Passion Found

by C Zinnia

  “All of you did so well and you are all so fast!” Mel exclaimed.

  The praise incited more races.

  Their blue pitbull, Lala, laid in the shade as she watched the pups run. The grey and white on her muzzle showed she wasn’t going to try to keep up with their never-ending energy.

  Lala glanced at Mel. She slowly got up and stretched with a yawn. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and her tail wagged as she wandered to Mel. Mel noticed Lala seemed to have a slight limp coming from her hips.

  Lala placed herself so her rump pressed firmly against Mel’s leg. She looked up at Mel with her big brown eyes as she patiently waited for Mel to notice her.

  Mel looked down and laughed. “What is it, pretty girl?” she asked. She crouched down and scratched Lala’s low back, hips, and rump. Lala leaned back against her with eyes closed and a big smile as she enjoyed the attention.

  Mel realized something was “off” in Lala’s left hip. She put one of her hands over the area. It felt different. It feels gunked up, she thought. It needs to be cleared out.

  Warmth flooded Mel’s hand and poured into Lala. She could feel the energy clear out the gunk from Lala’s left hip.

  Lala happily sighed as she willingly accepted Mel’s care.

  When Mel was done, Mel rubbed Lala’s hip one last time before straightening up.

  Lala meandered to Cindy and Eli for attention.

  Mel noticed she wasn’t limping anymore.

  Cindy and Eli noticed the limp was gone too. Cindy looked at Eli.

  Eli looked at Mel. “How do you feel?” he asked Mel.

  “Okay,” Mel said.

  Eli raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

  “Tired,” she admitted.

  “Were you tired after helping me and Papa?” he asked.

  She sighed in defeat as she nodded. “I didn’t want to mention it because it seems silly for me to be tired after doing so little?” she said.

  “What makes you think you’re doing little?” he asked.

  Mel opened her mouth, but had no rational explanation for how she felt. She blushed. “It’s just how I feel, I guess,” she said.

  “It looks like you were pulling energy from yourself,” Eli said.

  “You could see it?” Mel asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “Your energy isn’t as bright as it was before after you poured some of your energy into Lala. It wouldn’t surprise me if, when you helped Papa and I earlier, you were using your own energy. The music just may have facilitated the process with Papa. You don’t want to work on anyone else again until we figure out a way for you to tap into another source, okay?”

  Mel wasn’t happy with Eli’s assessment, because she knew Viola wouldn’t be happy about it. “Okay,” she said. “But what source?”

  “Well, in Reiki, they utilize energy from the universe,” Cindy said. “Maybe if you imagine yourself a conduit that guides the energy from Loving Universe or God to the person or animal you’re working on, then you won’t use it from yourself and it won’t harm you.”

  Eli beamed at Cindy. “That’s a great idea,” he said. “You’re brilliant.”

  Cindy grinned and kissed him. “I am. I did marry you,” she said.

  “When can I learn how to do that?” Mel asked, thinking about Viola.

  “We’ll try it out our next lesson. I want to be present when you try to tap into Divine energy to make sure you are actually using Divine energy. You don’t want to accidentally use your energy or energy from a non-Divine source. That’ll take concentration for you to find and connect with the Divine energy. I’m going to give you a quart of a tea blend for you to drink today to help build up your reserves,” Eli said. “We still need to work on seeing the future.”

  Mel was disappointed but knew he was right. They needed to find out more about Chris and the Master Hunter. “I’m ready to get back to work,” she said.

  “Let’s go then. We do need your help for this part, love,” Eli said to Cindy. Cindy, Eli, and Mel went back inside. Eli put a large pot of water to boil as he prepped herbs. “We’ll be able to hear it boiling from the living room.” He guided Cindy and Mel into the living room.

  “All right then. For me, I’ve found using cards is the easiest way to predict future events,” Eli said. “Sometimes, I get impressions without the cards, but they are sporadic.

  “With you, it seems to be different. You are able to see future events without any tools. We’re going to experiment with strengthening your gifts because I’m not sure what method would be best.”

  “Okay,” Mel said.

