Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

HAYLEY’S POV

There was a knock on the door, loud in the stillness of that night. My heart jumped out. There was a quick glance between Aiden and me; both of us were instantly alert. And Marcus’ message still rang in my head, a reminder of what lurked just around the corner.

Aiden was the first to move; his animal sense of approaching danger was automatically on high alert as he approached the door slowly. If I followed close behind, my heart might explode. He peeked out the hole, and when he turned to me, he handed down his nod of approval. “It’s Marcus.”

A wave of relief came over me as Aiden opened the door and I saw my father on our front porch, his face etched with a look that was part emergency, part worry. “Hayley, Aiden, it is so late. I am sorry to stop by unannounced.”

“Enter,” he said, standing to the side as Marcus came in EVEN through his body language-weighed low under the gravity of his words.

To the living room: some familiarity amongst so much chaos. Marcus sat, eyes full-on on me, with intensity that sent goosebumps down my spine.

“What’s going on?” My voice is even and strong despite the storm within. “How?ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Literally, he said, “There are some things you have to know about.” Marcus waited the three heartbeats it took for us all-four of them in total, Petra included-to shut up. And something that might be critical in the days that follow.

I nodded, readying myself for his inevitable truth. “What is it?”

Marcus looked him right in the eye. He took a deep breath. “You have powers, Hayley. Latent abilities have come to the fore, which had long ago stopped being used.

The words lay there in the air, and I could feel them so heavily charged. My mind spun in an attempt to comprehend what he had told me. “Powers? What do you mean?”

“Start to finish; our family has always been linked with the supernatural,” Marcus clarified. The abilities attracted the cult to us. They were afraid of what we could do, and in doing so, they wanted to harness it.

I was shocked in disbelief. It was a lot to handle, and it seemed as though the entire world I knew had turned upside down. “Wait, are you saying that I have some kind of magic?”

“Yes,” Marcus confirmed. And yet they have been sitting there, buried, to protect you. You must awaken and control the cult’s interests in you. You have to be able to go out there and hold your own.

Aiden gripped my hand, solid and grounding amid the sea of feelings roiling within me. “How do we do that?” he inquired calmly and carefully.

Marcus answered, his gaze meeting mine with a fierce determination that was laced with hope. “I can train you, Hayley. Show YOU how to unlock and own your gift.

The prospect of being granted abilities was as exhilarating as it was terrifying. I had always known I was special, but it never occurred to me that this is what they meant.” Hey, what abilities are we looking at?

This time, Marcus leaned in, sounding just as serious. “We are a nature- and element-based family. You might be a natural witch, and you have to own up to not just who or what you are but also the pathways through which we manipulate them and get their forces in our way. However, we will only get the full picture as soon as training begins.

I let out a long breath and absorbed what he was saying. That was a lot to take in, but I did not have the luxury of pausing.

This was no joke; the cult was a genuine menace, and I had to be prepared. “Okay. When do we start?”

“Tomorrow,” Marcus replied, not even hesitating. “We don’t have much time. They are moving closer, and with the cult members, we need to be ready.

Aiden nodded determinedly. “We’ll be ready.”

Over the course of the evening, we talked about what training for it might mean-building a timeline and some expectations. The things Marcus told me to do were incredibly challenging and long, but he said that what was important so much was my being able to not only keep myself safe but also the ones I loved.

The burden of the fight to come was palpable now that Marcus had gone a little heavier and suffocating. I looked at Aiden with a thousand flickers of thoughts and questions. “This is so much to take in.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me. “I know. But you’re strong, Hayley. You can do this. I have been there, and I will be by your side every step of the way.

And with my head heavy on his strong chest, the steady beat of his heart was balm to my frazzled soul. “Thank you, Aiden. I would be truly lost without you.

“Luckily, you never have to,” he whispered as he laid a soft kiss on my forehead.

The morning dawned bright and clear, with sunlight streaming in through the curtains as if to announce a fresh start. I was excited yet still so unsure of what I needed to do the day before. This was the beginning of an unexpected journey, but I wanted to meet it head-on.

We found the cabin exactly as Marcus had told Aiden and me we would.

As we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by brisk air and pine needles crunching underfoot. When we arrived, Marcus was waiting outside, with a serious but hopeful look on his face.

