“Its okay ra. After I left that day, I came back here to have a cup of tea. It calmed me and made me realize that I was tensed. With all that is going on, we have allowed it to consume us that we begin to mix up our feelings. I let go of mine that very day. So don’t worry ra, you have my true forgiveness.”


    “Thank you. I just… I want to learn how to control my powers. This whole wolf thing is terrifying, and I feel so lost in this pce. Everything is just happening so fast. I feel like if I can master this powers then I’ll be able to defend myself and finally be useful,” I said and watched her. Then she smiled.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    “It’s alright to feel scared, ra. This is a big change. But fear can be a powerful teacher too, if you let it guide you instead of consume you.”


    “How can I do that?”


    “I can show you. Its part of our training anyway.”


    Her words eased me. I caught her eyes just as I looked at her before she turned to another direction. Her dark eyes held no judgment, only peace.


    “It pains me whenever I remember that I took my frustration out on you. You don’t deserve that. You’ve been nothing but patient with me.”


    Nikkei offered a small smile. “Patience is a witch’s greatest tool, ra. And sometimes, the strongest lessonse finely wrapped in a bad feeling like frustration. These ancient texts talk about a fire within every werewolf. But a fire needs a gentle hand to guide it, not a forceful one trying to tame it.”


    “Hmm… you sound like a true witch,” I chuckled.


    She smiled again, “look ra, it is fine truly.”


    “I’m so d to hear that,” I rushed in for a hug and she held me tightly.


    “Its so good to have you back,” she smirked.


    “And you acted like you didn’t even miss me.”


    “Of course I did. And that reminds me. I found something that could help with your powers.”


    “What is it?” I asked piqued with curiosity.


    “Hold on let me get it.”


    She stood up and walked to a carved wooden chest tucked into a corner. She picked up a smooth, fist-sized stone. The surface of the stone was cold on my skin as she dropped it on my hand.


    “What is this?” I asked looking at it.


    “Focus on the stone. Feel its strength, its weight. Them channel your fear, your frustration, all that pent-up emotion, into the stone.”


    I closed my eyes, concentrating on the coolness of the stone in my hand. Images began to flicker in my mind. Gradually, I pushed those emotions towards the stone.


    I was overwhelmed at how a stone could make me feel that. The stone grew warm in my hand, then pulsed with a faint, white light. My breathing became stable. I was doing it. I was channelling my emotions.


    “I think I’m doing it.”


    “Good. Now, hold that feeling. But don’t try to force it. Let it flow through you, and imagine directing it outwards, into the stone.” Nikkei’s voice was soft but firm.


    As I concentrated, I could see the picture of the white light intensifying . The stone became warmer in my hand which grew almost ufortable, but I held on. With a final push, I imagined the light bursting from the stone and my eyes snapped open. The stone was still in my hand, but the faint white light lingered around it a little longer before finally disappearing.


    “What was that?” I asked but she only smiled.


    “How do you feel?”


    “Relieved? Don’t know the best word that fits the description but its like I have this new sense of aplishment.”


    I stared at Nikkei, unsure of her reaction.


    But she smiled.


    “There you see, ra,” she began, “The power is already within you. You just needed to learn to tap into it, to guide it, even within these walls of the pce.”


    I felt much lighter like the weight if the guilt had been lifted from my shoulders.


    “Thank you,” I whispered.


    “Now,” Nikkei continued, her eyes twinkled, “with your little ability to control your powers, perhaps we can discuss something a little more… celebratory?” She grinned.


    My smile widened. “Celebratory? That’s a way to describe it.”


    “Indeed,” she said, “the mating ceremony, is something of joy and should be celebrated no matter what.”


    Blood rushed to my cheeks.


    “I’m ready to start the preparations,” I said, meeting Nikkei’s gaze, “Tell me what we need to do.”


    Nikkei chuckled, “you already got it covered. Just tell me when you want to start. I’m here for you.”


    “I think I would go with both the traditional natured and themunity natured ceremony.”


    “Alright. This is going to be pretty huge.”


    “Yes, Kiran and I have agreed on that.”


    “So what’s the first thing on the list?” She asked.


    “As usual, the traditional natured ceremony woulde first. And I would like to start with the bonfire night.”


    “Bonfire night? That hasn’t happened in a long time. Here, people just like to go with themunity natured.”


    “Well, this is the mating ceremony of the Lycan King not just anyone.”


    “Yeah that’s right.” Nikkei agreed.


    “So what’s next?”


    “Picking the desired location and the date. Since the main mating process will be in the presence of the white moon, I feel like other events shoulde sequentially which would prepare everyone for the mating ceremony.”


    “Yeah, I get you.”


    Nikkei walked to her drawer and pulled out a book and pen.


    “There would be a lot of things to be discussed so we have to take note,” she added.


    “Yeah that’s right.” I watched her with a smile.


    “What?” She asked as she stared at me.


    “I’m so d that you agreed to do this with me.”


    “I’m also happy to do this with you. So are we doing this or not? My hands are itching to write,” she said.


    “It would be a five nights ceremony. There would be a bonfire event on the first night. A feast. A ball. Then I would have mydies night before the main mating ceremony which woulde up at exactly the time that the moon would be up.”


    “The main event?” She asked.


    “Yeah the main event.”


    “Okay there, you can have it. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.”


    I took the note from her hand and looked through it. It was just perfect but I needed to run it through Kieran first just in case he had anything else in mind.


    “I like,” I nodded, “but I need to take to Kieran first. See what he thinks about it. You know I’m not doing this alone.”


    “Yeah of course.”


    “Maybe I would also ask him about the location for the bonfire he would know a good spot.”


    “Yeah, go now,” Nikkei chuckled.


    I could see the joy in her eyes. She was just as excited as I was. I had never thought about the mating event in the way that she made me think about it.