The True Born Huntress✔

Book 9⌇15. Ancestral Ties

Chapter 15 ∣ Ancestral Ties

-Mavis 16 Years Old

It was in the middle of the night when I woke, shooting straight up in bed as I clutched my chest. My breathing was uneven and labored, glancing all around me frantically as if I'd been living the terrible nightmare that worked its way into my mind.

There was just something inside me that began to wake when I glanced out, the full moon shining in through the windows. I slowly rose out of my bed, reaching for a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and my boots. After throwing them on, I walked to the windowsill, leaning against it as I stared off into the night sky. It was beautiful out, a call reaching out to me as I moved toward my bedroom door.

There was a voice in my dream, and I could still faintly hear it. It grew softer until I made my way down the stairs, avoiding the vampires of the coven and weaving my way through the halls to the front doors. When I reached the doors, I glanced around once more before I slipped out into the night. I stuffed my hands into my jean pockets walking around the back yard and staring up at the moonlight.

The breeze was light but chilly, making me shiver the longer I stayed out and roamed around. It caught me off guard when I heard an almost whisper coming from within the forest. The sound was soft and feminine, my footsteps halting as I gazed into the dark depths between the tree trunks. It grew slightly louder and then faded away once again.

Tilting my head to the side and furrowing my brows, I began to walk slowly to the edge of the forest, my boots crushing the ground beneath my feet. It was odd because, for some reason, I didn't feel frightened, simply curious. I moved through the thick trees, venturing into the forest before I halted and forced myself to think.

I glanced over my shoulder and back at the mansion, knowing what I was doing would get me in trouble, but the voice felt familiar. It felt like I'd heard it at the beginning of my life, and it put me at ease. Even as I turned away and moved further into the forest, I still felt protected while wandering through the brush. Everything seemed so close together, making it hard to see more than a few yards in front of me, but I continued further in.

I could hear the howling in the far-off distance, the sound eerily beautiful as they called out to one another. I whispered gently, "Are you out there, mother?"

I wish I could have known her...I wish I could have had her here to help me through times like these when I feel like I'm all alone and my opinion isn't the one people want to listen to. My father has good points, but I'll never accept violence as my first choice, people do listen to reason, we just have to give them the opportunity to do so.

The forest was growing thicker with underbrush and I kept tripping carelessly on the roots sticking out of the cool soil. Snaps of twigs met my ears and at first, I thought I was the one solely making all the ruckus however, as I stopped my movements, I grew cautious at the sounds that surrounded me.

I stepped away from the noise here only to be faced with another noise there. Hastily, I was able to move out through the trees and into one of the clearings, glancing around me as I tried to see what was making the sound. At first, I saw nothing, but the low growl filled the clearing as wolves began to emerge from the shadow for the tree trunks. They snapped twigs and broke branches, moving through the forest, and surrounding me slowly. By their appearance, they didn't look too friendly, their eyes set on me as I remained still.

I'm in their territory and I have to remain by their rules. There were a few voices making their way through the distant trees, three males and two females making their presence known. The one at the head was someone who looked awfully familiar, yet I couldn't quite place where I'd seen him. The wolves weren't phased by their presence, only acknowledging them when what I knew at that moment was the leader of these wolves.