  “I want you to predict Cindy’s future,” Eli said. “Cindy has been making plans that I know about and I also did a card reading this morning.”

  “How do I get started?” Mel asked.

  “I think you explained very well what you feel when you are seeing a person’s future. It’s about perceiving their aura. All of the information is there. I think if you focus on her energy with the intention of understanding what will happen in her future, you will get good results,” Eli said.

  Mel sat beside Cindy. She closed her eyes and became accustomed to Cindy’s energy.

  Cindy was buzzing with excitement. She enjoyed being involved with mystical stuff like this

  Mel reminded herself that Cindy’s past, present, and current future are all embedded in her energy field. Future, future, future, she thought. She repeated the thought like a mantra.

  Mel suddenly got a vivid image.

  Cindy was standing in a graduation gown with a diploma in her hand. She had always dreamed of being a teacher and now she was one step closer! Her boys were a couple of years older. They stood around their mom. They were so proud of her. They knew if their mom could go to college, then they could too.

  Mel opened her eyes. “I thought you were in charge of the education program,” she said.

  “I am,” Cindy said.

  “Don’t you teach?” Mel asked.

  “No, I’m in charge of hiring teachers, scheduling, and supplies,” she said. “I don’t have a degree to teach.”

  “Oh,” Mel said. “That makes sense then, I guess.”

  “What does?” Cindy asked eagerly.

  Mel smiled. “You’re going to be the first college graduate in your family. It’s going to have a positive impact on your kids. You’re going to be a teacher. You’re going to be a great influence on a lot of teens,” she said.

  Cindy was elated. “She is talented,” she said.

  Eli heard the water boiling. “Excuse me,” he said. He went into the kitchen and poured the water into the quart jar. He placed a plate on top of it so the herbs could steep. He went back to the living room to find Cindy looking at the clock on the mantle. “I’m going to round up the boys. Jesse will be here soon to get them.”

  “Jesse,” Mel repeated. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing her again.

  Cindy smiled sympathetically. “I know you two aren’t on the best of terms at the moment, but Jesse has been our babysitter since Jahi was born. I have a meeting with some of the teachers and the boys like to go spend time with her when Eli and I are working. I know with time, you two won’t be at such odds.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Mel said. She had never been comfortable with the thought of someone disliking her.

  Cindy got up and went outside to round the boys up.

  They clamored into the kitchen and transformed back into humans. They quickly dressed and joined Mel in the living room.

  Mwamba jumped in Mel’s lap. “Come with us to Jesse’s. She’s so much fun. You’ll love her,” he said.

  “Mel has to stay and work with me, Baba,” Eli said lovingly.

  Mwamba pouted.

  “I’ll play with you all another time, okay?” Mel said.

  “Okay,” he said happily.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Jesse! It’s Jesse!” Jahi said excitedly as he raced to open the door. As soon as he saw Jesse, he la
tched onto her legs. “Jesse!!!!”

  Jesse laughed and pulled him into her arms, holding him close.

  Mel was taken aback by how sincerely loving Jesse was with Jahi. What did you expect, Mel? Her to hate everyone? she wondered. She felt foolish for how she viewed Jesse. Watching Jesse interact with Jahi, she could see the goodness in her and why Viola dated her. Not to mention she’s an attractive woman. Her abdomen clenched. I’m not beautiful like her.

  “Are you ready to go play?” Jesse asked Jahi.

  “Yes!” Jahi said.

  “I am too!” Yafeu said as he rushed over to her.

  Jesse was able to scoop him up, holding a child on each hip. She didn’t struggle in the least under their weight.

  I’ll never be that strong, Mel thought.

  “Don’t leave me!” Mwamba said as he hopped off Mel’s lap. He joined them.

  Jesse saw Mel for the first time. Mel noticed the softness Jesse had before evaporated. “Good to see you again, Mel,” she lied effortlessly. She put Jahi and Yafeu down as she plucked Mwamba up and gave him a warm hug. “We’d never leave you behind, Baba.” He snuggled into her arms. She turned to Cindy. “Let me know when you’d like me to bring the boys back.”

