Oddly, what she was saying made sense and while it was about the past, it was very much also about the future. They were talking about war and it appeared Rebecca was in the middle of a war herself. She really hoped she could learn some sort of strategy to help her. Celestia had offered to be an ally and Rebecca had snubbed her offer, which will only have negative consequences, no doubt. Rebecca wanted information, not an ally at the time. If Celestia had shared information about her parents’ demise she may have been more likely to play nice. Miss Johansen called that leverage. Some would call it stupidity. Rebecca called it her only move.
Still she worried. Vampires were not the nicest supernatural species out there. Many prided themselves on creating mayhem.
‘Let’s not forget they’re your enemies.’ The alpha reminded her.
But Rebecca couldn’t understand why. No one really knew why they were genetically trained to hate each other, but it was expected that they do. Rebecca’s mind went back to the day she found the young vampire in the woods. Even then, seeing the injured girl in front of her, she wanted to finish the job. If it wasn’t for her humanity she would’ve.
‘I’d feel better about blindly hurting vampires if I understood why.’ Rebecca responded to the wolf.
‘Are you sure you want to know?’ The wolf’s voice held warning.
‘Yes.’ No. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Her old friend, logic, had long since abandoned her, leaving her spinning in the Arizona quicksand.
‘Very well.’
The gruesome pictures that played out in her mind like a collage of movie scenes made her sick. The vampires forcing the wolves into slavery. Beating them, killing them for sport.
‘The vampires found werewolves a threat. They tried to repress them, but you can’t keep a good wolf down.’ The alpha chuckled at her reference to pop culture. But Rebecca couldn’t laugh; she saw no humor in the terrible pictures that were playing out in her mind. All she saw was sadness. The wolf hurried on. ‘The brutality created the alphas. Then came the evolutionary advantage that made your blood deadly to the undead creatures The alphas brought the wolves together, organized them and created powerful armies They bided their time and when they were ready, the alphas and their packs attacked back.’
More pictures of bloody battlefields. Wolves and vampires, alike, were massacred. There was no discrimination in the death toll. Rebecca closed her eyes to the vision and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. ‘Such loss, such pointless loss.’
‘There was nothing pointless about it. If we’d rolled over, we would still be held captive by the vampires, forced to do unspeakable things.’
‘You were there?’
‘Yes. I will never forget the horrific things they did to us.’
Rebecca swallowed hard. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I don’t want your pity. I want you to stay alive and rebuild. There will come a time when we need to be at full force and if we aren’t we will lose the battle.’
Rebecca didn’t know what to say to her veiled threat. The wolf had centuries of experience on her, but those experiences may be more of a negative than a positive. Maybe a truce with vampires wasn’t such a ridiculous notion?
‘Foolish girl.’
‘What you’ve been doing for centuries hasn’t work so far has it? Perhaps we need to learn from the past tragedies. I have to try.’
‘You won’t be able to build an army of wolves that will side with vampires. We made sure that would never happen. You can barely stand to be in the same room.’ Her wolf stated as a matter of fact.
‘We’ll see.’
Rebecca didn't understand all the rules and nuances of this world, which was what Lucky and Gabriel were there for, but even they weren't leaders among their people. She was. She didn’t want it. She was thrown into it. Given no choice. And while the alpha in her was helpful, it was Rebecca’s life. Her choice. The wolf wasn’t her, simply a part of something else that resided within her body and shared her mind.
The wolf didn't trust Celestia, and Rebecca couldn’t blame her. Neither did she. But everything in the past was not working. Her very existence was proof of this. The only person in her life that understood what she was facing was Gabriel, but they weren’t talking at the moment. They created a silent stalemate since her announcement last night. He was upset with her decision about the rogues and she was upset with the fact that he did not trust her judgment.
"So, Miss Winters, if a former enemy of yours offered you an olive branch in the guise of a truce, would you have accepted?" Johansen asked, clearing the thoughts from her mind.
“I think I would.” The few classmates in her class gasped at her surprising answer. Gabriel and Lucky raised questioning eyebrows, but no one spoke in protest. “I’m not saying I’d trust my new ally completely. There would be a lot of work to do before the dirty water under the bridge was clean. What I’m saying is that if the truce meant lives saved and a chance at peace, I believe I would.” The room was still silent. Johansen waited with a pleasant smile on her face for Rebecca to finish. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sometimes change, though uncomfortable, is the right choice.” That last part was for her alpha’s sake more than anyone else’s’.
‘And do you feel the same about your parents’ deaths? Can you turn away from taking revenge on their demise?’
Rebecca let the question marinate in her mind for a few breaths. The first response that came to mind was no, no she could not. But the second thought, the thought that immediately sprung to her mind was what if?
‘You became a wolf because you believed in the idea of an eye for an eye. Has that mindset changed?’
‘No… well, maybe a little. Before I was an alpha, responsible for others, role model to others like Willow and River, I would have easily taken their heads without a second thought.’ Rebecca felt the emotional growth happening in her mind in that moment. She felt the light come on, and bring light to the darkness that was her soul since the day her parents died. ‘But now, I want to find the killers and turn them into the authorities so the law can make them pay for their crimes.’
‘You lie to yourself.’
‘No, I don’t think I do.’
‘If you insist upon following this path that resolve in your voice will be tested. This I promise.’
‘Perhaps.’
"Interesting evaluation and I’m impressed that you took the more enlightened path in your answer." Johansen smiled and continued on with her lecture. "In the end, it’s really about what you are willing to compromise, or what you are willing to lose. In every deal, both sides lose something, no matter how big or small. And when a deal falls through there is always a chance of retaliation or worse."
