Chapter 64 64
Draven's POV
"Prophecy? Why are you suddenly mentioning it? And what does it have to do with Hazel and me?" I said it with confusion, unable to process what he was saying.
The expression on Jason's face became warmer as he looked at me. "Draven," he suddenly called.
“Can you recall what happened when we were little and playing in the courtyard of the palace?" I narrowed my gaze, turning away from him. I started slowly reminiscing about the memories.
"Yeah, I can recall all that," I said, being unsure of what it was about. Jason paused for a sec and looked at me with a slight grin on his face.
"Your father had told us a fascinating story, regarding a little lad who was a werewolf with amazing abilities and strength. But this little lad he mentioned wasn't able to access those abilities.”
“We had wondered why he wasn't able to, so we asked your father how he could activate it, and he said, only special werewolves don't get their abilities from birth.”
“Others get theirs as soon as they open their eyes, which makes them different, and so the only way to activate the little lad's abilities was for him to first meet his mate, and then he shall become an Alpha."
My heart kept racing uncontrollably as I saw flashes of old memories. The feeling of the sun on my body, my cheery aura, and two young friends running around seemingly playing tag and poking at one another.
That exciting story, which caught our attention more than any other story we'd been told before, had seemed like a mere folk tale back then coming from him, but now it makes more sense thinking about it, and I just can't pretend not to notice that.
"That tale was just a story; none of it was real, right?" I asked, as I was even more worried, hoping for a reasonable answer or at least what I hoped to hear.
The expression on Jason's face hardened as he shook his head lightly. “No, Draven. I searched everywhere because the urge for answers left me wanting to understand insights on werewolves and their alpha's.”
“It kept pushing me into digging up more and more knowledge from my investigations. It turned out that what he had said that day was more than a premonition."
Jason's words stunned me so badly that it started getting harder for me to breathe by the second, my brain swirling with questions on the intensity of the situation and the so-called prophecy.
I always felt different from the others; it always made me stand out as an unusual creature in the skin of a human, which only a few people notice.
But me being a werewolf? Most of all, the possibility of being an alpha At that moment, I would have laughed if I hadn't noticed the changes recently. I just can't ignore them.
The thought of me being connected to the fate of other werewolves was so overwhelming and confusing; the odds were so unimaginable. I wasn't done processing what I had just heard when my mind suddenly revisited another memory—I remember being trapped in the walls of my mind.
I had met Adrian’s mother there, and she talked about the activation of supernatural abilities after the arrival of my child. I never planned on telling Jason about it.
In fact, I don't think I'd be able to tell anyone about it. I wanted it to be something exclusively between her and me. I always knew I had a special bond with her, and so I didn't want anyone else involved.
I held her and everything else about her to heart; it was always too personal for me. I suddenly stood up, dazed by my thoughts.
"Jason, I need some space to think about all this; there's so much for me to process right now, and I'm trying to put the pieces together," I said, straining my voice a bit.
"I have to see Hazel; I need to speak to her". Without saying a word, Jason nodded, understanding what I meant. "Draven, you can have all the time you want".
"But you should know I'm here for you. We all are." Walking out of the meeting room with a sigh, I walked straight back into my room, worry and frustration obviously showing on my face.
The revelation or premonition kept eating me up on the inside. On entering the room, Hazel's face could clearly be seen waiting for me while sitting on the bed, her presence soothing my confused state.
Walking in, Hazel looked up at me, dropping the book in her hands. She had a concerned look in her eyes. "Is there something wrong, Draven?" She said, her voice sounding even more concerned than her eyes.
I walked up to her, blocking the distance between us, and went to sit beside her, holding her hands in mine. "How are you feeling?" I said, trying to forget all about the premonition. She looked at me with a knowing look, probably catching on to what I was trying to do.
But then a light smile formed on her lips as she began squeezing her hands in excitement. "Well, I feel rather fine today; it's like my body is surging with a lot of energy," she replied, her voice not trying to hide her shock.
"And I noticed I feel less stressed than before. It seems our little one decided to spare mummy and be less naughty today" she said, giggling a bit"
I felt relieved upon hearing those words. It was the perfect distraction from the thoughts that were disturbing his mind a few moments ago. "That's great news. I'm so happy to hear that," I said, with a warm smile on my face.
I shifted my attention to the book in Hazel's hand. "What book is this?" I asked, trying to change the topic to something else. Hazel couldn't hold her smile as she looked back at the book she was holding.
"Oh yeah, I was trying to find a suitable name for our naughty baby," she said, opening the book to a certain page.
"I understand it seems awkward to name the baby now, but I just can't stop thinking about it." She was excited. I chuckled lightly as I looked at her in shock and raised a brow.
"It's only been some months and a few weeks," I said in amazement. "Isn't it too early to think of a name now?" Hazel turned her gaze to me with mischief in her eyes.
"Maybe it is, but I just can't stop myself from looking. Besides, it's never too early to dream. And also, don't try to stop me, Draven; I won't budge."
