Prophecy Accepted: Prime Prophecy Book 2 (Prime Prophecy Series)

by Tamar Sloan

  Eden heads west, and seeing as I don’t need my head in a map, I check out more of the buildings. There are old buildings and new buildings, big ones and little ones, popular and less popular destinations. To add to the eclectic mix are old people and young people, trendy kids and alternate types, Eden and me, all with one thing in common. All excited and hopeful about what this place could mean for their future.

  We come to one of the newer buildings, the ones with lots of grey and glass. Across the front is stamped DEPARTMENT OF POLICING AND JUSTICE STUDIES in old, very important looking letters. Eden’s brought me to my faculty first?

  Her excited eyes are scanning the building. I’ve moved on to scanning the people entering and exiting. There are lots of guys, but a good representation of girls, too. One dude, built like a chiseled piece of steak, walks past us, but his head stays trained on Eden. Even once he’s down the steps and on the path. I narrow my eyes at him, my arm coming around her shoulder, the movement expanding my chest. Eden, still taking in the architecture, slips her arm around my waist and snuggles a little closer. It’s all I need to forget the ogling dufus, and I turn back to the front.

  “Come on, we don’t have much time.”

  Time for what? I’m about to ask when a guy, a mop of black curly hair falling onto his glasses, steps forward, several bags hanging over his shoulder. “Welcome, thanks for taking the time to find out about our Diploma of Policing.”

  “Thanks.” I take the calico show bag, glancing at the papers and pamphlets inside. Dad’s already had these sitting on the coffee table at home for weeks. I doubt there’s anything in there I haven’t read.

  “The Head of Faculty will be saying a few words in the auditorium in ten minutes.”

  Eden throws a quick ‘thanks’ before tugging me through the door.

  “You knew about the speech, didn’t you?”

  “Yep. So did anyone else who read this.” She holds up the opening day booklet. “Let’s see if there’s anything you don’t know.”

  The way to the auditorium is clearly posted, so I don’t get to find out if Eden also memorized the floor plan. Inside, we walk a few steps up to a middle row and sit. The room is full enough to create a low hum, but not jam packed so that you have to sit adjacent to a stranger.

  Eden grabs my hand, and I love the excitement that buzzes through her palm. It’s not even her faculty, and she’s loving it. This is how I saw my future. At Wyoming State with Eden. Responsibility on the horizon, but not in my present.

  A young woman in a suit steps up to the lectern. “I would like to welcome Patrick Sheldon, our Head of Faculty here at Wyoming State. Patrick spent forty years in the police force, retiring as a police commissioner, and is now involved in several of our research projects. We are extremely lucky to have someone of his experience and distinction. Patrick.” The woman steps back as we all dutifully clap.

  And Humpty steps up. Not literally, but the round, short, shiny bald man may have been one of his offspring. It’s a little hard to imagine this guy instilling fear in Little Miss Muffet, let alone a criminal.

  Patrick cum Humpty smiles as he places his hands on the lectern. “Welcome to your first step to the greatest profession in the world. This is your opportunity to begin a career that will truly make a difference in the lives of others. To be the next generation that will serve and protect.”

  For someone so round, Patrick’s voice sure is hard. It slates through the room, full of authority and power. He’s certainly got my attention.

  “But if you’re considering this career, consider this. You will need the commitment and dedication to achieve the appropriate GPA. You will need a clear criminal history.”

  So far so good.

  “You need to know that you will always be under public scrutiny, on or off the job, for every action you take, or don’t take. You need to learn to be focused, guarded, and tough. You need to understand that that action based on emotion can have lifelong consequences for others.”

  I shift a little in the lecture seat, bumping those fold down desks beside my thigh. Eden notices my movement, but Patrick keeps speaking, reclaiming her attention.

  “Because as a police officer, you are not only the first line of defense for your family and your community, but society as a whole. You are also their future leaders.” He smiles a proud smile, shoulders dropping back, chest popping out. “There is no greater honor and privilege”—he scans the crowd, eyes narrowing just a touch—“or duty and responsibility.”