  “I will,” Cindy said as she hugged her. “Thanks again, Jesse.”

  “No problem,” Jesse said. She surveyed Jahi and Yafeu. “Y’all ready?”

  “Yes,” they said.

  “Race y’all to my house,” she said.

  They all squealed with laughter as they ran.

  Cindy smiled as she shook her head. “She is so good with them,” she said.

  “She is,” Mel agreed in disbelief.

  “I better head on,” Cindy said. She kissed Eli. “Don’t push Mel too hard.”

  “I won’t.” Eli was happy as well. He hadn’t expected Mel to tap into her psychic abilities so quickly. Cindy left while Eli lit incense. “Why don’t we now focus on Chris? You’ve already met him, so you have an idea of his energy.”

  “Okay,” Mel said. She closed her eyes and pictured the power-hungry, manipulative Chris in her head. Mel suddenly got a vivid image.

  An image appeared of a small seemingly well-kept village. Mel was in a library of one of the houses. She glanced at the calendar to find it was about six months into the future. Chris was in there, alone. He was taking stacks of money out of a safe. It was the pack’s money. He didn’t care about the pack. He wanted the money to buy weapons so he could overtake other packs.

  By the end of the year, Chris wanted to be the only Alpha remaining on the Eastern side of the United States. He was grateful his followers were trigger-happy idiots who could be easily manipulated. After Mason died, Chris had gone on a campaign saying other packs were watering down and disgracing the werewolf genes by accepting too many humans, gays, and non-whites. He had said Mason had been no better because he allowed a woman to be a Beta. The bigots of the pack immediately fell into the palm of his hand. They had killed Alura and others who had tried to fight them.

  Originally, when Chris took over the pack, he had been convinced it would satisfy his hunger for power. It didn’t. Within a few months, he realized he wanted more power and more control. Chris was easily able to convince his followers that taking over the other packs was a good idea. Their mission was to purify the race. Chris’ personal mission was to gain power and money. Chris happily smelled the money. The best part about this plan was no one had ever suspected a thing.

  Chapter 19

  Mel shook her head of the vision. She tried to brush off the grime she felt from hearing Chris’ inner thoughts. She felt dirty.

  “What happened?” Eli asked. Mel relayed to him everything she saw. Eli was visibly worried by the end of it and there was an anxious feeling to his energy. “We’re going to Bruce now.”

  Eli went into the kitchen and took the plate off the quart jar. He scooped out the herbs and put a lid on the jar. He handed it to Mel. “This is for you,” he said. “Make sure to drink all of it today. It’ll help you recover.”

  She took the jar and noted the glass was warm. “Thanks, Eli,” she said.

  They went to the main house. Mel had to walk fast to keep up with Eli’s long purposeful strides.

  When they went inside, Mel knew Viola wasn’t back from the gym yet. The fact bothered her. Mel knew a hug from Viola could wash away all of the treacheries she just witnessed.

  Mel had seen the immoral, treacherous, cruel, and insensitive actions to God’s other creatures in movies, but for it to happen in real life by someone like Chris was a whole new unpleasant experience. And there are more like him in the world, she thought. Those filled with a need for greed and power that would never be sated. Most politicians and CEOs of large companies fall into the group as well. They don’t care about our wellbeing. They only care about making their money and having their power. She didn’t like that Chris’ tactics were a reminder that that kind of corruption existed throughout the government and it constantly harmed its constituents without care. Even Bill didn’t create these emotions racing through Mel. Chris would come after our pack next, she thought. We’re one of the closest packs to him.

  They went to Bruce’s office to find him shuffling through a stack of papers as he wrote a long arduous letter. He saw the looks on Eli and Mel’s faces. He stopped working. “Tell me everything,” Bruce said to Mel.

  By the time Mel was done, Bruce was as solemn as Eli. He cursed under his breath. “I need to warn Mason and Alura. Chris may be plotting Mason’s murder as we speak,” Bruce said. He picked up the phone.

  “Chris won’t kill Mason,” Mel said.

