Chapter 48

**FINAL DAY OF THE AWAKENING

Chaos’s P.O.V***

I was awoken by the beating of drums and the echoes of a chant you rarely heard even back in our home realm. A chant that was as old as time itself. I turned to find Xavier leaning against the headboard with his eyes squeezed shut. My heart broke for my little boy. He didn’t deserve what happened to him either but we were both victims of the harsh reality that is life. The balance of the world had to remain intact no matter what and that is why consequences came with manipulating it.

Consequences that were a touch to harsh but that is the way of life. Repositioning myself, I lifted him into my arms and cuddled him tightly to my chest. I turned to find his father sound asleep and I could only sigh to dispel the rage that was bubbling beneath the surface. Dropping a kiss on Xavier’s forehead, I whispered quietly’

“I am so sorry my little warrior”

“I know Mama” he replied hoarsely

We held on tightly to each other as the tempo of the drumming and the chant changed and the effect could be felt because we could hear the loud chirps of birds, the cries of the coyotes, the roar of lions, the hiss of the snakes and the force of the wind as it shook and rattled the trees in the forest without honing our senses to hear them like always. They, all too could feel what was coming. Our time was up and I honestly do not know how things were going to turn out. Even at this hour when the morning was almost finally upon us.

We sat in silence listening to the forest come to life till the sun came up. Lifting Xavier into my arms, I got him off the bed ad headed towards the bathroom to get him and myself ready for the day. We emerged two hours later in our ceremonial robes to find my ex-mate still sleeping soundly. He is unbelievable considering how much the noise had elevated in the park with all the preparations being made.

With one last glance in his direction, I left the room with my son and headed straight for the kitchen where I found my mum already making breakfast for my surprisingly quiet family who had spread around the large dinning table in the eating area. I smell something fishy.

“Good morning” I greeted as I found a seat for myself and son

“Morning” they chorused.

Strange.

I waited for a couple of minutes and no one was asking questions. They were all mysteriously and collectively doing something on their phones.

“Okay, out with it!” I bellowed

“Out with what?” Lucien asked quietly

“Whatever it is that has got all of you awake and up in my space. Somehow, I don’t want to believe that all of you couldn’t sleep an and had to be awake this early in the morning and at the same time too. So tell me what is going on?”

“Nothing… really… we just wanted to check up on you” Kiara whispered quietly

“Bullshit!!! Now out with it”

“Okay!! Since you insist, I’ll tell you. I woke up to the chants and drums and then I couldn’t go back to sleep again. I came down to get some water and I guess I woke everyone up in the process” Lucas answered whiles staring straight into my eyes and I recognized the look in his eyes.

“What did you see Lucas?’ I questioned

“What makes you think I saw something Khione?” He challenged

“Because of that look in your eyes and the fact that you just called me Khione. You may not have noticed it but you only call me that when you are either lying or hiding something and in this case, it’s both”

“I am not. A slip of the tongue perhaps. You can listen to my heartbeat”

“The very heartbeat that you learnt to control when you were just a kid Lucas. Too many slip ups today so why wont you just tell me! I mean everyone must be in on it so why not tell me?”

“I haven’t told anyone yet. They woke up to my screams”

“Ah ha.. so there is something…”

“Damn you Chaos!!! Just leave it alone… damn it!!!”

“I won’t… not when it’s got that look in your eyes”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t…” I was about to retort when my son spoke up.

“You tell or I tell Uncle Luk” He whispered and from the gasp that escaped Lucas, I sure as hell was not the only one not expecting Xavier to offer his two cents.

“If you saw it too little man then you know why I can’t say anything. Why we can’t say anything” Lucas said with a growl

“Who are you to decide if he tells us or not brother?” Lucien whined. So the twin also didn’t know, it was unheard of for Lucas to see something and not show Lucien. It has to be really bad.

