Sophie POV
(dream)
The moonlight coats my skin sending shocks of warmth over my entire body, consuming me. I feel a sense of peace wash over me, as the blue hued rays act as a force pulling me through the dense woods of the bayou, towards the creek near the river. I stop as my toes dip into the cool stream, sending a chill through my body as I am face to face with the most mesmerizing wolf.
I'm frozen, unable to move, but for some reason I'm not scared. I know wolves are not our enemies, but most witches are terrified of them. I have never been. I actually have several friends from the Crescent Moon Pack that protects the city as well. We fight together to make sure to keep vampires out of our city.
This wolf is different, larger than most, with an odd color of grey but looks almost shiny, like dark silver or gunmetal. I notice the shimmer as the light from the moon hits its fur from different angles as the wind tosses it around. There is a crescent moon of light silver that crosses from above its left eye down to its cheek. The eye in the center of the crescent is pure silver and shines as bright as the moon itself. I'm shocked when it's right eye looks like fire flames dancing. The wolf almost smirks at me just as
GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE booms in my head as I shoot up in my bed looking around for the loud voice. I take a deep breath realizing I was just dreaming again. That's the third time this week that I have had the same dream. First time with the voice though.
I'm dripping in sweat again just like the last two times and I take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly to control my breathing. This has to mean something. Witches don't have reoccurring dreams for no reason. I will have to speak to Becca about this. I wrestle all the thoughts in my head as my phone starts going off, alerting me it's 6am and time to get ready for the day. FML I grumble to myself as I take in my appearance standing in front of my bathroom mirror.
My long dark brown hair has decided to look like I put my finger in a light socket. I have dark bags under my hazel green eyes and honestly look like I haven't slept at all. Oh well, there is always coffee. I sigh as I get in the shower. I'm on the shorter side at 5'4" and I'm smaller, but have tons of curves, OK, mainly my ass, but hey, it's curvy. I'm darker complected than most of my family but I live in the sun, so I have worked hard for my olive skin. I train hard and my body shows it.
My 18th birthday is in four days and I can not wait to be free to choose my own fate. My mother is the High Priestess of the French Quarter Coven and my father is the Regent of all New Orleans covens and the Mayor of New Orleans. That makes me next in line for both. High Priestess and Regent, not Mayor, my dad can keep that one.
I was blessed with the power to control fire. It's a blessing and a curse really, seeing as my mother tolerates me and I think despises the fact that I was blessed with this power because I'm the first one in over 200 years. It is not a gift given lightly. Most witches get their powers when they become of age. I, on the other hand, was born with it. Needless to say, my parents had to bind my powers when I was 4 because I would catch things on fire when I would throw fits. When I was 13, they unbound my power so that I could learn to control it.
Everyone is acting as if my birthday will awaken more in me, but I don't know. I'm only one of 2 witches in New Orleans history to be born with her powers.
Mallory LeBlanc was the other. She is my 4x over great grandmother on my mother's side but I have no idea how my mother Cathy could ever have the same genes as one of the greatest women who ever lived. I strive to be the kind of person Mallory was. Cathy just wants power and doesn't care who she has to step on to get it.
I honestly don't see what my father sees in her. Everyone knows she cheats on him constantly, but my father refuses to believe it.
Jazz Gerard is a great man and Regent. He is kind, fair, loving to everyone, and the type of leader and Witch I want to be. Everyone loves my father, hence why he is the mayor as well. You could say I'm a bit of a daddy's girl.
"Sophie, breakfast!" I hear my father calling me down. "Coming" I holler back.
I take one last look in the mirror and decide I'm good enough before heading down. I decided to be comfortable today in a light blue thin-strapped, simple flowy dress with a few buttons on my bust with white heydudes that have light blue threading designs on the back heel. It's too hot in August in NOLA. I threw my hair up in a messy bun with curls hanging down around my face and neck to hide my birthmark as Cathy always advised me to do. It looks like a crescent moon with a Fleur-de-lis in the middle of it on the back of my neck. I opted for just lip gloss and mascara today. I hate makeup and usually don't wear much.
