Alpha's Legacy (Black Moon Saga Book 3)

“Uncle Pete!” I squeal excitedly as soon as he appears in the front doorway of his cottage to greet us. Mama brought me to visit him since it’s my birthday and that was my special request this morning at breakfast. Uncle Pete lives all by himself outside of town and he doesn’t like leaving home to come visit us, so we have to go to him. I’m okay with that though. I love our walks through the woods behind his house, and I’m hoping to be able to convince him to take me on a short one before my party later this afternoon. “Well good morning, Anna Jade,” he tells me warmly, kneeling down to pull me into a hug. “And Kylie,” he adds for Mama once he has straightened back up. “Morning, Uncle Pete. It’s my birthday,” I can’t help announcing yet again. I’ve been telling pretty much anyone who will listen to me the same thing all morning. They all already know, but I’ve been too excited to care about that. And besides, it never hurts to be sure. Adults forget stuff all the time. “I remember. Now let me think, was it six that you’re turning today?” I know he’s teasing, but Uncle Pete usually isn’t in the mood for jokes, so I eat it up when I can. He’s a lot of fun when he wants to be. “No, silly,” I scold him playfully. “I’m ten now.” “Oh, that’s right. Ten it is. You’re practically grown,” he teases, ruffling my hair. “And all she’s been talking about all morning is how much she wants to go out walking with you,” Mama tells him. I wanted to tell him myself, but I’m used to her doing that to me. I’m too excited today to stay irritated about it for more than a second anyway. “Really? Is that so?” he crouches down again to ask me. At least somebody doesn’t pretend like I can’t speak for myself. I nod, unable to do anything but grin ear-to-ear as I reach for him to give him another hug. “Yep. I had a dream about it last night, and it just feels like the right thing to do today. And I bet we’ll find some more bunny homes under those bushes too.” “We just might,” he agrees, winking at me. “Why don’t you go ahead out back and get our supplies ready while I talk to your mom for a minute, okay?” “Okay!” I can’t help skipping a little as I head out the back door to the shed by the garden where I know he keeps the ropes and things he likes to bring along when we go for nature walks. Sometimes, we find stuff like big branches that have fallen or bushes that need to be trimmed, and he likes to bring what he needs to take care of all that, just in case. I know he sent me out here so he can have a grown-up talk with Mama, which is a little annoying, but mostly I’m just glad he’s taking me for a walk anyway. I woke up this morning just knowing that there’s something good waiting to happen to us in those woods, and I don’t want to miss it. He comes out to help me gather the supplies a few minutes later, and I can’t fight my curiosity any longer. “What were you and Mama talking about?” I ask him, trying to make it seem like no big deal so he doesn’t tell me not to worry about it or something like that. “Nothing too important. I just didn’t want to bore you with all our grown-up talk. She did tell me that we can’t stay out too long, though. We can’t let you be late for your own party.” He says it like it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen to me, but it’s not really. I’m excited to see my friends and family later, but it’s not like it’s a big deal if I’m late. What are they going to do, take the presents back? “We’ll try, but I know there’s something way more exciting than a party out in those woods. I can just feel it,” I admit to him carefully, trying not to sound too much like my father. He’s always talking about his good feelings and bad feelings about a day, or a place, or even a person, and people like to tease him about it. But if this is what he means when he says he just has a feeling about something, I think I might stop being one of those people who pokes fun. I think I might know what he means now. It's like even my bones know that something good is out there just waiting for us to find it, and I can feel it vibrating all throughout me. The amazing day ahead of us won't quit calling to me, and it only gets stronger with each second that goes by. “If you say so, but I’m not about to risk making you late and annoying your mom. She’s the Alpha.” He whispers the last part like it’s a secret or like he’s scared of her, but I know he’s just playing again. She is the Alpha, but I’ve never seen her get mad at Uncle Pete. I don’t think it’s even possible. “You’re in a really good mood today,” I can’t help pointing out. Most of the time, Uncle Pete just seems tired and maybe even a little sad, so it’s kind of out of the ordinary that he’s been so playful all morning. “It’s your birthday, sweetheart. There’s magic in a birthday.” That feels true. It must be, otherwise birthday wishes make no sense. I shrug, accepting his explanation and feeling beyond ready to get going, especially since we don’t have as much time together as usual. Uncle Pete lets me lead the way down the paths to our usual spots. I’ve been through here with him enough that I have the way practically memorized, and it’s easy for me to remember all the twists and turns. I’m not sure if it’s my excitement making me go unusually fast or if there’s something about him that is making him go unusually slow today, but the further we go, the more he seems to lag behind me. “Anna Jade, I need you to slow down,” he calls out at last, halting me in my tracks so I can wait for him to catch up. I panic a little, feeling kind of guilty when I realize how out of breath he is getting. “Sorry, Uncle Pete. I think I’m rushing because I want to get to the bunnies before we have to go back.” “I know, and it’s alright. I just don’t think we’re going to make it back there today,” he tells me