“Julie, sometimes the mind can block out certain things, such as events, places and even people. It’s a way the mind protects itself. For example, a tragic event, an occurrence which would cause the person a tremendous amount of pain and even severe shock. Then later on in life, when the person is more mature and settled the events of long ago resurface. Sometimes people have just bits and pieces of it, like a vague memory, visions, or dreams.” He paused still watching my reactions intently.
“I don’t think I was ever attacked by a werewolf.”
“Was there any time in your life you couldn't account for?”
Thinking hard, I ran over anything that would be considered relevant. There was one even which remained unclear. “When I was twelve, I remember waking up in a hospital.
My Dad told me that I’d an accident. I never questioned it further and forgot about it.”
“What do you remember about that?” he continued. I shook my head. “Okay, I am going to try something. Granted I have only done this a few times. It’s not my profession, I remind you.” He stood and moved away from his chair. “Julie, I want you to lie down on the sofa,” he said, drawing the blinds down in his office making it dark. He pulled up the other chair beside the sofa.
“Have you heard about hypnosis?” he asked. I nodded in response. “Okay then, I want you to relax. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and let it out. Relax your body totally. Concentrate on the sound of my voice, and nothing else.” His voice was as calm and soothing.
“I want you to visualize a cloud. A soft white fluffy cloud. You are floating on this cloud. You feel the softness of it. Gently floating. You relax on this cloud, still listening to the sound of my voice. Your eyes become heavy. You’re floating. Floating softly, gently letting go of the tension in your body. You still hear my voice. Your body is relaxed.
You’re still floating on the cloud. You’re still hearing my voice. You’re thinking back to when you were in the hospital at the age of twelve. Still relaxed. When I count to three, you will be there. Back when you were twelve. You have no fear, no emotions. You’re still floating on a cloud very relaxed. One, two, three. Tell me what you see.”
“I remember you being there. My Dad. I remember,” I paused. “My arm was bandaged.” Taking a deep breath, images of the werewolf flashed in my mind. “I was playing in the backyard, it was late at night. I heard a dog howling. I went to see what was wrong with it. I followed the sound to the meadow. That is when I saw it and it saw me. I screamed and tried to run back to the house. It chased me, I fell and it pounced on top of me and scratched my arm. Another wolf jumped out at it and knocked it off me. They fought… while I screamed. Then I remember seeing… .” my voice trailed off.
“What did you see Julie?”
“It was trying to kill my Dad. Daddy!” Distraught swept over me.
“Julie, it’s all right, you are safe. You’re still floating on a cloud, the soft cloud.” his voice soft and smooth.
I shook my head. “No, Daddy! Not my Daddy!” I continued.
“Okay, Julie, listen to my voice. You’re safe. You’re relaxed. When I count backwards from three you’ll be fully awake and remember everything. Three, you’re floating on the cloud, Two, you’re relaxed and beginning to wake up. You’re aware of your surroundings. One, you’re awake and remember everything.”
I opened my eyes and stared at him for a moment. It was a little hard to comprehend such a memory. It appeared to be more like my dreams. I looked at him with a frown on my face. “I was attacked by a werewolf?” He nodded.
“Yes, I clearly remember the event. You’re in the hospital overnight. You’re in such shock that you forced the memory from your mind. Strong will, I tell you. I have never seen anything like that in all the years of my practice.”
“What happened though, I mean with my Dad?”
“He heard you screaming and rushed out for you. He saved you from your attacker.”
Still puzzled, I found myself glaring at him. “But there were two of them.” I paused. His expression hadn’t changed. It dawned on me; he was waiting for me to figure this out on my own. I looked to Dr. Miller for a confirmation or a sign that I was crazy. For the moment, he kept the same expression on his face and nodded his head.
“Your father and I’ve been friends for many years. He felt the need to keep the secret from you until you were ready to handle the truth. He would’ve told you sooner, if it hadn’t been for the attack. We discussed this option many times and now here you are.”
