Yah fide che th röuh chtí uh! nfighuh! Che th dechz chtí uh!yöl, brrgh, chhém, leme, mödehéwhi! n ahfirí. Uh! ztí ŕtí lehé ki!uh!le uh! thögh sí mehé. Z tí ŕhé. Zwah! Medhé

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Translation
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Come hither child into the world of your ancestors. Into the abyss of wonder, pain, love, awe, modernity and adventure. For so long you have been denied but your curiosity will hold out. So it is written.
Third Prophecy.

☾︎.❦︎.☽︎

Yil

"You didn't stay till the end, again," my mom cried, pacing up and down about the kitchen.

I knew this conversation was inevitable. I had only narrowly escaped her rant this morning, thanks to my training.

Right now, I was trying not to zone out but as a result of the excitement for the portal travelling ahead, which kept me jittery in my seat, I was able to stay alert. Well somewhat.

When was she going to stop? It's been thirty long minutes, Ava whined, also excited for the journey to the outside world.

I discreetly checked my watch and noticed that it was five pm. With the way this was going Zena might just bail if she got there at five-thirty and noticed I wasn't there. I had to act fast.

Surprisingly, Ava was urging me on as well. Ever since Zena had reluctantly agreed to open up a portal to the outside world, Ava had been yipping and bounding happily in her mental cage. You'd think I had agreed to allow her to frolic in the flower beds.

"I'm so sorry mom," I repeated for the umpteenth time.

"No don't tell me you're sorry," she warned, momentarily stopping to stare at me before she resumed her pacing. "I begged you, I pleaded with you but you still didn't listen," she said, exasperatedly and threw her hands up in the air. "This was your chance to find him"

"I danced with ten unmated males and twelve male faeries," I reminded her slowly. "I sighted the remaining unmated males from afar and still didn't feel any 'tingling sensation'," I drawled and made air quotes for emphasis.

"What about the hunk you were dancing with?" She asked, incredulously.

"He's Zena's mate," I sighed and looked at my watch. This time openly, she caught my action and stopped pacing to take a seat in front of me.

"You didn't find him, huh," she asked, finally registering my explanations. "I was so hopeful," she sighed sadly, looking down at her fingers.

Her forehead furrowed in sorrow and her usual clear green eyes were dull and without their spark. Before I could comfort her, a strong presence filled the atmosphere and immediately large palms came down to massage the knots in her shoulder slowly.

"The big man himself is here," I announced, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Indeed he is," my dad replied, smiling. "Relax my love, you'll only get wrinkles and wither," he teased and she threw him a hard glare but immediately relaxed under his expert touch, moaning softly.

"O-o-okay," I said slowly. "That's my cue to go," I stood up quickly and made my way towards the kitchen exit.

"I'm not still sure as to why you haven't found him," he said, stopping me in my tracks. "But we'll lay off a little," he turned to face me and my mom craned her neck back to look at me as well. "It's not your fault that you haven't him yet but I'm sure you will one day," as he said this he moved closer and pecked my forehead.

He moved back a little and I caught the air-kiss that my mother blew my way.

They were so in tune with each other's feelings just like Rae and I. After this portal travel and if Rae agreed, I would officially introduce him as my marked mate to my parents. I'm sure they'd be pleased, I mean he was a white-wolf and a good one at that.

"Argh I'm going to bed," I groaned. "Before I tear up," I declared as my mother's eyes started to get misty.

"Good night, our treasure," they both called out to me as I ran up the stairs.

I entered my room and shut the door, grateful that they hadn't even questioned why I was going to bed at five. Or five-fifteen according to my watch, I was running late. Again.

I moved to open my drawer and pulled out the drawstring bag that I had packed the morning of the mate ceremony then I stripped out of my clothes, switched the lights off and walked to the balcony.

The pack guards had just gone on their five minutes' rotation shift, so it meant I only had about two minutes before the next guards took their position below my balcony. The jump down wasn't far and under other circumstances I won't have given it much thought but at the moment I wasn't going to risk getting caught naked.

