Imprinted By The Alpha (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (The Marked One - Book 1) (12 page)

Ava appreciated the attempt at comic relief, but while she’d been suspect of something like this since her return to the small town, Ava felt like the weight of a thousand suns had just been rested on her shoulders. While it all left her feeling unsettled, she didn’t particularly fear these truths. Maybe it was because, though she’d never admitted to believing in the stories, she’d always had a sense that something was different about her home town, and this confirmation served as a relief.

She listened closely as her mother told her, “Ava, we come from a tribe of shape shifters, and Willow Falls is a holy ground, designated by our ancient ancestors, more centuries than I know.” She paused, and Ava nodded eagerly for her to continue.

“Our purpose has always been to maintain peace and alliances among all the inhabitants of the world, at any cost, save for the secrecy of our intentions. Every thousand years, an oracle is born to our tribe, holding great power, and the sole purpose of the oracle is to maintain a balance between the supernatural and keep the order of things. If means that the oracle is unable to marry or produce children.”

It sounded important, and while Ava couldn’t fathom the idea of being without a family to carry on her legacy, she could understand why an oracle would be required to abstain from those distractions.

Her mother went on, “If an oracle disobeys this command, the balance is thrown, and it risks the collapse of the entire supernatural world. I had a vision as a youth, the first prophecy of my time. I was to be the oracle, you see. But that vision haunted me, and when I was sixteen, it came to light. I fell in love and conceived a daughter, you. But there was more to the vision, things that I couldn’t explain to the tribe which held more importance than my own responsibility as an oracle.

“My prophecy showed that my child would be sacred, would hold the sole responsibility of the continuation of our kind and the maintaining of the balance of the orders. I saw that, on her twenty-first birthday, my daughter would reveal the mark, and her powers would mature beyond compare.”

The implication was beyond comprehension, and Ava couldn’t even blink as she watched her mother sip her coffee to moisten her lips. She held her breath as Sarah opened her mouth to speak again. “That prophecy was revealed to me in the wake of an attack by a queen vampire. Elia tried to drain my blood in hopes of turning me so that I couldn’t possibly take on my destiny. But my blood poisoned her, and she died a slow and heinous death. Because she did bite me, Elia was able to see parts of my prophecy, and she divulged what she knew to her king. I couldn’t tell my tribe about the prophecy, you see, because they would never have let me out of their sight, knowing that I felt I had to disobey their creeds and bear a child.”

Ava reeled. Her mother had vowed never to have children and yet, she had born Ava, risking the wrath of her tribe. She had no idea what they would have done to her mother for that had she not come to the holy grounds, and she feared their punishment.

Sarah’s voice drew her back in. “They would have gone to the extent of killing me to prevent your birth, Ava. I couldn’t allow that, and I gave up my life with them to assure that you, as the glue that would hold the world together, were safe.”

Sarah paused, her face serene as she told the tale. “I’ve used my powers, stronger than the rest of my tribe because I was intended as the oracle, to place enchantments over Willow Falls, not trying to keep the supernatural out but to keep us hidden within its borders. It makes it much more difficult for anyone on the outside to find us here.”

Ava stared at her mother, stunned into silence. There were no words for the emotions the information evoked in her. All of this seemed so surreal, and she had trouble equating her mother, who had lived such an average life from Ava’s perspective coming from an ancient tribe. She couldn’t reconcile the idea of her own destiny being so vastly important, either. Her chest grew tight, with panic and she took several deep breaths to calm herself as she conceptualized the gravity of it all.

She fought the concern with anger, and she jumped up, pacing. “Jesus Christ, Mom, why would you risk having me? You would have been so much better off if I hadn’t been born.”

“Ava Lindsey Bertrand, do not speak to your mother in that tone.” Sarah’s voice was harsh, and it had the necessary effect, dissipating the rage that had begun to build in Ava. “If you hadn’t come to be, all that currently exists would fade into chaos, replaced with a world of savagery. I made the decision to follow my destiny, and I stand by my decision with every ounce of my being. It was the right thing to do.” Her breath came in heavy gasps, and Ava realized Sarah was wearing herself out again.

