Imprinting on a nun

7

It was a dark stormy night when it happened.  The moon shone bright, making silver streaks across the heavy clouds. It was a full moon. Full moon only appears three days a month, so for us it was the best day of our lives. The days we could meet with our loved ones.  You see in our world it wasn’t about if you meet someone, you fall in love, get married and make kids.  It was about mixing species, to create the strongest.  To create the most powerful one.  It was law.  Propagation. That’s all that mattered.  Love that had the urge to seep through was forbidden but of course sometimes it just happened.  Uncontrollably happened. That’s what my mom says.  A whole story to be precise.  A story I loved and held dearly near my heart.  Each night I would scan through it in my head, just to feel close to my dad and the world they were used to.

It goes like this:

My mom was a beautiful dark haired woman.  Her green eyes would shine like two emerald diamonds in the sun and her fair skin was hard to miss in a group of olive skinned people.  People described her as admirable and elegant.  They often said that she was a ghost when she walked, swifty and gracefully.  Her name was Ulanni, which means heavenly beauty. How her parents knew that she would be so beautiful, I don’t know.

Ulanni lived with five sisters, all who had dark hair and many white streaks in their hair.  Witches had white streaks in their hair and the more they had, the more powerful they were.  Mom had none.  So she was a witch with no special abilities, unlike her sisters, who could control fire, wind, electricity and so on.  Ulanni grew a garden and made medicinne.  Some said she had siren blood in her and her abilities laid in seducing men, but she always ignored their assumptions, always focusing on producing the best medicine she could until the one time she was out in the woods to collect ingredients when she met a handsome hunk.

“What’s a beautiful girl like you doing in the woods all alone.” His voice was deep and smooth and Ulanni loved it, although she felt scared.

“I’m a witch.” She tried to  be fierce and strong.

“Would’ve thought you’re a siren.” And even if she was a siren, it didn’t bother him and that intrigued Ulanni.

“What are you doing in the woods all alone, Mister?” Her voice was stern and rich of pretend confidence.

“I’m here to find love.” He raised his arms and Ulanni couldn’t help but notice his bulging muscles and tanned skin.

“Love?” Ulanni knew it was forbidden so she didn’t know what he meant.

“Yes, I’m a werewolf, so I’m looking for a pretty dear or maybe a pretty lady.”

Ulanni cringed because of the fact that he was a werewolf but something drew her towards him and each time she looked at him, she felt a lightning bolt hitting in her heart.

“A pretty dear does sound more decent.” 

“I guess it does.”

Ulanni took every given opportunity to steal quick glances at him.  She wanted to touch his smooth dark curls and look deep into his hazel eyes.  She wanted to see how small she was against his lean and tall built.

“Well will you let me leave without leaving a mark?”  Ulanni’s voice was forceful, because she knew that she should leave even though she couldn’t.

“Can I leave a mark?” He stepped in front of her and looked down and they both were gazing deep in each other’s eyes.   He put his hands under her chin to lift her shy face, “So beautiful.”

Ulanni felt as if she could melt into him.  As if she would ignite with him right then and there.

“Come tomorrow?” He begged her and Ulanni nodded without even thinking it through.

When she turned to walk away, he grabbed her wrist and she swore that she felt a burning sensation but she described it as delicious.  

“What’s your name?”

“Ulanni.”

He only smiled, so Ulanni asked the same question.

“William.”

That day she skipped home, with an endless fluttering in her heart and stomach.  She has never felt such a vibrant emotion before and it made her do things with more heart and a smile.

“Why are you in such a good mood?” Her mom would regularly ask her,

“No reason.” Ulanni would say, trying to hide the guilt in her face.

The next day she made sure she walked the exact time she walked the day before towards the woods.  When she stood in the exact place she met, she almost screamed when William fell from a tree landing swiftly on his feet.

“Thought you're not coming.”

“I’m exactly on time.”

“I’ve been dreaming about you.”

“It’s only been a day.” Ulanni tried hard to not pour all her mind’s thoughts on how she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“A day too long.” 

William looked at Ulanni as if she was a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and Ulanni looked at him as if he was everything that she needed in her whole life.

“Let me take you for a ride.”

And he did.  In all vulnerability he changed himself into a werewolf in front of her and Ulanni felt the most respect towards him and climbed  the snowiest white wolf’s back and together.  He took her to golden nature places, high on top of mountains where tall grass touched her bare thighs and cold wind lashed in her face.  Everytime when he took her far away he would go back to his human body and hold her cold fragile body close against his strong warm one.  They would gaze at the burning sun and passing clouds, enjoying each other’s company, more than anything in the world.

When everyday turned into weeks her older sister, Lila, wanted to join her on her journey of collecting ingredients for the medicine.

