Unique, Different, Found

by Violet Samuels

  "Fine! My birthday's on the eleventh of September!" I blurt out and they all high five each other as I stuff the rest of the sandwich in my mouth.

  "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Axel teases from across the counter, but I just mumble something under my breath. "Right! Well, we better get back to our training," Axel announces and I look to my four friends for help. They chuckle at me as I'm dragged away from them. So much for protecting their Luna...

  Axel has to drag me all the way down to the training room and when we get there, I huff in annoyance.

  "Hey, this was what you wanted! If it was my choice, I would've made sure that you never knew this room existed," Axel complains with a frown. I just roll my eyes at him.

  "Come on, teach me something!" I exclaim excitedly and Axel rolls his eyes at me.

  "Let's start off with something simple," he mumbles. He thinks for a moment with his eyebrows scrunching then clicks his fingers.

  "Flying! Flying isn't so hard," he says with mischief in his voice. He then magically levitates into the air and hovers above me. I gape at him as he smirks down at me.

  "H-how did you do you that?" I ask, dumbfounded. He slowly comes back to the ground and his feet land on the cold concrete.

  "Practice," is his simple explanation. "You're going to learn how to do it."

  I blink at him as he grips my hands and slowly leads me to the center of the room.

  "What I want you to do is focus on imagining that your body has no weight, nothing at all. Pretend you're a feather, but you're one that can be controlled," he explains and let go of my hands.

  I close my eyes and think of myself as a feather that can't be carried by the wind. 'I am as light as a feather, I am as light as a feather,' I chant in my head.

  "That's great, Celina! Keep going!" Axel applauds and I peek open an eye to see that I'm at least a meter above the floor.

  My other eye snaps open as I gasp. I slightly drop towards the ground as I lose my concentration.

  "Concentrate, Celina," Axel scolds and I focus my brain on concentrating again. Feather, Celina, you are a feather.

  Soon enough, I can do it without thinking and Axel joins me as we float around enjoying the feeling of being above ground.

  "This is amazing," I whisper and let my eyes slip close. It truly is. Never in a million years do I think I'll be floating in the air alongside my mate.

  "It is," Axel whispers. "When we're out in the open, we can reach the speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour. It's useful for when we want to take out enemies by surprise," he explains like he's reading off a script. He starts to slowly sink to the floor at that point.

  "Come on, that's enough for today. You can get down now," he tells me and I look at him unsurely. He seems to catch on what's wrong and chuckles while shaking his head.

  "Just think of yourself gaining weight back slowly. Not too fast though," he coaches. I do as he says, landing gracefully on the floor.

  "You've done well. Not many Shaded Wolves can pick up their powers that fast. My mother's the Moon Goddess herself and I had to attempt at least five times before I could properly fly," Axel grumbles and I giggle at his face. He looks so cute.

  Axel and I walk back upstairs and I head straight for the shower. Once I'm clean, I jump straight into bed and don't even bother with dinner. Today's been a long day and I seriously can’t wait for what tomorrow's going to be like.

  23

  CELINA

  My eyes flutter as I wake up. I stretch out my arms and legs and make a move to get up, when strong arms squeeze me tighter to a solid chest. I look behind me and realize that Axel is the culprit.

  I shake him awake lightly, making him bolt up with a start. Well, that's a different reaction compared to when I tried to wake him up the last time.

  "What the..." he trails off when he notices no danger is around, silly, over protective, alpha.

  I tap him on the shoulder and his sleepy eyes land on my figure. He smiles at me while I put an innocent smile on my face.

  "Axel..." I begin with a soft voice. He looks at me suspiciously, somehow knowing something's up. He’s looking at me like that, since he’s forgotten a certain threat I made. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday about not sleeping with you for a month?" I ask in the same voice and Axel's eyes widen the slightest fraction. "I meant it."

  I push him off the bed and he lands on the carpeted floor with a loud thud. He stares at me in shock as I stare back him innocently.

  "I'm confused," he finally mutters and then it suddenly clicks in his head. He jumps up and brings me into his arms.