Rebecca looked at Lucky and Gabriel. That was exactly what she was worried about. Retaliation, especially when they discovered what she was planning.
'You should be worried.' The alpha's voice rang in her mind, dripping with venom. She was pissed, but Rebecca knew, deep inside, it was because the wolf was scared. They had been through a lot the last month. Rebecca wanted to understand her because she was stronger with the alpha on her side. She needed to understand her because they were linked together for the rest of her life.
Rebecca’s thoughts focused on Savvy and Hunter. They were so innocent, so naïve to the world they lived in which left them incapable of protecting themselves when supernatural beings came around; and she knew they would come around. They had been around all along. Her mind went to Natalia and Jackson. They had been integrated into their lives from the moment they came to live with their grandmother. It was grandma who pushed Jackson on them. Natalia and Jackson had been visiting them since as far back as she could remember. Were they protectors?
Keeping Savvy and Hunter untrained did very little to prepare them for the war ahead. Keeping them untrained made them targets. Just because they’re untrained did not keep them safe from others who sensed their lineage, the secrets hidden deep within their DNA.
Rebecca was happy grandmother finally agreed to tell them about their history, she just worried it was too late. They deserved to make this decision for themselves; not to have this decision made for them. It was time to give them the gift of their DNA. Saturday, their lives would change. She only hoped it would be for the better.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
~”I think a lot of people settle with comfort. I’ve kinda pushed my whole life not to do that. There’s nothing wrong with settling, it’s definitely an easier life than the one I’ve chosen to live.”
~Aubrey O’Day
Savannah
"Up a little more and to the left." Savannah directed Joshua and Danny as they hung the last banner for the dance that night. "Good, that looks perfect." She smiled brightly. The dance committee was in charge of picking the theme, but a 'Midsummer's Night' was her idea and as she looked around the room it was perfect. She managed to get a large fountain which they put almost center with the room. Everything else was built around the waterworks display. Simon added light effects to the fountain so the water changed from green to red to violet on a timer. The effect was stunning. A level of unbelievable pride filled her. She wondered if she would make a good party planner and the dance tonight would prove she had talent.
Trees and plants were placed in all four corners of the room. The room was lit by fire lanterns which created two walkways around the fountain and to the dance floor. As a finishing touch she procured a bubble machine which would run on autopilot throughout the night. Without a doubt, this night would be magical.
To help with the memory of the night she set up a large picture of trees in a forest for the background to the picture booth which was the final part of the decorations. The refreshment committee would be bringing in the finger foods and punch about an hour before the dance.
Danny started his way down the ladder and Savvy ran over to steady it before he fell. He was her date for tonight, perfect boyfriend material. He had short wavy blonde hair, kind grey eyes, and was built like a solid football player. He was the perfect guy in many people's eyes and many believed he was the one to beat for the king's crown tonight. It was why he asked her to the dance. She knew it, but she didn’t care. She had bad luck with men lately and Danny was easy. Besides, together they had the best chance of taking both crowns. Before last week it bothered her that it was the only real reason why he asked, but that all changed when she saw the kiss between Gabriel and her twin sister, Rebecca.
Danny was the perfect gentleman. He smiled at all the right times, listened intently when she spoke, and held her hand with the perfect amount of shyness to make her feel good. Not to mention, he would not be sneaking off during the night to kiss her sister, or anyone else for that matter. Savvy never understood why she had very little attraction to Danny. When he reached the bottom of the steps he picked her up and spun her around. "You did an amazing job, princess."
It was so spontaneous Savvy couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips. When he put her down he placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. It was warm and comfortable. He fit her like a glove and most girls would be happy with that. She wondered if she could be happy with a man like him. She wanted passion, excitement, more. But she wasn’t interested in the drama that came along with it.
"I am so glad you decided to go with me. I made a promise to myself that if you didn't accept my invitation I was going to go to the dance alone." He confided in her.
Savvy rolled her eyes. "Sure, you have half the class begging for just a glance from you and you were going to go alone. You could’ve had your pick of girls. To be honest, I thought you already had another date by the time I accepted." She looked down at her feet shyly. She still felt a little guilty for making him wait. She wasn’t sure if she wanted a magical or political night. After everything she decided political was the safest bet.
"I promise you, I was holding out for you, and only you." He laced her fingers into his hand and pulled her to the center of the dance floor.
The DJ was doing a sound check and when he saw them together on the dance floor he played the romantic slow song "A Thousand Years". She fell into a slow dance with him and placed her head on his chest. He was too tall for her to reach his shoulders. His romantic gesture reinforced the fact that he was perfect boyfriend material. He was even close with his mother; she came to every game and ran the booster club to show her support. Savvy always admired the closeness he had to his mother, it was something she would never have again, but had once.
She found herself willing herself to fall head over heels for him, pleading with her heart to find a spark. But nothing developed; simply camaraderie and respect. She wondered if that was enough. From what she saw it was more than most married couples had that she knew. And she wasn’t looking for a husband, just a high school boyfriend.
His voice was hoarse and his breath was warm on her neck as he whispered, "There’s one thing you can do to make this moment perfect."
Savvy looked up at him with a smile, half lost in her worried thoughts. "And what’s that?"
"Say you’ll be my steady girlfriend."
She sucked in a breath. In that moment, she found herself wondering if she should give him a chance to see if the spark would develop later, maybe with time. A voice in the back of her mind reminded her that with a simple touch from Lucky, the spark ignited, but he was not available. He was her sister’s boyfriend. And the other man she found dangerous and interesting was into her sister as well. It was rather ironic. Danny was not the bad boy type. Maybe she needed to change the type of guy she was interested in. Maybe she wasn't meant to be with dangerous men.