you?"
"No but I'm also not stupid enough to willingly offer myself up to the damn tree of Divine Spirit! When one of them dies another takes her place and it is never just anyone, it's a witch with GREAT ability. If the Jones girl has both she is destined to become a part of that which means she can not be with a wolf."
"Then she's not my mate." Sam said simply but the look on his father's face showed uncertainty.
"I can't honestly say if that's certain." Dwight sighed.
"The only way we're going to find out is if I talk to her." Sam said feeling a headache coming on and he knew whatever answers he'd need could only be answered by Mercedes.
The Joneses:
"My grandmother and that damn tree of elders forced me into a deep sleep." Yvette stated and Mercedes just looked at her mother confused.
"After I attacked the Alpha, they had to make a decision on how to handle me and because those words were spoken from Josephine there was no breaking my sleep."
Yvette visibly started to shake in anger as she started to relive the moments everyone she thought cared turned on her.
"You see, I was arrogant and my powers were incredible, so very incredible but what I did was wrong. I can admit that but I don't regret doing what I did because it revealed us to the rest of them… those wolves had been in charge for far too long and they needed to be pushed down a peg." Yvette continued and Mercedes shot a look to her father.
"What your mother is trying to say is-" James started before she raised her hand stopping him.
"What I'm trying to say is that because of my powers and what I did the tree decided to strip me of them to appease them and to make sure what happened that day never repeated itself."
"But you still have powers." Mercedes said and her mother nodded at the irony.
"Well that's because of you…" She said with a sigh.
"I gave them to you?"
"You gave them back yes, my body couldn't hold you not without me being in great pain. You see you are very special and have a different kind of power than me and your father."
"None of this explains today though…" Mercedes pointed out. "Or the fact that I was angry, so angry or the fact that I literally exploded."
"Well that was my fault." James admitted. "When you were really little, barely three months old, you started showing you had some kind of power. When you would cry the lights would flicker and when you laughed they would become too bright to handle."
"The lights?"
"Mhm, you even caused a black out a few times, we weren't sure why because from what the tree knew you were the first to ever cause something like that. Our coven's powers didn't kick in until around the age of twelve then we'd have a ceremony at sixteen but for obvious reasons you didn't have any of that." Yvette explained.
"I'm still confused."
"Your mother didn't want people to know about your power so she did another unforgivable thing and suppressed the tree's memory of you and started shielding you from anything related to it but when a witch does something like that it makes them cold. She had to stop using her own powers and that makes them hurt, kinds like you and your headaches but her whole body and soul would hurt. She knew she had powers so her pain was different, you didn't so your pain was easier to manage." James chimed in and they both moved slightly away when they saw her eyes flick golden brown before they went back to their normal shade.
"So you purposely allowed me to endure her meanness because SHE chose to do something like that? And instead of telling me and allowing me to choose you just… let me be in pain?" Mercedes growled out and her father placed a hand on her arm before quickly removing it when he felt the heat radiating off of her.
"Mercedes you have to understand that I only, no we only did what we thought was best and until today we didn't know why you were so obsessed with going to the woods or-" James stopped himself when he realized he'd let that last part slip.
"That wasn't my first time running into wolves was it?" Mercedes questioned knowing the answer but needing them to confirm it.
"We-" Yvette started but stopped when she felt heat coursing throughout her body.
"Baby girl stop." James said softly and Mercedes felt herself calming down and feeling suddenly weak.
"I hate having to use my powers that way but you can not lash out like that." James added.
"You have powers?"
"Healing is a power so yes but mine are… unique. I come from the oldest line of healers and don't need to touch someone or something to heal it. I can cause them to grow weak, grow stronger and I can cause them to drift into a deep sleep. Healing comes in many forms."
"I don't want to be here and I don't like any of this! You should have told me about this years ago and you shouldn't have treated me like shit as a child!" Mercedes spat feeling her body starting to heat up and her parents both took a step back.
"Mercedes, calm down."
