The White Wolf - Love Across the Ocean

The Truth Comes Out

Marianne took a deep breath,

“Darling, before I tell you anything, before I get into this. I just want you to know how loved you are by your father and I, that nothing in this world could ever affect that, you are so loved and cherished. You are the apple of your fathers eye.

Helena shuffled on the sofa, why was her mum being so weird? What was all this about?

“Mum, what’s going on? Why are you acting like my dreams are real?”

Marianne’s hands trembled and she gripped Helena’s hands tighter.

“Because, they are real. There is no easy way to say this, but you and I, we are from a long line of leaders, of wolf leaders.”

Helena let out a burst of laughter. Oh this is just a prank. Unusual of her mum but that could be the only explanation. She looked at Marianne who held her gaze until she stopped laughing.

“Wait, you’re not joking? You’re telling the truth?”

Marianne nodded, “I know this will be hard, and might even be hurtful, but I haven’t told you for all these years to keep you safe. I will tell you everything, but please, please keep an open mind.”

Helena sat back on the sofa, had her mum gone mad? No, she knew she wasn’t mad, but what on earth was she talking about? Looking over at her mum, she gestured for her to carry on.

“Before you were born, before I was even married to your dad, I lived in a different country, across the ocean, in America, I’ve always done my best to hide my accent so that I couldn’t be found here.

I had my own fated mate, Helena, his name was Michael, and he is your biological father.”

Helena gasped and sat up straight, all her childhood memories of her dad feeling tarnished by what her mother was saying.

“No! It can’t be true! Dad is my dad!”

Marianne tried to hold Helena’s hands again but Helena pulled them away,

“Mum why would you hide this from me? Why would you not just tell me?”

“It wasn’t safe.” Marianne looked at her with tears in her eyes. “Your dad rescued me when I was pregnant with you, he is kind, and wonderful, and I fell in love with him over time. We agreed to keep it a secret to keep you safe, to stop anyone looking for us from realising where we were.”

Helena’s eyes filled with hot angry tears, she roughly wiped them away. This was a lot to take in, but deep down she knew that her mum wouldn’t have ever kept a secret like this without a reason. She would deal with the pain later, she needed the truth now. She needed explanations.

“Ok, tell me everything. I’m so confused.”

The sun slowly set as Marianne sat and told Helena all that she needed to know. She started off by telling her about her own pack that she grew up in, and about her grandmother, the last white wolf of her line.

“So you’re not a white wolf?” Helena asked.

“No, not my Anya, she is a brown wolf. My mother was Alara Rose Gwyn, it's funny because the white wolves actually came from Wales, Gwyn means white. So we’ve ended up back where we started.

When I was 14 I got my wolf..”

“Helena sat forward, “14? But I’m almost 18?”

“That’s right.” Marianne smiled, “I communed with the Moon Goddess the night you were born.

She came to me in my dreams and we talked about the future, your future, and how to keep you safe. She told me that she would hide your wolf from you until your 18th birthday. So that you could live your life here as a human, a normal, happy and safe life. She told me then, that you would be a white wolf like your grandmother, and fulfil the prophecy.”

Helena looked at her mother curiously. A prophecy?

Marianne rubbed her head, “Let me get the words right. It goes like this..”

“When the White Rose blooms,

Peace will fall upon the land.

A White Wolf will become High Luna

Her Black Wolf Mate will stand by her side as High Alpha

Their Clan will bring peace to all Clans.”

“You are the white rose, like your grandmother, you are the one that will bring peace to all the clans.”

Helena had leant forward as she heard ‘The Black Wolf’ mentioned.

“The Black Wolf, the one in my dream? That’s the one in the prophecy? That’s why I could feel a connection to him?"

“That’s right.” Marianne smoothed her apron. “Most wolves find their mates between 18 & 20 years, you must be dreaming of him because you’re coming up to your 18th birthday.”

Marianne paused, then grabbed Helena by the shoulders and turned her to look her straight in the eyes.

“Helena this is your choice, prophecy or not, I have kept you safe and raised you as a human. You do not have to take this on, I will keep you here, and keep you safe. No matter what. You don’t have to do this.”

Helena looked at her mother, who suddenly looked older and very stressed.

“Mum it’s ok, just tell me more, I still don’t feel like I know anything about being a werewolf yet.”

They sat on the sofa and talked for a few more hours. Marianne telling her all about her childhood, wolf traditions, where she grew up, and about the war with the Rogues. About how they had wiped out her clan after she had moved away to live with her mate in his pack.

Tears rolled down Mariannes face, the pain of losing her parents had always been so strong, even now. Knowing her mother would never see Helena as a white wolf herself.

She grabbed a box of tissues from the coffee table.

“I’m ok, it's just a lot to talk about.”

Helena stroked her mothers knee while Marianne wiped her tears and blew her nose.

“Ok,” she carried on. “Where was I?”

She told Helena about the multi clan meetings, the High Council, how teen wolves were trained in the art of defence and attack once they turned 14. About how each pack lived away from the human world, had their own farms, bakeries, dressmakers etc. How patrols worked, how they kept humans from ever finding their homes.

She told her how signs of the prophecy were being seen, that the moon had marks of a rose on the surface. That this meant the white wolf was coming soon.

Helena listened intently, soaking up all the information about this new world. She had studied about werewolves in history and folklore, but it wasn’t like this, not societies of wolves living in harmony, or not, as these rogues were killing innocent people.

“Mum, tell me about your mate. My……” she quivered. “My dad.”

Marianne smiled fondly at her daughter. “He was an amazing leader, kind, wise and strong, we first met at a multi clan ball. I was 19, He was 20. I came down the staircase in a red gown and saw him, standing in the middle of the floor. Our wolves shouting ‘Mate’ in our minds, our eyes locked. He took me in his arms and we danced for hours, just breathing in each other's scents.

He smelt like pine needles and dark chocolate.”

Marianne stopped and stared into the distance, taking a moment to remember her love. It still hurt so much, knowing that he sacrificed himself to save her and their baby. She mentally reached out to Anya, seeking comfort. It had been so hard for her too, losing her mate Kenin, and being without any other wolves all these years. If it weren’t for Helena, they would have just given up.

She turned back to Helena, “Soon you will meet your wolf darling, and all of this will make more sense. You will feel complete.”

Helena’s head was spinning, there was so much to take in, and it still hurt knowing that her mother had kept such a large secret all these years.

She stood up, “Dad will be home soon, let’s make dinner quickly. I don’t think I can face being around when you tell him that I know everything.”

They both froze as footsteps sounded out down the hallway.

Marianne pushed Helena towards the door at the back of the room.

“Go to your room! I’ll call you down later.”

The door handle turned and Helena fled. Her heart breaking again, she ran upstairs and flung herself on her bed, sobbing into her pillow until she finally fell asleep.