Heartless Angels

Chapter 16 Oakley

Chapter 16 – Oakley

As I watch the alpha wolf who had terrified me, beaten me, and threatened me fall apart in front of me, the scene fades and

we are back in the treehouse. I keep staring at the spot where Levi had been, unsure how to handle these revelations.

“Was all of that real?” I ask, quietly.

“Yes, Oakley. Every bit of it,” my mother says. A hesitant hand lands on my shoulder as she tries to comfort me.

I’m so overwhelmed by my emotions that I can’t help it. I turn into her arms and take the comfort that she gives to me. I don’t cry, though it is a near thing.

“I just don’t understand why they would treat me the way they did if this is how they truly feel,” I say into my mother’s chest.

She takes a deep breath and helps me settle beside her. “It’s part of being one of the descendents of the original ten. To decide if you will be a member of the Elite Ten. Selene needs to find warriors that are willing to give up everything for the greater good of wolfkind. To do that, you need to have no regrets.”

“So what does that have to do with me?” I ask. Tm not trying to be conceited or anything, but why would Selene put me through all this on the off chance that I would want to be a part of the Elite.”

“It’s not an off chance, Oakley. This is what you were fated to do. Because you are my child, there is a high probability of you being a member of the Elite Ten. I knew the second that you were born that you were a truly powerful wolf. It’s why I became so weak after you were born. It took too much out of me to hide you and keep you safe from anyone who would use you against the rulers on the continent. It’s why I left when you were two and took your wolf with me. Your power was already drawing interest from other packs and rogues, though they didn’t know where the source was. I had to leave to save you.” I can tell by the look in her blue eyes, eyes that are so like mine, that she’s telling the truth.

“Ok. That explains why I was weak. But why am I so strong now? I feel faster, stronger, with better senses and reflexes. Why is my wolf back all of a sudden?” My eyes get wide as a thought occurs to me. “Does that mean that you are coming back

with my wolf?”

She gives me a wistful smile, pushing a tendril of hair behind my ear. “No, sweet girl. I wish I could come home, but that’s not what this means. It just means that you are now strong enough that you can protect yourself with the strength of your wolf. As you know, when someone becomes a part of the Elite Ten, they let go of all of their ties to their old lives. You will never be a part of a pack again, save for the pack that you will form with the other Elite Ten. When a new Elite Ten pack is needed, all of the potential warriors go through something that could possibly cut their ties with their families and their packs-

I can’t help but interrupt. “You mean that all of the trainees here are descendants of the original ten?”

She gives me a smile. “Yes, though you are all so far removed from each other, you don’t have to worry about any relationship issues,” She gives me a heavy handed wink and I look at her like she’s insane.

“Noted,” I say, dryly. I have no intention of having any romantic relationships after everything that happened with my mate,

so the whole related thing isn’t a big deal for me.

“Anyway,” my mother continues, “once you have nothing keeping you where you are, something pulls you to the castle to try out for the Elite Ten. And then you will be given a choice. Actually, you, my little puffball,” she says using a nickname that Father gave me as a child, “will have three choices.”

“To do what?” I ask. “Isn’t this all about me proving that I’m the best for the Elite Ten?”

Not Bally,” my

really my mother says with a shrug. “I mean, you’re still going to have to prove to the instructors that you are good

Chapter 16 – Oakley

enough to be part of the Elite Ten. But Selene already knows that you are.”

“Seriously? That takes a lot of the load off of my back, then. Sign me up, I say, smiling.

“Whoa, Eager Beaver. Wait a second. Like I said, you have a choice to make. And I want you to really think about it,” she says earnestly.

“You keep talking about a choice, but you’ve yet to tell me what it is. What is the choice? That way I can make it and get back to sleep.”

“Like I said before I took you on our little trip, those wolves that hurt you didn’t really mean what they did. At least, not completely. They were fleeting thoughts that the Goddess amplified to get them to break their bonds with you. To push you to leave and make the journey here. The feelings were there, those of jealousy, anger, pettiness, and superiority, but they would never have manifested that way without the Goddess’s intervention.

“Your father, the twins, even your mate, have felt awful about what they’ve done to hurt you, but couldn’t change it until you left. The Goddess’s will was holding them back, making them unable to apologize and beg for your forgiveness like they want to do right now. What I said before is completely true. Your father and brothers want to forsake the pack. They want to beg for your forgiveness and keep you away from Levi so that you can be happy. “Levi is obviously a miserable wreck without you. He will treat you like a queen, giving you all that you could ever want. You will never have to worry about him being the ruthless or cruel alpha anymore. He has completely learned his lesson. And you will be good for the pack, showing them that it’s not just about strength, but the value that you bring to the pack as a whole. I can tell you that you will change the culture of your entire pack within one generation and lead to a change on the whole continent, eventually,” Her voice is wistful, like a choice she wishes she had taken. The drawback to that is that you will lose some of your strength and potential. Your line will no longer carry the Elite Ten power and you will never see me again.”

This might sound mean, but not seeing my mother ever again isn’t really that big of a deal. I don’t know her. It’s not t

that big of a loss. I do really like the idea about changing werewolf culture. To make life easier for me and others like me. Strength doesn’t always mean physical and I think that it’s time that wolves realized that. But that would mean having to forgive Levi and apparently having to accept him as my mate. I don’t know that I could allow him to touch me after everything that he did to me. I don’t know that I could ever forgive my family

“You said that I have two other choices. What are they?” I ask.

She furrows her eyebrows, an expression of concern on her face. “You don’t even want to consider – ”

“I want to know what all of my choices are before I make any decision,” linterrupt.

She nods, though the concern doesn’t leave her face. “You can go into the Elite Ten. You’re a shoe-in. Your wolf is strong. your skills unparalleled. You will be an amazing warrior. One that will be tough to beat. You will bring a lot of fame to the Elite Ten and be among the best leaders of any of the Elite Ten squads in history. Once you are done with your time in the Elite Ten, you will find a mate and have children. But once your successor is born, you will have to do exactly as I did. Hide them, using your life essence, so that they aren’t found. And then you will have to leave, taking their wolf with you, to go to Selene’s realm.”

“So, I would turn into you?” I ask.

“Basically.” There looks to be true remorse in her face, as if she wouldn’t have made that choice if she could go back.

“And the final choice?” I ask.

“Your second chance mate is here. Just waiting for Levi to come and release you from your bond. You can take him and

run. You will be a warrior’s mate. You won’t change history or make it easier for weaker wolves. But you will be happy. You will have beautiful pups and your line of succession will die out.”

2ietly, just thinking. What do you think I should do?”

Chapter 16 – Oakley

She answers without hesitation. “Take your second chance mate and run.” Her hands cup my face as she looks directly into my eyes. “The life of a member of the Elite Ten is harder than anything out there. And I wouldn’t wish that mate of yours on anyone after what he did to you. Find your second chance and take it.”

“But you didn’t do that, I respond.

“No. No I didn’t. And I regret it every day” She leans forward and k*sses me on the forehead. “You don’t have to decide now. You have a few weeks until the final decision must be made. But I urge you to really think about what will make you happy. not what will bring you glory or help you to hide.”

Suddenly, a loud ringing sounds and I wake up in my bed in the dorms. My dream is over

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