"NO! You calm down, you both lied to me and you allowed me to think that I was shit! YOU-" Mercedes started before looking directly at her mother and Yvette saw something she'd never seen, her daughter's eyes were golden and they had a hint of red. She quickly grabbed James before trying to flee but her movements were restricted.
"RUN!" Yvette grunted out to James who shook his head, he wouldn't leave either of them even if he didn't quite understand what was about to happen.
"No, Mercedes, she isn't the only one to blame. I knew too and I kept allowing you to go back with her but you have to understand she did what she thought was best, she didn't-" James tried to explain but when their daughter looked at him, he knew it was too late and he finally understood what Nora, an elder from the tree told him all those years ago.
Flashback
James had tagged along with his father to the meeting and he was very confused when his dad didn't agree to sever ties with Yvette's coven. His father didn't approve of them dating but he definitely didn't approve of being told to pick sides because the Alpha's feelings were hurt.
"Why didn't you agree to remain neutral?" James questioned his father as they headed out of the meeting.
"I have my reasons and a lot of them are surrounding our own longevity, we can't only be seen as helpers because we are far more powerful than either of them think. Our ability to heal goes so much further than mending wounded people, we can reconstruct and if pushed enough we can also deconstruct." His father replied with a determined expression.
"I didn't know that…"
"It's a lot you don't know but I fear it may be time for you to learn just how advanced we are and how important we are, always remember that. We are the glue between both worlds but we can be the destruction too."
"Yes sir." James said before his father walked off to speak to someone.
"He's right, you know?" James heard from behind him, he turned and smiled at the older woman standing there. Like Yvette, James had to know who all the members of the tree were because from time to time they would help each other.
"What's that Ms. Nora?" James asked.
"Your father is right about how powerful you are, that power will only grow until it's time for it to transfer. You know when that moment happens and it will start reaping." Nora responded, noting the confused look on the young boy's face. She had already said too much that day but she knew her time was fading and that they needed to be warned. She didn't break any major rules because she hadn't told them that their children would be the cause of everything.
"Umm… okay, thanks… I think." James replied and she just nodded.
End Flashback
"Mercedes, I'm sorry." James said sincerely and he noticed her eyes start to change back to normal before he saw her sadden expression.
"I don't blame you daddy." She said feeling herself coming down from her rage.
"I know but I also knew about whatever this is… I was told many years ago my powers would be transferred but I didn't know which ones. Your mother was never in the dark in this situation… I was." James admitted earning a confused look from them both.
"I don't understand…" Yvette said.
"Your mother didn't understand her anger towards you; she just figured it was just her nature… I'm so sorry Yvette but I was the reason why you treated Mercedes the way you did. A long time ago I figured out how to use my powers for more than healing, Nora told me that I was more powerful than most healers and my father also told me we could do more so I started to look into it." James explained letting out a deep sigh because this secret had been eating at him for too long.
"I found out that I could astral project and started doing it but what I didn't know was the negative side effects of doing it so often. I literally could be anywhere if I put my mind to it. My father would hold meetings with other healers and they would talk about all the different forms of healing, there was one I hadn't heard of… "
"Wait, what are you trying to say?" Yvette asked, having a bad feeling.
"In order for me to remain pure I had to project the bad onto someone else… there was a reason the Alpha never came after you when the meetings ended. When everyone dissolved the alliance I remained friends with Dwight… his father went down a dark path because he felt cheated and he felt undermined by us. He was going to come after you but I stopped him. I stopped him from even remembering you existed but it did something to the both of us, it made him mad and as for me… it made me dark." James said, looking at Yvette with sad eyes.
"You mean you're the reason I acted that way towards her? Even when I wanted to just love her but couldn't and I couldn't figure out why. I was so happy to have her and then it faded so quickly! You took her away from me!"
"I'm the reason she's even still here! Don't you understand? Dwight's father didn't die, he just… disappeared after giving the mantle to his son!"
"You." Mercedes said breathing heavily before everything went dark.
Welp... A LOT was revealed and we barely just tipped the iceberg! Flood me with your questions and thoughts! All new characters will be discussed and powers defined and I will also let you know if they are good or bad ;)
Until next time xoxoxo!