I went downstairs to the dining room just as Cathy was leaving for the day. "Cathy, have breakfast with us, it's an important day and Sophie needs our love and support". I heard my father plead with my mother as I turned the corner to the dining room. Good morning, I say cheerfully as I sit at the long mahogany table filled with bowls of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns. "Have a good day Soph", Cathy says between gritted teeth as she leaves us. " Sorry dad " I tried to say but he interjected putting his had on mine and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I don't know what has gotten into your mother lately, Soph. I know she loves you."
"It's ok dad. I know she has a lot on her plate right now." I say nonchalantly to sound like it doesn't bother me as I pour a large mug of coffee with steamed milk and 2 sugars, as I let the wonderful intoxicating smell hit my senses.
I know for a fact that bitch hates me, but there is nothing I can do. I've heard the stories of my birth. I was a twin and my brother was still born. Cathy nearly died giving birth to us. I've always known she hated me because she would have rather had a son and she blames me for him dying. She has said it on multiple occasions. I wish I still had my brother. I have always felt like a piece of me was missing.
I shake my inner demons and I load my plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns and eat with my father. I love mornings with my dad. He always makes me feel loved. We discuss the details for the August Eve celebration while we eat.
August 1st, the first harvest festival begins, celebrating the Rite of Lammas. It's a witches sabbat. Lammas is a time of gratitude and service. New Orleans witches use this time as a reminder to serve humanity and focus on its abundance, protection, guidance, and health. We live by faith because of God, and the moon goddess.
God cast Lucipher into hell, he wanted revenge on Gods perfect creation, humans. Lucipher then created Damian, the first vampire and the god to all vampires. God created witches with the fallen, but in the 16th century many were wiped out due to the witch trials, thanks to vampires.
After Lucifer created Damian, and the scale tipped to evil, God decided to create the moon goddess Selene to help him create a balance. Selene created werewolves as the balance. Werewolves were created to take out vampires, protect humans, and be peaceful creatures. One bite from a werewolf is lethal to a vampire. Witches were supposed to keep a balance of good and evil, but that's where dark and light magic began. We all choose between light and dark. For us there is no in between. We show our appreciation for our gifts through our more traditional rituals ans harvest in the festivals.
There will be parades on the 5th, and NOLA always has what they call HEX fest to keep the tourists happy. We usually do a few minor spells and use our magic in front of tourists to keep them coming. It amazes me that most still don't believe in magic, when we use it in front of their faces. I'm especially excited for the festivals to start as my birthday is on the day of The Tide of Fire, which is especially important for NOLA witches. Being born in August during the Sabbot is an honor in itself, but to be born on the 5th, the day of The Tide of Fire, and to be born with my gift is unheard of. My friend Becca and I have been preparing for the festival for months.
After breakfast, I head down the elevator of our home, which my father bought because he knew he would be mayor someday and wanted the nostalgia to live where the first ever mayor of New Orleans lived. Napoleon House. The top floor is our home and the rest is a hotel and one of the best restaurants NOLA has to offer.
"Good morning Ralph" I shouted over the ruckus of the kitchen to its amazing Chef and owner as I rush through. He is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and loves feeding me. Thank the goddess! He is also a friend and business partner to my father. "I'll have the gumbo ready for lunch Soph! " Ralph yells back. I shoot him a big grin as I bounce out to the main lobby.
I step out to the French quarter and take in a deep breath of fresh air and let it out. It's going to be a good day, I think to myself .
I decide to head to the training facility for both witches and wolves. The Old Ursaline Convent has been many things since being built in 1752; a convent, of course, a makeshift hospital, an orphanage, and most only know what it has been portrayed to be. In reality, it is not only two stories but four. The Building itself has been turned into a museum that holds our offices and tours for the general public and tourists.
What most do not know is that there are two more floors underground. One floor is a training facility that has everything from an Olympic-sized pool, to every piece of equipment you could use for training. There is a large dojo-styled room with weapons covering every inch of the dark wooden walls except one which is covered floor to ceiling in mirrors. In the center of the room is a boxing ring. Its mostly used for all weapons training, but we love a good brawl so hand to hand combat is a daily occurrence. The floors are padded in deep red leathery material to be able to move easier. There are classrooms, and a library as well. Every room has a purpose and the only purpose to this place is to train to kill vampires and keep our city safe.
