*“No one knows the future, but the present offers clues and hints on its direction.” ― Innocent Mwatsikesimbe*
***Neron***
The tension in Mom’s voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Nuria and I shuffled to make room for her. She took the seat between us, resting the album on her lap. “A mother’s intuition never lies. I’m sure you both have questions as to what is going on.”
“Um… we do not know what you’re talking about?” Nuria chuckled nervously. Goddess, she was such a terrible liar, sometimes. I shook my head in disappointment.
“You both been receiving prophetic dreams, correct?” Silence. “Or dreams that reveal to you the future before it happens? What about dreams involving your mates?”
My jaw clammed shut. How did Mom know about that? Has Nuria been getting the same dreams like me? My sister looked at me with eyes pleading for help, but I didn’t know how to help her. I was just as confused. Mom took our silence as her answer, nodding before flipping through the pages of the album. The photos of our family aged the further she flipped, going back in time as each photo lost its color.
“I haven’t done my due diligence on explaining your true family history.” Mom started; eyes glued to the album. “You both are aware of your paternal family history, but not mine. Your ability to dream and see the future directly results from your Norwegian blood; a blessing passed down by your ancestor, Ulf, and Alva Johansen.”
“Never heard of those people before.” I rested my elbow on the armrest. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“Well, I have been dead for thirteen years, for one.” Mom laughed. “And these abilities typically manifest between late adolescence and early adulthood, but there are some exceptions, especially for the both of you.” She flipped to a page where an aged, yellowed portrait of a man was shown, wearing what looked to be Viking clothing. His face was stoic, yet I felt the power from this man radiating through the picture.
“He doesn’t look friendly.” Nuria joked. Mom smiled, shaking her head as she patted her on the top of her head. She huffed, batting her hand away playfully.
“The Johansen bloodline stretches back many centuries, dating back as early as when the gods once roamed the earth.” Mom’s fingers gently smoothed out the bent corner of the portrait. “Ulf Johansen was a Viking werewolf one hundred percent dedicated to Lord Odin, King of the Norse Gods. Our family has many stories of how werewolves came about in Norway. From what I can remember from when I was a child, one story stated Ulf was one of the first werewolves born from Fenrir, the demonic werewolf beast destined to kill Odin during Ragnarök but was purified by Selene once she saw their internal suffering. Another stated Ulf was born as one of Selene’s creations, just like the rest of the werewolf race, and was gifted, along with many others, to Odin as a sign of companionship. The Asnuz Pack, our family’s pack, is one of the oldest of Norway.”
“Zircon Moon had nothing on them.” Nuria chuckled.
“Not even a droplet of worth,” Mom added.
“Interesting,” I muttered, tapping my finger against my thigh. “What else is there?”
“Much more. Holy wars were a common occurrence between the gods that, often, spilled into the mortal realm. As a non-human, Ulf fought to protect his people during the wars. Unfortunately, he harbored distrust for anyone who wasn’t a wolf, as there has been some uneasy peace amongst the other supernaturals. A warrior’s blood burns bright, long after death, but kept alive through their ancestry. However, during one war, he was severely injured and was on the verge of death until a volva, or a witch, rescued and healed him. Come to find out that witch, named Alva, was his destined mate.”
Mom flipped to the page that revealed her portrait of Alva dressed in traditional Scandinavian garb, holding a staff in one hand. She bore a striking resemblance to her and Nuria, right down to the ringlets in her hair.
“Despite Alva being a volva, Ulf fell passionately in love with her and found purpose in making certain she was safe. They kept their relationship a secret from both their sects, as they feared neither would be accepted. Ulf did not let anyone or anything harm his love. One day, Alva requested to become a wolf like Ulf so they could be together for much longer because Alva was still mortal. He pleaded with Odin for his help and Alva was, to this day, one of the few humans in history to not be a werewolf from birth. Alva’s transformation was difficult and there was a guarantee that she wouldn’t survive the shift, but Ulf’s love for her and her love for him was strong enough to ensure her survival. After her transformation, Alva kept her volva abilities and those two officially mated and lived happily until the end of days with their many children.”
“Aw, I’m glad they got their happy ending.” Nuria smiled, resting her head on Mom’s shoulder. Our family line wouldn’t exist without it. A fierce feeling suddenly lanced through my belly like a sword to concrete, filling my veins with green, gently tickling my anger. As quick as it appeared, I stomped it to dust.
