Hot Springs, Montana
“Blaire, come on! Can you stop and listen to me for a second?” I didn’t listen, I couldn’t listen. If I did, he could think he won, and I won’t let a wolf win. “Blaire, I just want to talk, that’s it. Can we please talk like adults, like mates?” I stopped, “Mates? Do you think I want to be mates at all, with you? A wolf?!”
He tried to get closer to me as I was talking but I wouldn’t let him. I don’t want his paws on me. “Blaire, you can’t deny that you feel something for me. It’s why you stopped your friends when we first met from doing anything. It’s the mate bond, Blaire. You can’t stop the mate bond once it’s started. The moon-”
“Don’t you dare say what I think you want to say! The moon goddess wouldn’t have cursed me like this.” I can feel the tears building in my eyes. I will not let him see me cry. “Blaire, please let me just talk..” “No! You have no right to talk to me. You knew for months and didn’t say a word to me about it. I can’t even look at you.” I continued to make my way through the forest not looking back at my mate.
Chapter 1
Hot Springs, Montana
“High Priestess if I may, I think it wouldn’t be wise to send Blaire and her friends on this mission. We need to send higher and wiser witches to Hot Springs. Our Sister Coven is in great danger and we must send witches that have more experience than these girls.” Elder May was a bitch. She had no respect for any but my mother and the few other Elders. I whispered to Emma, “Can I slap her?” Emma just shook her head but I could see a smile on her face. “Elder May, I think my daughter and her friends are more than capable of doing this mission.” My mother looked at the three of us with a proud look.
“I trust that Blaire, who is in her final stages of training, can take care of this. Emma is an excellent healer and with Aria being skilled in Dream Magic, that will be enough to help find The Sacred Sister. We must have faith in them, Elder May.” My mother walked over to us and put her hand on my shoulder. “Now girls, please make sure you have everything packed and ready for your trip. And be very wary, Western Montana has packs of Werewolves and Clans of Vampires.”
The thought of those creatures makes my skin crawl. How could the gods and goddesses make such creatures? “Blaire come, your mother wishes we head out now. We have the car packed and ready to go.” I got up from my spot and made my way to the exit of our meeting room. Looking back at my mother I sent her a single nod as she gave me a small smile. I was ready for this final task. “Hey, you two slowpokes, hurry up! I want to get on the road and get some steakburgers and shakes on the way.”
Aria was the fun one that let loose. She was only a few months younger than me but she was still a wild child. She helped Emma and me to let loose. “Aria you had that yesterday, maybe eating some of the snacks that I had packed would be better. We can save money that way too.” Emma was the mother figure friend of us three. She’s always had Aria and I’s back since we were young. Maybe it’s because she’s a little older than us but we love her all the same.
She’s helped me when I was in dark places and I don’t know what I would do without her. “I think maybe stopping somewhere and getting tacos would be better and cheap-” “Blaire, not you too. I packed some grapes, trail mix, and some cookies for something sweet. We need to save our money, we don’t know how long we will be in Hot Springs.” Emma stared at me, giving me one of those old-fashioned motherly looks.
“We also need to focus on the task we have been given. We will be going into some dog territory, and let’s not forget the vampires. You know they kidnap witches for more power. We need to stay focused as we find our sister coven.” Aria rolled her eyes, but Emma was right. We have to focus on this. This mission was given to us so we could prove we were ready for the responsibility of other high witches and high priestesses. My mother wouldn’t give us this mission if it could put us in harm’s way. She cared about us way too much for that.
“No Aira, Emma’s right. We all know that witches and those dogs don’t mix well. The bloodsucker and they do more than us.” I was getting into the driver's seat of the car when I see my mother walking up behind me from the window. “Mom I-” “Blaire I need you to listen and listen to me good. This mission I’m sending you three on is not going to be easy. It will be very dangerous and I need you guys to stick close to one another and not leave the town once you make it there. Hot Springs is very close to the Blood Moon pack and their Alpha is deadly. Nothing much is known of the pack but your aunt has told me in the past that they’re vicious.” You could see the worry on her face and that made me even more nervous about this mission.
“I just had to tell you this. You will be the head witch on this and I need you to be careful. I know you three will be fine but as your mother, I worry and I will always worry about you.” I smiled and pulled her into a hug. We both needed this, and at this moment we did. “Mom I promise to be safe. I will text you every day with updates and any leads we find.”
I knew we could do this, we just needed a push and mom was giving that to us. I opened the driver's door to see Emma and Aria already in the car fighting about getting food on the way. This was going to be a long 10 hours. “But Emma please, we are going to be in this tin can for 10 hours and we will need more food than grapes, trail mix, and cookies. I know for sure that if I don’t get at least one burger I will have a tantrum and it will be a bad one.” Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a ‘hmph’. “I will buy you a burger when we get to Hot Springs so please don’t throw a tantrum, for god’s sake.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at both of them. This is our relationship, the two of them mean the world to me. “Alright, it’s time to head out, I’m doing the first 3 and a half hours then it’s Emma’s turn. We will not be stopping for anything on my turn unless we need gas or Aria has to pee.” “Hey! Why just me?” Emma chuckled. “Because Blaire and I went to the bathroom before we left. I told you to do so but you didn’t listen.” Aria rolled her as she spread her whole body in the back seat of the car. “I didn’t have to go then, and I still don’t have to go now bitch.” “Well, I guess someone won’t be getting any of these cookies..”
Emma took the snack bag from the backseat and brought it up to the front with us. Aria was the only one that could bring out this childish behavior in Emma. She can do that to anyone, it’s how we became friends so fast at a young age. “Well, I guess that’s more cookies for the two of us Emma. Oh, and while you have the bag can you hand me one of the homemade cookies that you made last night for us to have on this driver.” Aria’s head popped up. “Emma’s...homemade...cookies?” You can see the sadness in her eyes.
“Oh yeah, Emma made all of our favorites. She made you peanut butter cookies.” Emma looked back at Aria through the mirror that she has down. “Emma...can I pwease have some peanut butter cookies? Emma, Emma I’ll be good please please please?” Emma just tossed the bag of cookies into the back of the car and all you can hear from the back is a goblin-like scream. “Why can’t you be like...I don’t know, normal?” I asked Aria as I started to get onto the main road. “I don’t know what you mean Blaire I am normal. I was tested!” At that Emma and I burst out in laughter. “I think we need to get you tested again Aria. I think you fell and hit your head after the first test was done.”
The three of us just continued to laugh. I wipe the small tears from under my eyes and try to focus on the road ahead of us. If these first 10 minutes are any indication of how the rest of the 10 hours will go...wish me luck.