Everything you think you know about vampires, forget it. It's all lies that vampires put out there to stay hidden among humans. Sunlight doesn't hurt them, or make them sparkle, garlic just gives you bad breath, and holy water only burns them but doesn't kill them. The only way to kill a vampire is a stake through the heart or to rip their heart out.
The bottom floor is actually a line to the entire city. You can go anywhere in New Orleans. It was first created as an underground railroad for slaves, but we expanded it all the way to the bayou. Yes, I cheat sometimes if I'm running behind.
I head to my office, which is still new to me since my dad decided when I graduated that I needed to start working and learning the ropes, like I haven't been soaking everything in my entire life. Plus, it kept my mother from tormenting me in the cemetery training. Win Win.
" Sophie!!!" I turned to see my best friend Becca just before she barrelled into me, wrapping her arms around me, lifting me up and twirling. Becca is 5"8 with a model build, but more toned, with legs for days. She is also a Crescent Moon Pack werewolf, one of their top warriors, and daughter to the Beta. When she finally quits squealing and puts me down, I see that she is dressed up today and not in her normal morning workout clothes. She is bouncing up and down, almost squealing again. She is in a cute light pink halter dress that comes up around her neck and flows out down to the knee with nude ankle-strapped heels.
"You look exceptionally professional today, Becca." I smirk with a raised eyebrow.
"Suprise! I'm your new assistant!" she belts out, grinning from ear to ear, showing off her perfectly straight whiter than white teeth. I'm in shock because Cathy said not only no, but over her dead body would she let a wolf be an assistant to a witch.. Dad must have pulled rank! I'll have to remember to call him and thank him later.
I was pulled out of my own head by Becca pulling me towards the office chattering on about how my dad talked to her dad and it was a done deal.
"I'm so happy Becca, we actually get to start working together before my birthday, and start putting all of our ideas to work to help the witches and the wolves." I say almost crying, because I didn't believe it would happen. Usually, when Cathy puts her foot down about something, that is it. I wonder what dad had to give her this time to get her to cooperate. That woman doesn't do anything for nothing.
The only reason she is high priestess is because dad gave it to her. She has never earned a thing in her life and her magic is subpar at best, and every witch in our coven knows it. Everyone is onboard for me to take over. It usually never fails though. She is able to get what she wants without even using magic. She has meetings and somehow she gets whoever it is at the time to get what she wants. There is no denying she is a beautiful woman, but she always makes sure, whatever her ventures are, men are at the head of the table. She refuses to deal with women.
Becca and I get to work on our first order of business. Since I will be taking over as High Priestess on my birthday, I want to bridge the gap between the witches and the wolves. We share a common goal and we shouldn't be working against one another. I know that the witches were created to keep a balance, but that was before Damian was created, and he is responsible for countless deaths of witches.Any witch that stands with the vampires turns dark. It's inevitable. I refuse to see any more of my people get turned dark. I will do everything in my power to not only keep our coven safe, but all covens everywhere. Eventually, I will be Regent. I am going to start building off what my father has already started. We will have peace if I have anything to say about it. Some of the witches are set in their old ways and do not trust the wolves anymore than they would a vampire. It will not be easy, but I know that is what needs to happen, and I'm not afraid of hard work.
I decided I wanted to invite all packs and covens together for my birthday and to celebrate the Tide of fire together and form alliances with them all. I know it will not be easy, but I have to start trying now before I eventually have to take over. Dad has tried but Cathy always finds a way to ruin it. This time she will have no clue what's coming. Therefore, she can not plan anything to ruin it. Unfortunately, neither does my dad, but he will appreciate this if I can actually make it happen.
"Hey Becca, how many more calls do you need to make before we go to lunch? I'm starving!" I whine slightly.
"I'm good to go Soph, I have called all the packs and almost all have accepted the invitation. The only thing left to do is to put the finishing touches on the ballroom at the Palace Hotel for the afterparty." Becca sounds almost surprised with herself.
" I have called all the surrounding covens and they have all assured me that they will be there to celebrate with us." I say with conviction. I have never felt so good about continuing my fathers legacy.
"Since when are you hungry before noon Soph? I usually have to make you finally eat something by dinner?" She turns into a mother hen looking me over and feeling my forehead.
