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"Wait a goddamn minute... I just got here. How the hell would anyone know if I'm eligible?"

"They just do. The forest whispers."

It suddenly came to me.

I gasped for air, arising from my light induced slumber with low eyes. I blinked them shut several more times before focusing on where I was.

The room was empty.

I was in the middle of an abyss of darkness.

All alone.

Something I'm familiar with, I suppose…

I was only 6 years old when my father died in a fatal car accident. I vaguely remember the entire week before he had spent all his time with me. Taking me everywhere I asked. Sharing some of his favorite oldies with me cause we both loved music. Telling me about himself even though he knew I probably wouldn't remember. Reminding me of how special I was to the world, and especially how special I was to them both.

I was at a sleepover the night before my 18th birthday when I found out from the police my mother soundlessly disappeared from our home in the middle of the night. No one had witnessed her or anyone else exiting the home after the lights went out for the night.

Later that week they recovered a body wrapped inside a trash bag from a nearby lake and she was pronounced deceased. Apparently they had found another family member to verify the body. Instead of a funeral, they opted to cremate the body and keep it to themselves.

I didn't know I had any other family.

Growing up being an only child with a few cousins, a couple aunts and uncles from both sides, and two sets of grandparents, you'd think you'd feel less alone. You think you'd have a close relationship to them. So many memories to recall as you think back and struggle to contain a smile as you begin to pictures the moments that felt like just yesterday in your mind. How much you guys missed times like those and how it's so different from the present. I don't have any other family.

The ones I knew have been pronounced dead or the case ran cold. Each tearing a layer away from my heart; crushing my eagerness to interact with those I loved. Causing me to take the last moments I shared with the people that shared the same bloodline as me for granted. Looked like me. Loved me. Helped raise me and experienced life with me. All because I was too scared to grow attached. I lost contact with a lot of the members of what used to be my family.

Selfishly saving my heart for when the time came that they disappear. Like everyone else did.

I tried to get information in regards to who identified my mother, and hoped I could get the chance to meet them. I never received a response, nor even give any sort of lead as to who could've had the authority to do such a thing and if it was really even her. She never talked about anything unless it involved the two of us. I also wasn't sure if she had anyone else she knew of outside of our family. And if she did, she never mentioned them to me.

I hit a dead end.

I started living on my own since then, Dion who had already been my boyfriend of a year being the only normal thing in life I could cling onto. The only thing that felt sure.

Time wouldn't hesitate to prove otherwise.

And the growing belief whoever took mom would come for me too, only worsened.

I always felt something, anything, waiting for me. Since then I worked from home and hardly frequented any stores or social hubs. I kept to myself and made sure to watch my own back, believing I was the last branch of my family tree that hadn't broken off it's base.

The vacancy of the room seemed to tug each part of me toward the darkest corners of my mind. The further I tried to run and the more I tried to hide, the easier it was for me to succumb to the dread. The quickening pace of my heart and the unshed tears pooling behind my eyelids only encouraging me to dive faster into the downward spiral of melancholy.

The feeling of nothing.

A numbness that settled over my scarred heart.

Distracting me from impending insanity, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a figure, nearly transparent yet visible. I swiveled my body to face them, suddenly overwhelmed with courage to find out where I was. To make it out of whatever hell hole I had stumbled into.

I couldn't help but halt in my tracks at the sight.

She was stunning.

From where I stood I seen what a woman with faux locs trailing several feet behind her as she too, began to approach me. Although she was nearly transparent, I could make out bits of her honey like skin fighting to fade away. Still, she smiled gracefully as she approached. Her eyes had speckles of white shining through her hollow state; each dimension of her thwarting itself which slightly reminded me of a drawing on a chalk board. Each piece of her fighting to break through, almost glitching yet she remained unfazed. Glowing. Scars littered her skin but her body wasn't battered,

she was strong.

She appeared to be a soldier, her muscles more than apparent through the undergarments of her uni-

Wait,

.. I know her.

And as soon as I believed I recognized her,

she was gone.

"Has the forest whispered to you?"

