The rest of the morning went quickly.

Visena and Gideon showered, changed and ate to their heart's content. By the time two o'clock rolled around, Visena was ecstatic to see her family. However, she was vaguely surprised to see that Calypso was the first to arrive.

"Don't look so surprised. I'll be gone before anyone else arrives. I sent them the long way."

Gideon shook his head with a smile. "Tell me why I agreed to keep you as Pack Witch?"

"Because without me, your Pack would be shit?"

Visena nearly spat out an apple she had been eating. "And I thought I was brutally honest."

Calypso smirked at them. "Well, are you going to invite me in?"

Visena brewed them all some tea that she found in the cupboards while her guests made themselves comfortable around the oak dining table. Before she had even served Calypso a cup, the Witch started asking questions.

"What happened with the Witch Council?"

"Um, they brought me into their room and told me about a prophecy and basically that they wouldn't help me. Sybil and Ambrose seemed like they wanted to help, but I guess their hands were tied." Visena noticed with interest while serving the Chai that Calypso winced when she spoke the Council Witches' names.

"They were odd- I mean, they had really gross dead flesh issues...Hands... Missing eyeballs..." 

Halfway through a long sip, Gideon pulled the teacup from his mouth, the fine china clattering painfully against the table. His scrunched nose and downturned mouth were adorable as he pushed the Chai away, simultaneously distracting the Fae as she shared the Witches' afflictions. Air rushed from her nose in a clipped laugh when his lips parted and mouthed an almost silent, disgusted, 'What?'

"Does every Witch end up like that?" Visena finished, giving her mate a tightlipped smile and shrug. 

Calypso chewed the inside of her cheek and hissed through her teeth, drawing back their attention.

Visena sat down with a cup clasped in cold hands and decided to probe. "What's wrong?"

At first, it looked like the Witch wouldn't respond, and the Fae poised to fill the long silence when she heard shuffling shoes against the floorboards and sharp nails tapping against resin sealed oak. Then, finally, Calypso started with a sigh. "No, not everyone receives Nex markings." She sighed again. "I trained with them after I left your mother. They went down a dark path and were punished for it. I left them when it happened, and I don't think they ever forgave me."

"Ambrose didn't seem bothered when I mentioned you."

"What did you say to them?" Calypso's eyes hardened.

"I just asked if you were the one they had spoken to about me... the others got defensive, though."

"They have always been cowards."

Visena nodded, looking at Gideon. His lips turned up in a small smile when he caught her staring. She flushed and dragged her eyes away. "Um, actually, the Vampire council were the most helpful. They said they knew you as well...." 

The bloom that suddenly appeared on Calypso's cheeks delighted Visena endlessly.

"Thana and Mihnea. Do the names ring any bells?"

Gideon looked between the women with a raised brow while Calypso cleared her throat. "I knew them a long time ago."

"Yeah," Visena said with a grin. "A long time ago."

Calypso almost spat out her tea and couldn't meet either wolf's eyes. Visena bit her lip and suppressed her growing smile, taking another sip of her drink. "Anyway, have you heard anything? What's going to happen now?"

Hiding away in her tiny cottage felt like she was in a different world. Technically she was in another realm, albeit only slightly, but all her problems felt so distant. Zeir was just a bad memory in this place, and she could live happily ever after. 

Unfortunately for her, the world kept turning, and Zeirs' plans were still churning out, putting everyone at risk.

"Seems as though the Witch Council won't help anyone, so that's one less enemy to concern ourselves over," Cal replied thoughtfully, still blushing a lovely shade of pink.

"Blue moon tonight," Gideon spoke up, looking at his mate. "If we keep you hidden here, then Zeir will have to wait until the next celestial event to take you. By then, we could gather more allies and intel. But, for now, we only have the Praelia pack willing to fight with us."

"The Vampires will help us," Visena added, grinning. Gideon's scepticism dashed the smile slightly, and she turned back to focus on her friend.