apologetically. “Honestly, I haven’t been feeling very well lately, and that’s what I was talking to your mom about. I didn’t want to be a downer on your birthday, but I thought she should know before she let us come out here.” “Then you should have told me! I wouldn’t have walked so fast,” I complain, outraged that he's been trying to hide that from me. “I know,” he admits before tossing down everything he is carrying and plopping himself on the bare ground. “I just need to rest for a minute, okay? And then I think we should head back.” This isn’t at all how I pictured this day going, but I’m not even worried about my silly birthday or that stupid feeling I had earlier. Now I’m just worried about Uncle Pete, who is still breathing too hard even though he’s sitting down now. I sit beside him and watch helplessly as he closes his eyes, trying to regain control of his breathing. He looks so tired, and I realize for the first time today that his skin looks different than it normally does. I don’t know what that means, but something tells me it isn’t anything good. “You know your way back, right?” Uncle Pete asks me after a few minutes have passed, and his breathing hasn't really improved. “I might need you to go back and call your mom for me. Maybe she can send some help.” I hear him say all that, but something strange is happening inside me and I’m not really listening. I get this really strong feeling that I need to get as close to him as I can and touch him, so I crawl up onto his lap and throw my arms around him. The bone-deep vibrations from before are way stronger now, and I feel warm all over, especially in my hands. “Anna Jade, I know you’re scared but –” He stops abruptly before finishing whatever he was about to say, too distracted by what I’m doing to continue. That feeling told me to put my hands under his shirt and rub his back, so that’s what I did as he was trying to talk to me. My hands start to tingle and feel even warmer, so I just keep rubbing, hoping that it’s helping him. “What are you doing to me?” he asks next, his voice sounding surprised and maybe even excited. He's practically whispering, but loudly. “I don’t know,” I admit, though I keep doing it anyway. That good feeling is back. This is the thing, the really good thing that I knew was going to happen today. I know it without being able to tell him how I know it. I only thought it was going to be the bunnies before because until now, that was the best thing that had ever happened to us here in the woods. I don’t know how much time passes with us sitting together like that, but his breathing slows down and that strange whistling sound that he was making stops. His skin returns to its normal color, and he doesn’t look so tired anymore. He doesn’t look as wrinkled and old anymore either. Me, on the other hand, I'm starting to feel kind of sleepy, which is weird since I've been kind of excited and hyper all morning. Maybe I got up a bit too early today, and all this walking around has been wearing me out. Or maybe it's because it's getting so warm, like there's a big, cozy fire building inside of me, and it's making me want to curl up and take a little nap. “You’re healing me,” he says at last. “I can feel it. I just can’t explain it. I’ve been to all the known healers, and none of them could do what you’re doing.” That makes me feel pleased and proud of myself, but I don’t let that stop me. That feeling inside is telling me I’m not finished yet, so I just keep fighting through the urge to close my eyes, not wanting to take my hands off him until he's all better. “What am I doing, exactly?” I ask him to explain more since he seems to know more about it than I do, even though I’m the one doing it. “I don’t know all the magical terms for it, but I can tell you what I feel. I can feel my inner fox starting to wake up in there, and Anna Jade, I don’t know if you realize how special that even is, but it’s incredible. I haven’t felt him in almost eight years.” “Wow,” is all I can think of to say for a few seconds as I fight my drooping eyelids and struggle to think of more words to tell him, at least until I suddenly realize what else he just said. “You think it’s magic?” “I know it is,” he grins at me. “But that’s not really surprising considering who your father is.” Well, no. I guess not. My father is a warlock. A very powerful warlock. But what Uncle Pete doesn’t seem to realize is that I’m too young for this to be my magic already. “I’m only ten,” I argue, confused but still trying to focus on the warm feeling in my hands because I know that’s what he needs, and what he needs is more important than any of this making sense. “But you are also your mother’s daughter,” he says mysteriously, leaning forward to kiss my nose. I can’t help giggling about that, though I don’t understand his point. Of course I’m my mother’s daughter. That’s what those words mean. She's not even a witch or anything, though, and she doesn't even have magic. After a few more minutes, the warm feeling in my hands goes away, leaving me feeling unbearably sleepy in its place. I don’t think I’ve felt this tired since New Year’s Eve when my parents decided Emerick and I were finally old enough to stay up all night to celebrate the new year the second it happened. And just like then, I’m so glad I stuck it out even though I can barely keep my eyes open. “Shh, it’s okay. Close your eyes, and I’ll carry you,” I feel Uncle Pete say quietly against my ear. It almost sounds like he's talking to me while we're underwater, like Emerick does sometimes when we're swimming in the lake. “But I suppose your mom is going to end up annoyed with me anyway because it looks like you might be late for that party after all.” “But she’ll be happy your fox is awake,” I want to say to him, except I think I’m already asleep before I can even get the words out.