  "Come on, sweetheart, you don't mean that. It was an empty threat, right?" he says and I stare at him blankly. Oh Axel...

  "Right?" he urges with slight fear in his eyes.

  I giggle. He won't last a night without being in the same bed as me. It's his fault though, for not taking my threat seriously.

  "Your fault, Axel," I repeat my thoughts to him, then jump off the bed and head to the wardrobe. I know that I'll probably break that threat tonight. But yeah, I'll have him thinking it so he doesn't do it again.

  Axel growls and soon I'm thrown back on the bed. I gasp as I bounce a few times before Axel firmly places himself on top of me. I heave a heavy sigh, knowing what's coming next.

  "Axel, we don't have time for this," I say sternly. His grey eyes turn to bright silver as he runs his hands down my sides. "W-we need to keep practicing my powers," I mutter, losing all sternness as I lose myself in Axel.

  He nibbles my ear as his fingers massage the sides of my hips. His lips leave my ear and travel down my neck, kissing around his mark, but not touching it. I squirm underneath him as he continues to torture me.

  "Axel..." I whine when he still doesn't touch it. Then, when I least expect it, he jumps off me, leaving me all hot and flustered.

  "Come on then, sweetheart, time for training," he says and smirks triumphantly at my flushed state.

  I sigh as I head to the bathroom to clean myself up. Stupid alpha, teasing me... After cleaning myself up, I change into some loose fitting shorts, another sports bra and the same trainers as yesterday.

  I meet Axel down in the kitchen and he places a plate full of bacon, eggs, and beans in front of me.

  I look down at the food in front of me and make a face. I don't like bacon... Or eggs, or even beans really. Axel gives me a weird look before pointing at my food.

  "Are you going to eat that?" he questions, but I shake my head. "Why?"

  "I don't like anything that's on that plate," I tell him honestly and his jaw drops.

  I ignore him as I grab a bowl, the milk, and some cereal. I sit back down to a still gaping Axel.

  "What?" I ask as I start eating my cereal while secretly biting my lip to keep in my laughter.

  "How do you not like bacon?" he suddenly bursts and I giggle at his dumbfounded face. I shrug as he continues to mutter things about how everyone likes bacon while I sit there, happily watching him and munching on my cereal, desperately trying not to burst out laughing.

  When I'm done, I place the bowl in the dishwasher and tap Axel on the shoulder.

  "Are you done with your mumbling?" I tease and Axel shakes his head so he can focus. He clears his throat before answering.

  "Right, um, in the backyard today. We're going to see if you can suck the life out of nature," he says casually and I gape at him.

  "What?" I ask disbelievingly. He ignores me and continues to walk outside while I follow him like a lost puppy.

  "Since you can see visions like Queen Rosemary, I'm going to see if you can suck energy from nature like King Ronald," Axel explains. I feel myself swell with pride when I hear Axel speak of my parents so highly.

  "First thing’s first though. Can you suck energy from a human?" he asks with a devious grin.

  I stare at him in shock as Jasper and Declan come waltzing out of the pack house. They come to stand next to me as Axel continues.

  "These two trouble ma
kers are your guinea pigs," he tells me and I viciously shake my head.

  "No way," I say and Axel raises an eyebrow at me challengingly.

  "These two have been getting into trouble lately at school and this is their punishment. I told them the consequence and they still chose to disobey me, so they can suffer the wrath of their Luna," Axel says with a smirk in their direction. The color drains from both their faces at the sight of the smirk. He's not joking...

  "I don't know, Axel..." I trail off. I've never used these powers before, so I don't know what I'll do. 'What if I kill them?'

  "You won't kill them, sweetheart," Axel says with a chuckle.

  I take a deep breath to calm myself. You know, sometimes I wish I knew how to block Axel out my mind so it would be a much quieter place.

  "Fine, but I swear if I hurt them-" I start until...

  "You won't," Axel cuts me off. I glance at the two boys and Axel nods his head at them.