“Are you ready?” His eyes found mine as he asked.

I nodded, with a new peace within me. “Yes. Let’s do this.”

The exercise commenced with a number of practical exercises for me to try and connect myself further to the natural world. Marcus told me that my powers were elemental, and I had to eat elements in order to draw strength from them. It took quite some time to change my mindset from negative thinking to focusing with patience, but I could feel a subtle change happening within myself while practicing.

“Shut your eyes,” Marcus said calmly and collectively. Feel the earth underfoot; feel it in your air. Draw on their energy.”

Listening to him, I followed the feelings all around me. The initial periods were hard as I tried to clear my mind, but over time, a warm tingle started from the tips of my toes and pulsed throughout. It felt so strange but neat at the same time, like letting out a power that is hidden within me.

“Perfect,” Marcus said with satisfaction. Now, begin to stretch and release that feeling. Reach out with your senses.”

I drew a deep breath, focusing on the power flowing inside me. I felt the wind running through the leaves; I felt it on my skin as a as a cold breeze and under me as solid earth. It was as though the world were beginning to awaken, bursting with fresh energy.

“Good,” Marcus stated, clearly in a fatherly role. “You’re doing well, Hayley.”

The day went by in a fight or flight of work and determination.

From an outside perspective, Marcus introduced me to a series of different practices intended to bring my hidden skills forward. It was a slog up and down this part of the mountain, but I never felt so alive or capable. I could feel myself getting stronger too, both in my body and in my connection to nature.

When the sun started to go down, wrapping the trees in long shadows, we drew a beat for some breath and sat outside together on the cabin porch. It was a rush of exhaustion and excitement, being weary while on the brink of finding my superhuman capabilities.

Marcus handed me a bottle of water and said, “Good job today.” “I’m proud of you.”

You too, I said as we each drank the refreshing water. That excited me and also made another part of my head say, “It’s a lot to take in, but I feel like I’m starting to understand.”

“Which is going to take time?” Marcus spoke with certainty. You got plenty of sound to compete against what you do, Hayley!” Something stronger than you know is already there.

When Aiden sat down beside me, I was comforted by the love and support that surrounded me. “You got skills, girl,” his eyes bathed in awe. “I knew you could do it.”

God, I smiled at that too, and I felt something warm run through me hearing the words. “Absolutely… I could not have done it without you two.

After the evening had progressed to this point, we started talking about my next steps in training. Marcus told me that these exercises would only increase in difficulty, evolving to the point where they wished to make sure I could suffer as well. This was a scary thing, but I knew it had to be done.

Marcus did not smile this time. “We have to be prepared.” The cult members aren’t patient, and neither are we.

I accepted the fact with a firm nod. “I’ll be ready.”

As we drove back to the office that evening, I felt a blanket of fatigue and resolve settle over me. Only the start, but I was steeled for what lay ahead.

While at home, Aiden and I fell back into our routine and thoroughly enjoyed the familiar. I was always aware of my power and the development to come, but with this sleepy feeling that implies knowledge coupled with duty came a new, firm sense of who I am.

We each brushed our teeth, put on pajamas, and slid under the covers of an oversized bed before Aiden wrapped his big arms around me. “You’re incredible, Hayley. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Aiden.” I murmured and sighed as my heart filled with gratitude and adoration. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

“Guess you never will, then,” he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

As I lay in bed that night-ttired, drained, and terrified no longer of my mortal self but of the fate from which there is only escape-mmaybe a whirlwind spun around me somewhere within. I didn’t really know what was up ahead, but after last night, I definitely knew it wasn’t just me. With Aiden with me, the words Marcus spoke into my ear relaxed me, and I felt a power within myself that inspired hope.

Right as I was about to fall asleep, a chilling thought popped into my head. In any case, Marcus mentioned the cult’s interest in our family abilities, but was there something more? What if there was a secret they were holding back-something worse?

It was a question that haunted me long into the night as I eventually drifted off to sleep, and with it came respite from my thoughts. Tomorrow would be another training day, filled with promise and sprinkled with uncertainty.

I sat in the half-light as dawn began to seep into my room, and Marcus’s voice echoed through my mind: “I can train you, Hayley. and Show You The Way To Unlock Your Powers and Manipulate Them”