The wall next to the balcony was overgrown with strong vine plants and so I lifted myself over the railings and with great concentration commanded the vines to move towards me. When I felt the stems wrap snugly around my waist I directed my fingers downwards and slowly the plant carried me down and placed me gently on the ground.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Glenn—the Nyrlian—advancing to take her position by the vine wall. Shit! I couldn't get caught now. Without thinking, I commanded the grass she was walking on to grow faster and with that they sprung up, growing long and thick. They grew up to her chest wrapping and twisting around her body. Her fangs grew and she began to tear at them, rapidly, but the more she bit into them the more they grew. Moreover, as her hands were locked and restricted within the grass, she was unable to dry out the water source nutrifying the vegetation in an effort to free herself.  

I whispered a silent apology to her and ran all the way into the garden. Once I got there, I waited to check if Glenn had mind-linked other pack guards to help her out. After two excruciating minutes of silence with the only sound being the erratic beat of my heart, I shifted into my wolf.

Thick white fur grew rapidly to cover my smooth porcelain skin, a long snout replaced my mouth and my legs and arms morphed into powerful hind feet and fore feet. My bracelet shifted and placed itself on my wolf's forehead. The biggest crystal shone brightly in the middle and the remaining stones spread out in close proximity to each other along my forehead.

Ava picked up the drawstring bag in her mouth and with urgent speed and excitement she powered through the forest. Expertly moving around and over trees and stumps. It was almost like flying. In no time she arrived at the spot where Zena and I had promised to meet. The sun had now set and the moon shone brightly and lit the whole of the forest with a translucent blue colour. It was eerily quiet with the steady hoot of the owl being the only signifier of life besides my wolf.

I shifted back to human form and quickly got dressed in khaki cargo pants and a black fitted top paired with sneakers.

Zena, I mind-linked. Where are you?

I looked around in search of her but there was no one at the clearing except me. Maybe she had chickened out and decided not to come or she was busy with Kent.

I sighed in disappointment but I decided to call out to her one more time. "Zena!" I shouted but the only answer I got was the sudden flight of birds, startled by my voice.

"Would you shush up," Zena suddenly hissed.

I turned around and noticed that she had just gotten here. Her hair was filled with dirt and she had a crazed look on her face as she frantically swatted the leaves away from her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

She stopped swatting the leaves and glared at me. "Do I look okay?" she whispered, fiercely. "I had to wait twenty freaking minutes before I even had the courage to step outside my room," she explained, angrily. "And then one shithead had to start a commotion just around the same time I got out. I almost got caught by pack guards rushing to help Glenn out of a grass hold," she said pissed, staring accusedly at me. I guess Glenn did call for reinforcements after all. I rose up my hands in a signal of peace and smiled. "And to add salt to injury, I had to tell Kent I couldn't watch the fireflies with him because I needed to help my mom out with something," she snarled, staring daggers at me.

I gave her a moment to catch her breath and calm down before I spoke.

"I'm really sorry for putting you through this, really I truly am," I said, sincerely.

She kept glaring, determined to stay mad at me for as long as she could handle, but her gaze subsequently softened and she closed her eyes and sighed.

"I can't seem to stay mad at you for a long time," she groaned and placed a hand to her forehead. I moved closer to her and enveloped her in a hug which she returned.

"Are you sure about this?" she said against my neck.

I broke away from the hug and looked at her. "As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, confidently.

"Then let's get going," she turned to open the portal and I stopped her.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"Your hair," I moved to remove the dirt and smoothed it over. "It looks like a bird's nest," I giggled and she giggled as well.

"It's your fault," she pouted. "Ready?" She asked after she had run her hand through it a couple of times as well.

"Yes,"

And with that she turned around and finally opened up the portal to the outside world.

Noise. Loud maddening noise filled the atmosphere. The round man with the strange attire shouted to the lady dressed rather poorly across the street, his clenched fist was raised in anger as he shook them violently and spewed obscenities at her.

Guess they're quite as hot-headed as you are, Zena snickered down the mind-link.

Well, what can I say. We are all lycanthropes regardless of our packs.

She rolled her eyes at me and I shrugged, pulling her along with me.

