Valerie didn't wait for long before her door opened again. The scent of burning sage mixed with the lingering musk of expensive cologne and the faint trace of something darker… something that smelled forbidden. The woman who stepped inside moved with a slow and deliberate grace, her presence commanding the air itself to be still.
Baboo.
Even in the modern world where tradition had given way to convenience, Baboo remained a relic of an era long past. She had once been a revered spiritualist, a bridge between the Moon Goddess and the wolves who sought her guidance. But power, when wielded without caution always came at a cost. The pack she had once called home had cast her out, branding her a heretic for the rituals she performed in the shadows… rituals that blurred the lines between devotion and sacrilege.
It should have been the end of her, but then Zuca had found her. While others saw a woman damned by her own ambition, Zuca had seen something else… an untamed force, a woman unafraid to challenge the rules set by those who feared power beyond their understanding. He had brought her into the Demon Pack, giving her sanctuary when no one else would. And in return, she had sworn her loyalty to him, unbothered by the whispers that followed her wherever she went.
Now, she stood before Valerie, wrapped in heavy, black dyed furs that dragged along the polished wooden floor. Her dark skin, once smooth and regal, was now lined with the weight of decades, her eyes were still sharp despite the milky haze that clouded them. She was old, yes… but she was still dangerous.
"You called for me," Baboo said, her voice a low rasp, betraying neither curiosity nor concern.
Valerie took a slow drag from the blunt between her fingers, letting the smoke curl lazily from her lips before speaking. "I need to know if the Moon Goddess has lost her damn mind."
Baboo chuckled… a soft, knowing sound as she crossed the room and settled into the worn leather chair near the bed. She ran a hand over the fur draped over her lap. "Ah," she sighed, "this is about Zuca, isn't it?"
Valerie's jaw tightened. "Who else?"
Baboo hummed, leaning back slightly. "And what has the Goddess done now to offend you child?"
Valerie scoffed. "She's trying to take what's already mine." She flicked the ash from her blunt into a glass tray, her nails tapping against its edge. "Zuca has never searched for his mate. He never even bothered to. He's been with me for years, and that should be enough proof that we belong together."
Baboo's knowing smile deepened. "Ah, love and possession. A dangerous mix."
Valerie's fingers twitched. "It's not possession," she corrected sharply. "It's fate, whether the Goddess likes it or not."
Baboo regarded her for a long moment before exhaling slowly. "Yes, that would be pleasant child. But your 'forever has an expiration date."
Valerie's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"The pack," Baboo said, her voice even. "The Alpha needs an heir. The pack can survive without a Luna, but not without a successor. Zuca isn't getting any younger, and the Elders are growing impatient."
Valerie rolled her eyes, taking another slow inhale of smoke before letting it out in a measured breath. "The Elders can rot in their own paranoia. Zuca and I are fine as we are."
Baboo let out a dry chuckle. "Perhaps. But the pack doesn't see it that way. Soon, they will push for another ritual… one that will force the Moon Goddess to choose a mate for him. And when that happens, no matter what you tell yourself, no matter what you feel… you won't be able to stop it."
Valerie's grip tightened around the blunt, the edges of her vision tinged with red hot frustration. "They wouldn't dare."
Baboo tilted her head slightly. "Wouldn't they?"
Silence stretched between them, thick and charged.
Valerie's voice was quieter when she finally spoke. "I have been here since the beginning. I have fought and gave my all for him. What more does the Goddess need to see? What more must I prove?"
Baboo's gaze was unwavering. "And what will you do child, when fate itself moves against you?"
Valerie lifted her chin, her smile slow and sharp. "Then I'll change fate."
A spark of something ancient sparkled in Baboo's eyes. She leaned forward, her voice dipping into something almost conspiratorial. "You speak of altering destiny as though it were a simple thing. But fate is not a thread to be easily rewoven. It is a storm… violent and unpredictable, those who try to defy it often drown in its wake."
Valerie met her gaze without hesitation. "I don't drown," she said simply. "I adapt."
Baboo studied her, amusement gleaming across her aged features. Then after a pause, she leaned back into her chair and nodded. "Very well," she murmured. "Then listen carefully child, if you wish to keep what is yours, you must be willing to walk a path darker than any you have ever known."
Valerie's pulse quickened, but she didn't flinch. She had already sacrificed too much. She wouldn't lose him now.
Baboo's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. "Good," she whispered. "Since you're willing to test yourself against the will of the goddess and the spirits of the pack, I have no intention of dissuading you from your ambition. But however, I must warn you that you must be ready to tread where no sane wolf would dare tread, a place where only those with unmatched desperation either get their date with destiny or perish in desolation."
With those hollow and ominous words, the ancient woman stood up and began to make her way towards the door. Before she stepped out, she turned to look at Valerie again… a creepy smile playing on her lips, and then she was gone.
Valerie took another slow drag from her blunt, listening to Baboo's footsteps fading away down the hall to her quarters.
"The old crone" she muttered to herself. "Trying to scare me off with her wierd and spooky speeches."
She wasn't willing to do anything and go to any length necessary, whatever it took… whoever she had to become, she would make sure Zuca remained hers.
Forever.