“I want to come with you.”

“Why?” Ulanni couldn't hide her burning suspicion.

“I want to learn how you make medicine.”

“But you have better things to do.” Ulanni complained, given that Lila had powers and Ulanni not.

“I’m tired.” Lila sounded desperate and Ulanni didn’t know what her sisters did, to train and use their powers, but seeing so much vulnerability in her sister’s eyes, she uttered a small breathy ‘okay.’

When they arrived at the woods, Ulanni was scared that her and William’s secret relationship would come out in the open. A forbidden love, forsaken.

“This place reeks of wolves.” Lila commented.

“You can smell them?” Ulanni asked with a confused expression laced on her face.

She nodded, sniffing the cold air, “Comes with being a two lined witch.”

Lila had two white stripes in her hair.  

Ulanni nodded her attention on the trees, trying to find William. She couldn’t find him anywhere and somewhat felt relieved but also worried that he might think that she broke their trust.

When they finished picking leaves and berries they slowly walked back home.

“Lila.” A stern voice called, making both our head’s jerk in fright.

“Lila where were you?” It’s mom.

“I just went with Ulanni.”

Mom gave Ulanni the most snarky look.  A look that made Ulanni  assume that she hated her.

“You have better things to do.”

Ulanni didn’t say anything but it hurt.  So she spun around and with the most dramatic effect ran away.

When Lila wanted to follow her, their mom yelled, “You won’t go after her!”

Leaving Ulanni living without any love from her mom, once again.  She  fell on the leavy ground and cried until Wiliam gently touched her on her shoulder, making Ulanni feel at home.  She weeped on his body and he held her close as if he understood and made a statement that he will neer leave her.  And that comforted Ulanni the most.  So her cold lips touched his warm ones, tasting salt from Ulanni’s streaming tears. All the tension they both held in as their lips ignited.

“We should stop.” William insisted but Ulanni threw herself on him.  She didn’t want to stop. 

“Ulanni.” He would whisper, playing with her thick hair.

“William.” She would whisper back, “I love you.”  That was the first time she said those words.  Words she died to tell.

“I love you.” He said back and she exploded in so many warm emotions.

They decided on that day to come with a plan to escape their neglected homes and run away toghether, even if it is to break the law.  William promised that he will care for her and that she’s the only thing that he wanted in his life.

When Ulanni went home, she ignored her mom’s stern and nasty eyes, only thinking of William and their beautiful moments together.

“You smell like wolf.” Her mom pointed her long fingernails at Ulanni and Lila quickly stepped in to protect her sister.

“The place where she gets the ingredients for the medine is full of wolf auroma.”

Ulanni only nodded and tried to ignore all her other sister’s stare’s.  All which had more than two white stripes in their hair.  All who had the same personality as their mom except for Lily, which Ulanni understood as she only had two striped, which probably isn’t good enough for their mom.

“You should watch out.” Ulanni’s mom said.

Ulanni thought that if only her mom knew what was coming.  She would be running away with a werewolf.  She would be running away with the love of her life.  THe person who makes her feel alive and good about herself.  She didn't need her mom or her sisters.

Ulanni listened intently when her mom talked to her eldest sister about stuff that didn’t include her nor her other sisters.

“You’re the most powerful of all your sisters.  You’re the most powerful Stallard,” Stallard was their surname.  Their mom was a Tygard and their dad Stallion, so they had to egnite both their last names for their children. “So you’ll get paired with West or Simmons.”  Ulanni’s eyes widened, knowing that Williams' last name is Simmons.”

“Which is West?”

“West are mermaids coming from the west, so it’ll be a long time to travel.”

“And Simmons?”

“Werewolves.”

Ulanni sucked in a breath and her elder sister seemed on the verge of crying.

“I hope you’ll bare a girl,” Their mom took a big gulp from her dark red wine, “Could use some new blood here.” She gives me a look as if I’m useless.

The next day she eagerly ran to her and Williams place.  She waited in the cold for two hours but he didn’t show up so with a dreaded soul she headed back to see her older sister in a courage with two beautiful brown horses leading her away.

“Where is she going?” Ulanni asked Lila.

“She’s getting paired.”

“Does everyone get paired now?”

Lila nodded, “It’s like a ceremony with all groups, all species, everyone that’s eighteen.”

Ulanni swallowed, knowing that William was eighteen.  Being sixteen, Ulanni wished that she were eighteen.  But deep down she knew that she would never get paired with someone as powerful like William.

Ulanni went to her room and weeped once again.  They were supposed to make plans.  Didn;t he know about the pairings .  Couldn’t he organize something before it happened.

Even though Ulanni knew that William wouldn’t show up she still waited.

