Chapter 73

  Things are heating up

  Flora:

  I have been in hiding for several years. I had heard the rumors of my death during my years in hiding. The more people who thought I had died,only increased my chance of survival.

  I was running from one of my own family. Cecilia was the pride of the family, she was the most talented in music, there wasn't an instrument she couldn't play but her favorite was the Harp. She was also a talented artist. She had sold some of her paintings for tens of thousands of dollars, when she was just 14 years old. She was polite and caring and had dreams of becoming a doctor. She was also the first Pure Bred of our family. She had no magical abilities at all.

  The day of her 15th birthday everything changed. That was the day she met Lyican, another first born Pure Bred in his family as well. He wasn't her true mate. She had met her true mate when she was 13. Once she met Lyican, she rejected her true mate and chose Lyican on that same day.

  She had changed overnight. She stopped playing the harp and painting. She refused to go to college. We all tried to talk to her even the mate she rejected tried talking to her. All we were doing was wasting our breath.

  She became completely opposite from the loving, caring, child she was the day before. She moved in with Lyican and his family one week after their first meeting. When she would visit which became rare, all she would talk about was how Pure Breds were better than Hybrids. She completely stopped visiting after Dylan was born. She sent Dianna to live with mother until she was 5 years old. Then came and stole her. Yes she stole Dianna in the dead of night, while mother and Dianna were sleeping. The only thing that was left was a note telling us she had Dianna because Dylan needed a friend. What Cecilia really wanted was a slave for Dylan.

  Years later rumors spread that Lyican and Cecilia starting their own pack and he named himself King of the Lycans. Then the rumors started that Dianna found her mate. A vampire hybrid and her parents hired females to show up at his home naked to tempt him into cheating and even hired a man who was in his 40s to break into Dianna's room and rape her. Luckily she got away and fled to her mates home. His family treated her like their own daughter.

  Then the rumors began that Wayne, Lycian's brother, left Dianna and Jackson the vampire prince his pack as a wedding present. The Pack Hive Coven. A pack for hybrids of all kinds and not long after the rumors of Cecilia and Lyican had killed her mother. I knew those rumors were true. I felt the pain as each family bond was broken. I ran into Cecilia one time after the vicious murders. She had a woman with her. She acted like we were best friends and as we talked I saw a black orb coming at me. Before I could counter attack, the orb hit me and I could no longer speak. Cecilia fell down laughing at me as I was trying to make just one sound, any sound but I couldn't. While I standing there in a confused state, the dark witch installed a tracking device in my neck with a syringe.

  I was able to remove the tracking device myself using a potion that allows foreign objects to pass through the body, no matter where the are in the body. The only thing I couldn't do was remove the Silent Tongue curse. No other Witch or Warlock would help due to them being scared of the consequences of undoing dark magic.

  Later rumors about all of them died down, until the news of Cecilia trying to kidnap her own grandchild started circulating.

  Lyican and Cecilia had been banned from sitting foot on P.H.C land ever again, because of that incident.

  I had been hiding in the pack for several years because I knew I would be safe there. I watched my daughter and her family from a distance. I always knew I couldn't stay hidden forever but I never dreamed I would get caught by my own child. Yes Dianna is my daughter. Cecilia kept telling her that I was her great grandmother and she believed her. Of course she because Cecilia had erased Dianna's memories of her family. I know I have to tell everyone the truth soon. I just Dianna forgives me for not fighting to take her away from Cecilia. The truth is she was safer there than with me on the run. Neither of us would have lasted as long as we had if we were together. I also need to tell them about Dianna's father. My first mate. He was murdered by Lyican right in front of me, which caused me to go into labor early. Dianna was 2 months premature and spent her first year in the hospital due to her low immune system. My poor baby stayed sick until she was 2 years old.

