Chapter 85: Chapter 23

HALEY

Martha agrees to my plan, and we start implementing it the following weekend. I begin by sorting the humans with pups and get them on their way to their new packs.

Our pack gains five pups and two human mothers. The Redd Pack gains two pups and one human mother, the Blackburn Pack three pups and one human mother, and the Ramirez pack seven pups and three human mothers.

I then start dividing the most willing. They’re the ones excited to find their mates, and they’re much easier to place.

Finally, the stubborn ones are last. I get through them all, finishing with Jasmine, who comes to our pack, and Martha who goes to the Redd Pack. Martha is so happy to be with the strays again.

School starts back up, and the alphas continue to gather and transport their people. The new pups are registered for school, and there are so many that two new teachers are brought into the elementary school, and one more at the junior level.

Many of the she-wolves have found their mate easily, while others will take some time as choices have to be made.

Now I wait. I’ve tried to see what happens to the camp, but since the camp is dissolved, I guess there’s nothing to see.

Uncle Ryan and Realta have their date followed by a few more. I’ve spotted them kissing in his truck a few times. They both seem very happy, and Blaine doesn’t seem to mind.

I try to look into their future, but it’s blocked. I don’t know if I just can’t see it or if it’s Realta doing it for some privacy. If so, she needs to teach me that trick.

I’m almost in full control of my gifts now. I no longer blank out, I can view mid-conversation, almost as smoothly as linking. I save longer visions for when I’m alone or just lounging around instead of them bombarding me at random.

Virgil and I are still going strong, even with the ominous warnings about my mate. I love him, and he loves me just as much.

For my birthday, he takes me out to play mini golf. Then Uncle Ryan has a Sweet Sixteen party for me and Glory.

The alphas come with their mates, minus Luna Kya, as do the strays and Kenna. Kenna, Anna, and Natalie stay for a slumber party. Uncle Ryan has to kick Jason, Abel, and Virgil out at midnight, or they would never leave.

The evil alpha haunts my dreams as soon as I fall asleep. He’s furious that the camp is gone and trashes a nearby human bar in retaliation.

I lock on to him and follow his moves through the next few days, and what I find is horrifying.

I have to stop watching because I can’t stomach it. I slip out of bed to see if Realta is still here. She’s nowhere to be found, so I look out on the balcony and find her shining brightly.

I’ve never tried to contact her before, and definitely not in her Starlight form.

~Realta? Can you hear me?~

~I saw. I will help them, my mother has given me approval.~

~Thank you.~

With that out of the way, I slip back into my spot on the floor with the other sleeping girls. Louisa has Belgian waffles for us first thing in the morning.

She really is great and treats us as her own grandkids, Edgar too. If anyone asks, that’s who they are, but I still call them by their names.

Realta joins us, and she gives me a pointed nod. Uncle Ryan walks into the kitchen and gives her the warmest, sweetest smile. He only has eyes for her.

“Awe, you two are so cute,” Anna comments. She’s still not one for talking much, but she really notices everything.

“Yeah, mom. I’ve never seen you so happy,” Natalie throws in.

Realta blushes. Seeing the most determined, most confident daughter of the Moon Goddess blushing is quite endearing. He smoothly and confidently sits beside her and pulls her to his side, not the least bit embarrassed.

“Are you happy, Realta?”

She looks up at him, still blushing, but with a smile. “Are you, Ryan?”

“I’m very happy, especially when I see your beautiful smile on your beautiful face,” he compliments, and she gets even more bashful. She hides her scarlet face into his chest, so he lifts her chin and kisses her mouth.

All of us start cheering and/or swooning. Uncle Ryan just chuckles, but kisses her forehead for good measure. They really are cute together.

Natalie and Kenna head back to their pack, and Virgil comes to pick up Anna, but makes sure to hang out for a minute with me while she packs up. Realta sits beside me on the porch as the truck pulls away.

“So what’s happening?” I ask.

She knows exactly what I’m talking about and gets straight to the point. “The girls were all human, so I had to get their authorities involved. He’ll be tied up in their legal system for a long time.”

I reach over to touch Realta then search my visions and find that although he’s busy for the next two years, he gets off. Shit. So much for the human justice system.

“Well, I did as the Goddess requested, and the girls are safe now.” She’s not happy about the outcome either.

“Yeah, the girls are safe. I can’t believe anyone could be so evil. What’s his name anyway?”

“Erwin Grey. He’s the brother-in-law to Harold Roberts.”

I think I already knew that. Now that the evil alpha is out of the way, at least for a little while, I can focus on finding the alpha heir who just so happens to be my mate.

I have two whole years before I turn eighteen, which means it could take some time. I’ll have to find my first mate and reject him then find my second chance mate, the true Alpha King.

I wonder if the Oracle knows who he is? I think of her then ask through a link.

~I do not.~

Damn. Well, I doubt she would tell me if she did.

“Realta. Will I become the Oracle as soon as I reject my mate?”

“No. The first Oracle will have to pass on. She’s been waiting a very long time for you.” At over 250 years old, I would imagine so.