  Declan's up first and he's fidgeting madly. I feel so sorry for him, he's about to be a guinea pig to some crazy experiment. I really don't want to kill him...

  "Um, Alpha? Do I have to do this?" he mumbles, a bit frightened. Axel growls at him and he shrinks back, casting his eyes downward.

  "I warned you that this would be your punishment, now you have to pay for it," Axel concludes. No room for argument. He walks over to me and looks Declan disapprovingly.

  'I'm losing my edge, sweetheart,' he tells me. 'People are thinking of me as weak.'

  I roll my eyes at his excuse but I get ready to learn anyway.

  "Right, now what I want you to do is envision that there's a current flowing between you and Declan. Think of sucking out his energy and transferring it to your body," he explains and I nod. "Now, look into his eyes and let the magic take over."

  I do as he says as I feel pins and needles start to prick at my hands. I imagine the current and slowly, but surely, Declan starts to look tired. I watch on as his eyes start to droop and his limbs fall asleep.

  "Whoa..." he mutters before he collapses to the ground in a heap.

  "That was good, Celina! You're a quick learner," he mutters the last part as I run over to Declan and cradle his head in my lap.

  "Is he okay?" I ask, not moving my eyes from Declan's seemingly peaceful face. Axel nods his head and I relax a bit.

  "He's fine. He'll wake up in a day or two. Possibly three," Axel says casually, walking up to me. I gasp in shock and slight outrage.

  "A day!" I scream and Axel nods his head like it's nothing.

  "Possibly three," he reminds me while I glare at him. How is he so calm about this?

  "Can Jasper at least take him to his room?" I ask and Axel shakes his head.

  "Nope, that's what Matthew's for."

  As soon as he says it, Matthew comes strutting out the door. He takes one look at Declan and his eyes widen.

  "Shit, is he okay?" he instantly rushes out. I nod and tell him to take him to his room. He throws Declan's arm around his shoulder and starts to walk away.

  "Oh, and Matthew?" I call after him. He stops and I whack him over the head once I reach him. "Don't swear," I say sweetly then walk back to a scared-looking Jasper and an amused-looking Axel.

  "Right, this time I want you to maneuver Jasper's body," Axel explains and looks at him in question.

  "I don't get it," I admit.

  "This is something I want you to do that's not in the book. It's quite simple actually. Just think of moving Jasper with your mind, as if you're in his body instead of your own," he tells me and I nod my head doubtfully.

  "You'll do fine," he encourages.

  I take a deep breath then focus my undivided attention on Jasper. Slowly, his body begins to levitate and I move his arms and legs so it looks like he's doing a dance in the air. It's quite funny actually.

  "What the hell!" Jasper yells and I giggle at his poor face. Poor thing, he must be freaked out.

  "Good, now take the energy from him," Axel instructs and I do as I'm told. I slowly start to suck the energy out of Jasper's body, imagining the current. He comes to a stop in the air as his eyes drop close.

  Just as I set him back on the ground, Matthew comes back through the door and takes his other friend's arm and hauls him to his room.

  "That was very well done, Celina," Axel praises and I smile at my mate. "Now try to do it with nature."

  I nod my head and move to stand in the middle of the garden at the back of the pack house.

  I put my hands out to each side of me and slowly breathe in through my nose and let it out through my mouth. I close my eyes as I feel the energy circulate through the air and imagine the current. Suddenly, my feet are off the ground.

  My eyes snap open as I watch streaks of energy from flowers, trees, grass, and even the dirt, make their way to me and absorb into my skin.

  The energy runs through my body and it feels like I've had a year’s worth of sleep.

  "This feels amazing," I say, but my voice sounds lighter and more airy, as if it's being carried by the wind.

  I see Axel out of the corner of my eye staring at me in disbelief, so I slowly float over to him and hover above him just that little bit. I place my hand on his cheek and notice that it's not my usual slightly tanned hand. Instead, my hand is covered with moving colors that represent nature. Browns, greens, and yellows are all swirling over my hands and up my arms.