“My father, then,” I paused trying to collect my thoughts, “Wasn’t a werewolf, but a Lycan.” I couldn’t grasp this new found knowledge. It didn’t seem real. Daniel had told me the stories. I was dazed.
“Julie,” he said standing, “I’m going to prescribe something for you to help you sleep. This is a lot for you to comprehend at this point. There’s no need for you losing sleep over it.” He opened the blinds and returned to his desk. Picking up his glasses he grabbed a small blue pad and begun to scribble on it. He handed the small piece of paper to me. “It’ll be all right. You’re fine. It’s just a little shock to your system right now. It’ll all come back to you.”
Slowly, I stood and walked to the door still in a daze. I turned back to him. “Thank you, Dr. Miller.” I said flatly. I was numb again. I walked out of the office building toward my car, still pondering over the new found information. My father was a Lycan. Starting the car, the annoying “Check Engine” light came on again. I decided to take the car to the shop and have it checked.
Still in my fog, I made it to the dealership and somehow managed to tell them about my car. I sat down in the waiting area while they looked the car over. My thoughts drifted back to everything Daniel had mentioned to me, and to the argument that Charlotte and Thomas had that morning. Things became clearer. My mother was human which was the problem. Daniel tried to tell me the truth all along. My father was a Lycan. Now I wondered who else was. Dr. Miller? He knew. Daniel must have known. Charlotte had to have known. My thoughts drifted to something more terrifying. If my father was a Lycan, then what does that make me? I cursed under my breath for not thinking of the question soon enough to ask Dr. Miller. He’d been our families’ physician ever since I could remember.
Of course, now I remember, Daniel had said that a human woman couldn't carry a Lycan child. Her body would reject it. I remember that was the problem with my mother; this was the reason she died. Instead of having an abortion, she wanted me. My father wanted me as well. My heart swelled in pain. My father was the one who protected me.
Things were suddenly clear. He’d gone on the hunting trip, not to find wolves, but to find werewolves. He went to hunt them as a Lycan. The next thought, I fought back and refused to let it enter my mind. He didn’t have his mate to fight by his side.
My cell phone rang, breaking my deep thoughts.
“Daniel?”
“Hi there, sweetheart. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I managed weakly, “How about you? Everything okay there”
“Everything is fine. We have the problem fixed. As for me, I miss you something terrible.”
A smile broadened across my face. I could feel the warm fuzziness when they swept over me just from hearing his sexy voice.
“I miss you, too. I really, really do.”
“I will be home in a couple of days. I have a surprise for you.”
“What kind of surprise?”
“Oh no, you are going to have to wait until I get back.”
“Well, I have one for you too.” Thinking about dinner, then I thought about what I had just learned. “Actually two.”
“Oh? So I am going to be pleasantly surprised?” His voice was seductive and smooth.
“Oh, very much so,” I teased.
“Mmm, I cannot wait.” He purred into the phone. Hearing his voice made me melt. It was all I could do to keep myself from jumping up and down in the car dealership.
“So how are things
around there now?”
“Quiet so far. There hasn’t been any bad news lately.”
“I did not expect there would be. There is not going to be another full moon until next Sunday.”
“Yeah, I kind of thought about that, too.”
“All right baby, I have to run. I love you.”
“Love you too.” I heard the click and flipped my phone closed. Just hearing his voice was like a beautiful symphony playing directly to my heart, its lullaby played on harps by angels themselves. Yes, I was truly in love with this man.
“Miss, your car is ready.” The voice surprised me. The mechanic stood in front of me holding the keys to my car. “We just had to make a few minor adjustments. Nothing to worry about. No charge.”
Thanking him graciously, I floated out to the car. I still needed to stop at the grocery store before going home. I wanted Daniel’s surprise dinner to be the best. I knew with Charlotte’s expertise that it would be perfect. A quiet romantic dinner alone, then I could spring my newfound news on him. This was exciting.