  Today I was in a major hurry. I was in the middle of a very important potion. I found I was out of the herbs I needed. I have gone out without a disguise before and I really didn't have time to put on my wig anyway. I had limited time and needed to hurry. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings due to being in a hurry then out of nowhere I heard someone running and my hand was grabbed. I was so scared I was shaking and crying. Then I was pulled into an embrace. I felt another hand gently grab my other hand and in a low authoritative voice telling me to look at them. I turned my head and locked my eyes onto a pair of silver eyes. I backed up a little just enough to look at the full face of the person with silver eyes. She is a beautiful Fairy with long white hair that she has in a fish tail braid over one shoulder. She tells me her name is Justina, she is the mother in law of my great grand daughter Dianna. She told me that I have a great great granddaughter who looks just like me and asked if I would like to come with them and meet her. I'm scared but nod my head yes. She says wonderful but I'm going to hold your hand as we continue to shop. I nod my head again in agreement. I'm introduced to the group of ladies that is with them. Mates of my great great grandsons and my oldest great great granddaughter, Catilena. I'm ecstatic to meet them but deflated that I know my potion is now ruined. We go into the special herb shops and I get all new ingredients. I will make a new batch later. Justina tells everyone that she needs to get me a hat also. I gave her a confused look. One that said, why in the world do I need a hat. She laughs and tells me about 4 children. 2 boys and 2 girls who have been inseparable since they met at the age of 2. She surprised me when she said 2 of the children are our twin grand babies. She tells me she made the remark that if they weren't mates she would eat her hat. Her husband reminded her that she didn't own a hat, so they came here today to buy a hat plus get whatever her newly adopted mother in law Elarion needed. She shows me the new hat she bought. It's straw and it looks like something that would be hung on the outside of someone's front door on the cover of the Spring edition of Southern Living Magazine. Pastel blue, purple and pink colored flowers covered the hat along with white ribbon woven through it. It looks like something the Easter Bunny threw up. I can't help but laugh although no sound comes out. It was that moment that everyone noticed I had lost my voice.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Elarion doesn't seem surprised by this fact. It's like she already knew and knows it was caused by a dark curse.

  Anne says we need to get back because they have training and she doesn't want to be late again and deal with Uncle Ashura's punishment. Dianna says she had been on the receiving end of his punishment and even if she is on her death bed, she will never be late for his class again. Justina says she will fill me in on the drive home. Everyone talks and I hate the fact that I can't join the conversation. I have so much I want and need to tell them. Hopefully I can find someone who can break this curse.

  Once we arrived at the pack. Elarion drops off the things she bought and jumps back into the SUV and we head to the gym. I sit next to Elarion on the bottom bleacher. I can't help but stare at a little red headed girl, who looks just like I did at her age. She is very powerful for her age. Elarion holds my hand to comfort me and tells me that the little girl is named Geneva, her twin brother is named Vlad. Elarion asked me if I would like something to drink. I nod yes. Next thing I know 2 bottles of water are levitating toward us. Elarion tells Geneva thank you, as she points to all the people in the gym and tells me their names and how they are family.

  Dianna comes up and Elarion if she can see into my heart to make sure I'm not tricking them or planning to hurt the children. I don't blame her for being cautious. If the rumors are true, she has every right to be over protective of her family. She tells her that she couldn't but some person named Zyrax can. Dianna runs off saying she is going to find him now. Elarion tells me he is a King Cobra Reptile shifter.

  When Dianna comes back, she is with the most handsome man I have ever seen. He is even more handsome than my first mate. He is built like a gladiator and has black hair and gold eyes. My second chance mate! When he sits beside me I couldn't help myself from hugging him and staining his shirt with my tears. I'm scared he is going to reject me. He doesn't leave and he doesn't push me away. That has to be a good sign. He hugs me back and strokes my hair asking me to calm down. He looks at Dianna and tells her that my heart is pure. Training is over and Zyrax stands taking my hand to help me stand. Elarion calls out to him telling him and tells him to remember the meeting. He tells her that both of us will be there early.

