When Do We Start?

Gran is looking at me trying to gauge how I am handling all this information that has been dumped on me. To be honest, I am not sure how I am handling it.

My head and heart are so confused. I feel like me, Enya, like I always have, but then I also feel like something more. I can feel the weight of my past life on my shoulders.

When I think back on the flashes I had of Henry's face I know without a shadow of a doubt that my soul loved him once. He was my mate, and now in this life I am meant to kill him.

My heart fully belongs to Erik, yet I can't help this strange pull I feel. I remember Henry's amber orbs, the way he used to capture Annabel in his arms and hold her close. I can actually remember what it used to feel like in his embrace.

How is this possible? How is it that I can remember him?

"Gran, is it possible that I am still connected to Henry?", the question leaps out of me before I can stop it.

She looks confused when she answers, "What do you mean? Are you saying you still…feel him somehow?"

"Sort of. I think I remember his face. How Annabel used to feel in his arms. It's like a part of me is reaching out to him."

My confession seems to worry Gran as she mulls over my words.

"I suppose anything is possible. I've never heard of someone being able to recall memories from their past lives.", she sounds nonchalant, but I can still pick up the notes of worry in her voice.

"I don't know what to do Gran…", I start to crack, "How in the hell am I going to do this?"

The unwanted, yet demanding, tears are back. A deep feeling of emptiness is settling inside me. Who am I really? Am I Enya, the daughter of Becca and Alaric Anders? Or am I really Annabel?

The soul that resides within me is dark in some parts. I can feel the scars of my past are finally making themselves known. My lungs feel frozen while my heart slows down so much that I can barely feel it beating.

Gran pulls me close, wrapping her arms around me. She says nothing. Only holding me as I unabashedly let my fears consume me. I shake from the sobs that cannot escape me fast enough.

I hear Erik's panicked voice as he runs up to us, "Enya! Are you alright baby?"

For a minute I forgot that your mate can feel your emotions, and the stronger they are the easier they can feel them.

"I'm…not sure."

He looks helplessly at Gran, she beckons him over to hold me in her place.

"She needs you right now. Your touch will help ease her.", she releases me and Erik takes her place next to me. She turns and walks away, giving us a few moments alone.

He pulls me into his lap, holding me by my legs and shoulders. Feeling his arms around me does help ease the pain I feel in my heart. I instantly feel warmer. I hadn't even realized how cold I was before.

He nuzzles up to my neck and inhales my scent, he was so worried about me too and I can feel it through the bond.

I lay my head on his shoulder looking up into his eyes. He is blurry while the unshed tears gather again. I'm so tired of crying. I have cried more in the last week than I have in my entire life.

Breathing in his scent I wrap my arms around his neck and bring his forehead to mine. My heartbeat starts to pick up again, he is bringing me back to life. My skin tingles as he strokes my back lovingly.

"Talk to me, baby girl.", he begs me. His oasis is stormy with fear, he doesn't like not knowing how to help me.

"I don't know if I am ready…to talk about it yet. Can you just keep holding me?"

He smiles at me and it warms me up even more, "Of course I can, love. Anything for you."

*****

About an hour later I start to explain to Erik about what happened to Annabel. How she killed her sister's family, her death, and Henry.

Of course he can sense my mixed emotions when it comes to Henry. A small part of me somehow feels like my soul misses him. The dull ache in the deepest parts of me may be faint, but it's still there.

Erik isn't sure how to feel about this. His worry and anxiety over the remnants of my past life dig at me, making me feel even more guilty than I already do.

I would never hurt or betray Erik, he is the love of my life, my mate, my best friend. He is the only man I will ever truly want, no matter what happened to my soul centuries ago.

I try to reassure him, "Hey, you are the only man for me. You know that don't you?"

"Yes, I do know. It's just strange that you can remember him. Even more strange that you can still feel a connection to him.", his candid response makes me question my own sanity.

'Do I truly remember Henry?'

'Or is this all in my head?'

Athena answers my rhetorical, yet serious, questions, 'You do remember him. As do I.'

'What do you remember about him?'

'I remember how desperate he was to save us. How he tried so hard to help ease the hunger that consumed Annabel. It even consumed me.'

Her memories surprise me. She can remember the feeling of the bloodlust flowing through her veins. Goosebumps appear on my arms and my mouth waters as I feel Athena's memories.