"I don't know, I even ate breakfast", I reassured her.
" If I didn't know better I'd say you were getting your wolf." Becca laughs hysterically with me. " We both know I'm a full blown witch Beccs, but that would be funny. Could you imagine my mother's face" I retort, still laughing.
"Just saying its nice to see you smile and have an appetite" Becca looks at me reassuringly while gently putting her hand on my shoulder.
" I know Becca, I feel good today, lets go get some Gumbo, Ralph said it would be ready by noon." I pleaded while pulling her arm dramatically, fluttering my eyelashes, looking straight into Becca's light green eyes.
"Becca, Becca, what the hell quit playing" I kept repeating her name but she wouldn't budge, she just kept looking at me like she was a statue.
I finally got in her face and snapped my fingers in front of her eyes. She jumped back away from me startled."What the hell was that Soph? I couldn't move, It was like you had me under some spell or something!" Becca was freaking out in front of me, making no sense.
"I didn't do anything, I swear!" I replied with my brows furrowed. "Becca I swear, I was trying to get you to snap out of it. Lets go get some food, maybe your running on E. Did I work you to hard this morning?" I teased her, trying to lighten her mood.
"I know you didn't mean to Soph, but I think you did that. Maybe you are getting a new gift." Beccas face lit up at that possibility. "I honestly didn't think of that", I blurt out. We both laugh and head out into the quarter.
"Wanna get poboys instead?" I ask with a mischievous smile.
" Soph you are the worst!" Becca playfully slaps my arm .
" What? You know you wanna see that hunk of a wolf. You can't help but drool over him every time you see him." I shot back, laughing. Becca sighs with a look of sadness.
" He isn't my mate", She says as she gets her composure back.
When Becca turned 18 last month she thought for sure that Grayson was her mate until she went into Killers and realized there was nothing between them. Nothing ever happened between them but I know she was hoping.
"I guess we will stay virgins forever", I blurt out throwing my hands in the air and stomping off towards Killers Po Boys sandwich shop. Becca catches up to me, red as can be, embarrassed by my admission to us being virgins in the middle of the square in front of St Louis Cathedral for all to hear. Hell if that is the worst someone hears in the square in NOLA they are definitely not doing it right.
"I can't believe you just shouted that in the middle of Jackson Square!" Becca hush shouts at me with angry eyes and furrowed brows. I start laughing hysterically at my sweet innocent best friend who literally has not even had her first kiss because she is waiting for her mate.
"All I can say for whoever this dickhead is that you are waiting for is ,he better be as pure as my bestie and put his needs on hold for you to, or I will cut his d**k off." I say almost seriously and smirk. We both laugh out loud while continuing to head toward the sandwich shop.
"You know that he probably will be a man whore like most wolves as soon as they hit puberty, right?" Becca asks calmly while stopping in front of me looking me in the eye to make sure I understand.
"Bitch, I'm only kidding about cutting his dick off, kind of" I almost snort laugh when the sight in front of me as I open the door to killers stops me in my tracks.
Holy s**t I think I just creamed my pants at the sight of this Greek God of a man. 6'5 sandy blonde hair, the most crystal blue eyes I have ever seen, sharp chiseled jaw line, clean shaved, broad shoulders, his lips are small but the perfect shape. The left side of his top lip twitches up in the most adorable sexy smirk I have ever seen, s**t, I am gawking at this perfect specimen of a man and I'm not even being shy about it.
I hear Becca calling my name but I don't care, I walk right up to him as if something else is moving me. I'm trying to pull myself back, begging myself to stop, in my head, but I can't, not until I am standing right in front of him looking up into those gorgeous eyes. I start to say something "mi....."
I'm able to snap myself out of it when Becca turns me around, shaking me, shouting in my face. Once I feel in control of my body again, I'm mortified at the fact that what just happened was real and I look like a complete psycho. FML!!! I kept repeating my mantra until I was standing tall again, looking my best friend in the eye and plastering the best smile I could muster and slowly turn around to meet my shame.
" Hello, I'm Sophia. How are you." I stumbled on the words slightly and my hand is shaking as I extend it to the mysterious so hunky it hurts to look... F***k, stop it Soph, calm yourself down and act like a good normal little witch. I say to myself to muster up the last bit of courage I had left.