The parking lot to the grocery store was crowded. I parked a little ways from the front of the store. It wasn’t difficult to figure out that the store would probably be crowded as well.
Moving quickly around the grocery store, I gathered all the items I needed. Heading to the check out, I glanced over the lines to find the shortest one and walked over to it.
My eyes wandered absent-mindedly around the checkout line while waiting on the person in front of me. In the next lane over was a very tall young man, blond and very handsome. He appeared to be around the same age as me, twenty-five or so. Immediately, I guessed he worked out in the gym on a regular basis. The muscles in his upper arm and chest were very pronounced. He handed the money to the cashier and grabbed his bag. He turned as if he knew I’d been watching him, and stared directly into my face. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His eyes were very dark, like Daniel’s at times. He walked past me, his eyes still staring at me. Turning his head quickly, he was out the door.
The same odd feeling came back to me, the burning sensation in my stomach. There was something about this young man that bothered me.
I frowned as I placed my things on the counter for the cashier to ring the items up. I handed the cashier the money, grabbed my two bags, and headed out the door. Walking to the car, a series of whistles erupted to my right. I looked up and saw two vehicles parked under the trees. The first was a red Jeep and the second a blue off road truck with large tires. There were three young men whistling at me and yelling. My eyes sized them up and then the fourth young man walk around to the back of the vehicle. It was the same strange blond-haired young man from inside the grocery store. He said something to the others and they stopped. I walked a little faster, jumped in my car, and locked the doors.
The four men stood by their vehicles as I pulled out of the parking lot. They watched me as I sped out onto the road. Looking back one more time, I made sure they stayed there. A little nervous, I drove faster than normal back to the house. There were many things to discuss with Charlotte. I also needed time to talk with Casey. I wanted to find out more about her new boyfriend.
Charlotte wasn’t in her usual spot when I returned to the house. She was outside working in her rose garden. I placed the cold items in the refrigerator and walked outside to see her. She looked very content.
“Did you find everything?” she asked, her hand brushing her hair away from her face.
“Yes,” then I thought, “NO! I forgot the Cognac. I was terribly distracted in the grocery store parking lot. I’m sorry.”
“No worries. I will give Thomas a call, and he can pick it up on the way home,” she said, sitting back on her heels.
“Charlotte,” I hesitated a moment. “There’s something I need to discuss with you. I went to see Dr. Miller this morning.”
“Is everything all right?” Concern swept over her face and voice.
“Yes. Everything is fine. It was about my nightmares. I know what happened to me. The attack. I know about my Dad.” I hesitated. She stood quickly and took my hands.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Dad wanted me to know, but he couldn’t tell me.” I continued.
“Because he was afraid to, sweetie. He loved you so much, Jewels. He wanted you to know the truth. You had such a shock. You scared us all. Martin and I stayed in the hospital with you until you opened your eyes. I was so terrified for you.”
“Charlotte,” I interrupted her. “My Dad, he was a Lycan?”
She nodded and smiled. “Julie,” she said kneeling down and taking my hands, tears streaming down her beautiful face. “Remember how I told you that you are like family to us?” She sniffled and I nodded. “Well, you are. Martin and Thomas met a few years before he met your mother. Thomas and I were already married, but we all formed a very tight knit bond. We knew that we needed each other. Everyone that we have been close to in our little group are Lycans. No one else knows what we are. We fit into society very well; however, we hide our secret equally as well.” She paused and glanced away for a moment, and then her watery eyes returned to mine.
“Why do you think I was so happy to see you and Daniel together?” Tears ran from her eyes. “I love my son so much. I never wanted anything more for him than to find one of his kind to love him and be the mate he deserved. I watched him daily struggling with the loneliness. It was torment for me. We tried desperately to find a mate for him. There was no one that he would choose. We just wanted him to be happy. It was as though he had already given his heart away. He lived in such torment for so long.” She paused for a slight moment. “Then, you came home. It made perfect sense to me. I love you like a daughter, as much as I love Casey and Daniel. I watched you grow up from a baby. I saw such tenderness in you, the same as I saw in your mother. I know why your father fell in love with her, you remind me of her in so many ways. It is not a wonder that Daniel’s heart belonged to you. Do you know honestly, how happy I am? I could not have prayed and asked God to send such a wonderful angel to him as you are.”