I shake myself internally, but not before Erik could feel the bloodlust through our bond.

"Whoa…what was that?", the question isn't only from his words. It's written all over his face.

I cast my eyes down as I say, "I think that's what bloodlust feels like. Athena can remember it. It's the weirdest sensation. I hope to not feel that ever again."

Erik takes a hold of my chin and lifts my eyes to his, "You are not her. You are your own person, Enya. Do not be afraid of facing this, we will get through this together. I swear it."

The conviction in his voice steals my breath away. I have no idea how I was blessed with such an extraordinary mate in this life, when I committed such disastrous sins in the past.

They say karma will always come back to bite you in the ass. Yet, somehow, here I am in the arms of the most gorgeous man as he promises to stay by my side.

There are no words I can say to express my gratitude to him, so instead I place my lips on his. Gently kissing him as I cup his face. He moans in my mouth prompting me to deepen our kiss.

Our tongues meet in perfect rhythm, for a few minutes I am lost in his touch. There is nothing else in the world but Erik.

His hands are gripping me everywhere he touches, I can feel him start to harden beneath my lap. I smile against his lips as a giggle slips from me.

The next thing I know I hear someone coughing letting us know of their presence.

Looking away from Erik I turn to find Gran has returned. I can feel the blush on my cheeks and neck getting hotter. She only met me a few hours ago and now she has caught me making out.

My next thought however is, 'It doesn't matter. He is my mate.'

Smiling at my thought I address Gran, "Hi Gran." I clear my throat before continuing, "Um, what's up?"

'Did you just say what's up to a former High Priestess?', Athena laughs at me.

'What else was I going to say?'

Erik links me, 'Oh I don't know. Maybe something like Hi Gran, I didn't see you there. Or what can I do for you? Not "what's up?"

I roll my eyes at him as Gran speaks, "Well I was hoping to discuss with you about your training. If you are going to fulfill your destiny of killing Henry, you have got a lot to learn. And I would wager not a lot of time to learn it."

Suddenly my mouth is bone dry. I gulp in the hopes that my mouth will register that I need some help here, but it just makes the dryness more apparent.

"So when do we start?", I ask her. I sound more confident than I feel. Fake it until you make it I guess.

"The sooner the better. We need to start with the basics, build your foundation. Then we can move on to the hard stuff."

Nodding my head I tell her, "We can get started tomorrow then if that's ok with you."

"Absolutely. I need to see your mother for some herbs and I would like to catch up more with her. A lot has happened in the last 19 years."

The great sadness in her eyes is clear. She has missed my mom so much. I get out of Erik's grasp and I hug Gran. She practically crushes me in her arms. I can feel her pain at not being a part of our lives.

I'm her only granddaughter and she is only just now meeting me. I am a part of her legacy, an extension of her bloodline. The overwhelming pride that swells in her heart as she holds me brings a smile to my face.

She breaks away and looks in my eyes as she says, "I have something for you. A present of sorts." She pulls out a small gift box from the pocket of her oversized knit vest holding it out for me to take.

Examining the tiny box for a moment I whisper, "You didn't have to get me anything Gran."

"Well it's not just a gift. It's for your protection too."

At her words I look in her eyes again. She can see my question and answers it without the words, "It's something to warn you if Henry, or any vampire for that matter, is near."

Nodding her head she adds, "We can call it a belated birthday present. It isn't much, but it will have to do until I get to know you better and I can get something that you will really love."

Her smile is sweet, I can tell that she means every word. She will be here for all my birthdays from now on. With the truth out there is no reason for her to stay away.

I hug her tightly again before opening the box. Inside is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen.

Resting on top of a velvet cushion is a single ruby halo pendant. The stone is encased by what looks to be pure silver, the etching of the silver is intricate and vintage. I pull it out of the box and hold it between my fingers.

The chain is also made of silver, it's just long enough that it's not a choker, but it should rest nicely above my cleavage. I can't look away as Gran explains more about the gift.

"This belonged to my great-grandmother. It was a gift from her husband.", I finally tear my eyes away from the pendant and gaze at Gran.

"This was my great-great-grandmother's?", I ask in near disbelief. I feel so honored to be receiving such a precious heirloom.

"Yes, it was. She passed it on to me when I came of age. I had hoped to give it to your mother, but she turned it down. Said I should give it to her sister, Reyna."

