Rosie's Book

Chapter 14

Draken hands me a shot of Absinth with a serious look on his face. "Drink this little pup, you will need the heat for the comfort you will seek". Knowing not to fight his subtle order, the glass is in my hand and the drink thrown down my throat before Jackson has reached his own comfort drink. The pack observed our movement while we made ourselves comfortable, their facial features and body language scream control and wisdom. The expression in their eyes, however, is of concern and worry. Worry about me no doubt, which means they are worried I am going to explode, shift into my wolf form and run away. I'll show them, my ass will remain on this sofa. Fine, in the building at least.

"Jackson, do you remember your parents telling you how they met?" Angeni smiles with fondness and love in her eyes, but still with a stoic appearance.

"Only that they fought their loved ones. But were proud they proved the families wrong, and they were fated to be together. I am proof of that fate." Looking at my brother I can see the unease in his body but the tone in his voice has me wondering if it is a question or a statement, he just gave Angeni.

" You remember correctly Jackson." Nanuq steps towards my seat, picks me up then sits down placing me on his lap. Cradling me like he did when I was a child, Draken returns to the reason we are here.

"Your mother and father came from a long line of strong families. Both families had a dislike towards each other since time began, well as long as a piece of string". With that last statement we all chuckle, it was something my father used to say to answer questions he had no answer for. "Today we will talk about our family, your maternal family." The arms cradling me, pull me into the warm hard body. Jackson reaches for my hand, so we are able to comfort each other.

"WAIT" I look up to Nanuq, "You would shift to human form and cuddle me when I was younger, just like we are now". Instead of sounding like a statement, my words sound like an accusation.

"Yes, little pup, I did. You please me with that memory. It shows your nannies magic is nearly faded." Pride, that is what I see in his eyes. Snuggling back into his body, I sit uncharacteristically quiet, waiting for the story they will collectively tell us.

"Rosie and Jackson Chelsea-Black are the last two names on the Meleki family tree. I know you will both have questions but for us to inform you with over three thousand years' worth of family history, you will need to focus and ask questions later. Okay?" We both not only stare at Draken in disbelief but silently acknowledge him with a nod of our heads to show we agree.

"Your nanny is an original Meleki pack member, as are we. Madeline, your mother, is second generation but was as strong as the original pack members. But we will get to that.

In the years of the ancient gods, the land you know as the 'UK', had a series of tribes running around the country. They worshipped the Celtic gods. The druids were the holy tribes who guided the spiritual lives of everyone. There were a select few holy tribes that relocated to Romania." Draken looks around the room, instinctively I know he is referring to the compound. "This land was claimed and built on, local Romanian peasants were invited to live on the land. All they were asked to do was to look after the land and animals. This would leave the druids to tend to their own needs. Over the years the tribes were having troubles with each other. Druids were slowly losing their credibility. Yet the Romanian druids were gaining strength. One evening a druid in Romania, by the name of, Mug Ruith, was alone working on an Alchemy project he was mastering. The story, or the myth, is that this blind druid was working in his lab, when a woman with long white hair and porcelain skin appeared in his workshop. Unlike most people he wasn't disturbed to see her, because he was blind. We think he was only partially blind, otherwise how was he able to describe the woman." Just as Draken was about to continue, Nuka jumps in, reminding me he is here.