Goddess, I hope I don’t live that long…especially without my mate. Damn, she really is a tough old broad. For the first time, I really start to respect and appreciate her.

Her mate was forced to become rogue, leaving her and her kids alone, probably without a pack since the pack divided.

“Did the other vessels know that they were supposed to reject their first mate?”

“They were warned and knew the consequences just as you do. They chose not to listen.”

“They didn’t have you to guide them.”

“Having me around makes no difference. They never had a block on their minds. They received the same warning as you, all visited by the Moon Goddess at a young age. They all made the same promise you did.”

“Realta, what if Uncle Ryan has a second chance mate?” I asked.

She shook her head. “He doesn’t. I wouldn’t have begun a relationship with him if he did. I learned my lesson the first time. His mate was very lovely, and she gave me her blessing.”

I was taken aback. “You can talk to the dead?”

“I can communicate with my mother’s children who are not on this earth. They are not gone. They join my mother in the afterlife. Sometimes she returns them for a second existence, sometimes she destroys their very soul, as she did with Harold Roberts and will do with Erwin Grey. He does not have an heir. His pack will belong to his beta once he dies, unless he loses a challenge.”

I tried to envision his death, but all I saw was a white light. “Realta, sometimes when I’m searching the future, all I see is a white light. What does that mean?”

“It means you’re tied to the vision. You are not able to see your own future or you would not be free to make choices. You would already know the outcome.” I thought about the different times the white light had blocked me.

“I can’t see Virgil’s future. It’s always the white light.”

“You’re involved with him now, aren’t you? I would guess you two have a messy future.” I’d already thought so too. Virgil turns eighteen in five short months. If he finds his mate, I’m going to be crushed, but I love him enough to want him to be happy. I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to let him go, though.

Over the next few weeks, I kept searching for the heir, but it was always white. I let out a frustrated breath. How in the name of the Goddess am I supposed to find this guy? Virgil stopped my hand under the lab bench. ~Don’t worry so much. You’ll find him, my Moon Flower.~

~I know. It’s just that I promised the camp.~

~They know it’s not going to happen in a day. You’re still just sixteen. Give it time. I’m sure no one is wanting you to rush.~

Virgil was right. I gave his hand a squeeze and he kissed my cheek while the teacher’s back was turned.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Before I realized it, Virgil was graduating along with Natalie, Kenna, Jason, and Abel. The next school year was going to suck without him here, but the worst part was that Virgil turned eighteen in two weeks and I was scared to death.

I mean, we knew this day would come, but now that it’s here, I’m tempted to lock him in my room and never let him around any girl but me.

The crowd cheered as the graduates tossed their caps. Alpha Redd held a party for the graduates at his pack house and was awesome enough to invite me and Glory, and Natalie and Kenna.

Virgil took my hand and we snuck away to his room. I sat on his bed and he sat beside me, but turned to face me. “I’m so excited, I have to tell you. Check this out.” Virgil held up a key with a ram head on it.

I saw Alpha Redd give Virgil a little box. Virgil’s brows scrunched as he looked from the key to Alpha Redd. “It’s a graduation present for all of your hard work. You earned it. Come check it out. It’s not brand new, but I figured you would be more comfortable with this one.” Outside the pack house was a blue Dodge Ram.

“No way! Dec, this is… Wow! Thank you so much! Goddess, this is… Wow!” Alpha Redd laughed then told him to take it for a test drive.

“Holy shit, Alpha Redd gave you a truck! That’s awesome!” I told him as I reached up to touch the silver and black key. “Does that mean you get to see me more?”

Virgil chuckled. “Absolutely. I’m probably going to have a guard schedule, but I’ll be at your place as often as possible.” I got so excited that I just kissed him. Then I kissed him a little more. The mood in the room changed and Virgil laid me out on the bed under him. His hands gripped my hips and my hands went under his shirt.

“We…” Kiss. “Probably…” More kissing. “Should stop…” Of course, he had to be the sensible one.

I pulled him tighter to me and felt his attraction and excitement against my body. “Yeah.” I agreed, but he continued kissing me. “We should.” I pulled his shirt over his head and appreciated the glorious sight before me. I kissed his hard chest and he worked on my neck, making my toes curl. “Goddess, you’re incredible, Virgil.” He kissed along my jaw and back up.

“Haley. You’re so beautiful. So amazing. I’m so in love with you.” Our breaths were getting hotter as was the temperature of the room. Virgil’s hands snuck under my top to tickle the skin of my back.

Thud! Thud! Thud! “You two better be dressed!” I was pretty sure Alpha Redd was on the other side of the door, but it didn’t quite sound like him. Virgil, still shirtless, got up and opened the door to an older, yet still powerful man. I assumed this was Alpha Troy.

“Well, she’s at least dressed. You know the rules, Virgil. Doors open if you’re co-ed.”

“Yes, sir. I was just showing Haley the key to my truck. We’re coming back down now.” Alpha Troy cocked his brow and took a step back to wait for us. Virgil grabbed a shirt from his drawer and slipped it on. Once back at the party, no one said anything about us missing.