Chapter 10

        "Did you have a good birthday?" Percy asked.

        "Yeah. It was good." I smiled. Percy and I were sprawled out on a blanket I had brought to the pond. I had my head on Percy's chest like a pillow and he had one hand behind his head for support. The other was playing with my hair. It was the day after my birthday and everything seemed to be fine. But for some reason, I had a vague premonition of danger. I decided to ignore it because I'm usually wrong about these things anyway, but still something told me to get ready and be prepared.

        "I received presents from everyone. Sally and Costin got me the new book series that I've been wanting to read by one of my favorite authors. In fact, the main character has the same name as you," I said looking up at the stars.

        "Really? Well he has the most amazing name ever. Well, besides Crystal of course." I could hear a smile when he talked. It made me laugh.

        "Well of course! Anyway, my family sent me all kinds of things. My parents sent me new clothes and my bunnies. I still can't believe I left them at home."

        "Wait, you have bunnies?" He asked as he sat up to look down at me.

        I just smiled and said, "I don't mean the kind of living, breathing baby rabbits. I mean my fuzzy pink slippers."

        "Then why do you call them bunnies?" He tilted his head to the side like he does when he's confused. It's adorable.

        "You're going to think this is silly but I call them my bunnies because it feels like you're sticking your foot into a bunny's butt. They are incredibly soft."

        "You are most silly, my Luna. Only you would think to call your slippers that." He cupped his hand on my cheek and I leaned into his touch. 

        He smiled at me before lying back down. I decided to keep talking. "Anyway, I finally got to call my parents and they apparently knew that I was going to call them because I called them every day, when in reality I didn't."

        "Well then who kept calling them and pretending to be you?" Percy asked.

        "I had a feeling it was Peri and I told her to stop. She said she had no idea what I was talking about, but she winked at me so I knew that my suspicions were correct."

        "That's Peri for you."

        "I know. How's life going for you, training to be the Alpha?"

        "Ok, I don't know where you got 'training' from, but my father's been showing me how to command the attention of a room and discipline the misbehaving wolves."

        "Ok, good, but you already know how to do that stuff anyway. Anything big, mysterious, or exciting going on?" I turned my head and rested it against my arm so I could look Percy in the eye. 

        He started to say something but then closed his mouth before he could let any words escape. I pushed myself off of Percy and sat cross-legged beside him. 

        "You're hiding something from me," I said.

        "What would make you think that, Luna?" 

        "You were going to say something but didn't."

        "Was I?"

        "Yes, you were so spill."

        "Spill what?"

        "Percy. You know what I meant."

        He let out a sigh. "I don't want to scare you."

         I leaned forward and rested my hand against his cheek. He leaned into my touch and closed his eyes. "Percy, you can tell me anything. You're my mate and I don't want you keeping any secrets from me. I don't want to go picking through your brain to find what I want to know. I want you to trust me and tell me yourself."

        He opened his eyes and took my hand that was against his cheek and wrapped it in his hands. "I know, Luna. But even so, my brain is yours to search. I will hide nothing from you unless I truly don't want you to see it, for your benefit and mine. I don't want to scare you, but I know I have no choice do I?"

       Smart wolf.  "No you don't. So just tell me."

        "Alright. There has been a...um...disturbance in the States. Apparently two Alphas have deserted their packs and are searching to find a girl who will be one of their mates. They will let the girl choose who she wants or the wolves will fight to the death for her hand."

        "Well, that's crazy! You can't force someone to be your mate!"

        "Actually you can, if the female's true mate is already dead beofre the couple could preform the bonding ceremony, or is killed in the challenge for the female. In case your wondering what a bonding ceremony is, it's like a wedding. The mates recite their vows and preform a ritual that binds them together. My own father had to fight another Alpha so that he could claim his true mate, my mother."

        "Well, that's just stupid. If she is not your mate, then paws off! See, what I did there?" 

        "Yes, I did. Very clever. But anyway, the two Alphas are from the North Dakota pack and the Wisconsin pack. They claim that there is a girl who is of witch blood and is also a werewolf."

        "No way, really?" For some reason, I knew that this was going to be important but I just brushed it off and continued to listen to Percy.

        "Yeah. They say she has werewolf blood on her mother's side and witch magic on her father's."

        "How can they be so specific?" I asked.

        "Well, there was a prophecy-"

        "Woah! Hold on there, wolfie. You mean to tell me that there's another prophecy? Jen and Sally have been telling me all the prophecies that they had to deal with and I thought for sure that there couldn't possibly any more."

        "Well, there is."

        "Of course there is!" I threw my arms up into the air, not knowing that Percy still had my hand clasped in his, so when I raised my hands, I smacked him in the face.

        "Oh my goodness, Percy! I'm so sorry." I back away from him to give him room to check his face. But instead he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him. 

