Chapter 587
I saw everyone in the room release the breath that they were holding. My mom ducked back under the blanket as Alannah’s legs dropped to the sides. She sobbed as another contraction hit. Temen shuffled over to her left side as I settled next to her on her right. Her hands reached for both of us, and she leaned back into us.
“I’m here, my love.” Temen leaned over and kissed her sweaty brow. His soft words were meant to comfort her, but I think everyone in the room heard the last part of Alannah’s heart shatter when she let out her next sob.
She turned her head into his shoulder and released everything she had held on to. Her scream ripped through the cabin, and I heard soft, tiny steps coming up the stairs. The door opened, and a wide-eyed Carly stood there for a second. I could still see how tired she was.
“Baby girl, you shouldn’t be here.” I nodded to Wendy, who turned to bring her back downstairs, but she shook her head and came over to the edge of the bed. Her eyes misted over as she walked.
“You are terrified to live without your mate.” Her voice was ancient, and always a little jarring coming from her little face. Alannah barely acknowledged the words. She kept her nose buried in Temen’s neck, but we all saw her nod. “You worry you cannot do this alone, or that if you get a second-chance mate, you would somehow forget your mate here.” Alannah pulled back enough to look into Temen’s face.
“This will be the last night I see him until I join him with the Goddess. That could be over a hundred years from now.” Tears spilled down her cheeks in a fresh wave. She pulled her hand from mine to cup his face. “What if I forget you? What if I don’t tell our pups enough about you? What if I get a second mate and they become Dad?”
Temen smiled, but I could see the pain he was trying to hide. “Then when you get to me, I will remind you who I am. We will have forever with the Goddess if we want, or a second life if she allows us to come back. I will spend my entire afterlife convincing her to allow me to be your mate again in the next life. I will do the same when our pups join us with the Goddess. And if another man steps in and helps you raise our pups, then I don’t mind sharing the title of Dad.” The tears he was holding back shimmered in his eyes. “I just want you to live well. I want you to love again. I want our pups to know love from both a mother and a father, even if it isn’t me.”
“You won’t forget.” Carly’s ancient voice cut through everything else.
“You can’t know that.” Alannah finally turned to her.
Carly smiled. “Do you know what a Shaman is? Truly?” The question had everyone confused.
My mom pulled back enough to look at Carly. “It’s a kind of magic that gives you visions from the Goddess.”
Carly shook her head. “Yes, and no. Yes, it is a kind of magic, one that I get from the Goddess, but did you never question why our voice changes?” My mom shook her head.
“Carl said-”
“Exactly what he is supposed to say. But I will tell you the truth. Like Amy, a Shaman is a tri-spirit. Carly has her own soul, the soul of her wolf, and me residing inside of her body.”
“Who are you?” The question came from Wendy, who was still by the door.
“I’m a seer, an ancient one at that. There were only a few souls gifted by a specific god to see the future, and the practice had been abolished long ago.”
“Why?” My question surprised even me.
“Because when this god blessed the seers of Delphi with our abilities, he wasn’t as selective as he should have been, and he made hundreds, if not thousands of souls go insane.”
“Apo-” Wendy started, but Carly whipped around.
“Do not say his name!” She screamed, her voice full of venom. Her lips lifted in disgust. “His stupidity killed my human family. My mother, my sisters...” She looked down at the floor. “My children.” She shook her head. “When I was killed, it was a horrific death, one so savage my soul called out under the moon, and the Goddess heard me. I was given the option of reincarnating. The Moon Goddess pitied me and gave me the escape I needed. I was just supposed to be a normal wolf, one of her followers, but his gift…” She spat the words. “His gift was tied to my soul, something that wasn’t supposed to happen, and because of his stupidity, I became the first Shaman.” Her explanation ended as another scream ripped through the room.