  Axel's eyes suddenly fill with fear and I hastily float away from him. His mouth moves, but no sound comes out. I don't allow myself to panic, as I know that it's just the effect of nature playing with me... I hope. I don't want Axel to be scared of me, not now, not ever.

  I close my eyes again and slowly return the energy to the now almost dead surroundings. As the energy goes from me, I gingerly land back on the ground. After the last of it leave, I peel my eyes open to see an amazed Axel. I look at my hands and notice they're back to normal, but they now have a kind of glow in them.

  "Axel," I softly call out as I take a cautious step towards him. My voice is back to normal too, instead of the beautiful airy one I had when I was with nature.

  "H-how did you do that?" he asks with the same awestruck look on his face. I shrug and he shakes his head at me. "You don't understand, Celina. Only King Ronald has been able to do that, but the amazing thing is, you can return the energy back to the plants. Your father could never do that and here you are, on your first try, sending the energy you just absorbed back to its rightful owner. How?" he continues to ask, baffled and awed.

  The one word question leaves Axel's awestruck voice, but I can't give him an answer. I don't know how I did it myself.

  "I-I don't know," I tell him honestly. "It just came naturally."

  I chuckle when I realize how my statement connects to what I've just done. Axel shakes his head to get out of his thoughts, clearing his throat at the same time.

  "Something like this has never been recorded or predicted. Celina, do you know what this means?" he asks me, as a full blown smile lights up his face and his eyes widen with excitement.

  Right at this moment, Axel looks more like a child at Christmas than an all-powerful alpha. Nevertheless, I shake my head slowly.

  "You may have hidden powers that no Shaded Wolf has ever even dreamed. Powers that not even your parents possessed!" he bursts with joy and I stare at him in shock.

  Hidden powers? Me? How can I have hidden powers when I was practically hidden from this my whole life? On the other hand, how can I be more powerful than my parents? If what Axel is implying is true, then my parents, who did not think of or conjure these powers, intended that I have to be more powerful than them, right? This is too much to handle.

  Axel's face is still a picture of joy, as theory after theory, power after power, races through his mind.

  I grab his face firmly in my hands and make him look at me dead in the eye.

  "Axel, we don't know that. I may just have a little something extra than the rest of the history bound Shaded
Wolves. You never know, it may have just been a one-time thing," I try to convince him, but he's having none of that.

  "Celina, don't you understand?" he says as he places his hands over my small ones that are still on his face. "This can change everything that the world knows about Shaded Wolves! This can change everything about what I've taught and told you. This can change the views of the Moon Goddess."

  Axel's realization finally hits me once he said the last sentence. Changing the views of the Moon Goddess? Even I know that is not a good idea...

  "This can change the views of the Moon Goddess," Axel repeats to himself again.

  "Axel, Axel, look at me," I order and he does with disbelief about what he's just discovered in his eyes. "You may be right, but none of that will matter if you don't focus here, right now, in the present. The future will come, but right now we need to deal with the prophecy and war that is unfolding right before our eyes."

  I wait to see Axel's reaction and watch as the glint in his eyes fade and the grin he has plastered on his face drops into a scowl. I hate to see his happiness fade, but I don't want him going on false hopes that neither of us can prove.

  "You're right," he says, pushing away from me to stand back in the middle of the backyard. "There's a war brewing and we have no time to waste. We have to get back to training."

  There's the Axel I know and love. The one that takes control over any situation and the one that has a heart of stone around others, except with me.

  I walk up to him and peck him on the lips.

  "I love you," I whisper as I lean my forehead against his.

  He smiles softly at me. "I love you too. Right, let's move onto the next power," Axel proclaims as he pecks me on the lips one last time. I giggle and step back, waiting for him to continue, "Manipulating the weather."

  I gulp as I think about changing the weather patterns. That can't be good either... Isn't there a Mother Nature or something like that? I don't think she'll be too happy about me changing her weather. I don't voice my thoughts to Axel though, I'm sure he knows what he's doing.