Remember

Chapter 18: Avia

As we made our way through the house my mind was racing. Who had the authority to order around an Alpha? I searched my memories for any clues but there were still too many blanks to get a full picture of my life before the Hunters had me.

While I was lost in thought we arrived at our destination. I took in my surroundings.

The deep mahogany door, the stale damp air that hung around the cement hallway, but better described as an underground tunnel.

They fanned out behind me. Jace gave me an encouraging smile. Alex nodded at me, his faith in me evident. Bryce laid a hand on my shoulder, no matter what happened he was going to be there for me. All went unspoken but even without my memory what was left unsaid was evident.

I turned to face the door, my curiosity peaked. I was in awe over the amount of raw power that flowed out of the room. My beast stirred inside of me, impatient to be on the other side. I lifted my chin and walked forward, opening the door as I went, and never looking back.

I felt my pupils dilate as I tried to take in the large, dimly lit room I was now in. There was thick carpeting all over the floor which muffled my already quiet footsteps. Candles lined the outside edge of the room, casting spooky shadows on the dark colored walls.

I tilted my head, allowing my heightened senses to emerge. I identified the wall color as brown, but more importantly, I heard a heart beat. Not a normal human heartbeat, nor that of a werewolf, it was a Lycan's heart beat. It was faster, and stronger.

I followed the heart beat to the far corner of the room. There was a woman at the back. She had the same blue eyes that I did but there was an infinite amount of wisdom and sadness hidden behind them.

She appeared to be in her late twenties but the depths of her eyes betrayed her. She was ancient.

I felt my beast lower in respect to the elder that sat in front of me, meditating, giving every appearance of not knowing that I was there. I smiled, she knew that I was there. She had shifted when I walked in, a minimal movement, but movement nonetheless.

I took a seat in front of her, adopting a similar position while I waited for her to speak. I was curious, there was no doubt about that, but I was also patient. My beast had waited for years before rising to the surface to challenge the Hunters' poison, it could wait until this woman was ready to speak.

We sat in silence for minutes, waiting. Finally, she broke the silence, a sly smile crossing her face. "It's been too long, Child of the Stars."

I kept my silence as I studied her, trying to place the voice that I knew I had heard before. My mind was racing, trying to place that haunting, ancient voice.

She tilted her head, studying me as I studied her. "You don't remember me, do you?" She asked, her voice soft yet commanding.

I shook my head, "No, I don't."

She nodded, "Let me help with that." She said as she motioned for me to come closer.

I hesitated, unsure if I was able to trust this woman who I knew nothing about. Yet as I studied her I only saw an impossibly old and impossibly lonely woman. The only emotion on her face was kindness.

My decision now made, I slid forward onto my knees directly in front of her. She placed her hands on either side of my face. I jolted as I felt a connection form between us and my eyes closed involuntarily.

I felt images began to fly into my mind, all from her point of view. I saw myself grow up. I went from a toddler to a young girl, from an Alpha in training to an orphan, and finally, from a resistance leader to an Alpha.

I saw my pack at the hands of the Hunters. I saw their treatment first hand, there was no physical abuse, but mental abuse ran rampant. This was what they had kept from me. I wanted to do something about it, but I was powerless, forced to watch as events unfolded but unable to do anything.

Finally, the images began to slow down as they reached the clearing where I found them. I felt their fear as they were herded like cows to slaughter. I felt their hopelessness as they saw no way out. Then I felt their astoundment, their hope, their elation at seeing me. I was their savior, their protector, and I couldn't even remember what I had done to deserve this.

When she took her hands away from my face I fell forward, stifling a scream. Her images may have ceased but my own flew through my head.

Images of a woman, a mentor, a grandmother who always had my back. She taught me so much and was always there to guide me when I needed it. It was she who told me about my heritage, about what it meant to be an Alpha and a Lycan.

When my eyes opened, one thought burned in my brain. "Avia." I breathed as I leaned back, settling myself into my earlier position onto the cushion, my chin raised meeting her regal glare with one of my own.

She smiled, "Hello child. How much you have grown."

"And yet you remain unchanged." I quipped right back at her.

She chuckled, "It is my curse. I outsmarted Athena to protect my kind and she cursed me with longevity never seen by the mortal world. Longevity that surpassed that of both demigods and beasts." Her voice dropped as she continued, her eyes were lost in thought, illuminated by pain.

I waited, knowing that she had more to say. She turned back towards me before continuing. "I am Lycaon's eldest daughter and a granddaughter of Athena, I have skills beyond those of most. The future reaches to me. A time of storm is coming, you stand at a precipice. Your decisions could lead to our salvation or our destruction. Choose wisely Child of the Stars."

I pondered her words, my thoughts racing but my face remained blank, a skill I had mastered long ago. "Thank you, Avia," I said as I stood, lowering my head in respect before turning to walk out of the room. I never looked back.

There was too much to think about, I had learned to much to look back now.

Hello everyone! I hope that you have had a great Sunday and to hopefully add to that, here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you thought and don't forget to vote! Have an awesome rest of your day!