As she stared at her exhausted mother, Ava saw regret in her eyes. “I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you, that I kept so much from you. I had your best interests at heart, but that was the one misguided decision I made.” She heaved a deep breath. “With the werewolves in town, and you returning from college, I’m certain the prophecy’s fulfillment is imminent. You need to understand now what’s expected of you.”

Ava shook her head. “This is all too much, Mom. I’m sorry; I don’t think I can hear it.” She immediately regretted the error of her words. She didn’t want to upset her mother, but her world was turning upside down. Five months ago, she’d had nothing more to worry about than her final exams, graduating college, and finding her way through a normal life. Now, she was supposed to use some power she knew zilch about to balance the order of the entire world. Werewolves, vampires, and god knew what else all relied on what she did going forward. The questions in her mind made her dizzy, and she didn’t know where to begin asking them.

But she had to start somewhere. As she dropped back onto the bed, she asked meekly, “What kinds of creatures and other worlds are we dealing with here?”

Her mother cocked her head to the side, considering the question. “All myths and fantasy come from somewhere. The best answer I can give is that, if you’ve read about it, it probably exists. Vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, and a few others from the underworld make up the majority of the supernatural.”

Ava could definitely think of a few monsters she’d read about, and she didn’t like the idea of them being real. She returned to the reality she faced right here at home. “Why are you getting so weak?”

“I’ve been using my energy to keep the enchantment spell strong for decades now. That spent a lot of my life force. And with your twenty-first birthday only days away, you’re growing exponentially stronger, making it harder and more of a drain to keep us hidden.”

Ava watched her mother drain the cup of coffee and place the empty tray to the side. She could tell Sarah was growing tired, but she seemed determined to stay alert enough to answer all of Ava’s questions. Trying to form her questions in a way that made sense, Ava asked, “What happens when we’re exposed?”

“They’ll come for us. They’ll come seeking to destroy you and me and take the book you found, the ‘Conjuring of the Dead’.” She saw her mother’s hesitation and raised an eyebrow in expectation as her heart threatened to pound right through her rib cage. “There’s more, Ava. Your blood holds the cure for lycanthropy, the condition that creates werewolves. But at the same time, you can be their undoing. If the vampires manage to take you and the book, they can perform a ritual that will allow Queen Elia to rise again.”

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A
va felt weak, overcome with anxiety. Her head throbbed, and though she needed more answers, she didn’t think she could handle much more right now. She stared unseeing out her mother’s bedroom window, silenced with awe and terror. This wasn’t possible, was it?

She was a normal girl, and she didn’t feel any of this power Sarah claimed she had. She’d had trouble with her first introduction to the supernatural, Caleb being a werewolf. She didn’t know if she’d ever fully comprehend all of this.

And that brought her to another question of her own. Did Caleb know what she was? Was he aware that she carried the cure for his kind? Maybe she was the reason they’d been drawn back to Willow Falls. In fact, it would make sense as to why he wanted to protect her, and telling her about this imprinting business was a great way to explain away his attentions.

But no, the emotions seemed too real. The imprint was real, and he couldn’t possibly be pulling a con so elaborate and painful. He didn’t have a hidden agenda. She shook her head. “I don’t feel any different, Mom. I don’t feel stronger or more powerful.” It was perplexing.

“You may not feel it, Ava, but I can, and so can others who go looking for you. When you turn twenty-one, the mark will appear on you. Anyone who sees it, senses it, will know who and what you are. Your scent will be overwhelming and it can’t be avoided. Your true powers will come to light, and I’ll show you the way as you discover exactly what you can do.” Sarah laid a hand on her leg. Ava was grateful; she needed the comfort. “I’m here for you, Ava, always. I know you have fears, but you can’t let them cripple you, or everything will be lost.”

