A She Wolf's Longing

CHAPTER TWO- THE PORTAL

(THIRD PERSON’S POV)

The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Alina made her way back into the Packhouse.

She kept her head down as she passed through the grand entrance, avoiding guests and Pack members who already seemed not to recognize her in the shabby riding clothes she wore.

On a normal day, that fact would have amused her, but how could it, when her body was still stiff with tension from her harsh encounter with her father?

His voice echoed in her mind, continued to haunt her, reminding her of her apparent lack of control over her own fate.

As she squeezed her way past the celebrating crowd and walked through the halls of her family’s ancestral home, she was attacked by the portraits of her ancestors lined up on the walls— long-dead Alpha males who seemed to stare down at her in disgust, their stern gazes watching her, judging her, as if they too were disappointed by her existence.

Alina gathered the ends of her gown and fled, and she didn’t stop running until she was safely in front of her best friend’s room.

The girl burst into the familiar room after one quick knock, her breath ragged, heart pounding hard against her ribs.

The scent of burning sage and dried herbs instantly greeted her, calming her nerves just enough like it always did.

In the far corner of the small room was her best friend, Omega and practicing witch, Opal, currently kneeling by a tiny alter surrounded by candles and talismans, her eyes closed in prayer, such that she didn’t even stir at the intrusive noise.

Alina settled on her best friends’ bed, calmly waiting for her to finish her evening prayers, and when the girl with the pixie-cut blond hair was done, she glanced up at her friend, her eyes narrowing in concern and surprise.

“Lina, don’t tell me you missed your own party? Why are you still dressed in your shabby riding clothes?”

“Relax, Opal… no one seems to be missing me down there.” Alina raised a hand dismissively, “They are having way too much fun to care about some bratty princess not showing up for her own party.” She chuckled, but there was no mistaking the slight tinge of bitterness in her tone as she spoke, and Opal quickly caught it.

She was by her friend in a flash.

“What happened, Lina… tell me.”

Alina tried to speak but suddenly her throat seemed too tight.

Her confrontation with her father had shaken her down more than she cared to admit, and now that she was in front of her best friend whose calm, gentle spirit seemed to call out to her, encouraging her to let go of her hardness, the tears easily spilled, silent sobs that shook her body.

Opal wrapped her arms around her best friend, a sympathetic sigh escaping her lips, “Oh, Lina… what did he do now?”

Alina cried to her heart’s content, and when her sobs slowly quietened into soft sniffles, she told her best friend everything that had transpired with her father.

“I always knew that my destiny was to find the Pack an Alpha to succeed my father, but I never knew I would be ordered into doing so… that my wants and needs would not be taken into consideration despite the huge sacrifice I am to make, Opal,” She admitted sadly.

Opal’s warm embrace tightened, silently pouring into her all the strength she needed, and soon enough, Alina straightened, wiping away any remnants of tears and forcing any traces of vulnerability from her expression.

This was not why she was here.

Crying wasn’t going to solve anything.

And so, turning to her friend, she reached for her smallish, pale hands, staring right into her eyes with a grim look on her face.

“I thought I could drag it on, but I can’t stay here a second longer, Opal,” She said, her voice firmer now. “We have to open the portal. Tonight.”

Opal had discovered her witch powers at the young age of thirteen, and when she had told her best friend, the princess was ecstatic.

She finally had someone who could help her realize her one true dream of being human, but alas, Opal’s powers were not as strong as they had both hoped, killing any fantasy that Alina had had.

But someway somehow, Opal had practiced and practiced until her magic had gotten slightly much better, and with all the progress she had made, she had decided to try to help her friend have—even if it was just for once—the chance to be able to experience just one day in the human world.

She had managed to create a portal, and for the past five years, she had been actively working on it so that her friend’s dreams could become reality.

But the portal was not even close to being done.

Opal’s face fell, her features hardening with caution.

“Alina, I understand how you’re feeling right now, but we’ve talked about this. The portal isn’t ready yet. It’s dangerous—”

“I don’t care!” Alina snapped, her voice rising with desperation.

She stood abruptly, pacing across the room. “You said we were close, and I’ve been patient for so long, Opal. But I don’t have any more time. My father... he’s going to force me into a marriage soon, and once that happens, I’ll never escape. I need this, now.”

Opal rose to her feet too, torn between compassion for her friend and frustration at what she wanted her to do.

Perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut and waited till she was all done to tell her best friend about the surprise, but she had let her excitement get in the way, and now she was paying the consequences.

And while she knew that her friend was good, with a pure heart and so much love to offer, she knew just how much of a spoiled brat she could be sometimes, especially when she wasn’t getting her way.

But this time she was going to stand her ground.

“No, Alina, magic doesn’t work like that. It’s…it’s not a quick fix or something we can rush into just because we’re desperate.”

She walked over to the altar, running her fingers over a shimmering mirror that lay on a dresser next to it, the object they had spent months enchanting. “This portal we’re creating is delicate. The threads that tie this world to the human world are very fragile, Alina… such that even the most powerful of witches steer clear of this kind of magic. Just one mistake, and you could be lost forever.”

