Leyla

Tears fall freely as I read the letter from my mother. I read it several times, but I can’t seem to put it down. It’s been four days since she was cremated, and I have to get going. It’s a seven hour drive to the Woodland forest, and from there a five hour hike into the woods. I have no idea why she wants me to go there, but I have to honor her wishes. I get into my red Hyundai, wipe my tears and turn on the engine. I put the name into my gps and start driving. I drive through the night, being too amped up to sleep anyway. The last sentence in the letter keep haunting me.. find Callum Ashford who the hell is he? And what does he have to do with anything? I sigh and turn on the radio, needing something to clear my mind. * Callum POV. I wake up, get dressed, brush my teeth and go down to the kitchen to get breakfast. I say hello to the omegas there preparing the meal for all the wolves, but as normal I take my coffee and bagel to go. I head outside and walk down to the lake, catching the first beams of sunlight coming through the thick layer of trees. My Beta Kiran comes up to me as I eat «Callum.. there is a stranger coming.. walking up the hidden trail. Most likely a hiker that got lost, but do I check it out just in case?» he asks me, and I nod. «Yeah, do it. It can be dangerous to walk of the path..» Kiran nods and walk out. I look after him a bit and smile. Kiran has been my best friend since we were in diapers, and the minute I became Alpha, he became my beta. I head back to the packhouse when I stop in my tracks. The air shifts and my wolf start pacing back and forth in my mind. Something is coming, and I have no idea what. * Leyla POV When I get to the trail, I park my car on the parking place, grab the urn, my bag and the map with the directions and close the doors. I put my headphones on, find a playlist on my phone and start walking. It’s a pretty normal trail the first few miles, and then I have to go off track. I check and double check my map to make sure I’m in the right place to leave the track, and I start climbing up the traitorous trail, tripping over stones and deep roots. It’s steep, wet and sloppy for hours, but when I get up, my breath is literally taken away. It’s a clearing. Green grass as far as the eye can see, a waterfall that comes down into a lake so clear you can see the bottom even at the deepest end and wild flowers in pink, purple and yellow. A river flows lazily across the clearing and butterflies and bees rest in flowers and birds are singing. I take my headphones off and put them in my bag. I start laughing when I realise that this is the place. I walk towards the river and sit down. I le my hand touch the water and shiver at the cold. And then I hear it; a snapping twig. I spin around but doesn’t see anything. I hear more twigs snap and turn my head, but I can’t place where it’s coming from. And then a loud growl right behind me. Hairs stand up in the back of my neck and I slowly turn around, only to find a huge, silver wolf. Fight or flight kicks in and I turn around and run. More wolves join the first one, and it’s like they give me a head start before they run after me. My legs are burning, my sides are hurting but I keep running until the silver wolf jumps on me. I fall head first into a tree and everything goes black. * Leyla POV I wake up in a soft bed. The room is dimly lit with soft, orange light. White walls have beautiful landscape pictures on it and there is a few chairs, a dresser and a small table. On the nightstand next to me there’s a glass of water. I groan as I stretch for it, but I manage to grab it. I place it at my lips and start drinking when the door opens. A man comes in.. the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He looks to be in his mid thirties, early forties, black hair, chiselled jaw, short, black beard that makes him look even hotter and that body.. he wears a grey t-shirt that shows off his huge arms and his muscles going down his stomach, and grey sweatpants. «Who are you? And what are you doing in my territory little witch?» I freeze. My grandmother and mother were witches, but my mother never passed her gifts onto me. «I.. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was a territory.. I just followed the instructions in my map..» I look around me, searching for my purse. «W..where’s my purse.. I had a map, a letter and an urn in it.. the letter is the last thing I have from my mother» my voice breaks at that. The man comes closer holding out the map. «Why is there a route to the clearing on this? That’s not in the hike, and it’s several hours off the path.. why are you here witch?» he looks angry now. I clear my throat. «My mother was born not to far from here, and yes.. she was a witch.. but she never passed her powers on to me. She didn’t want me to pay the price that comes with magic.. and she paid for it with her life.. her final wish for me was to get to the clearing and scatter her ashes.. that’s all I was doing.. I swear..» I try not to show any fear, and the man seem to believe me. «What’s your name, witch?» he asks. There’s something about him.. «Leyla.. Leyla Sanders» I say, and his mouth drops. «Your Sheila’s daughter.. she was a good friend and healer for us. When she got pregnant with you, she stopped using her magic because she didn’t want her child to get the powers, and she left.. forgive me, Leyla. I meant no harm. I’m Callum» he brings out a hand to me, and I shake it. «Welcome to Blue Ridge.»