I couldn't help but stare coldly at the wall as I had been before I originally lost focus. I always shut out my emotions and thoughts about anything that reminded me of the past. I don't talk about it.

"I think so, but I've had enough of being the only one not getting any real answers. I really need to know what I'm getting myself into. I'm sick of the lies," I professed with a soft yet firm tone as I moved to straighten my posture and meet each of their eyes.

However, I've always suspected my parent's deaths to be murders.

I've just never had the resources to look into it,  so I decided to pack up all my conclusions and unprocessed emotions. I set them on layaway for when I could afford a fuck to give after I lose my mind all over again.

I'm broke, in case you wanted a progress report.

I snapped out of my thoughts and stood by idly observing the pair appearing to be contemplating an answer as they gazed into another's eyes; Ruth briefly glancing in my direction and most likely noticing me still watching them. It seemed as if a conversation between their eyes ensued, both of their orbs slowly glazing over alike the thin layer of icing on a donut. At first glance anyone would think the two were engaged in a stare down, but upon further inspection one could assume they held a conversation without the exchange of words. This seemed to continue for a little while longer before Ruth averted her eyes and closed her once open posture.

When my stare returned to Jadelle her orbs now peered into my own. Her previously idle, glossy eyes were back to the hazel I recognized them to be when I first laid eyes on her. I watched as she titled her head to the side and shifted her stance before selecting her words carefully,

"It wasn't our intention to confuse you Blythe-"

"I'm not confused," I spoke trying to refrain from eluding irritation with my tone, "I'm rather disappointed you two think I'm falling for any of the excuses or half ass truths you keep telling."

Ruth leapt forward as she attempted to explain herself with fidgety hands, "I didn't have per-"

"Choose your next words wisely or don't say them at all Ru," Jadelle bit out rather harshly as she motioned to rummage through the drawers of her desk, "in fact, storytelling is my specialty. Let me tell her."

The room fell silent aside from the clatter of things shuffling inside the drawer. I was at a loss for words and chose to wait for her to continue down that train of thought as I rested against a column. Sparing a sideways glance at Ruth she seemed as if she couldn't find the words to say either.

"Found it!" she exclaimed cheerfully, loudly clearing her throat several times before she  began the story.

"There's been a legend passed down from the first settlers that inhabited Celestial Cove that this forest was territory of the very first lycanthrope, also known to mankind as a werewolf. This werewolf was said to be created by the moon goddess, Luna, in order to restore the balance of life when humans began to enslave another, take another's land, industrialize the planet, cause animals to go extinct, and destroy the once beautiful planet that belonged to the gods.

He'd fought through war after war. He saved and took countless lives. The lycan carried out each and every task Luna assigned him, no matter how far, long, or challenging each proved to be. After thinking of how to thank him for a while, she gifted him the sacred land he had fought for. The lycan still wasn't happy. She created more werewolves for the lycan to befriend and teach the way of life, but he still wasn't content.

So, Luna met with Fate and discussed creating a perfect other half for the lycan. To make him feel complete. To bring him peace and light, casting away the darkness encircling his mind from the hard times he felt. From there, the idea of each werewolf being born with half of a soul was born. The other half belonging to the person you are supposed to spend the rest of your life deeply in love with; a mate. She and the goddess spent day after day tying the strings from the soul of each one of Luna's creations to their perfect partner.

Yet the pair, no matter how hard they tried, could not find the ideal soul to match or balance the first lycan. Time began to pass quickly, from years to decades, and decades to centuries. He wasn't anything but ecstatic witnessing the lives of those around him begin to hold more meaning with not only the expansion of family, but the gradual immersion of wolves in society.

Even so, he couldn't stop the feeling of solitude from growing in the pit of his heart. All of the centuries he spent searching for his mate. He had begun to feel he wasn't good enough. The lycan believed the essence of his soul was disrupted from everything he had lived through after roaming around the planet. The fibers of his spirit frayed as if burned from his scars. Frayed from the unbearable pain of carrying so much weight on his shoulders. Those closest to him spoke of his loss of interest in the way of life and current events. He had begun to lose hope in love. Living through the passing periods of time alone, never partaking in love for himself. He lost hope in having a soulmate. It's said he felt he held no purpose in existing in life if it were to be alone.