Goddess, what the hell was wrong with me? I shouldn’t be jealous of my own ancestors. They didn’t fuck up like I did.
Mom flipped to an extensive and detailed family tree, written in Norwegian. “Alva was a seeress of many skills, but her prominent gift was foresight. Her blessings were passed down from one generation to the next, occasionally skipping some for an unexplained reason. Not all of us would have Alva’s blessing, but we all gained Ulf’s blessing. Johansen blood stretches from beyond Norway. To ensure that our bloodline remains strong until the end of time, our mates are powerful themselves, whether it be through the Alpha lineage or inter-mating with another species.”
“Has anyone in our family mated with a human besides Ulf?” I asked.
“I’m not too sure about that, but it is possible.” Mom’s eyes crinkled with her smile. “Selene’s ways of choosing our mates will be forever shrouded with mystery. However, the past couple of generations of our family have exclusively mated with Alphas, counting myself. You two are purebreds, and so are your grandparents and great-grandparents. Alva’s blessing was given to your grandfather, who has the gift of foresight. It had skipped my generation, but it looks like you two have her blessing as well.”
“I don’t know Mom. The story was cool and all, but Neron and I being seers?” Nuria scoffed. “Would’ve we have known we had this ability sooner?”
“Considering the circumstances of our lives, the discovery and development were delayed.”
My fingers traced over the branches of the family line, descending to where Nuria’s and I’s names laid. “Did Dad know anything about this?”
“I never told him,” Mom confessed. “I wasn’t sure if either of you would’ve gained the blessing. I didn’t know how he’d react.”
“It’s a good thing that he’ll never know.” Nuria folded one leg over the other, crossing her arms as she frowned. “Who knows what the power-hungry old man would’ve done if he sniffed it out.”
I watched Mom as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, stress lines creasing in her brow. Worried, I held her hand, thanking me through mind-link.
“I’m glad that our blood isn’t tainted, after all,” Nuria added.
Mom froze, darting her head to look at her daughter with a mix of shock and sadness. I couldn’t look her in the eye when she spared a glance at me, because I thought the same. Dad destroyed us. He ruined our family. Yet, a part of him lives within us as we are his children. How couldn’t we think we have tainted blood when the man who made us was an abusive fuck like all the men before him? Nuria watched me live under his authoritarian rule, watched me almost become just like him. What if I continued to be ignorant? Would’ve I become a worse man than him? What if… what if… what if—!
“Both of you were never tainted, *skattene mine*.” Mom’s voice was firm, but love dripped from every syllable she spoke. She planted kisses on our foreheads before continuing. “Despite all he’s done, he has gifted me you two, *my treasures*. I love you both more than life. Your father was bad, yes, but that doesn’t mean you two are.”
We sat in silence, soaking in the impact of her words. Nuria shot me a worried glance, struggling to believe Mom’s words. She was right, but it still hurt. One day, we’ll believe Mom. Maybe. But today wasn’t that day. “What else can this foresight power do?” I asked, changing the subject.
”According to my father, foresight is at its peak whenever your mind is relaxed enough to be susceptible to its messages. How have your dreams been tonight, my darlings?”
I stiffened. Nuria stiffened. The scenes of the nightmare played like a broken record player—the snakes, the red, the heavy miasma of Kiya’s fear. I peeked over at Nuria to see her eyes tightly shut and her teeth grinding in her mouth. Neither of us wanted to answer, but Mom didn’t need that. She already knew. “Foresight has a couple of limitations, as it will only allow you to see the future if it involves someone you hold dear to her heart. It’ll show you what you need to see versus what you want to see.”
“If it shows us something bad…” Nuria hesitated, sucking in a gulp of air. “… does it mean it’ll come true?”
“It can.”
I couldn’t accept that.
I **refused** to accept that.
It’s one thing to be an Alpha, but to be tortured by psychic dreams of your mate murdered in front of you was another. And to add salt to the wound, it can come true? No fucking way. I never asked for this damn ability. The future wasn’t set in stone, but that didn’t mean that vision wouldn’t come true.
I won’t go back to sleep if it meant watching Kiya get killed again.
