noun ~ something given to someone without payment; a natural ability or talent

My eyes widened. "Did you say visions?"

"Yes. I used to have them sporadically but once I accepted my gift, they come if something relevant comes up or if I channel the energy enough." He explained, walking away from the bakery.

He gestured for me to follow him, and after giving the two bottomless pits a once over, I followed him. He leads me out of the plaza and around the back of the buildings. We passed by some large waste bins before going up a small trail. We walked in silence for a while until we rounded the corner of the building and I found a small garden-like area hiding by the trees.

It was a large clearing with a small part in the centre reserved for plants and seating. There was a small fountain with some fish inside. I watched Aldren as he walked to a seating arrangement in the middle of the plaza. It was four benches all built around a large flower planter, greenery leaking out of its containers and down the edges.

As he sat, he patted the seat beside him and I approached him with a smile. Once I was sat next to him, I gazed ahead, finding the fountain not far from where we sat. He leaned against the wooden bench, arms around the back of the seat as he stared into the distance.

"You don't seem too surprised over the fact I have visions." He mused, turning his face down to look at me.

I swallowed. "I'm not...Pollux told me that Lycan's had gifts, but he didn't know much about it..."

"What did he say?" He chuckled.

I frowned as I recalled what he said. "He told me that Terra can create shields and that you and your family could see when the weather changed, and persuade the elements."

He frowned this time, shaking his head. "He's...half correct. Terra cannot create shields. My mother has no gift, but I believe your mother did. Their gift was visions. Your mother was a master at them, but it all came from our grandmother. So far, only the three of us out of the entire bloodline have visions."

I hesitated, chewing on my cheek as I debated talking to him. I could trust him, I felt it deep within me that I could. So why was I hesitating? Maybe it was because I sounded crazy...

"You do not seem so surprised by that either." He chuckled.

"I've been having...weird dreams..."

"Weird dreams?"

I shifted slightly, turning my attention to the lazy fountain before me. The fish in there went about their leisure, uncaring for the cool weather. The water did not go up the fountain and pour down, it was turned off and I assumed that was for the fish's sake.

"I have been having what I have been told are visions. I have awful nightmares, that are so realistic... I also like to do art, but sometimes I go into a sort of trance, and I don't come out of it until I have finished. All the drawings I have done in this instance ended up relating to something in my life... So we thought that I had a vision gift or someone was trying to communicate with me." I explained warily.

He hummed and fell into thought. After a moment he shook his head and pivoted his body to face me more directly. I shuffled slightly away, looking at him with a wary confusion. He studied me, his eyes trailing over my face and taking in my features.

"You look just like her you know."

"Who?" I wondered.

"Your mum."

"You knew her?" I asked.

He chuckled. "She was my auntie, so of course. I may look thirty but I am old, remember that Nova."

I blushed slightly but nodded my head. "You said she had visions too?"

He nodded, rubbing his chin. "She did. She was very good at it too, being taught directly by our grandmother. Since my mother didn't inherit the gift, I mostly learned from Isabelle."

I felt my heart skip a beat at my mother's name but smiled at him. "What was she like?"

"She was kind and caring. She always was looking out for everyone. But she was stubborn and did well to hide her emotions. If I ever had a problem, I knew to go to her rather than my own mother."

"How come?" I frowned, feeling bad he couldn't confide in his own mum.

"My Mother... She has a stubborn streak but she is more strict. Being the older sibling, she likes control and lacks in the empathy that your mother always held." He laughed, shaking his head. "My mum is a good woman, but she really gets on my nerves."

"Oh." I frowned. "What about your father?"

He shrugged. "You've met him, what did you get from him?"

I smiled slightly. "A loud, cheerful man but one who is fiercely protective."

"Anything else you got there?" He mused.

"He seems the type to not be serious enough in such personal matters. I've watched him be serious as an Alpha type, but doesn't seem like one you'd for emotional baggage?"

He shook his head with a smile. "About right. Growing up, so many years ago, I had learned the ideals of the time. Men were taught to be strong and provide for everyone, but I've always felt too...wrong in that kind of situation. Thankfully things are changing so much now, and I feel comfortable in myself to express my emotions. When your mother passed, I felt alone for a while. But when I heard rumours about you from village whispers, I had us all attend the King's ball."

I sat in quiet acceptance and he continued.

"I had heard of your challenges all the way up here, and that you were mated to a Titan. So the King's ball was my perfect opportunity. When I saw you, you reminded me a lot of your mother and I felt a strange connection to you; my wolf did more so."

"Me too," I mumbled, shifting my weight. "My wolf's name is Celimene... I was told that..."

"Your mother had the same wolf." He commented. "Perhaps that is why we feel this way."

I nodded, with a frown. "One of my visions, showed me the night she died... It was from a strange perspective but I saw her discuss with a witch named Gaia, on how she can protect us..."

"Go on..." He cocked his head.

So I continued, explaining the abundance of bad dreams I have had. From the two visions of my mother dying, to that of the white wolf. I even explained some of my drawings and he sat there and listened, never once interjecting. When I finished, it fell silent and he did nothing but nod.