"How can you be so certain?" Calypso questioned quietly, staring intently at a faded coffee stain on the table. 

"Um, I have something Mihnea wants. It doesn't matter right now, though. Also, Svend seemed to turn to the 'dark side', so hopefully, the Wolf council won't order any packs to fight against us. That just leaves the Fae council, the Humans and Malum pack. The odds aren't so bad, right?"

Calypso and Gideon shared a look.

Nevermind then...

With a graceful movement, Calypso stood and prepared to leave. Visena followed her out to say goodbye when the Witch stopped her.

"I have something to give you. It may help you one day."

Visena didn't bother deciphering Calypso's cryptic mysticism and braced herself. Then, with a few whispered words and a fingertip to her third eye, Visena received her gift. A bond deep inside her soul was unbound. It wasn't particularly painful, but it felt wrong. It went against nature. 

"What was that?"

"Just trust me. I hope you'll never have to use this, but I wanted you to have the choice. I'll see you later on." The Witch placed a kiss on Visena's forehead and disappeared into the forest, leaving the Fae staring after her open mouthed.

Calypso had barely been out of view for a second when excited yips could be heard from the path.

"Gideon, the Fae ring!" 

Her mate brushed past her and mindlinked his wolves. They shifted out of sight and came sprinting in human form towards them, partially dressed. Thank Hina. 

Liam and Prim looked the most excited to see Visena while the others awkwardly trailed behind with giant grins. 

Liam took Visena off her feet with the biggest bear hug she had ever experienced. Prim's extra arms threw them off balance, and they tumbled to the floor laughing hysterically. Visena pulled Jed and Eve into the fray while Orion went to talk with Gideon.

"It's so good to see you!" Visena cried, trying to squeeze everyone equally. "What has happened since I left?"

Dust flew into Visena's mouth, and she sputtered, still giggling from all the love. They finally released her and sat in the dirt, looking starry-eyed at their Alpha.

Prim appeared to be bursting to speak. Her eyes flitted between Eve and Visena when the former rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Eve found her mate! You totally predicted it! She found her mate!" Prim shouted before squealing. Visena's jaw hit the floor. "Who?"

Prim was practically foaming at the mouth. "You will never believe it! All this time. Our freaking neighbours. An Alpha no less."

"Spit it out, Prim!"

"Me." A familiar voice announced from the forest. 

Visena's eyes filled with tears, and her heart thudded against her rib cage. "Thyra? Your Eve's mate?"

The Praelia Alpha pulled her mate to her feet and planted a tender kiss on her lips. Eve blushed and beamed at her mate.

"All this time, you were so close and never once crossed paths?" Visena was baffled, still crying.

"Nope." Eve finally spoke, "Somehow, Fate arranged for us to never be in the same place at the same time."

"And you couldn't just smell each other?" Visena couldn't understand them. She had scented Gideon long before she ever saw him for the first time.

"Alpha scent's usually get masked by their pack, and I lost my sense of smell a long time ago," Thyra spoke low in her throat.

"Yep, well, you found each other now!" Prim squealed again, drawing out a laugh from her pack members.

"Does that mean you're gonna leave the pack?" Visena asked as she wiped her cheeks with a backhand, rubbing them slightly where the excessive smiling had them aching.

"We haven't decided yet."

With a brief look at Gideon, she received an encouraging smile. "Could we just combine our lands or something?" 

Thyra coughed, apparently choking on air. 

"Just think about it. No pressure." 

Even Gideon looked shaken, and Visena offered an apologetic, slightly sheepish look. Then, finally, they stood and brushed off the dust.

"Any other news?"

"Prim's pregnant." 

~~~

A/N

Um, what? 

Prim girly, you sure know how to pick the worst time to get pregnant!

Does anyone have any theories about Calypso's gift?

Thanks for reading my sleep-deprived edit- please point out any errors if you see them xxx 

Much love,

K <3