"I'm really proud of you all. Even though my class is a bit uninteresting", Dr. Conners says at the end of our presentation,
The hall goes quiet as stares bores in and out of the teacher's head signifying otherwise
"Alright, alright. Incredibly excruciating"
Thunders of laughter erupt as students echoes in affirmation,
"But what I really want to appreciate here is that a lot of you put a lot of effort in this. Well done"
Rounds of applause sounds through the hall filled with white laboratory wears in appreciation of the students.
"It's really hard to see blood banks, especially within a short period. To say that one should save money would be almost impossible but then again, your students. There's no limit to what your minds can concoct"
Another echo of laughter erupts as Ashley, decides to speak up,
"Umm, sir I think it's pretty obvious we would get them from ourselves or at least the people around us"
"I know, I'm just referring to the 'very' creative ones", The teacher says signaling to the people who stole bloods samples from street pigeons,
"Huh, still a mystery at how one would do, think or even IMAGINE such a thing", Nathan laughs hysterically
"At least some of us aren't savages", Nate says eyeing the culprits while grinning,
"That's right Nate, I assume that's you and Luke's partnership"
"Yes Sir"
"So I should assume that stealing a girl's menstrual blood isn't savagery", he says tilting his glasses to give Nathan a very pointed look while Luke was indifferent to the matter,
"I am very sorry for what they did to you Tessa, your dismissal from the group was honorable" he caught Nathan trying to say something else as he tilted his glasses again for extreme emphasis.
"Point very well made Sir", Nate settled,
"Indeed", he replied as McKenna, Kaleb and Ashley starts mocking Nathan when the teacher cuts in,
"Although it's pretty obvious but I am still curious as to where you got the samples from"
"Oh, it's like I said people around us", I say with a shrug,
He paused, looking at her signifying that he needed more discussion,
"My mom and dad", not really knowing what else to say I gave more specifics,
"Oh, that's a relief", says the teacher as everyone burst laughing again,
"Hold on, let me get your files and we can all call it a day", just right everyone was about to go home, he continues
"Oh and if you ever want to find out more on the blood test or that you lost your copy, you can always come by the hospital to collect more information. Just meet Dr. Walker", Dr. Conners refers to the owner of the hospital as he gave a slight wave at us,
.
.
"Thank you everyone, you can come by the hospital anytime you want for practicals like this. It's been a huge pleasure", said a doctor as nurses starts to clean and pack up all of the equipment we used only to go back to their duty posts,
"Um, Ashley a word" our homeroom teacher calls,
"Yes, um Sir my test results?", I say thinking I forgot something with the presentation,
"Yes, um I just had to say something to you that I couldn't say in front of the other students. You have to be a bit careful with this, if you know what I mean" he said discreetly as he handed the results over to me,
"What do you mean?", I ask my face full of confusion,
"I mean the results?", he says still gesturing to the results that implied that he made quite the effort to not bring attention to it which made me even more eager to open them.
"I mean if I were to be adopted, it could be a lot to handle even a lot more to explain to people", Dr. Conners says to me trying to sympathize with me.
"What are you talking about? What…"
Shock,
Confusion,
Anger?
The emotions I felt while seeing and reading the words were overwhelming and more powerful than I expected today or in my entire life.
"Wait…I don't understand",
"I'm so sorry, I thought you knew", he tried to comfort me as tears start surfacing as things and worst-case scenarios start forming and articulating themselves in my head, overwhelming me even more in the process.
"How? I don't…I don't understand", I cry out as the watery fluid flows freely in my hazed state of confusion, feeling everything in a wide and diverse motion.
"Maybe, there's a perfectly good explanation for this…", the teacher reasons
"You don't understand I took the samples myself"
"That's not exactly safe, but…", he starts talking and I stop caring as I get this drive and desire to do one thing and one thing only. I burst out of the lab, running towards to the hospital door,
"Shades?!, where are you going?"
"To get answers"
.
.
.
Claire
That morning,
"She's fine Robert, everything's fine",
"It's the dreams again, isn't it?", asks my husband as my face falls, "It's been happening for weeks now, but this time it's the worst I've ever seen"
"It's ok, at least she's fine now", he reassures me.
I start cleaning up the counter when an old picture falls as I catch it up before it breaks. I stare at the picture, it's an old friend of mine, Aiden…
Flashback
Years ago…
After we grabbed the child from Maria, we all split up to protect the child. We took turns in keeping her so the darkness couldn't get to her, but it was my responsibility alas to raise her, feed her and be the mother she didn't.
"Are you sure you can do this Claire, we can find someone else", said one of the five,
"No, it's way more explanatory if I raise the child. It's ok Aiden, I know you're worried and how much she means to you. I'll take good care of her", I finally say as He hands the child over to me. Then the child starts tearing up as she misses the embrace of the former carrier. I wipe her tears gently as her eyes glisten under the full moon.
"We won't be able to keep this secret forever you know", I say worried for the child's future,
"We just have to do everything we can and hope that when the time is right, she will be ready for what comes next" …
End of Flashback
Robert enters the room interrupting me from my thoughts.