“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad,” Alina muttered under her breath, barely audible, but her best friend caught it.

Opal’s eyes flashed with anger, and she turned to face Alina, her hands clenched into fists. “Don’t say that. You don’t know what’s out there. If you get stuck in the in-between, you’ll be caught in a void, wandering alone forever, and I would be to blame for all of it!”

Alina flinched at the harshness in Opal’s voice, feeling a little bad at the uncomfortable position she had put her friend in, but through all that, her resolve never faltered.

She knew Opal was trying to protect her, but she was done being protected.

Done being trapped.

Every second she stayed in this world was just another second of her freedom slipping away, and if she had to risk everything to escape, she was willing to do exactly that.

She wiped her eyes, steeling herself. “I know you don’t want me to rush this. But I need to go. Tonight.”

Opal hesitated, her face softening. “Please, Alina. Let me be sure. Just give me a few more days at least… please.”

Alina shook her head, determination burning through her fear. “I don’t have days, Opal. I only have tonight before suitors come trooping in, eyeing me like a piece of meat. Please, help me out of here, I beg you.”

Silence fell between them.

Opal’s eyes searched Alina’s, filled with reluctance, sadness, and something Alina didn’t want to name—fear for her.

Alina could tell that she was almost close to breaking her friend, but when Opal opened her mouth, it was not the words she expected to hear.

“I’m not going to let you do this, Alina… not yet,” Opal finally whispered, stepping back from the altar, “And I’m sorry, but nothing you say or do is going to change my mind.”

Alina’s stomach twisted in disappointment, and she moved closer to her best friend, her features softening in acceptance.

“Okay,” She said quietly, “I’ll wait.”

Relief washed over Opal’s face as she nodded happily, grabbing her best friend’s hands. “Thank you, Alina. I’ll make sure the spell is perfect. We’ll do this the right way, I promise.”

But Alina had lied.

You see, she had no intention of waiting.

As Opal turned her back to tend to the candles surrounding the altar which seemed to be flickering a little too violently, the princess’s eyes locked onto the spell book lying open on the table.

She quickly memorized the incantation to lead her through the portal, her heart pounding in her chest at what she was about to do.

She was sorry, but she couldn’t afford to wait.

If her father’s plans were already in motion, then by morning, it would be too late.

Opal shot Alina a quick glance, giving her a tired smile as she extinguished incense sticks.

“I’m really glad you understand, friend… I thought we were going to fight before you got it into your stubborn head,” She let out a chuckle.

Alina nodded, a guilty weight settling in her chest. “Me too.”

Opal stood to her feet, smiling once again. “Sit down and wait for me to take a quick shower so we can get back to your party, I’m sure they are looking for you. I’ll be back soon.”

Alina made her move as soon as she heard the shower start.

Quickly and silently, she wrote a short note to her friend begging for her forgiveness and promising to be back soon, and then swiped the spell book and hurried to the mirror.

Alina’s heart raced as she began chanting the incantation, the ancient words tumbling from her lips faster than she intended. Her voice shook with nerves as she rushed through the unfamiliar words, her pulse thundering loudly in her ears.

The mirror before her glimmered ominously, and then the room around her began to feel... unstable.

One by one, the candles Opal had lit blew out, and a cold, menacing wind swept through the tiny space.

For a moment, she hesitated.

You know what? Maybe Opal was right.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Alina stopped the incantation immediately, hoping that everything would go back to normal, but the moment Opal stepped out of the shower, her eyes instantly widened in fear as she felt the sudden dark energy.

“Alina, what did you do?” She asked fearfully.

Alina opened her mouth to defend herself, but the moment she did, the mirror shimmered, and a powerful force started to pull her towards it.

“ALINA, NO!!!!”

Opal reached for her, trying to pull her away from it, but she was already too late.

A powerful cocoon of light closed around her, pushing Opal away with a force that had her crashing into the bed frame.

“OPAL!!!!”

Alina felt the air around her shift, twisting and bending, and before she could stop herself, she was sucked into the portal.

Her body spun into the darkness, and the last thing that her best friend heard was the loud shriek that escaped her lips as the world around her dissolved into nothingness.

***

When Alina’s eyes fluttered open, she was lying on a cold, hard surface.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her head spun as she tried to adjust to her surroundings. She blinked rapidly, trying to steady herself, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was no longer in Opal’s room.

No, the world around her was bright and loud—far too loud.

People hurried past her, strange machines roared in the distance, and towering metal structures lined the streets… things she had only read about but never got to really see.

Alina sat up slowly, her eyes widening as she took in her surroundings.

THE HUMAN WORLD.

She had made it!

Without thinking or giving herself a moment to adjust to her surroundings, the princess jumped to her feet and began running through the city streets, her heart pounding with excitement.

She had done it.

After so many years of yearning… of wishing… she was finally here.