  I want to sink down under the weight of those words. But Patrick hasn’t finished.

  “So, if you want to take the path of truth, make a choice. Wyoming State University will be the one to get you there.”

  We all clap again, Eden far more enthusiastically than I would like. She turns to me. “That was a great speech.”

  That speech hit a little too close to home. I’m talking words that went straight past the front lawn and invaded my too-full head.

  “It was like listening to my dad.” In one form or another. Were or human.

  “Do you want to ask some questions?”

  “Nah. I’ve got all the pamphlets and info, and they look pretty busy.”

  Eden squeezes my hand, no doubt picking up on the turmoil that’s churning in my gut. “Second thoughts?”

  “Humpty certainly didn’t sell police work as a fairy tale.”

  “You already knew that, and it never bothered you before.”

  “Yeah, I suppose it just hit home. It’s going to mean making some pretty tough calls that will affect a whole lot of people.” And Weres.

  “That’s a no-brainer. You were born to do this, Noah.”

  That’s what makes it worse. “Yeah.”

  “We’ll do it together.”

  That’s what I’m hoping. I just don’t know how to make that happen. “Yep, you’re right.” I stand and grab her hand. “Now, let’s check out your neck of the campus.”

  Eden looks at me a little longer, obviously not entirely convinced. A barely perceptible sigh escapes, so minuscule I wonder if I imagined it. Particularly when she gives me a bright smile, turns, and heads for the door. Like Caesar on a leash, I’m right behind her.

  As we head to the south end of the campus, I know exactly where we’re going. There’s only one place here that Eden would know as well as the recipe to a New York cheesecake.

  The veterinary science building is one of the more ancient ones, a senior citizen of Wyoming State. It actually has columns. There are fewer people here, not surprising considering the GPA you need to consider placing a toe on these yellowed steps.

  Eden just stands there. We don’t need to be touching for me to feel her excitement. Any stranger could see it in eyes that look like they just saw Santa and feet that look like they belong to the Easter Bunny.

  “Where to first?” I ask.

  “I still haven’t decided between the labs or the wildlife welfare display.”

  “We’ve got time to do both…”

  Eden bites her lip, like this is a significant decision. “Wildlife welfare.”

  I wait, knowing we’ll be going there directly, no passing go to collect a calico bag. Eden doesn’t disappoint, and we’re in a room with tables holding skulls and bones and weird shiny metal things within a few short minutes. Almost like she did, indeed, memorize the floor plan.

  There are quite a few people wandering around, mostly nerdy-looking types with their parents. We wander down the tables, Eden looking at the wares, picking up the odd medical-looking instrument, peering at more than the odd skull, totally absorbed. We’ve reached the head of the room when I see a man, academic enough to be wearing plaid, but too young looking for the Dr. Neil Olsen printed on his name badge.

  Eden is looking at yet another skull when he approaches us. “That’s an Ursus Americanus.”

  “Only a young black bear, though.”

  Dr. Olsen’s brown eyebrows rise into his brown hair. “That’s true. This
was a young female, injured by a hunter, but we couldn’t save her.”

  Eden’s fingers brush over the smooth bone surface. “That’s sad.”

  She looks up. “It’s too bad your wildlife welfare subjects aren’t a major here, Dr. Olsen,” she says without glancing at his badge, like she already knew his name.

  Dr. Olsen smiles as his eyebrows rise. “Are you considering veterinary science at Wyoming State, ah…?”

  “Eden St. James, sir. Yes, you offer some unique opportunities here.”

  “Well, the wildlife welfare section is my baby. We have a wonderful program that is involved in both rehabilitation of injured wildlife and lobbying state and federal governments about policy change.”

  “That sounds really interesting. I work regularly at Shoshoni, and the wildlife side particularly interests me.”