And that was the kicker. She had to follow a very particular path to assure that every race, supernatural and otherwise, would survive. Her anxiety filled every inch of her body. She tried to process her mother’s words as she heard, “I’m not going to lie to you, Ava. Coming into your own and fulfilling your purpose won’t come without trials, and it’s going to mark the beginning of a great war between the orders, the likes of which have never been seen. But I fully believe in my prophecy and your capability to restore the balance. You will succeed.” Sarah’s tone was full of confidence, and Ava felt a modicum of reassurance, though she barely recognized her mother right now.

Ava wanted to express the same confidence, but she wasn’t sure she would ever truly feel it. Hell, a few minutes ago, she had fretted over whether or not Caleb was serious about her or not. That was an average problem for an average girl her age. If she couldn’t handle that without chewing her nails till they bled, how on earth was she going to carry this responsibility without dropping the ball?

She had no idea what to expect or how soon all of this was going to take place. She tried to concentrate on the concrete. She would turn twenty-one in a week, and she would be marked. There were feral vampires bent on revenge seeking to destroy both her and her mother, who was weak and ailing because she’d chosen to protect Ava more than she’d cared to protect herself. And Ava was sleeping with – or had slept with – a werewolf who may or may not have a vested interest in her blood.

Terrified and without direction, Ava decided to take control of the one thing that was currently in her power. She couldn’t do this alone. She needed help, and that meant nothing could happen to her mother. Sarah was going to get stronger again, if it killed Ava to make it happen.

For now, she had to let the rest of her unanswered questions rest. Neither she nor her mother were in any place to continue the discussion. Now more than ever, Ava’s mother needed to rest, and Ava took her hand, kissing it softly before rubbing it against her cheek. Sarah lifted her other hand to cup Ava’s chin, and there was no need for a verbal exchange. The actions spoke volumes.

Ava knew she could rely on her mother and no one else to teach her what she had to do, as well as to guide her through her fears. Eventually, she might have to stand on her own, but her mother would still back her, and when that time came, Ava was determined to make her mother proud and prove her right. She would be ready. And in the meantime, she would help her mother fight to regain her strength so they could make this happen together.

******

A
va sat at the bar after her shift, enjoying a cold beer and watching the news. She needed to take her mind off the more desperate things she’d learned, if only for a few minutes. In the grand scheme of things, hearing about mudslides in California devastating homes or some guy walking into his office and killing three men seemed less disconcerting than her own situation.

She’d decided to wait for Kelly, needing to talk to her, get this off her chest, and hear the opinion of the best friend who always managed to keep her grounded, even if she did have a penchant for melodrama. It was good to know that, with everything else changing around her and the world tilting too far on its axis, Kelly was the one thing she could count on to never change.

“You alright, kiddo?” Lil asked, wiping her hands with a towel behind the bar. “You look deep in thought. Is it your mother?”

Ava gave her a smile. She was grateful to Lil for her patience, allowing her to take off so much time to care for her mother. Now, as she looked at Lil, she recognized the scar on her neck for what it was. Certainly she’d gotten it in a fight, just as she’d explained, but she had managed to avoid adding the detail that it had been a fight with another werewolf. Ava was curious of the circumstances but didn’t dare ask.

“No, thanks for asking. She’s doing better. I just have a few things on my mind.”

Lil raised an eyebrow. “I thought as much. You’ve been quieter than a bear in hibernation all night, and that’s not like you. You’re a bit of a chatterbox. You know I’m here to help, even if you just need to talk about things.”

Ava appreciated the gesture. She knew Lil still thought a lot of her issues revolved around her mother’s health and wanted to be there in case something happened. Despite her harsh mannerisms, Lil had a motherly way about her that came out with her treatment of Ava and the other waitresses. She started to say something, but Lil’s eyes were elsewhere, and Ava followed her gaze toward the front door.

Her breath caught as she saw the reason for the twinkle of familiarity in Lil’s eyes. Ava clamped her mouth shut as Caleb sauntered toward the bar and took a seat in the barstool right beside her. But he didn’t look at Ava, his gaze locked on Lil, and she watched intently – and a bit nervously – at their exchange.

There was a certain pride in Lil’s expression as she addressed Caleb. “What’ll you have, baby brother?”