"Why didn't you give it to her?"

"I'm not sure really. It always felt as if it belonged to someone else. She had no real need for it, and it was always passed down to the eldest daughter. Reyna never even asked for it."

My heart expands with love as I thank her for something so dear to her, "Gran, I can't thank you enough for this. It's…it's the most beautiful gift."

"It was meant for you. I know that now. The stone will glow bright red if a vampire is near. I believe it works as much as 10 miles away. With how quickly they travel it seems fitting that the distance is relatively great."

Erik comes up behind me and holds out his hand. I place the necklace in his palm, he stares at it for a second before opening the clasp and gesturing to me to pull up my hair. I do as he asks and he fastens it around my neck.

I was right, the chain is long enough that the stone sits perfectly in the middle of my chest. My fingers feel the pendant thoughtlessly, it feels familiar to me somehow.

Perhaps Gran is right that it was always meant to belong to me.

"Do you know where my great-great-grandfather got the stone from?", I'm not sure why I felt the need to ask, but I can't help it. Something about it against my skin just feels right.

"No, I think she told me once that he bought it from a witch in a neighboring coven. I do know that it's a few hundred years at least. The magic that enchanted it is extremely old.", she explains.

I tilt my head at her as I ask, "You can tell how old the magic is?"

"Absolutely. Each spell and charm leaves a type of signature behind. As you learn more about your own magic you will be able to read these signatures. You'll eventually be able to determine how long ago the magic was done."

Erik interjects, "That's incredible. I never knew that. Are there any limits to magic?"

Gran chuckles as she responds, "Of course, Erik. All magic has its limits. But each witch is different and can perform certain magic that other magical creatures cannot. It all depends on what blessings the Goddess has bestowed to the witch."

"So we won't know how much magic I have until we start training will we?", I ask her.

Her eyebrow cocks as she says, "I'm not so sure about that."

"What do you mean?", Erik is the one to ask my question. I glance at him and see some concern on his face.

"I have a feeling that Enya's power could be beyond measure. She was prophesied over 500 years ago. And she is meant to destroy an incredibly powerful vampire, who also wields a great deal of magic himself. We have no idea how much his abilities have grown over the years. We have to be prepared for anything."

I gulp at her ominous words. Could I really be able to take Henry down?

I connect with Athena and tell her, 'We really do have a lot of work to do.'

She answers me with, 'No time to waste. I'm ready when you are.'

I nod at Gran and tell her, "I'm ready. Teach me everything."

She smiles at my confidence, "I know you are. We'll start first thing tomorrow. Bright and early. I've been set up at a cottage about 5 miles east of the pack house. I enjoy my privacy and I don't want to disrupt the rest of the pack with my presence."

I'm about to argue with her, but then she says, "It's also best that we train in the thick of the woods. We draw much of our strength from the Earth. The closer we are to nature at its purest form, the better."

"Alright, I will meet you there at dawn."

"Wonderful. Sleep well tonight dear. You're going to need it. I'm off to see your mother.", she hugs me again before walking away to meet up with mom.

Erik pulls me back in his arms and I rest my head against his shoulder. He nuzzles my neck, igniting those sparks I have become accustomed to. I sigh heavily as my body begins to truly relax.

He whispers in my ear, "Let's go upstairs to our room. You need to relax and get to bed early tonight."

Turning in his embrace I bring my lips close to his as I whisper back, "What if I don't want to go to bed early?"

The husky tone of my words sets Erik on edge, he knows exactly what I am implying. I want to be underneath him as much as I can tonight.

He stubbornly tells me, "You said you would meet her at dawn. We have no idea what training with your magic is going to do to you. You need to rest."

I can sense the command in his voice, but I still try to get his resolve to crumble. Whining a little I lightly lick his bottom lip before placing a feathery kiss on him.

"If that is what Alpha wishes…I guess I will have to listen."

He groans as I tease him with a few more light kisses. My arms are wrapped around his neck while his hands roam up my back. His right hand finds the back of my neck and he lightly fists my hair.

Looking deep into my ocean he smashes his mouth to me, claiming my lips hard and unrelenting. I moan in his mouth as his tongue explores me.

Suddenly he breaks the kiss and growls at me, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, baby girl."

Playfully, and without taking my eyes off of him, I whisper tauntingly, "Yes, I do…Master."