*
It's been a week now since the incident where I passed out in front of the school and also a week since our mother travelled and we haven't been able to reach her.
And also a week since I've been having the same terrible dream, every time more vivid than the last, it was so bad that I had to be placed on an anxiety pill. But that alone wasn't enough to get me out of school.
Obviously, when I came back to school the following week everyone looked at me all funny, as fate would have it some rumours were being passed around that I was pregnant and that had been the reason why I passed out.
Thankfully, not only was Brenessa there for me but also Aspen had been on the lookout for me in school, but most of all I had the confidence to also look out for myself now.
I was more confident now in myself than ever, I was also more agile than I ever was and my senses were also getting sharper.
Again, all that didn't worry me, what worried me was the fact that Mother was yet to reach out to us and return to our land, if only I knew why their Alpha asked them to return.
It was another Friday afternoon and school had closed again for the weekend. Throughout the week Aspen has been accompanying me home, just in case something were to happen again.
But today I had a surprise for him, I met him at the school's main gate where we usually meet before we go home.
"We're making a little detour today." I said dragging him to the back of the school.
"Okay!" He said following me closely behind.
After a while, we got to the forest at the back of the school's building.
"Er... What are we doing here, this actually looks kinda creepy." Aspen admitted when we reached the forest.
"Well, I had something to show you and I didn't want to do it at home with Father around." I said going behind a large tree and taking off my clothes.
"Oh shit! Are you taking off your clothes Avyanna?" Aspen panicked.
"Yeah?" I answered simply.
"Well- umm, I- I don't think we should be doing this, I'm your brother for crying out loud." He said.
"Ew... Get your mind out of the gutter Aspen, it's something else idiot." I assured my stupid brother while throwing a vest and shorts.
"Then, what is it?" At that moment Aspen shut up hearing the cracking and reformation of my bones.
"Er... Avy? Are you alright? Do you need me to come back there?" I could hear him closer with my intense sense of hearing.
As he walked closer to the tree, I jumped out and pounced on him pushing him to the ground.
Aspen screamed so loud that someone could have mistaken him for someone dying, I used my paw on his mouth to shut him up as I used telepathy to talk to him, not that I could but it was a gamble I was willing to try.
"Aspen. Aspen! Chill, it's just me." I said trying my luck.
He immediately calmed down and nodded slowly, I removed my paw with caution if he was going to be stupid enough to scream again.
"Avy?" Aspen asked and I nodded.
"What a wimp, now I don't feel like killing him anymore." Brenessa said bored, I laughed at that remark, hopefully, Aspen didn't hear that.
"W-why can i-i hear you in my head? A-and why are you so frickin big?" Aspen asked still obviously scared.
"I don't know, it's only supposed to work between werewolves but I thought since we're twins I might as well give it a try." I told him.
"Wow... So this is you... Wolf mode? Right?" He asked getting closer.
"Actually, this is Bernessa's true form." I said with Brenessa giving my brother a death glare.
Aspen steps back a few feet afraid of what she might do.
"I already apologized Brenessa, please?" He asked and I think Brenessa has a soft spot for him, he was our brother after all.
To show that she had accepted his apology, she bent down slightly but low enough for someone to get on her back.
"W-what? I don't understand?" Aspen asked confused.
"Stop being a complete idiot and get on our back already." I said loud and clear to him.
"A-are you sure Avy? I mean, I wouldn't know if-Woah" Brenessa cut Aspen off by lifting him with her head, letting only half his body land on her wide back.
"You better hold on." I said before Brenessa sprung off into the woods.
"Wait- Stop- I'm gonna die~~~~~" Aspen screamed.
While running Brenessa used that momentum to adjust Aspen on her back as she ran, I knew she had a soft spot for him.
She jumped over a familiar log and sat down, sniffing the air. It smelled so clean and good that I could smell that forever.
Aspen shaking used this chance to better secure himself on Brenessa's back, Brenessa noticed this as she looked back at him with a wicked smile.
"I hope you're holding on a tight boy. It's gonna be a bumpy ride." Brenessa said and took off not giving him a moment to react nor answer.
The familiar wind in our fur, the endless feeling of Brenessa running through the trees and now Aspen's screams of fear and excitement, this was helping me to clear my mind and be at peace.
After a few more minutes, Brenessa slowly reduced her speed as we approached our destination. I could hear the soft flow of the river and the swift swimming of the little fishes in the lake from this far away.
We had arrived at our secret hideout as Brenessa approached slowly as if rushing in would make it disappear, it was as beautiful as ever and now I could share it with my brother too.
"Holy shit. Is this even real?" Aspen asked.
"Aspen, my stupid twin brother. Welcome to our paradise." I welcomed Aspen.
"Wooo, this is sick, how come I never knew about this place?" Aspen asked still in awe.
"Brenessa found it, even I didn't know this was here." I said satisfied.
"Wait... I know this place." Aspen said.
"What?"
"Well... Not really but Dad has said something about a place like this. I believe the lake enhances the magic in our bodies and around us. It was also said to be the best place to grow your magical powers." Aspen finished.
"Wow... You knew all that?" I asked.
"Well, I'm going to be king one day aren't I." Aspen said with a smug face.
Brenessa rolled her eyes at our conversation as she walked over by the lakeside and laid down there, Aspen followed a little after, sitting down beside us.
It was so peaceful and quiet that it felt like even a little sound would destroy the beautiful scenery in front of us, just then fragments of my dream flashed across my eyes and immediately I was engulfed in fear.
Bernessa whined on noticing sudden my change of emotions, I had to calm myself just enough to make her stop worrying.
"Aspen?" I called out.
"Yeah?"
"W-what if.... What if all this just- just went away one day?" I asked shakily.
"Huh, why? I mean, it's a cool place but I don't think things like this just get up and disappear." Aspen said, I was in awe at how insensitive my brother was and thankfully Bernessa did too, but it did ease the tension a bit.
"That's not what I mean dummy. I what if one day someone tries to take this place away from us, tries to take away our peace?" I rephrased the question.
"We fight." Aspen said simply looking at the small waterfall coming from the rock pile.
"What?"
"If what you love is worth fighting for then you have to give your all to protect it, whether it be family or a place you want to protect dearly." Aspen continued.
I was amazed at the wisdom that flowed out of this kid some time.
"At least that's what Dad always says. Umh, maybe I agree with the old man." Aspen finished, and once again I spoke too soon.
"Oh, and can you change back, it's weird sitting next to an intimidating wolf." Aspen said shifting away as he warranted a growl from Bernessa.
"Did you bring those clothes I tossed you?" I asked and Aspen places them gently on Bernessa's back.
We walked into the woods behind us a bit, just to be sure that Aspen wouldn't see us change.
"You know, as dimwitted your idiot brother is, he's quite a good listener." Bernessa said.
"Are you actually complimenting Aspen right now?" I asked excitedly.
"What? No! He's the world's biggest idiot, now that should go down in world record." Berny said after.
I laughed but the truth was both of them had a point, I don't know how much of what I saw was my imagination but I needed it to be able to protect the things that were precious to me at all times.
I changed and went back to my brother who I didn't bother with my dream, after all, he might just give me another dumb answer which would lead to the loss of brain cells.
But instead, we had a great time with each other, it would have been more fun if this turned out as a picnic though. But in all it was fun.