** Diana’s POV **
I awoke my from my sleep still cuddled in Christopher’s arms. Then I remembered, I kissed him a couple of hours ago, before we fell asleep.
A heated blush crept up my neck at the memory. Why did I do that? How was I even that brave? That was the first kiss I ever gave anyone. Did that count as my first kiss? He didn’t kiss me back, so why did I feel like a dragon was raging in my stomach?
I shook my head of that thought and began to struggle to get out of Christopher’s arms. But I failed miserably. It was like he was Popeye, as if he ate a whole can if spinach and became super strong.
Wait a minute. Could he possibly be- no, what am I thinking? Christopher can’t be a fictional cartoon character.
I giggled as I tried to push myself away from Christopher.
Release me you stubborn bull!
I sighed and began to scan the room for anything that could help me get out of Christopher’s arms. That’s when I saw it, a single feather sticking out of Christopher’s pillow.
I quickly plucked it and narrowed my eyes.
“Alright soldier,” I whispered. “Do your job.”
I dangled the feather over Christopher’s nose and began to move it back and forth.
At first he just scrunched his nose, but then Christopher began to squirm on the bed, constantly scratching his nose.
That’s right, tickle, tickle, tickle.
Christopher finally released his grip and I quickly and stealthily rolled off the bed.
“Finally,” I murmured.
I got up from my knees and quickly began to tiptoe out of the bedroom. When I entered the hallway, I closed the door slowly and quietly, doing my best not to wake up Christopher. But when I was done with that, the thought came to me. What do I do now?
‘Grace,’ Sofia stated in my head.
I nodded and made my way to my old bedroom that Grace now slept in. When I opened the door, my eyes widened with shock.
Grace, she was all better. She was no longer skin and bones, she looked like she did three years ago, healthy. And her cuts and bruises, they were all gone. It was as if a wizard or something in that category had came and healed her.
I narrowed my eyes. Could it have been that deer that healed itself in the woods.
I shook my head. No, it was Gianna, the pack witch. She used that angelic herb.
I stepped into the bedroom and slowly made my way to the bed. Than I sat on the edge of it.
“Grace,” I whispered.
Her breathing was at a healthy state. And her skin color wasn’t pale as it was when she showed up.
I smiled when she stirred in her sleep. She was going to need a lot of rest, so I probably shouldn’t wake her.
I was about to get up off the bed until a familiar red ball of fur jumped onto the bed.
“Puppy Eric?”
The pup nodded and curled up into a ball, laying on top of Grace’s stomach.
“Puppy Eric,” I hissed quietly. “Don’t wake her up!”
Grace stirred a little but didn’t wake. Then her hand raised itself and rested on top of Puppy Eric’s silky red fur. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay, fine, you can stay in here, as long as you don’t wake her up.”
The pup nodded and continued to lay on top of Grace’s stomach, making me smile even more.
I finally got up from the bed and exited the bedroom, shutting the door behind me slowly and quietly.
“Diana!”
I jumped from fright and quickly turned towards the source of the voice.
Allison? That must be why Puppy Eric was here. He didn’t know where I was staying, and I left him with her.
“Allison,” I whispered. “What are you doing here?”
The small girl gave a sweet smile and walked up to me. “I came to get you. We haven’t hung out that much since you arrived.”
I nodded. “Okay, so what do you want to do?”
“Well,” she started. “Let’s go to the park, I wanna show you something.”
I nodded once again. “Okay, let’s go.”
She smiled and grabbed my hand. Then she began to pull me through the hall and down the stairs until we reached the door.
I quickly slipped my white flats on and exited the house with Allison. Then she pulled me and we continued to wal, off Christopher’s property and down the street to the park.
As we continued to walk, I stared down at Allison. She was so cute and adorable and sweet. I could tell just by looking at her she would be beautiful when she got to my age. All the wolf boys would drool at her. Hopefully she wouldn’t become one of those girls who thought they were all that because of their looks.
But as I continued to stare, I remembered something she had said to me that I needed to ask.
“Hey Allison?”
Allison glanced back at me and smiled. “Yeah?”
I gave a small smile. “When I got here, what did you mean when you said I was ‘the flower’?”
She stopped walking and turned to face me, a smile still evident on her face.