“How long does this pairing go on?”

“Nine months,” Ulanni gasped at Lila’s words, “Until the baby is born.”

“The baby?”

“Yeah.”

Ulanni felt as if her heart was being lashed with pain.  She started chewing her nails, feeling beads of nervousness erupt on her skin.  She felt so much anxiety that she ran to the bathroom and threw up.

“Wow, are you okay?” Lila asked, holding Ulanni’s hair up.

“Yeah, it’s just,” Ulanni contemplated if she wanted to tell her sister about William or not, “It’s just that there’s no love.”

“I know, it’s awful,” Ulanni felt thankful that Lila agreed, “Well one day it’s going to be us.”

So Ulanni dreaded the days living in depression and anxiety.  She also missed her period, but blamed it on stress.  Until the nausea became more frequent and her tummy started to swell.

“You should start working out.” Her mom would say, knowing little that Ulanni was actually pregnant.  Ulanni didn’t know what to do.  She needed William.  She needed to talk to someone.

“I’m pregnant.” She eventually told  Lila.

LIla tried her best to understand the story, as Ulanni started from the exact beginning on how she and William met.

“Okay, we have to come up with a plan.” Lila started making Ulani less stressed. Ulanni never felt so thankful for someone in her life.

“We have to reach William.”

“I know, but how?”

“Mom will be visiting Mavis soon,” Mavis was the eldest sister who was sent to the pairing., “To make sure she and the baby are healthy.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“You go with.  With the medicine. Try to invent something that’ll make her want you to go with.  Something that’s good for the baby.”

Knowing almost everything about medicine Ulanni knew she could make something, so she went to work.  She searched far in the woods for the perfect ingredients,until a day before she made the best tea that could stimulate the growth of a baby in a mother's stomach.

“Mom, I would like to come with you tomorrow.”

Her mom laughed, “For what?”

“I invented this,” she threw a sachet of blended leaves on the table in front of her mom.

Her mom looked unfaced, “What’s it?”

“It stimulates a baby’s growth and makes them healthier.”

Her mom’s eyebrows knitted together and Ulanni knew that she won.  Ulanni has been doing medicine her whole life, so her mom knew that she knew what she was doing.

“I’ll just take it with me.”

“I think it’s a good way for Uanni to make some extra money.” Lia jumped for the rescue.

“Very well.” Her mom agreed.

So the next morning Ulanni and her mom headed towards her sister, Uanni with deep burning anxiety.

“Why are you getting so fat?” Was the only sentence she said to Ulanni for the whole twelve hour ride.

“I’ll start jogging.” Ulanni curtly replied.

When they arrived at the place Ulanni was surprised at how free and open the place looked. It was a big open field, with small tented camps next to each other.  Women were working on gardens, laughs and smiles on their faces. She also saw a few powerful looking men, wandering around.  When she climbed out of the carriage she was embraced with warmness unlike the breezing cod she woke up everyday to.

“Stay close.” Her mom said and walked away.

With hesitation Ulanni walked to where the women were gardening, “Hi, I’m Ulanni, I’m selling this.” She held the sachets and explained what it was for and the woman immediately purchased some with a few coins.

“Could you please spread that I’m selling this.”

The woman gave Ulanni a friendly smile and Ulanni wondered what species she was.

Ulanni walked around selling her tea bags, her eyes on the lookout for William.

“What are you doing here?”

Ulanni felt joy exploding in her heart when William was standing next to her.  But she noticed his once free and carefree face was now stone cold.

“William.” Ulanni tried hard not to embrace him.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was hard.

“How are you doing? I miss you.”  Ulanni didn’t have the courage to tell him she’s pregnant yet.

“Ulanni, we can’t.”

“I'm pregnant William.”

He sucked in a sharp breath and eyed Ulanni’s stomach with regret.

“Why are you so different? I thought that we had plans.”  Ulanni asked and for a moment she saw his face turning soft.

“Life happened, Ulanni. I’m sorry.”

“Well, what are we going to do?”

“I’ll tell my dad.”

Ulanni was shocked and devastated.  She hoped that William would run away with her. Begin a new life with her.  But knowing that she couldn’t change his mind they went to his dad.  And William’s pack agreed to keep pregnant Ulanni a secret. They held her captive, sending messages to her family that she’s working for herself, making medicines.  Knowing that Ulanni’s mom didn’t care, made it easier.  Ulanni lived a sad emotional life, for the months the baby was growing in her stomach.  William was still busy with the pairing, so she wasn’t able to see him.  She was stuck with stern looking men, who kept giving her snarky looks.  Ulanni was only thankful that they gave her enough food and water.  She lived with them until a baby girl was born.  That baby girl was me.