She Wolf Ch. 06

"I can understand that."

"There's something else you know. It's why you're afraid."

"Not really...well yeah, now that you mention it. It's beginning to make sense. I'm beginning to understand who it is I'm to meet." Hope faced away from Janet and then turned back. "It has to do with another of your grandma's pups."

"My mother isn't lycan but carries the trait. That's what was passed on to me. I come from lycan stock although my parents aren't lycan themselves."

"And now you suspect at least one of your grandmother's pups carried the trait as well."

"It was only a suspicion. What does your knowing tell you about it."

"It's true. That's clear now. Is that who I'm supposed to meet?"

"You tell me. You're the one with the gift of sight."

"Yes, it is. But I don't know how we're going to meet."

"It will come to you. You'll know him whenever you meet him."

Janet took Hope's hand in hers. "There's something else going on, something I'm just beginning to understand myself. It's beginning to make sense." When Hope looked at her questioningly she continued. "My grandmother was pack leader, just like me, but I have more power than she had. I am heir to her powers. She gave me as much of her power as she could and I was led to gain other powers along the way. Now this other lycan appears, also in her line. I don't know how many wolf generations have passed, but this one is lycan and from Grandma."

"You think he is the one for me?"

"I don't know, but it makes sense. Now, you are fully human, so it would be natural for you to have offspring from a lycan in human form. I don't know if all of them would be lycan, but I think at least one will. Any lycan offspring will also be from Grandma's line and thus also heir to her powers -- and mine."

"You mean...you mean...I could give birth to another Celestial?"

"After a fashion. Gray has mated with several others, but only as wolves. Although they were all lycan none of them has ever shown any leadership abilities. I think it's because the heir has to come from one of the others. Maybe it's just because the time is right to bring the heir into being. I'll have my powers for awhile, but I'll figure out how to transfer some or all of them to the next pack leader."

"The next pack leader will come from me?"

"I think you understand that now. I understood it as I painted today. Sometimes something comes over me and I paint something I never intended but that needed to be put on canvas."

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

"Hmm. Yes. I think that's it. It's something I can't express in words, but understand through the images."

"It's still scary."

"It is. But great gifts come with great responsibilities, as Great Bear told me. When I whined to Eagle Claw about not wanting to do this he asked me if not me, who? Sometimes we have to do what we don't want or are afraid to do." She put an arm around Hope. "Remember that I'm here for you. I, better than anyone, understand about striking out into new territory."

Janet looked around and pointed to the ground beside and below the ledge. "That's where Fang saved me from the evil cat that was also your neighbor Will. It's where I first began to become aware of things I could do as a lycan. It was the beginning of my journey. I think it's appropriate that you begin your journey here, too."

"While we're here could you do something?"

Janet laughed and gave Hope a knowing squeeze. "You bet." She shifted, threw back her head and howled.

When she shifted back she said "I bet your dad heard that."

"I bet he did, too. He knows a watcher is up here protecting us."

"One day one of yours will be the watcher."

"That never occurred to me. That's kind of awesome."

"In the world of lycans awesome is a regular thing, and you're going to be part of it."

"I wonder what mom and dad will think of all this."

"Hope, we don't know when any of this is going to happen, so let's not worry them just yet. It could be years before you meet your future mate. They're still getting used to your gift of sight."

"What's one more secret?"