  “What? Why not?” Bruce asked.

  Mel shrugged. “That’s all I know,” she said.

  “Perhaps we need to learn more about Mason and their relationship,” he said.

  Information dripped into Mel’s mind. “Mason is the father Chris always wanted. The big reason Chris hates Alura is due to jealousy. He blames her for his life. He felt like if Alura didn’t exist, then Mason would have taken him in instead,” she said. “Why would that be? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “It does make sense,” Eli said. “Chris’ father wasn’t a good person and took out a lot of frustration on Chris.”

  “Why didn’t Mason take Chris?” Mel asked.

  “Chris’ dad is part of Mason’s family,” Bruce said. “I think he didn’t want to be the bad guy, but it appears not taking Chris may have been a worse decision between the two.”

  “Did you speak to Alura about supporting someone else as Alpha?” Mel asked.

  “Yes, and she agrees with Silvia and you. There are three werewolves she has suggested for the alpha position,” he said. “We’ll need you and Eli to see as to who would be best for the alpha position. I don’t like the thought of backing someone else, but Alura insisted it was the best plan. She doesn’t care about being Alpha. She just wants to make sure her pack doesn’t implode.”

  “That’s what makes her a great leader,” Mel said. “Who are they?”

  “Mike, Sampson, and Bubba,” Bruce said.

  “Those are all good options,” Eli said. He looked at Mel. “You feel up to checking out each scenario?”

  “Sure,” Mel said. She glanced at Bruce. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” Bruce said.

  “Are most people in Mason’s pack bad?” Mel asked. “For them to go along with hurting their fellow werewolves is just wrong.”

  Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Mel, I could list all of the terrible acts of humans hurting fellow humans because they’re ‘following the pack.’ Look at slavery. Look at the Salem witch trials. The crusades and Jihad. The Holocaust. The genocide against Native Americans. The genocides that still occur to this day. Sex trafficking of all ages and races. Organ harvesting from runaways,” he said. “How Mason’s pack is acting isn’t a new concept.”

  Mel blushed. “You’re right,” she said. “I apologize.”

  “You
are right as well that it is wrong,” Bruce said. “Some of them may be bad, but I don’t think most of them are. Most of them refuse or are afraid to take action, so it’s easier for someone negatively motivated to come in and take over. Most of them were raised to dislike anything different. Hate isn’t instinctual. Hate is taught. Fear, however, is instinctual. Before Mason, their leader was a paranoid bigot who utilized fear for his own benefit. Fortunately and unfortunately, fear is a very powerful emotion. Their old leader took advantage of fear to breed hate and rage towards others who didn’t fit his views.”

  “Why is fear a fortunate emotion?” Mel asked.

  “For survival. It’s smart to be hesitant or afraid sometimes because it can incite survival instincts. If you think back on your childhood, some of your strongest memories are from when you were afraid. Our brain does this to try to make sure we don’t repeat situations that could potentially get us killed.

  “Unfortunately, there are many out there who take advantage of this instinct for their own agenda. And the majority of people who are being manipulated by fear tactics are so disconnected from their emotions and so egotistical that they are convinced their emotions hold no power over them. They aren’t even aware they are being manipulated.

  “Prior to Alpha Mason, the pack was in a bad enough state that the East Coast werewolves held a special council to remove their current leader. He refused, so he was executed,” he said.

  Mel’s eyes nearly bulged out of her hear. “Just like that?” she squeaked.

  “It took years for the council to make a decision, but there were enough brave members who came forward and gave enough evidence to show he was a tyrant who abused his pack emotionally and physically. Members were being raped, enslaved, and worse. Five other pack members were tried and executed as well for their involvement. They were just as guilty as he was.

  “By the time Mason took over the pack, it was in a bad state. Mason has tried his hardest to undo the brainwashing the other alpha had done. He’s helped a lot of members go to counseling to help deal with the traumas they went through. He’s invited lecturers from various packs to give short talks about tolerance and acceptance. He’s made some progress, but fear is a powerful emotion. And subconscious patterns can be hard to break.