  Zyrax takes me to his house and tells me all about himself and his family, he shows me pictures of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He has a beautiful family. He tells me how he was captured and saved and pieces in between. I couldn't help myself as I broke down crying for the pain he had been put through. After we comforted each other, it was time for the meeting. I was introduced to everyone there. I listened intensely as Brenton was describing details of the past and how to go forward. Elarion and I are called up to the front. Elarion tells me she made a potion to cure me from the curse and purge any darkness from you. It can make you violently ill depending on how much darkness is in you. She holds out her hand and I take it. As he leads out and Zyrax follows us. We go behind the building and she hands me the potion and I drink it. After a few minutes a warm feeling washed over my insides and I threw up a small pile of black goo. It looked like black tar. Ashura comes out and blows fire on it puke and burns it completely up. No scorched grass, no evidence left at all. He hands me a bottle of water and I drink it. Zyrax asked me if I could speak now. I haven't talked in years. When I say hello, my voice is a little scratchy but the more I say hello the more my voice returns to normal. It had been so long since I heard my own voice. I hug Elarion telling her thank you over and over as I'm crying again. I felt a tap on my shoulder and a voice that said, hey what about me mate. I turned and jumped into Zyrax arms. He catches me and spins around like a top, telling me how happy he is and he thanks Elarion over and over again. After we have our moment, Ashura says that we need to go back in soon. I hear them discussing separating the twins because they are expecting Cecilia and Lyican to show up soon. I look at Elarion and tell her I have an idea but it would require everyone's help and we need to make sure it is foolproof before we reveal it. I give Ashura, Zyrax and her a run down of my plan. She agrees to help me with making potions and casting spells. Zyrax and Ashura say they will go find whatever we need if we can't buy it from the shops. Ashura tells us as much as his dad loves to shop that he would be happy to shop for the herbs and other things Elarion and I will need. I tell him thank you and we go back to the meeting hall. Ashura nods his head for me to speak. I tell everyone that Elarion and I have a plan so there is no need to separate the children if our plan works but we will need everyone's help and if we could have another meeting in a few days because we need this to be foolproof. Everyone agrees. Elarion tells everyone that there is a way to find out whose DNA was used. It could be dangerous but it could also be very helpful having extra eyes and ears on the children. It depends on how the human and shifter side handles the information they are given. The meeting is adjourned and everyone is invited to King Vlad's for dinner. We gather in the living room first as dinner needs to cook a few more minutes. I actually have conversations with my family. I learned so much about them in a short amount of time. It felt like I had been a part of their lives all this time, instead of a stranger in their home. After dinner Zy and I go for a walk. We stopped in front of a lake with fire and ice. He told me that Jackson and Dianna had adopted 2 men into their family as sons. Tanchi and Pryce. He tells me about every one who had been adopted not only in Diannas family but King Vlad and Queen Justina's as well.

  He says Pryce and Elarion spent a month or 2 designing and casting this for the Merfolk who have joined the pack. I tell him a growing pack is a sign of strength and power. I have never heard of a pack that had so many masters and certainly no family or pack has ever invited a master into their families. Masters are rare but most packs only call on them when they want something from them and treat them like dirt while they are working for them. I'm glad they have found a loving family that has accepted them with open arms. Zy invites me to stay at his home for the night since my cabin is so far away. I accept his offer and we talk more as we walk to his place. As we walk on the porch, I notice a medium size box with my name on it with a note that says, these are all new. I bought them while we were out today. I thought you may need these items. Zy takes the box in, sits it on his kitchen table and I open it. There is a night gown and house coat, a pajama set with a tank top with a picture of a coffee cup with a grumpy face that says Dont talk to me. This is only my first cup. It has matching shorts and pants, with little coffee cups all over them. There are also sets of casual clothes, shoes, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, bathe, body and hair supplies. Zy laughs and says when the Draculs go shopping, they go all out. Yes they do. I tell him about the hat Justina bought. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she shows that to Vlad just to see his reaction to that thing she calls a hat. Zy takes the box and leads me to his guest room. We will not be sharing a bed until our mating ceremony. He shows me my private bathroom and where the towels and toiletries are and he hugs me and tells me good night. I hug him back and kiss his cheek. I get a shower, letting the hot water rinse away all the fears, stresses and tears I have suppressed through my years of hiding. After my shower, I climbed into bed and I fell asleep for the first time in years, with peace and tranquility in my heart.