“Well, I told Big Brother Christopher that day to find a flower. I told him to find the most beautiful flower he saw. I was talking about you.”
My heart stopped. She was talking about me? How did she even know about me then? Than again, Christopher did tell me she had a gift that wasn’t normal.
“W-what,” I stuttered. “How did you know about me?”
She continued to smile. “Solomon told me.”
My body went cold. Solomon? My youngest brother? That wasn’t possible. He died fighting, I remember burying his body next to my mother’s grave.
“My-my little brother?”
She nodded as she still smiled. “Yeah, I talk to him all the time.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I crouched down until I was at Allison’s height. Then I placed my hands onto her shoulders.
“How?” I croaked.
She smiled. “He’s always with me. We talk for hours all the time. In fact, he’s right here,” she said while pointing next to her.
I looked to where she was pointing. There was nothing, the spot was empty. That’s where it hit me. Could her gift possibly be that?
“Your gift, you can talk to ghosts.”
Allison’s smile grew wider. “How’d you know? I thought Big Brother would have to explain that to you.”
I shook my head and got back onto my feet. It was hard to believe. Allison could talk to my brother and I couldn’t. It hurt. But, I guess if she couldn’t I wouldn’t be here.
Allison grabbed my hand again and began to pull me along. My feet obeyed, but I felt like I couldn’t look up anymore. All I did was hang my head.
We continued to walk for who knows how long. All I thought about was Solomon.
I could have saved him if I searched for him. He could be alive right now. He could have met Puppy Eric. He was dead because of me.
“We’re here!” Allison exclaimed, pulling me from my thoughts.
I looked up to see the playground where I had met Melanie. Where Christopher came to come pick me up. But, to my surprise, someone stood there. Only one person.
Gianna.
“I thought you had to show me something,” I croaked.
Allison nodded and Gianna spoke up.
“We do, luna.”
I looked at the witch as she held up her hand. Light began to pour from her palm and began to conjure a figure.
I studied it until a figure was made.
I nearly fell to my knees when a person was formed. Someone who I missed. Someone who I hadn’t seen for over ten years. Someone who used to tuck me in and sing me a lullaby when I couldn’t sleep. And someone who had comforted me when I was scared or when I had hurt myself.
“What? How?” I sobbed.
Gianna gave a sorrowful look. “This is where your gift comes from, luna. It all starts with him.”
Tears began to spill as I reached to touch the figure. But my hand just went through it.
“Father,” I whimpered.
What was the gift that I carried? So far Sofia and Gianna had mentioned me having one. And now the witch shows me a figure of my father and says that I received the gift from him? Was it something that ran in our family? If so, why was I the only one who had it?
I slipped my hand from Allison’s and walked closer to Gianna, tears falling from my eyes.
“How? How do you know who my father is?”
Gianna glanced at Allison then back to me. “It’s not my story to tell.”
“Yet you show me my dead father?! You can’t just-“
“Gianna,” Allison interrupted in a soft voice. “It’s my story to tell.”
I looked at Allison, tears still rolling from my eyes. “What?”
She looked at her shoes, never looking up to me. “Did you know that big brother Christopher isn’t my real brother?”
I cocked my head. How could Allison not be Christopher’s brother? They looked like they were related.
“What does this have to do with my dad?”
She looked up at me, her eyes watering. “Your dad saved my life when I was a baby, right after I was born. I don’t remember it myself, but my new dad, Christopher’s dad, told me. My pack was attacked and my mother carried me in her mouth when she shifted into her wolf. We escaped, but were chased down by the enemy wolves.” Allison shuddered, as if she remembered it herself. “They caught up to us and killed my mother. They were about to kill me, but your dad showed up and killed them all.”
My body felt cold. It was hard to believe that Allison, a little girl around eight years old, had met my father.
“When did it happen?”
Allison looked into my eyes. At that moment she looked mature. She looked as if she were older than me.
“Eight years ago.”
So dad saved her when I was ten. But I don’t remember him being gone at all when I was that age. This was all just confusing. It couldn’t be possible.
I turned back to Gianna, pouring as much confidence as I could into the next few words I would be saying.
“Show me.”
Gianna gave a small smile. “Of course Luna. But this will be an experience you have never faced before.”
I nodded and clenched my hands. “Okay. I’m ready.”