        "It's ok. It's going to take a lot more than a smack to make me let you go," he said as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

       I smiled as I leaned my head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat for a couple of minutes.  Then I asked, "So what exactly does this prophecy say?"

        "Well," I could feel Percy's chin move up and down against my head as he talked. "It says that a girl of werewolf blood and witch magic will be the mate of the most powerful and dominant Alpha male the word will ever see. She will be hated, and cast out of the paranormal world, but if she has her mate with her, then she will be accepted. The girl will show the world that witch magic isn't all dark magic. She will also appearently have children that will carry on the witch magic but as light magic. Of course this prophecy rhymes, but I thought you would like the meaning instead."

        "Yes, I like your version way better. Do you have any idea of who this girl might be?" 

        "No. I don't know who she is. But I hope that whoever she is, she finds her mate soon before these nutjobs find her."

        "Aw! You are finally talking my language." I was proud of him for saying nutjobs. His mom must have taught him a lot of American slang, but I still have a few new ones up my sleeve. 

        Will I get to know what those might be, my Luna?

        Soon enough, wolf boy.

        "By the way, I want you to come to my home."

        "Why? You can't stand the thought of parting and me going to live in a mansion with lots of shirtless guys?" I knew I was only going to anger him, but come on. It's so much fun.

        "Yes, I do. And I know you don't look at the other wolves like that. You know that it's wrong and you only want to be with me even before you knew that I was your mate."

        "And you would know that how? Were you snooping?!"

        "No, I just know you that well. You may not know it, but your expressions and body language say a lot. Even your eyes portray your feelings."

        "Well, ok then." I looked down and smiled before I met his gaze again and asked why he wanted me to go with him to Romania.

        "I want you to meet my parents."

        I widened my eyes. "Uh, I...I don't know." I could tell that he was picking up on my nerves because he gave me a small smile.

        "Crystal, I know you're nervous but they'll love you. I mean Sally and Jen seem to like you and they are my mom's best friends. If they like you, then my mother is bound to love you. Besides, they've been tellling my mom about you anyway. She knows more than you think."

        "And because she knows, so does your dad. Oh gosh! Jen better not have told your mom everything I told her. I would literally faint of embaressment."

        "Don't worry. I'll catch you," Percy said with a wink.

~~~

        I kept having a nagging feeling. After I returned to the Serbian pack mansion and calmed down about meeting Percy's parents tomorrow, I went straight to the large library and did some research. I wanted to know more about this mysterious girl because for some reason, I could tell that she's very important.

        I went to the prophecy section of the library and found nothing mentioning about a werewolf witch. I went to the werewolf section but that section was still under construction because new werewolves were popping up left and right with 50% werewolf blood, 25%, even only a drop like me. But nothing said anything about a witch.

        I went over to the small witch section and skimmed through a few books. There was a little history about the history of how witches came to be. Appearently, a crazy Fae kidnapped a gypsy healer and forced her to be with him and have tons of witch children. Gross! The magic that flowed through the gyspy healer that contained earth elements for healing was mixed with the dark magic of the Fae, turning the light magic into a dark grey. All of the witches created stayed with the dark side of the magic, and the book didn't say anything about that little sliver of light magic that they still pocessed that they could've used instead of the dark magic. 

        I slammed the book shut and stuffed it back into its compartment and because I basically shoved it back in, a sheet of crinkly, old and withered paper flew out from resting in the back on top of the books. I sat down and leaned against the bookcase to examine the paper further. I carefully unfolded the piece of paper that had been ripped out of a book and when I saw what was on it, I let out a scream. I slapped my hand over my mouth and hoped that no one heard me. After a couple of seconds, I let out my breath sure that no one had heard me. I was wrong.

        Crystal! What's wrong? What happened? Percy thought.

        Percy, I-I can't even talk, I mean think. I...I found something that....oh my gosh, Percy!

        My thoughts were scrambled and I couldn't think of anything else than what was on the crumbled paper in my hand. I sent Percy a picture of what I saw and heard a sharp intake of breath from his side.

        Crystal, don't move. I'll be right there. Just stay put and don't do anything stupid. Please, for me. Then I felt Percy withdraw from my mind and I knew he was on his way. 

        I felt tears slide down my cheeks and I didn't have the effort to wipe them away because on the single piece of paper stood a girl in a dark purple dress flowing in the wind. Her hands were cast out in front of her, spraying fire toward something that was cut off by the edge of the paper. To the side of her stood a gigantic wolf all that was white from head to toe. Its eyes had dark accents making it looking like it was wearing mascara. On its head was a perfect black cresent moon. It was night in the background becuase there were stars in the sky. There was a large field behind the girl. The girl's dirty blonde hair was flowing dramtically in the unseen wind. Her eyes and the wolf's eyes were glowing the same color. Blurple. The girl in the picture was obvious. The girl was me.