  I continue to smile politely although my jaw wouldn’t mind dropping an inch. Lobbying politicians? That would involve more than three people in the room.

  “Wonderful.” An assessing glint sparks in Dr. Olsen’s brown eyes. “The president will be graduating this year. Meaning we’ll be electing a new one…”

  I almost want to pat the guy on his plaid arm. Eden’s more of a behind-the-scenes kind of gal.

  “Sure, let me know what’s involved.”

  I manage to catch my jaw as it drops, but my lips still make a small sucking sound as they open in surprise.

  “Here’s my card, Eden. Come and see me next year.”

  “I look forward to it, Dr. Olsen.”

  A guy whose acne has yet to clear up captures Dr. Olsen’s attention. He bids us goodbye before turning and walking away.

  We’re barely out of the room when Eden grabs my arm, turning me to face her. “Did you see that?”

  She’s bouncing, holding the card like it’s the recipe for some new cheesecake.

  I’m still a bit stupefied. “I didn’t think you’d want a role in the limelight.”

  Eden shrugs one shoulder. “It’s not my ideal place to be. But sometimes we have to step up if it’s something important.”

  “Right.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I’m just a bit surprised, that’s all.”

  Eden narrows her eyes, playfully jabbing a finger into my chest, right above my mark. “Underestimating the introvert with a mission again, huh?”

  My hands go up as I grin. “It would appear so.”

  Her eyes narrow a smidgen more, making sure I’ve got the point, and she steps back. “Good. Now we check out the labs.”

  A tour of the labs involves three laps of benches sporting microscopes with slides of moving blobs and more shiny metal thingies. Eden reads everything, even writes some things down, and generally has more fun than Mitch in a tool shop.

  We’re back outside the building when a tall mother-hen fussing over her chick which is about to leave the nest, walk past us. As they follow the path around the corner, their conversation floats over to my Were-sensitive ears.

  “Everyone has been so welcoming, and it seems like a lovely campus. What do you think, dear?”

  “I don’t know, Mom. The bigger universities have more electives.”

  The bigger universities…The ones that Eden could walk into. The ones that her mother doesn’t know she’s no longer applying for.

  I stop in the middle of the grey path, cultured lawn on either side, waiting for those green eyes to turn to me. “Are you sure you want to do this…here?”

  Eden looks around at the buildings then back at me. She gives me a half-smile. “You mean because I almost turned into an ice-sculpture over winter?”

  “Well, I was actually thinking—”

  “Oh, you mean because I’ve always dreamed of escaping my mother by running away to college?”

  “That’s more what I—”

  “And by choosing Wyoming State I would have to stay?”

  I duck my head. “Uh, yeah.”

  When she doesn’t answer, I cautiously look up, breath lodged in my chest. Tilted green eyes, open and honest, look straight into mine. “Yes, I want this.”

  Eden leans in, those wide eyes not closing until the moment our lips touch. And gifts me with a kiss so full of love, so jam-packed with tenderness, that it steals my breath. And in that moment, I don’t care whether I get it back. Because I don’t need it.

  I just found heaven.

  We pull back, eyes locked, her lips smiling just a little, mine slightly parted. I think she made her point.

  She quirks a brow, tilted green eyes sparkling. “Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I step back, hope has that uncomfortable feeling that is always with me shrinking, taking a back seat.

  I take Eden’s hand again, cocking my head to the side. “We need to meet Tara and Mitch in about twenty minutes. Anything else we need to check out?”

  “Well, I wanted to see the memorial gardens…”

  And she would know exactly where they are. “Lead the way.”

  There are more student volunteers waiting beside the wrought iron gates hanging from more of the pale square brick. Two stand on one side, a girl and a guy who look like they’re flirting, whilst the person on the other side is on their own, leaning down to look at a flower.

  The tall, lean physique tells you it’s a guy. It’s the pale blond hair tied in a knot between his shoulder blades that confuses you for a second. A knot that is vaguely familiar…

  He stands and turns. Green tilted eyes light up when he sees us.