Tears flowed freely from my eyes. I reached down and threw my arms around her. We held each other rocking back and forth crying tears of joy. Charlotte and her family had truly been there for me. I never knew how much until now. I never noticed how much they wanted me to be a part of their family, even Daniel. After all those years, I never realized that I was the cause of his anguish. How could I have ever known? He knew all along what he wanted-and it was me.
After the crying stopped, we both sat back and wiped our eyes. Our faces grew into smiles and we shared a little laughter. The tormented years for all of us had ended. It may not have come the way my father wanted it to, but I knew he would’ve been pleased. I could feel his presence next to me. I felt his loving arms around me. My eyes closed and could see his face as he smiled at me. Somehow, the heavens blessed me in that moment. I could hear him softly as he spoke, “Julie, I am so very proud of you. I love you so much.” I opened my eyes and smiled. More tears flowed softly down my face. Charlotte reached over and touched my face wiping the tears away.
“I will tell you what,” her hand gently patted my knee. “We should go inside, have a glass of good old fashion southern iced tea, and a piece of Rose’s Georgia Pecan Pie.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, rising to my feet.
“You know, if there are any more surprises like the ones I have had in the last few days, I just might take on a business venture as a caterer.” She glanced at me with a serious look on her face. I couldn’t help the laughter as it escaped me.
“What? I am being serious. I cannot take much more of this.” A smile crossed her lips and with her arm around my shoulder, she laughed with me as we walked inside.
The hours passed quickly with Charlotte and me. It was probably the most time we had ever spent alone together. We laughed together as she reminisced over the funniest times she had with Thomas. She shared openly about their lives as Lycans, which made me w
onder what my new life as a Lycan would be.
Charlotte shared the intimate details of being a Lycan female, of their sensitivity, nurturing and loving ways. She spoke of the bonding, which I already knew from Daniel. One of the facts which stood out in my mind was there would be times I wouldn't be able to distinguish my own needs from his.
I listened carefully to every word she spoke, letting myself be the student and absorb years of important information that I missed. It was a joy to see her enthusiasm as she spoke proudly of her race, no, our race. Her voice was ever so soft and gentle. Then she said something that shocked me.
“There is a very strong attraction between you and Daniel, one that I have never seen the likes of before. When you two are around one another you give off a certain scent.”
“An odor?” I interrupted and feeling a little embarrassed.
“No.” She smiled and laughed. “It is more or less like a certain type of fragrance. A light and spicy scent. Humans couldn't detect it. It is actually a mating scent to Lycans.
Other Lycans are aware of it. It does not bother them because the scent does not attract them. Everyone has his or her own scent. It is like a pheromone to each of you. The stronger the attraction, the stronger the scent becomes. I want you to be careful,” she warned, her cheerful voice stern.
“You must understand there are laws we live by and they cannot be broken. Daniel may be hesitant to tell you this right now, but I feel you need to know.” She paused collecting her thoughts. “It is very difficult to explain. He cannot have you until you are married.”
“I don’t understand. Do you mean sexually?” At first, I thought maybe this was a little old fashioned, but I saw the seriousness in her face.
She nodded. “Yes. There are many reasons for this and I cannot go into them right now. However, do not tempt him and do not give in to him. Julie, you can be very seductive to him without even realizing it. As much as I hate to say this about my own son, he can be as seductive to you without even knowing it. You will eventually burn with intensity for one another, and you both must fight it. He knows this. Just trust me on this one thing, please. You will understand why this is so important later on. As I said, we are spiritual creatures. Just know it is a life and death situation.”
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