Chapter 99

Chapter 99
The next morning, Declan came up to Grimm and I as we were making our way down to the training field for a workout. Grimm was diligent about getting in a daily workout, often by joining the teen-wolves mandatory trainings or the warrior trainings to encourage them. Alpha wolves were gifted with being naturally stronger warriors, to be able to defend their packs. Grimm could best every one of the pack warriors in sparing if the occasion called for it, but he never flaunted his skills or purposely beat down a lesser pack member during a training; that just wasn’t his personality.

Since Declan’s arrival in the pack, he and Grimm would train or spar together at least a few days per week and Grimm was really enjoying having someone equal to him in abilities to train with. They both also continued to train me to use my alpha abilities and fight in wolf form.

“Good morning, Dec,” I greeted, “Coming to train with us today?” I asked.

“Uh, no. Sean and I found something last night that I think we should all go over,” he said, scanning the area around us for anyone who might be able to overhear. Our research wasn’t entirely secret, but we figured the less people who knew, the better, just as a precaution.

“Let’s go up to my office, then. We can train later,” Grimm said, taking my hand as he reversed direction and began striding to the pack house with determination.

“Hey, slow down. You’re practically dragging me,” I complained, causing Grimm to slow and rub the back of his neck.

“Sorry love,” he murmured.

Father Sean and Seraphina were waiting for us outside of Grimm’s office when we arrived, we all entered the office and took seats in the sitting area.

“So what’s the news?” I asked, anxiously clenching my hands in my lap.

“In all the versions of the story we looked at, most were fairly similar except for one, which also has the most likely link to you. At least I think so,” Seraphina began. “There is one version of the story in which the little girl and grandmother are tricked by the wolf and eaten, then the hunter comes and cuts them out of the wolf’s stomach, freeing them and killing the wolf. The story goes on and another time, the grandmother and little girl are out walking in the woods and they come upon another wolf. This time, they outsmart the wolf and the grandmother locks him in her garden. The little girl talks to the wolf every day, eventually domesticating him.”

“Sorry, Sera, I’m not seeing the connection,” I said.

“Imagine if the grandmother is the mood goddess and the domesticated wolf is the precursor to the werewolf,” Sera says, and the dots start to connect.

“But we already know the origin story of werewolves,” Grimm said, “We’re all told it as a bedtime story when were pups… Well, most of us,” he added with a slightly guilty glance at me, “do you know it?”

I nodded, “It was one of the first things I read about werewolf history from the library when I first got here. Selene, the goddess, has a daughter who grows up on earth. The daughter falls in love with a wolf, so Selene, not wanting her daughter’s heart to be broken, gives the wolf the form of a man. When they have children, the wolf misses his old life on four legs and laments that he isn’t able to teach his children about the fun things he did in his life as a wolf. Selene’s daughter begs her mother to make her partner happy again so Selene gives him the ability to change between his human and wolf form once a month on the full moon. Because their children are half human, they end up being able to change from at will,” I summarize the story. 

“Yeah, that’s the short version,” Grimm says approvingly.

“Exactly,” Seraphina says.

We all look at her blankly.

“Oh!” Declan exclaims, “The little girl is Selene’s daughter and the wolf she fell in love with is the one she domesticated.”

“I see how that story fits with the story about the goddess, but I’m not seeing how it connects to me or what makes it a prophecy,” I say.

“We know it’s a prophecy because that version of the story was crafted by W. W. Denslow, who is the illustrator of the Wizard of Oz,” Seraphina says, as if that makes perfect sense.

“I think you need to give a little more explanation, sweet. You’re losing us.” Declan says to Seraphina sweetly.

“Sorry, I’ll back up,” She takes a breath and collects her train of thought before beginning again, “Denslow was a famous seer and he wrote books and drew illustrations from visions he had. He and L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, were in a coven together for many years.”

“Ok, so Denslow wrote and illustrated a version of the story based on a vision he had, what, like 130 years ago? That is still thousands of years after the time of the goddess,” Grimm pondered, “How can a prophesy be about something that happened in the past?”

“Because the purpose isn’t to tell us what happened in the past,” Father Sean spoke up, “but to inform us of the present-day link to the past.” He stood and went to the window but seeming lost in thought, “Since Declan informed me what happened to you, Cam, your wolf and abilities being bound for most of your life, it’s bothered me. Most wolves would have turned feral or permanently lost to their human side after being closed off for that long, especially during younger stages of development when the bond between the human and wolves side develops the most. But for you it was as if it never happened.”

“That wouldn’t be because of the type of spell that was used?” Grimm asked,

Father Sean shook his head. “I don’t believe so. Especially not with the name of her wolf. Actually, Declan, I’m a little surprised you didn’t pick up on the significance of Cam’s wolf’s name,” he said, turning to Declan who looked bewildered.

A light blinked on in Declan’s mind, “Tala, of course.” He muttered.

“What to fill in the rest of the class?” I asked, growing impatient with the dribbling of information I was receiving from each person.

“In Navajo, Tala means wolf princess,” Declan answered.

“Not just that,” Father Sean added, “It’s a very important name. In Tagalog it means goddess of the evening star, daughter of the supreme being, in Sanskrit it means bright star, in Samoan it means to tell a tale, and in many other languages, it’s some version of a noble name…” he trailed off.

Tala, I asked, Is what he’s saying true? How did you get your name?

Tala had a guilty tone to her voice as she answered, as if she got caught keeping a secret, My grandmother named me.

Who is your grandmother? I asked, my heart racing as I knew the answer before she said it.

Selene.