  “Hello, Eden.”

  18

  Eden

  There’s only been one time in my life that I’ve looked into eyes the same as mine.

  And just like last time, all I can think is he looks like me!

  Unlike the last one, the guy in front of me is blond. He still has flawless skin that is hard to age, but he’s certainly younger than the other man, although I would say a little older than me.

  This time, I’m much quicker on the uptake. “Who are you?”

  He inclines his head, gentle eyes looking down then back at me. “My name is Orin.”

  I sense rather than see Noah pull his phone out of his pocket; this time I’m not taking my eyes off the guy in front of me. “I’m just going to text Tara and let her know we’ll catch them at home.” His voice is soft and serious.

  Orin raises his hand, palm up. “I thought we might talk.”

  He wants to talk? I’m torn between looking at Noah, getting a sense of what he thinks of this situation, and not tearing my gaze from the one who looks like me. Like he understands, Noah moves in a little closer.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Let us go somewhere private.”

  I nod, thinking I should probably reduce the size of my elephant eyes.

  Orin enters the memorial gardens through the gate and walks, more like glides, as if he knows exactly where he’s going. Paths branch and meander through rounded beds full of butterfly colors and springtime buzzing. Narrower paths, little gravel offshoots, sprout sporadically, inviting you to investigate their seasonal secrets. But Orin stays on the curved main path, every now and again reaching out to brush a branch or a weeping head of flowers. The further we go, the fewer visitors I see.

  I finally tear my eyes from the blond knot that’s like the one I used to wear and turn to Noah. His eyes are full of questions, theories, suspicions, and more questions. Just like the ones that fill my head. He leans in, whispering in my ear, “Wow.”

  Wow, all right.

  At the back of the gardens, we reach a stone arch, words embedded in its curved bow—The Reflection Garden. Noah cocks a wry brow, one that almost has me smiling. It’s cordoned off, a sign saying Under Construction hanging from a chain strung across the entry. Orin steps over the chain and floats under the arch, a smiling glance indicating we should follow.

  The Reflection Garden is simple and beautiful and certainly not under construction. A pond, clear and glassy, sits in the m
iddle. It reflects the blue sky, the green trees, and the three people that just entered. Emerald lawn surrounds it, stone benches dotted between trees and shrubs and flower beds. The heady scent of spring gives the place life, whilst the absence of sound tells you it’s a place of contemplation.

  Orin waves a hand at a nearby bench. “You may want to sit.”

  My hands are torn between wanting to cross my arms and wanting to grab onto Noah with everything I have. Noah knows, and he entwines his fingers with mine. “I’m fine, thanks.”

  Orin gives a small nod and threads his hands together. He smiles a little, those tilted eyes shining. “How did you react when you discovered Noah was Were?”

  Noah stiffens, and I feel energy surge through him. “What did you say?”

  Orin’s green eyes turn to Noah. “There is nothing to fear. We have known of your kind for a very long time.”

  We?

  Orin turns those tilted eyes, so much like mine, back to me. They are full of calm and something else…acceptance? He waits, pale brows slightly raised.

  I think of the time a massive white wolf came to my rescue, then a short while and a painful change later, watched it shrink and transform into Noah. “Ah, well, I had to change some of the assumptions I held about the world, but I managed.”

  Noah’s other hand is as clenched as the one around mine, that energy has settled but not dissipated. “She’s been amazing.”

  Orin smiles again. “That doesn’t surprise me. And now you know there is more to this world than meets the eye.”

  “I’ve certainly seen that for myself.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to sit?”

  It’s Noah that answers. “I think you should get to the point.”

  Orin does that incline of his head again. “Very well. Our father, Avery, is the—”

  “Our father?”

  Orin nods, smiling a little. “Yes, the man you met is our father, but you already knew that.”

  I’ve never admitted it though. I freeze, my hand in Noah’s, my mind in overdrive. Holy crap, that makes Orin—