I was seated on a barstool in an old creaky bar which my forefathers must've sat on at some point. Local trumpeters were played in the background providing the beat for the young couples to dance to.
After the burial ceremony of my brother and Max's mother, I officially took the responsibilities of the alpha. People again gave me those looks filled with unsolicited sympathy and pity which I was all too familiar with.
However this time, I found my voice to stop them from treating me like glass, easily shattered. Maybe it was the title, or maybe it was the dream. It wasn't closure, but it gave me strength, it made me feel lonely and that pushed me to act stronger.
I observed the dancing couples for awhile, my mind revisiting the kitchen dancing nights, where my parents thought their children were fast asleep. What a fickle thing, mates. Being bonded to love and grow old, a saving grace for beasts like us.
Those who had committed the sin of taking a life got their one chance at redemption by being gifted with mates. The only plus side of being this monster, losing the chance at a normal life, is our mate. Those werewolves who go on their life without inflicting pain on others, without triggering the curse, continue to live life of a human. A mate-less life.
Seems like a foreign arrangement to me. Maybe because I grew up watching the perfect example of mates. My parents loved each other dearly, they had the picture-perfect tale, with guns and roses. My father wasn't the nicest man, but he was anything for the love of his life. For she was his person.
I hoped to find that some day, but with the recent turn of events maybe that's too much to ask. I shouldn't hope for something that they had, because I fear, for it to be preserved it must be singular, one of a kind.
I turned around upon hearing another stool being pulled out. Max sat himself and ordered his regular.
"Are you going to drink away your sorrows?" He asked eyeing my glass.
"No point in dreading on the past." I said turning my head to look at him.
"I was thinking of saving Mr. Everett and make that bastard regret ever laying foot on our land." With that I chugged the liquid present in the glass, which was water but it gave a dramatic effect. You see being raised there, people knew who I was, my age and most of all they cared about me so they didn't give me the strong stuff. I stood up and walked out of the bar to complete my task of the day.
Finding a witch.
I found a few voodoo shops on the Bourbon Street. I beat around for a witch but most weren't in touch with their magic. There was a coven which did ancestral magic but it would be better if I found a witch who was kind of helpless in front of me.
I wandered in the heart of the French Quarter for the most part of the day. As the sky became dark I came to terms that I was gonna have to find a witch from the coven willing to cast a locator spell for free. I've heard they are mean.
Because politeness is what we seek, of course
Kinda hard to argue when you say it like that. I grumbled, inside my head?
I made my way to a shadier, secluded area with stained brick walls which were so old that they had all sorts of climbers on them. Not a single soul in sight, I entered a cemetery where I was hoping to find a witch who was visiting the dead.
Crossing my fingers like a child, I walked with my boots clacking against the concrete ground. I walked for awhile before seeing a partly visible head of coily locks. Walking up to the owner of the head I saw a dark woman in her early twenties sitting in front of a tombstone.
"Hi" I said quietly. It hadn't dawn on me that if someone was visiting their family it would probably be a sensitive time for them.
No shit Sherlock
Wow, you don't hold back do ya?
Who am I gonna fool by not being myself?
You should be a motivational speaker
I know right, that was always my goal too. I knew I'd be awesome at it
Ah modesty, I remark. And with that, I broke off the link.
The woman looked up at me questioningly. I took the opportunity to introduce myself, "Hi. I am Mikaela, I was-"
"I know who you are." She said in her deep voice. Her lips pulled into a smirk and the deep red donning them gave her an evil look. "You are the new alpha. You are the talk of the town, kiddo."
Sus
I just shoved you back dammit! And I can handle this without your inputs Amara.
That shut her up.
"Well its a shame I don't know anything about you. I think I could use that." I said grinning evilly myself.
"I am Shelia Sinclair and that's all you need to know about me. I knew you were in need of a witch so here I am." She stood up and spread her arms to show herself.
"So Sheila, let me guess, you want revenge for something Creed did to you so you're helping me?" She scowled at me. "What? You seriously expect me to believe you are helping me without any ulterior motives?"
Her eyes shone with something akin admiration. "We'll get along just fine, kiddo."
I had feeling it had a deeper meaning but didn't read too much into it.
"Isn't your magic limited to the ancestral land?" I asked as we exited the cemetery.
"I am not an ancestral witch. I perform earth magic." She replied honestly. Earth magic is a pure form of magic which is done using earth elements.
"Can you do dark magic?" I asked one of the many questions that popped in my head.
"I am not well acquainted with it but I can do it." Sheila answered.
Now I would have to keep an eye on her so as to make sure she wasn't a threat, she didn't look suspicious per se but still. I internally groaned at the thought.
Okay so now we are addressing her being sus
Look, we just met and I'm supposed to be nice to ya but you're not making it easy
What are you talking about? I am delightful
Everyone is entitled to have opinions, I argued.
Except that's a fact sweetie
And that is your opinion, this time she broke the link. Well score for Mikaela.
"Shall we do that locator spell now?" I asked after getting rid of Amara.
"We shall." I agreed and walked ahead.
We walked the streets of the beautiful city, where every night there is celebration. Music was being played, the locals were dancing, families enjoying, I envied them from afar. Its human tendency to compare. We strolled to the middle of the city where Sheila claimed was the place she did magic.