"That is how it started with me. I began having strange dreams and that's when I contacted your mother and she helped me channel them." He hummed before laughing slightly. "I think your gift may be considerably stronger than mine."

I smiled. "Could you...help me?"

He glanced at me, observing me once more before nodding. "Of course. We can do a lot in a couple of weeks."

"Thank you." I breathed. "Will the nightmares stop?"

He winced. "They do. But big events...like me seeing you winning your Luna challenges, still come back. I did not see your family's undoing, but if I did, I promise you I would have helped. They had a witch involved...it's complicated."

I nodded. "My dream showed me a lot... Gaia had suggested a witch. I wonder who it was..."

He shrugged. "Nothing of that calibre ever happened again, so maybe the witch was killed."

"Maybe..." I murmured, turning back to the fish. "Do you...ever visit them?"

He nodded. "Your mother and even your father were very close to me. They have gravestones, your father was an open casket funeral so it was nice to say goodbye to them. We can visit if you feel up to it. I go every month."

I felt my heart stammer and I spoke in a rush. "I'd love to."

"I knew you would." He smirked causing me to laugh.

"Of course, you did."

"Come, your brother is about to eat all of the fresh sausage rolls." He grinned before standing to his feet.

I jumped up beside him, stretching my legs slightly. He watched me with amusement before allowing me to take the lead. I made my way back to the village and found Charlie leaving the bakery with a wide grin and a paper bag full of goodies.

"Where you been?" He asked.

"Talking to Aldren. Aren't you supposed to know that, protector?" I teased.

He frowned but said nothing else and turned to look to said lycan behind me. "No funny business."

Aldren frowned back. "We were discussing her gift."

"Gift?" He wondered, losing his harsh approach.

"Yes. Nova has been gifted with the sight." He nodded.

"You mean the freaky wolf dreams?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, the freaky wolf dreams. Also the others and all of my drawings. Aldren has the same gift and he is going to help me channel it whilst I am here."

"That's pretty cool." Charlie grinned, turning to the bakery as my brother walked out. "You got any cool talents?"

Pollux frowned, looking between the three of us with a similar bag to Charlie in his hand, only not as full. I noticed the way his posture changed and he turned stiff. My eyes narrowed in curiosity as he obviously did not want to talk about this.

"No, nothing like that." He shrugged.

"Ah, that sucks for you." Charlie laughed.

"Where to next?" Pollux wondered, changing the subject.

I looked around curiously. "I want to look at the shops here."

"Okay." He nodded.

I took the lead, walking in the opposite direction of the bakery. I entered a small clothes store first, the whole place was as dark as outside, the single window not allowing much light inside. The walls were painted a dark green, the clothes hung on golden rails and wooden shelves. I breathed in deeply, the smell of lavender overtaking my senses.

I looked around, finding only Aldren had followed me in here. He gave me a tight smile, walking over to the counter to speak to the person there. I peered over a railing to see a smaller older female, grinning widely at him and reaching her hands up to touch his face.

"Aldren! Long time no see!" She laughed lightly.

He chuckled. "You say that every time, it is a bad joke now. Besides, I saw you just last week."

"Ah, but it's a good joke." She mused. "You did see me last week, but you did not bring a girl with you then."

I froze, and Aldren looked to see me half hiding behind a railing. He seemed so relaxed in here, leaning down towards the older woman with not a single tense muscle. He must've known her a long time.

"Come on out missy, lemme put a face to the smell."

I stepped out from the railing and focused my attention on the older woman's scent. She smelt mostly of lavender and oils, but I could smell she was partly werewolf. Her hair was in thick plaits down her head, two strands gracing her shoulders. Her skin was pale and wrinkled, aged with her time on earth.

She turned, noticing my movements no doubt and just as I was blinded by her wide grin, I came to a stop. Her single eye blinked at me, pupil glazed over and white fogged her vision. Where her other eye used to be, was nothing but an eyepatch glued to her face. I couldn't help but inhale sharply, pinpricks crawling along my skin as the blind eye sought me out in the darkness of the store.

I understood the joke she made now.

"My dear, what's your name? I don't bite." She chuckled.

I glanced to Aldren nervously but he gave nothing away, merely watching me with a curious gaze. I swallowed and stepped closer and to my surprise, the woman's hands came out and grasped my wrists. They trailed along my arms, under my coat, her skin cool against mine. She let out a small tut as she graced my old burns before they moved and I flinched slightly when she began to gently stroke the lines of my jaw and face.

I felt a strange tingling where her fingertips met my bare skin but I brushed it off as nothing more than a tickle. She inhaled deeply when she was finished, one of her hands falling as the other held my shoulder.

"Celimene. It has been a while."

***
Hey guys so sorry I forgot to update, my kids school has closed because of covid and i lost track of the days !

Also thank you for 400k reads!!!!ahhhhhhh love u for this

Question of the Day:
What is your dream holiday?
* edited to add ^ vacation, I forgot that others don't use the term holiday for going for a trip😂

wc: 2157

Finding Luna © 2021 XDeafening_SilenceX on W a t t p a d