Page 88 of Mating at Midnight: Book 1

“Yes. Let’s go inside with the others,” Braxton answers before leading me towards the entrance of the wigwam.

My eyes focus on the dim lighting before going straight to Elder Nelah standing behind a small altar with daddy on her right side and Bryant on her left.

The shit is spooky as Hell, but I’ve seen enough scary movies to determine when shit isn’t real but at this moment, I’m second guessing myself. Such as several candelabras burning around the inside. Not being sure if they were hanging from micro filament, unseen to the naked eye or if they were in place to represent the Gods.

As Braxton and I took our place in front of Elder Nelah, we whipped our bodies around as the tarps to the entrance loudly closed.

“What is this?” Braxton swiftly questions, forgetting about what the Elder had just put him through.

Stepping in front of my mate, I ‘m willing to take on whatever punishment she would cast on him this time, but instead, she said, “Now that the five of us are away from Pack, I can relay what the Gods have spoken and showed me.”

As if they were given unspoken instructions, daddy and Bryant move behind Elder Nelah.

She digs into her satchel, instructing us, “I want to formally apologize first because I never wanted to bring pain to any of our members, but sometimes pain is necessary when needed.”

Confused by her words, I was about to ask her to elaborate when she brings out a fist full of what looks like dust powder, then opens her hand, then blows the powder into me and Braxton’s faces.

Blinded by the powder, Braxton and I fell to our knees as the substance filled our lungs. I cry out as the most unbearable pain surges through my body.

“Nyah,” Braxton grunts before he lets out a guttural wail. He has to be feeling the same pain as I am.

Thinking that because of the bond, my agony is projecting onto him, so I try to fight through that shit. I can’t have him suffering because of me.

A warm hand touches my shoulder. “My child, this is something the both of you have to go through together,” Elder Nelah says. How did she know I was trying to suppress my pain?

“Stop this,” I hissed through clenched teeth, attempting to wipe the powder from my eyes, waiting for Skia to come forth. Where the Hell is she? She said she would always be here when I needed her.

Elder Nelah rubs my shoulder, responding, “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. It’s almost over with.”

The ferocious howl that comes from Braxton ceases all movement and sound in the wigwam.

“Braxton,” I cry out, blindly waving my arms in front of me to find him but stop when another wave of pain leaves me paralyzed and unable to speak.

“Bring the sacred water now,” I hear Elder Nelah shout.

Moments later, I feel the cool liquid being poured over my head, then running down my face. That water must have been blessed by the Gods because as it flowed over me, I felt reborn.

“Open your eyes, child,” Elder Nelah instructed.

Blinking the excess water away, I’m able to see her. Daddy and Bryant are next to her holding buckets, but their focus isn’t on me. Turning my head to see what has their attention, I gasp.

“Ballian,” they say at the same time.

Sitting to the right of Braxton is the biggest fucking wolf I’ve ever seen in my life. I thought daddy’s wolf was huge, but his is no comparison to Ballian.

Ballian’s shiny black fur looks unreal, and those crazy looking yellow eyes are the same. It’s one thing to see them staring back at you through Braxton, but to see them attached to the wolf himself is eerie.

Wait, if Ballian is here, where is Skia?I asked myself as I looked to my left, then the right where I’m met with red eyes attached to a black wolf as well.

“Thank you for remembering me,” Skia says with a snort.

Did she just speak, speak to me vocally and not mentally?

“I sure did,” she laughs.

Her sarcasm couldn’t stop me from jumping to hug her around the neck.

“Where were you?” I ask, using her fur as a tissue to wipe away my tears, then leaning back.

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