"Sophie, this is my cousin Luca, Luca this is my best friend in the entire world Sophia Marie Gerard" Becca introduced us but our eyes never left each other as she said the words. I heard her but I couldn't make myself look away. He grabbed my hand to shake it, and I felt little tiny bits of static electricity lightly go up my arm coming from his fingertips. It feels amazing and its almost as if I relaxed completely. His eyes are so beautiful and mesmerizing. I cant pull mine away, then it hits me, he is a wolf.
Once the realization hit and it sunk in completely, I jump back, breaking our hands apart. I'm missing that feeling already, like I want his touch back. What the hell is wrong with me?
"I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you Sophie. Hhhave lllunch with us"he finally stammers out.
" Umm actually we are getting our food to go so we can eat in the park, but that's very kind of you to offer, have a good day" I blubber out as I take Becca arm and lead her to the ordering counter.
"What the hell was that, Becca?" I'm so red in the face and hot I feel like I'm going to pass out.
"Soph, calm down I think you just found your first crush" Becca says calmly but smirking with both her hands on my shoulders looking down at me and busts put laughing in my face.
"Oh my goddess a crush, holy shit I would have at least expected him to be a witch." I pout and stomp my foot like a 3-year-old. "Hey Soph there is nothing wrong with you getting it on with a wolf, maybe you are his mate!" Becca jumps up and down clapping her hands like a little school girl.
"Oh hell no! I don't believe in that mate shit, sorry honey, but this girl believes in the old-fashioned kinda love. Like the notebook, or How to lose a guy in ten days, it is my mantra" I joke with my bestie.
"Mates are a thing and if you want to get all these packs to align with you, then you should get on board with it. It is our gift from the moon goddess, the other half of our hearts that make us whole. Ya know, like soul mates for humans, but lucky for them, they get several and we only get one that was specifically created for us."
I interrupt Beccas long explanation of mates not to be rude, but because I know this story as I have heard it thousands of times over the years, since we were little.
" Blah blah blah, I know, I know, I can blow smoke up their asses as I know the history that you have taught me a hundred times. I won't embarrass you. I got your back, until my last breath." I put my pinky out, Becca takes it with hers, we kiss our thumbs and press them together.
"Until my last breath" Becca repeats and she always does. We order our food and leave quickly and I blush the second I look back at Luca and he hollers bye to us both with a wave, and I didn't miss the smirk that gave me butterflies.
"Okay Becs, spill it. Who is he exactly and why is he so hot?" I finally blurt out the second the door closes to the po boy shop.
"Oh shit Soph, you really like him." Becs busts out laughing at me and almost spits out her soda. She starts telling me about Luca, D**N even his name sounds sexual. Apparently, he is the ultimate f**k boy who bangs a different girl on the weekly, if not daily.
Yuck, what a waste. "Well that's all I need to know," I cut her off mid sentence. "I don't care how hot he is, he isn't the one."
"What do you mean the one? You don't believe in that" she retorts with a aha on her face and pointing her finger at me like she caught me in a lie.
" I mean the one I would be willing to invest in a life with. I'm not foolish enough to think that the moon goddess would ever pair me with a wolf and make my life easy, she probably doesn't even know I exist". We both just out laughing again.
We decide to go eat by the river since we are close to it anyway. I love the river, it's so peaceful during the weekdays when there are few tourists and even fewer locals. I come here a lot to get away and think, especially when Cathy is on one of her rampages.
We ate our food in silence until I decided to blurt out everything about my dreams that I have been having the last few days, about all the things I felt when I saw Luca, to when he touched me. I spewed everything out, barely even taking breaths in between sentences and ignoring all the expressions she made which were just about all of them. I didn't let her interrupt though, because I knew I had to get it out.
Once I finished, I looked at her for all the answers because, typically, if I couldn't come up with an answer to something she would. We stared at each other blankly for a few minutes. I let her process everything before asking
"So, whatcha think?" "I think we need to go talk to my father and the alpha and maybe even your dad Sophie" She almost sounded sad and the look she gave me was pity, but why? " What are you not telling me Bec?"