"Are you hearing this Claire??", he asks,
"What is it?", I say zoning back in,
"Ashley has started getting weird emails", he says entering into the kitchen proper
"How do you know that? We promised her privacy…"
"No, I didn't invade. I know because I got sent one of them.", my husband clarifies,
"Haa!, it's the universe trying to reveal the truth! Time is almost up, she's going to know the truth sooner or later",
"Stop, wait a minute", says Roberts, "I think I hear something"
we stop as we hear Ashley say something about a blood practical in her school,
"It's just a suggestion", answers one of her friends,
"That's not just possible, her dad's still alive obviously, plus he's a lawyer, definitely not a building project guy", says a feminine voice,
"Hmm, another popular word is Aiden", says Ashley as I gasp in surprise,
"Aiden? probably your grandfather", the other one answers by assumption,
"Or distant relative", they say as I think to myself, 'good they still don't know who he is yet'
"Whatever guys, time is running out and I don't…", Ashley continues talking as I zone out of their conversation facing Robert,
"We have to be the ones to tell her, I've already sent word. She can't find out and take things the wrong way", I say trying to salvage what little time we have left,
"I agreed, but first we need to…", he stops talking as we hear the sound of the door closing. I signal Robert as Ashley comes back into the house. Before she comes into the living room I grab the twins and hop on to the couch, playing with them as Robert says the first thing that comes into his head,
"I was the best lawn mower on campus, not one could cut grass at such a perfect angle", says Robert to me as the twins start laughing at our little show. Henry however wasn't in the living room so it was easy to keep up our ruse.
Ashley enters the living room and grabs tubes from the counter while saying goodbye and rushing out to keep up with her friends, my eye catches blood in the tubes and I ask out of curiosity and a little bit of panic,
"Hey Ashley, what do you need blood samples for anyway", I say trying to act normal while playing with the twins,
"Biology, no Chemistry, you know what Bio-chemistry. I need it for a project and according to our teacher, Dr. Conners, this way of collecting blood is way cheaper", Ashley says while opening the door,
I shoot Robert a look as he says trying to act more casual obviously not getting the look,
"Alright, see you at dinner", and with that the door shuts and Ashley goes out.
"Seriously Robert!!", I say with Ashley out of the room,
"What, I tried to act normal", Robert says in his defense,
"Huh, forget it", I say dropping the issue,
"So, what I actually wanted to say was…", Robert says attempting to pick up where he last stopped,
"Mom!", Robert gets interrupted again by my son Henry,
"What's for dinner?", my heart calms down as for a second as I thought he overheard us,
"Um, something special for Ashley's birthday it's, a surprise", I can hear him rumbling from upstairs,
"Trust me, you're gonna love it!!", I yell from the living room,
"Alright, whatever", he goes back into his room.
"What are we going to do about this situation", I say to my husband, "We could've stopped all of this with the tubes of blood right when we had the chance",
"We could've, but not only would it be too suspicious, the fate of the universe is also dangerous to interfere with. If it is the appointed time for her to know, delaying it won't do any good, sacrifices would have to be made", Robert says listing out possible consequences,
"I know, but we just need to delay it enough for her hear the story from us", Robert pauses to think for a while before springing up with an idea,
"The teacher told the class in advance, which means he also talked with the doctor and booked a reservation before even telling the class to get ready",
"So?", not knowing where he was going with this,
"So, that's where this mess supposedly starts from", he looks into the blank space and says,
"All we have to do is clean it up"
.
.
.
Aiden
The door bursts open and through it comes the Alpha, his Beta and Gamma, with the next heir of the pack, Jake.
A cloaked man turns around with a mysterious aura around him. Under the light of the full moon, the crystal clear waters reflect the moonlight around the walls darkened by the shadows of the night. The Alpha speaks up with urgency in his voice laced with worry and curiosity.
"What have you perceived seer"
"Danger", he says with such subtly and calmness it sends chills to everyone in the magnificently lit room.
"Danger to the one fated to the heir", he continues while pointing to the next heir of the pack, Jake.
"What do you mean, what danger and to who?", says the Alpha so quick with lack of proper breath. The seer brings forth his hand to signify quietness as he turns back to the waters, stirring it with elegance and grace.
"Danger, to the one chosen by the moon goddess, to the fated one, to the next Queen of the pack", he says as the Alpha looks to his already anticipated looking son when they are shocked by the sudden movements of the waters with vapor coming out of the water and into the moonlight darkening the moon.
"Beware Alpha", the seer says turning around again, only this time with black soul less eyes,
"Beware…the darkness"
.
.
.
Out of the Mystical Room and into his office with of course his beta, gamma and son.
"Jake, get the medics to attend to the seer please", I say taking a seat down first,
"Alright", Jake says closing the door behind him,
"But alpha we have never seen the seer like this before", says Beta
"Exactly, we can only imagine the kind of threat this poses to the kingdom, to the pack", voices the gamma in affirmation to the words of his superior, "It actually encourages the idea of the ceremonial mate…",
"Watch your words very carefully Gamma …, we don't want the prince to think what we're doing is against him and let him go rouge on his own people now do we", he nods in affirmation as I continue, "This means we have to prolong the prince's search for a mate because if we can find her then…"
In werewolf tradition, prince and king is synonymous with the alpha and his heir,
"Sir, we just received word", my personal guards say interrupting me while entering my office followed by my son giving me a letter,
"It's her isn't it", asks my son for certainty while also grabbing the attention of my beta and gamma.
After realization of what the message meant, I understood exactly what to do,
"Ready, the guards!!"