“Mother… speak some sense into him” Lucien cried out

“Leave me out of it sweetheart. If he prevented you from seeing it, what makes you think he will tell the rest of us” My mother reasoned

“Shouldn’t that be reason enough to want to know what he’s hiding?” Kiara reasoned

And soon there was an uproar going on about the reasons why Lucas should spill the beans whiles said person sat there staring at all of them with a blank look on his face. His eyes particularly fixated on my son who was also staring back at his Uncle with a look I could decipher.

The debate was cut short when Xavier growled with an intensity that had our wolves and significant others rapidly rising to the surface and that was how River found us.

From the shocked expression on his face, I could tell, we made an impression on him. I mean he walked in to find his five year old son growling wildly with the white of his eyes darkened and his pupil an amazing mixture of red and gold whiles the rest of us looked on with our signature red ones. I watched him open and close his mouth several times probably trying to figure out what to say before turning to look in my direction with question in his eyes.

“Don’t look at me! I am also seeing him like this for the first time” I said with a shrug of my shoulders,

Before he could gather his wits to answer, my father was on his feet and in front of Xavier within a blink of an eye.

“How did I not see this?” He murmured all the while staring at his grandson with a look of awe, respect, sadness and admiration.

“See what?” I questioned

I got ignored

Kneeling in front of him, he rubbed his shoulder soothingly. We all watched as his normally red eyes changed to a bright gold color that matched the one in Xavier’s.

“Tell him, its okay… and that I understand” He said in a rare soothing manner.

“No” Xavier growled out

“It’s alright child… I promise you that… “

“But I… “

“I know… and I will be there for you… Every step of the way. I will only be a whisper away” He declared with finality. I watched as the tension in my son’s shoulders loosen and my heart broke further as he burst into tears all the while reaching for his grandfather who wrapped his arms around him.

“What… what… what is wrong with my son?” River finally spoke up as he took careful steps towards the pair.

“He’s fine… its just the effect of the chants. Its fairly new to his wolf side” My father explained smoothly

That was true but I could feel it in my bones that it wasn’t the entire truth. The ceremony hasn’t fully began and yet, strange things keep happening. One after the other. I officially do not like this day.

Letting out a deep breath, I dropped a kiss on my son’s forehead and just left the house. It was a little too much to take in. I walked through the now arranged yard and made my haste of exiting it and venturing into the forest behind it. I trailed through the now quiet forest, inhaling the fresh air.

When did life get this complicated?

When did it move from trying to survive my mother’s brutal training to being awakened and a mother?

My life has moved too fast and it's all crashing down now. I stopped infront of a fallen tree and just sat down. I closed my eyes, cleared my mind and then tried to meditate. It took a while seeing as I had a lot on my mind and they just keep adding up.

****

I was shaken out of my trance by the sounding of a horn. Time was finally up and I couldn't be more nervous. I ran as fast as I could back to the yard. I walked into the yard to watch as my father and uncles took their place behind the precising table. I walked towards my designated seat and sat. It was a game of waiting for the rest of the family and the pack to get here. Upon my request, the kids were all on a field trip together with Xavier. I didn't need them getting corrupt just like my sweet son already is.

It took a while but gradually all the seats filled up. The bland stares, whispers and tears that surfaced when the members of the pack noticed me. Their dead Luna sitting on the front row seats set an entirely different mood. You could see the surprise, the joy and the questions on their face. It was pretty much stressful smiling and reassuring them that it really was me.

Letting them touch and feel me for confirmation was torture. It was emotional and heartbreaking, how some especially my girls wept freely at my sight. It delighted me that they thought to honour me today by wearing the ensemble I got them. It was hard since the questioning never stopped but we managed to get them settled with the promise of explaining everything to them later...

Not that the won't find out everything by the end of this gathering.

The highlight of the event, was the scream that tore from Tricia's throat when she saw me. It made all this worth it. The fear and sudden panic that takes through her sent a delightful shiver through me. It elated me to no end when she called another member of the pack to verify for her that it was really me sitting there and not her mind playing tricks on her.

Pftt.. more like her guilty conscience...

It was after her entrance that the court counsellor for our realm stood to address the pack.