The lycan would go on to ask Luna to lay his soul to rest for a few billion years.

After rising him from his 'sleep' to avert the human race from discovering his kind exists as the world advances in technology and intelligence, a discrete war between the government and werewolves began to simmer. The military formed a subgroup called The Company, who were tasked with hunting down werewolves across the country. The lycan, alongside an army of his loyal pack members, were able to find and murder every member.

After that, he established hierarchical roles for the werewolves and with the help of the moon goddess, he was able to acquire land specifically for their kind to roam all over this continent. Beginning to make things much clearer to the wolves, he introduced Luna as whom to give thanks to. Thus, prompting them to worship and celebrate her role in creation, their victory in war, and keeping them out of harm's way.

Every year since then, after overhearing the moon goddess say she would cause a random lunar phase to occur on the 18th of a month every twelve months, he decided to hold a festival on that day in honor of their creator, Luna.

Almost as if things were starting to finally come together, the lycan received the news his mate would be born in the next few decades. He searched for her everywhere, traveling far and wide to find her. Believing she could be anywhere and anyone. He went missing in action as he desperately searched.

And time didn't care, it wouldn't wait for anyone.

Apparently, one year after several years of peace within the kingdom, the festival was attacked by some of the descendants of the original members of The Company. Finally, the lycan decided to ask for help from a powerful witch who owed him a favor. In turn, he asked her to conceal the sacred land he was gifted from the human eye in order to protect his home from the threat of exposure and loss of lives. It is said that only supernatural beings are able to be granted access to the Celestial Cove; a human only if they receive permission from the lycan himself. 

Following that year, every year when the clock strikes midnight those attending would rush home from the festival. Women prepared to adorn elegant dresses, and men in the most dapper of suits. It was said werewolves from all over the world would find a way to the castle upon invitation of the king to help find not only his soulmate, but the mates of the rest of the people of residing in his kingdom."

As Jadelle told the 'legend', I couldn't help but think about the story Ruth had told me earlier this morning about two halves of a soul. Not only was it suspiciously similar to what I was just told, but I also could've sworn I heard the word 'mate' before. It seemed I was getting closer and closer to the truth, yet at the same time the truth had begun to leave me more and more questions.

Mulling over that simple fact alone, I couldn't control the amount of thoughts and inquiries forming in the back of my mind. They consumed my brain and resulted in me hardly realizing Jadelle still hadn't taken my measurements until I felt Ruth's hands gently lift up my arms. Only then I became aware of their curious stares. Awaiting my response.

I quickly collected my thoughts before I allowed a question to fall from my lips, "If that legend is true, has the lycan found his mate yet?"

Ruth shook her head, uttering a somber, "No."

It was clear the legend held some truth to her by the way her eyes shined, seemingly affected by the distress of the lycan.

"Do you believe it's true?" I finally mustered the courage to ask, gazing at a focused Jadelle as she recoiled a tape measurer from around my bust and lowered it to my waist.

"If you want my honest answer, it would be yes," she offered as she secured the length of my waist, hesitating for a few moments before continuing, "I like to think I've lived long enough to be open to the possibility of another reality. Another perspective the world hasn't seen or even thought to exist. I've experienced way too much to be ignorant to the belief of someone else. No matter how exaggerated or hard to hear it may be, it likely holds some form of the truth within it."

I couldn't agree more with what she said, opting to ponder on everything in an entirely different light.

As I fell deeper into that train of thought, I realized the legend potentially explained what happened at the stump. How the forest even had the ability to whisper to me when I was unconscious. That would only conclude that this land was indeed, sacred.

In that same second I registered the fact that the only way Leo could've known about the power of the stump is if he too, had access to Celestial Cove. Which meant that he was not some athlete winning gold medals at the olympics for jumping over hurdles or participating in the high jump. He had to be some sort of supernatural being due to the way he could scale my balcony without breaking a sweat, and weightlessly descend from it with the same amount of graceful ease.