A chuckle escaped my lips again, and I shook my head, knowing it's best not to provoke her right now. "You're right, Hazel. I can't stop you; besides, it's good that you're keeping yourself busy with something; let me help you."
With a smile, we began searching through the lines and pages of the book, searching for names that carried beautiful meanings and resonated with our hopes for our child.
As we delved into the search for the perfect name, turning the pages of the book filled with possibilities, Hazel's frustration suddenly erupted. With an exasperated sigh, she closed the book with a hint of anger and threw it away, her emotions obviously getting the better of her.
I watched as the book landed on the floor and then returned my gaze to Hazel's troubled face, a sense of concern welling up within me. "Hazel, what's wrong?" I asked gently, reaching out to comfort her.
With tears brimming in her eyes, she looked at me, her voice laced with frustration. "There's no name good enough," she said, her voice quivering. "I'm tired of searching, Draven. It feels impossible to find the perfect name."
"Hazel I hope you don't mind me asking, but, Why exactly do you want to name the child so badly and desperately?" I asked carefully. I knew something was wrong with her sudden desperation for a name.
"It's just unfair, and our little pup might think we don't love him since we are barely paying attention to him." She complained, but I knew there was something more and decided to push further, though treading carefully.
"Hazel." I called, and she finally let out a sigh and began with her revelation. "Well, it's just that—that nightmare I had... I saw my little pup. She was so beautiful; she had hazel eyes just like mine.
And I actually held her hand, but you know what she said to me?" She said it with tears welling up in her eyes. I shook my head negatively, urging her to continue with her explanation.
"I asked where her parents were, and she replied that they didn't love her, and that's why they never named her or cared about her. She called me mommy, but I insisted that I wasn't her mom.”
“She seemed so sad, and it was heartbreaking." She spoke as tears streamed down her cheeks. I hugged her, calming her down, before whispering into her ears.
"I understand your dream. Now tell me what led to it." I said.
"What?" She was confused. "Dreams are a figment of one's imagination; one's deep innermost thoughts are reflected in their dreams, so explain your full dream to me, and I'll help you understand it, okay?" I assured her, and she nodded affirmatively.
She began to recount how she had found herself in a beautiful garden, surrounded by nature, and how she met the girl and the words he said. She also explained how he had turned into a blob of blood while trying to rescue her from the water that would surely drown her.
And I immediately understood it all. It's not only a figment of her imagination but also the reality that she would just have to face. As she concluded her nightmare, she slowly got out of my embrace and gazed into my eyes.
Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Can you explain it now?" She asked, and I nodded gently. I pulled her back into my arms, and she obediently leaned in to me.
"First, the beautiful garden is a calm, refreshing environment created by your brain, but you must have seen it somewhere else before, probably in a movie or something.
The little girl is representing our little pup, and she came to you and said those things because of your own fear, Hazel." She gazed up at me in confusion.
"My fear?" She asked. "Yes, you fear you cannot be a good mother; you have that anxiety that your child might hate you because of the topic of an abortion." My guess was right, as she leaned back into my arms and rested.
"That water was representing your death if you keep on searching for the pup. And to save you from death, she had to die. He turned into a blob of blood, signifying how DNC abortion takes place.
The baby turned into a blob and began to rip into pieces," she shrugged in fear as I said that. "And then I came along, and I was able to save you from dying only because the little pup was gone."
"I don't believe you." She suddenly cut me off. "As you said earlier, it's just a figment of my imagination and fears, and that's really all that it is, so let's go back to picking a name."
She was trying to bridge the topic. "Okay, but you don't seem to like any of the names here." I reminded her calmly. She threw herself into my arms, holding me tenderly.
"I understand, Hazel. It can be overwhelming, but we'll figure it out together.” I assured her, my voice filled with reassurance.
"We don't have to find the perfect name right now. We can give our baby a temporary name, like a nickname, and wait until it's born to choose a name that truly befits its personality."
Hazel pulled away slightly, her eyes searching mine for understanding. "A temporary name?" she questioned, her voice tinged with curiosity. "But how do we choose one when we don't know the baby's gender?"
A smile played on my lips as an idea sparked in my mind. "Well, how about we go with the name 'Ashe'?" I suggested it, feeling a sense of excitement at the thought.
Hazel's brows furrowed inquisitively. "Ashe?" she repeated, her tone a mixture of surprise and intrigue. "Why Ashe?"
I took a moment to hold her close, wanting to explain my choice clearly. "The names 'Asher' and 'Ashley' both have meanings associated with luck," I explained.
"So, regardless of our baby's gender, we can consider 'Ashe' as a nickname. It symbolises the luck and blessings we hope for our pup."
A soft smile spread across Hazel's face, her eyes shimmering with a mix of relief and gratitude. "I love that idea, Draven," she whispered, her voice filled with warmth.
"Ashe... it has a beautiful ring to it."