Lights shone everywhere. On tall poles, in swirling motions and in different colours. They were blinding yet so mesmerizing. These were more lights than I had ever seen in my whole life. The landscape was so different from what we were used to back in our pack. Greenery was devoid in this world and in its place were freakishly huge buildings that went way past the sky. They stood as proud leaders surrounded by their flag of smaller buildings in different designs and allure. The whole place was abuzz with activity and I had never seen this much people gathered in one place at a time. We were a fairly large pack but our size didn't even come close to this.

Different people with different skin tones. Some walked briskly along the sidewalks and in their hands was a small instrument that they stared at as their fingers moved swiftly on it. Others were being carried in strange looking machines which could move due to the four round shapes, beneath them. They rolled and continued to roll taking the machine and the people in it further and further away.

Lost in the wonders of the outside world, Zena and I failed to see the group of females walking in our direction. They collided into us and forced our intertwined hands apart.

"Why don't you two watch where you're going," the tall blonde, hissed with a raise of her middle finger then she turned away and walked to catch up with the group before I could throw in a smart retort.

Really hot-headed people with weird finger signs, Zena commented. But nothing we can't handle. Only if she had stayed, she mind-linked and her eyes shone with evil intent.

Yeah, but they don't have wolf scents, I mused.

I noticed that as well and the air smells.... She trailed off through the mind-link and tapped me hurriedly.

"What is that?" She breathed in awe. I looked in the direction she stared fixated at and my words caught in my throat.

It was a huge statue of a woman, placed on a building. The lights that were placed around her moved in sequence and every time they lit up, her legs would cross and uncross. It was very much like my painting which changed depending on where you were standing. Zena and I continued to stare and we didn't notice the two males who were trying to get our attention.

"You ladies lost?" the tall brown-haired one asked in a funny voice. Zena and I looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

They speak funny as well, Zena mind-linked.

"Did I say something funny?" He whispered to the dark-haired male beside him.

"No you didn't," I answered. "It's just that you speak funny," I commented. "And smell funny too" I added, catching a whiff of something I couldn't quite place my hand on. Zena smelt it as well and mind-linked me.

It's the horrid smell. It's everywhere?

The brown-haired one turned to sniff around his body trying to find the source of the stink.

"I always tell him to take a bath but he never listens," the dark-haired male spoke up for the first time. "I'm Jared and this is Jayce my twin," he said, introducing the both of them with a stretch of his hand.

They have such weird names as well, Zena noted down the mind-link.

I took his hand and introduced myself. "I'm Yil and this is Zena," I said motioning to Zena.

"Such exotic names for exotic beauties," he mused and lowered his lips to kiss my hand. Before I could react Zena smacked his lips and growled at him

"Don't you dare," she warned.

Jared flinched slightly from the warning and Jayce stopped his sniffing to stare wide eyed at Zena.

Zena, what are you doing? I mind-linked

Protecting my future Alpha from hot-headed, foul smelling, weird named creatures. I rolled my eyes at her statement and turned towards Jared and Jayce with a smile.

"She's quite defensive and doesn't deal well with strangers," I explained.

Jared broke into a slow smile. "That's okay, I like them feisty," he stared intently at Zena and she growled low in her throat.

"So how about we show you ladies a good time," Jayce suggested hesitantly, unsure of what our reaction would be.

"Yeah you both look like you're new around town and Big Joe bar just happens to be the best place for a hangout," Jared declared breaking his stare on Zena and pointing to the building that Zena and I had been staring at just moments ago.

You can't seriously be considering this, Zena scoffed down the mind-link

"Yeah, sure" I beamed at him. "Lead the way,"

Jared grinned slowly and moved ahead with Jayce leaving a reluctant Zena and I behind.

"Oh come on Zena, it's going to be my first and last time here. So let's have fun," I pleaded.

"I don't like him," she said, tilting her head to Jared's retreating back. "Or his twin"

"You guys coming?" Jared called from the entrance of the bar.

"Yes, we will be right there," I called back as I dragged Zena along with me. "Please Zena for me. I even give you permission to take his head off if he tries anything funny," I added.

"You can't take that back," she stopped dragging her feet and walked alongside me with a sinister smile.

What can I say? A female has to do what a female has to do.

Together we walked towards the bar and with Jared holding the door open for us, we entered into another different world.
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