Silently, I pushed myself off the couch, heading toward the front door. Mom called out for me, but I didn’t respond. The crisp cool air filled my lungs and licked against my skin once I was outside, but it didn’t calm the irritation bubbling in my stomach. Why this? Why now? My foresight had only shown me visions of losing Kiya, both in the past and now, in the presence. Not one vision I got where Kiya was unharmed.
Did this mean I’m destined to lose her again?
My heart dropped, and my chest constricted. *No, no, no, no*. *Not again*.
I plopped onto the top steps, placing my head in between my legs to calm my erratic breathing. A technique Dr. Nilsen taught me whenever my anxiety manifested physically. I gripped my hair to anchor myself to another sensation besides my chest ripping apart.
*Breathe in, breathe out*. *Breathe in, breathe out*.
After what I thought to be a minute, serenity took the place of my panic, bathing me in its cool.
A hand touched my back. I lifted my head to see Nuria taking her spot next to me, handing me a cup of water and a tissue. Sniffling, I took the tissue to wipe my tears I didn’t know had fallen and gulped down the water. Nuria sighed, rubbing her elbows, staring at the almost barren night sky.
“Did you dream of a big snake, too?”
My eyes widened as my hold tightened around the mug. “Yeah, I did.”
“It’s not a coincidence that we had the same nightmare. That’s why I was awake when you found me—it felt too real for me to go back to bed. Even Angelika was terrified.”
“I saw Kiya die,” I whispered, my throat drying instantly. “Did you see it too?”
“No. I… saw it kill someone else.” Nuria’s blue eyes filled with fear, glittering as a stray tear swam down her face. “That person could be my mate, Neron. I don’t want to be wrong.”
“Why would you feel you’d be wrong?”
“I’ve been alive for three years, and I’m still trying to adjust to being a normal werewolf… whatever the fuck that means.” She chuckled, sniffling. “I don’t think they’re aware of the bond and if they were, would they accept me? I’m just… treading as lightly as I can.”
There was more Nuria was hiding. I could see it in her face. Her face was like an open book, exposed and readable. I’m happy she knew who they were, but I hated how she felt inadequate to be accepted. She’s a marvelous woman, and whoever her mate turns out to be will love and honor her.
If they don’t, they’ll have to deal with me.
“But, with what Mom said about this ‘blessing’ we have, that nightmare was confirmation that person is mine. Am I going to lose them before I get to know them?”
“No. That won’t happen.” I drew my sister into a tight hug, planting a soft kiss on the top of her hair. I hated seeing her like this. We’re more connected than we seem. Our fears, our hopes—they’re on the line after this damn nightmare. She was just as afraid of losing her mate as I was of losing mine. Whoever, or whatever, that damn serpent was, tortured the both of us without effort.
I’m, now, more angry than afraid. Angry that the snake monster put my sister through hell. But who was that thing? It wasn’t Osiris, but he was the only person I knew with a snake motif.
A new threat? It had to be.
My head pounded. This was too much for one night. I suggested to Nuria if she wanted to go for a run to blow off steam, and she agreed. In no time. Onyx and Angelika raced through the towering trees side by side, blending into the shadows with the perfume of maple pulling them into peace. After an hour, I bid Mom goodnight and went back to my room, the tension in my muscles melting like ice to a flame.
My phone buzzed on my nightstand. When I picked it up, my heart grew wings and my stress dissipated to nothing. I smiled for the first time tonight, feeling relief.
Kiya texted back.
“*I’m okay, Neron*. *Are you alright*? *What happened*?”
I wanted to tell her everything, but the bold white numbers on my phone told me not to. It was past three in the morning and we both needed to rest. Sleep clouded my senses again, pushing my body into my bed.
“*I’m alright, Kiya*. *I just needed to know if you were okay*.”
“*Bad dream*?” She replied.
“*Yeah, but it’s nothing to worry about*. *It’s late and you should go back to sleep*.”
“*If you say so, Skyscraper*. *Goodnight*!”
A fond smile made its way to my face as I pulled the covers over my body, the air conditioner filling my room with cool, comforting air. I won’t let this snake bastard get the best of me. I wouldn’t put it past its realism considering the shitshow three years ago, but that wasn’t a big concern now.
Kiya was safe, just like Onyx had said.
And I fell asleep with that thought in mind.