Werewolf, vampire, witch or whatever the fuck he was... I had trusted him with my life. Allowing him to carry me in the direction of the stump and even following his directions in order to escape the threat of being caught by a relentless Noah, or even worse, the police force. He had risked his life to protect me, turning down the prospect of making it to safety to ensure that nobody had followed behind us. But why me? Why bring me, a worthless human, to Celestial Cove?

Further deducing the legend is true, the realization that I landed myself in the middle of some ancient, fairytale shit way before my time washed over me like ice cold water. Anxiety beginning to uncomfortably brew at the pit of my stomach as I thought back on everything I've experienced since I got here.

I spent most of my day walking amongst supernatural beings and didn't even know.

Tonight I'll be surrounded by thousands of werewolves searching for their soulmate.

The concept was enough to make my stomach turn drastically, causing me to lean forward and release the contents of my stomach onto the floor. I clutched my stomach tightly, instantly feeling someone come beside me and hold my hair as I threatened to hurl once more.

"It's okay. Let it out."

I was gonna do that anyways.

"Get her some water, and while you're out there tell Keli to fetch and prepare the mop bucket, please."

I drowned out the sound of Jadelle's commands as I finished throwing up today's breakfast and all of the wine I had previously indulged in before I landed here. Thankfully, I felt my stomach settle and was relieved to know the liquor had left my system and was done tormenting my palate.

The eerie feeling of discomfort however, was determined to stay. I felt a chill run down the length of my spine as Jadelle returned my hair to it's original position on my shoulder. Her touch now foreign, unfamiliar. I restrained myself from flinching upon it's contact, though it appeared she immediately understood and dropped her hand altogether.

Before I came to my senses I thought I had established a connection with the two women, but now as I stood in the center of the hut I felt just as wary as I had before. Although Jadelle had vaguely told me about Celestial Cove and it's troubled past, I wasn't sure if I could trust her. Plus, even though Ruth allowed me to be a guest in her home and had confided personal things to me, I still didn't know if I could fully trust her. She kept this secret from me this entire time and planned to let me continue on, ignorantly exploring the cove as if it was just another part of the world I hadn't had the pleasure to enjoy.

I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone anymore.

The weight of the secret was lifted from my mind but the depth of it's origin hung over my shoulders. I couldn't fathom the thought of what else I didn't know; what other secrets awaited for light to be shed upon them and brought to the surface. I didn't even know which question to ask first, and what question if any should I ask. Any words I tried to voice failed to leave the tip of my tongue as if my lips had been sealed shut. As if I lost the heart to even interrogate either of them as I probably should.

"I understand this is a lot to take in. You probably don't wanna hear this from me but you need to take deep breaths. Inhale, exhale. Clear your head for just a moment before you grace the earth with your attentive presence once more. Think about everything with a fresh mind," Jadelle suggested calmly as she slowly backed away from me, turning her palms so they were visible, "I promise I will explain any more of the questions you have. I don't want you to be scared of me."

I flickered my gaze to meet her own, noticing how taken aback she was with how I reacted. I attempted to prevent my emotions from controlling my behavior, but anger was beginning to boil inside of me at the idea of being instilled with a false sense of security.

As if on cue, Ruth returned with the water she was ordered to retrieve for me. Glancing between us and observing the thickening tension in the room, she motioned to throw me the bottle of water.

I caught it in a swift sweeping motion, and with the same confidence headed toward the door she had just entered the room through. As I approached the two women they both paused, eagerly waiting to see what I would do once I reached them.

To their surprise, I maneuvered passed them and continued out of the hut entirely. I heard them begin to bicker as the door nearly slammed  closed behind me. The voices grew fainter and fainter as I walked passed the racks of clothing and the breathtaking mannequins.

She is too damn good at what she does.

Just as I stepped a shaky foot on the path and let out the breath I unknowingly was holding, I managed to hear a muffled voice begin to yell pleadingly.

"Blythe, wait!"

Sparing a quick glance behind me and seeing the door I had just walked out seconds ago burst open, I made the easy decision to do what I do best.

Run away from my problems.