Chapter 9 – The Old Lady

Elijah's POV

Once the words left my mouth, I could see all the colours disappear from Jack's face.

"Buddy, you've gone insane faster than I thought."

"Jack, I've already marked her and we don't have any information regarding her past that could help us find her. And you should start realizing that she's not only my mate but your Luna as well."

Fortunately, my word sorted the desired effect. Jack slowly nodded and proceeded to go call the elder. The elder was one of the senior citizens of the pack. Every decade the pack would elect a voice among the seniors, who will have the responsibility of protecting the pack's knowledge and be the advisor of the Alpha. The current one was elected not long before my father's death, but I could still remember the huge respect he paid towards her.

Lady Editha was like the granny of the pack. She used to tutor at least half of the people that were now prominent members of the pack, she still got looks of awe from children and others. Even if she was little and hunched, she held within herself a great power. She was the holder of all the ancient knowledge, handed down for generations of werewolves' part of the Aurelian Pack.

She used to give me private lessons when I was just a pup about the pack history and the ancient rituals, the one that connected us to our primitive nature, where our wolves lead us.

Short after Jack exited the room, I heard the lock snap and saw my mother standing out the door frame.

"Jack told me what you plan on doing. I am not here to persuade you otherwise, but I have to warn you."

I made a step toward her, but I was stopped by her hand stretched out before her.

"When I'll have finished what I have to say, you'll be able to walk out this door and do whatever you see more fit for your situation. Remember, son, I only want you to reunite with your mate. I know very well how painful it is to be kept apart."

Her voice trembled, making my heart skip a beat. I wish I had the power to bring my father back to relieve my mother. I simply nodded and prepared myself to hear what she had to say.

"The Blood Call is an ancient ritual, even the elders had always refrained to suggest it. A lot of brave and strong wolves have lost something important after the ritual, some of them even lost their wolf. There is nothing which could assure you the ritual will be successful. It will require great strength and greater willpower. Your thoughts must be clear and focused on the person you're calling. You will not have another possibility. And above all, whether be the result, there's no turning back."

Somewhere in my brain, a voice kept telling me I was going ahead of myself, that I was risking too much for a she-wolf I'd never talked to, I'd never kissed or properly hugged. Nothing could assure me she would be a fitted Luna or a good mate, or that she wasn't part of the sickness of the people I saw in her memories. But there was a louder voice, which kept screaming at me I had to save them. And I couldn't stop hearing the plead for help from her wolf. She was destined to me for a reason, and I couldn't stop believing in the sacrality of mates just because what was at stake was scary.

"Find her, human."

Lucius' voice boomed in my head, forcing me to shut him out. My mother didn't say it all. Legends tell of wolves who died even before ending the ritual, and others couldn't find their sanity after. I went hugging my mother, I wanted to tell her goodbye before going to the elder.

I needed to ask her. Something inside me stirred. It was Lucius and I knew. He perceived that I was second-guessing my choice. But I was not going to be a reliable Alpha if I was ready to put my life in danger without thinking. I could find another she-wolf to be my Luna, but I could not leave the pack without a leader. Without anyone with Alpha blood, the pack would be prey to other Alphas greedy for more power or more territory. Those weren't easy days in the werewolves community. Since we had to separate almost completely our lives from the humans' things between packs had gone sour.

We used to live in communities, some smaller, some bigger, but since we became almost reclused between our packs, individualism spread like a plague.

When I finally reached outside, I filled my lungs with the familiar scents of the forest. Pinewood, moss and moist soil scents predominated above all, since a lighter scent, come to my senses.

Jasmine and ebony hit my nostrils, the elder was nearby.

I had just finished processing what my nose had perceived when I saw her approaching from the trees. The long white hair was braided with pearls and carved trinkets. She was barefoot and dressed in a long dress grey as the colour of her wolf fur. Some said you could hear tingling when she was coming but were the same who claimed her blood was mixed with the witches. Rumours, nothing more. Witches were extinct way more before she was even born.

"You finally escaped your head, young Alpha."

"Lady Editha. I need your expertise."

I decided not to dwell on her words, I had more important things to discuss with her, and I knew better than to put up with her cryptic sentences.

"I already know, you rascal. What you intend to do is either very stupid or very brave. If you survive or not will tell us which one."

I was taken aback for a second. Then I remembered who I was talking to and gestured for her to sit with me on the grass that surrounded the pack house.

"Elder...I need to know if this is the right choice for my pack. I can't risk every one of them just for a girl I barely spoke to. I have barely seen her actually."

She looked me in my eyes for what seemed like ages, before slowly taking some herbs out of her cloth bag.

"And here I thought you were not one to believe in those magic tricks. But people change in times where uncertainty is king."

I knew she was mocking me and I summoned all my patience to not growl directly in her face.

"I am not asking for a divination, Editha, but for your advice."

"I am not in the position to tell you the answer to that, young Alpha, but your concern towards your father's pack honours you."

I took a deep breath. I had hoped she could help me untangle all the confusing thoughts that lived in my head, but as always she would not tell me anything.

Your father's pack...

It is mine, now.

Not without a mate.

"I will do the ritual, Elder, but I'll need to send a word to Gawain of the Rionel Pack first."

Maybe I could not survive the ritual, but I could secure my pack's safety before risking my life. The Rionel Pack was almost five hundred miles away, but its Alpha was a good friend of my father and a good leader, who respected every member of the pack and cared about them. He was one of the first to come to my side after my father's death and helped me understand how to lead a pack in the best way. I was sure he would have taken care of my mother and the pack if I hadn't survived the ritual.

I opened the mind link and called Jack. He was near me in seconds.

"Jack, I need you to send someone who we can trust to Gawain, I'll tell you the message through the mind link. No one else could know about this, am I clear?"

Jack nodded and started to protest almost immediately, but I reassured him.

"It's just a precaution. I know what I am doing."

I gave him a pat on the back and then turned again towards Editha, who was still sitting on the grass arranging her herbs and other things in front of her.

"I'm ready."