CHAPTER 5

                That past weekend Saturday and Sunday the eighteenth and nineteenth of December had seemed to have come and gone as a wisp of smoke. Now that Monday was here it seemed like the weekend was a total blur.  Alana's tired mind thought back to over the weekend of craziness as she made her third cup morning cup of coffee and sluggishly began to set out the ingredients for breakfast for Billie and her and put out the cat food for Itsy bitsy and Tiny Tim. She was dressed simply in a black v-neck long sleeved t-shirt and light blue flared jeans that hugged her curves. The apartment was cold so she had on her fluffy blue robe still on over her clothes and her fuzzy yellow slippers. She and Billie had not heard from Seung huyn and his friends over the weekend.  Alana thought of him and was grateful for being him keeping his word and leaving them alone over the weekend.

            This last weekend had been a haze for Alanna and Billie. Billie had had a  voice recital on Saturday and there was a Christmas community feast at their church on Sunday as well as the Coffee shop being rented out for a small wedding reception on Saturday.  As Alana sat early Monday morning nursing her coffee she thought back to the busy weekend and remembered how lovely Billie had sounded in her voice recital.  Since it was Christmas time there had been several students that picked the normal Christmas songs, but Billie had chosen an old hymn in Latin that spoke of the Mary and Christ. Alana has been smart enough to record Billie on her Cell phone she listened to the performance again as she let the caffeine feebly attempt to wake her up.

              The only thing that truly stood out that weekend to her was Billie's odd behavior. Billie had been acting quite fidgety on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday because of the recital and the reception Alana has to be in two places at once.  Though Max her best friend and the shop's manager had been a huge help.  The bride's mother had wanted Alana to be there at every moment to make sure nothing was out of place. It was like trying to detach a clinging boa-con-stricture the more Alana wiggled away the woman constricted her.   At least she has been able to escape to take Billie to the recital on time. She and Billie had barely made it in time for Billie to warm up as quickly as possible and get in her place in line amongst the 30 some students. It was a very long recital. After the recital, she and Billie went to dinner out that night on the far east side of Portland to get as far away from her coffee shop that was located on the west side as they could go to celebrate Billie's performance and to relax after the stressful day.  As they dined they laughed and joked and only more than once had Billie seemed too distracted that Alana had to snap the girl out of her trance.

              Ever since Seung huyn and his friends showed up Billie had been acting weird. The girl seemed to space out and freeze suddenly or when she was not spacing out she seemed like she had too much electricity running through her body.  Also, her appetite had increased dramatically since the man who claimed to be her birth father showed up. Billie normally had a slight appetite Billie was always teased by her friends for eating like a bird. Though at Saturday night's dinner at the restaurant she had ordered an extra large entree of Chicken Strips and fries with a full salad after cleaning her plate she had also demolished a chocolate shake plus at least 4 glasses of water. That had shocked her but it had been feet to see her daughter actually really put away the food. Alana decided she was getting ready for a growth spurt.  Alana also noticed for the past few nights Billie had been extremely restless as she slept. From her room, she could hear the child tossing and turn in her sleep and as though she was in pain.  More than once Alana has gotten up to check on her only to re-spread the covers that had fallen off the girl and smooth Billie's hair. Those acts of touch seemed to be the only thing that could help the child fall back into a seemingly peaceful sleep if only for an hour or two.

              That is why Alana was now on her third cup of coffee pondering the changes in her child; as the said child padded in her footie pajamas to the table.  Much to Alana's shock since it was still before 6 am and they did not need to be at the shop till one. Billie groggily walked into the kitchen sporting another footsie pajama ensemble this one was her favorite one it was in red with orange and white fox ears, a flat fox tail. It was rare for her to wake up on her own so early, Alana stared at the girl in shock as the cutely clad one shuffled and then sat down at the table.

                Billie had had the dream again about the wolf, but this time she had seen the white wolf at that moment in the dream she stared into his golden eyes and the wolf had leaned into to touch their foreheads together at that exact moment that she could feel the warmth of his fur a deep voice that resonated to her very soul boomed" AWAKEN!" she jerked awake and sat straight up in bed. Though still groggy as the dream left her as soon as she opened her eye. This sudden jolt of reality had brought the girl out of bed earlier than usual since her body did not let her sleep again. Once Billy was out of bed her natural instinct was to find her mother so as the cutely clad one walked half asleep to the kitchen table and secretly longing for a cup of hot cocoa.

That past weekend

The last Saturday

              That weekend the entire group has silently watched Billie and Alana from afar. They were protecting the pair now that they knew what the women looked like and since they had finally made contact with them they were now able to track their scents with ease.  Billie was Laurie's only child and she had been lost to them for so long. That last Saturday  Seung huyn watched while he stayed hidden listening to his daughter sing.  Though her voice piece had been in Latin he had let the ancient words of prayer wash over him. He sat crying silently as he listened to Billie sing. He mourned for all the time that he has lost with his little girl. He was still angry with Milly for hiding Billie from him but in the very same breath, he was grateful to her because without Milly giving his little girl to be raised by her adopted mother he would have never found his mate.

               As much as he just wanted to cuddle and hold his little girl. He still needed to win her adopted mother's trust. Since Alana was mortal she would have no knowledge of him or Billie being wolves. His inner wolf bobbed his head to the happy holiday music as other children sang the silly Christmas carols and stood at attention when Billie sang. The wolf whimpered as the emotion flowing through the song touched his very soul.  When Seung hyun thought of Alana his wolf would growl and demand to be by her side. Just being in the church was for him torcher to be so near to them but having to stay hidden from them. Having to keep himself separate from them at this time caused him to physically ache for them.  He had almost made himself known to Billie on Saturday. He was missing her already though he had not gotten to spend any real time with her.

               On Monday morning he sat in his room after a night of little sleep and sulking thinking about how he could spend time with her and Alana. He thought back to when he returned after watching over Alana and Billie on Sunday night. He had stood outside their apartment building to watch their lights turn out. His wolf by that point has become almost too restless with the need of connection with his cub and mate. So after a few more moments making sure their place was safe he tore himself away to return to his hotel.

               When he returned Sunday evening Taeyang had immediately greeted him on arrival. Taeyang started speaking to him telepathically so that their conversation could be private from the other guests in the hotel. "Alpha," he said said," I have a concern that has come about."  Seung hyun looked at the man and said: "go on".  "It's about Alana's and Billies cats." he then went on quickly, "I think they might be shapeshifters like us. They were too easily willing to talk to Jiyong that day and I sensed the same shifter magic in their apartment and around the coffee shop. Also, that evening when we were inside I could feel the magic strongly. I don't know what they want but I think we need to find out soon." Seung hyun nodded his head in agreement and replied "I put a protection spell on their apartment this evening. I noticed as I set it up that I placed it over another like spell. We will confront them soon and see what their intentions are."

                Seung hyun was still lost in his thoughts Monday morning when he suddenly felt an energy shift pulling at him through the air. He waited as the energy around him grew in and intense stillness, knowing that something was about to shift completely in his life.

Back at Alana’s apartment  Monday morning.

             Alana set a mug of steaming tea in front of her daughter and watched her sniff it before her eyes opened wide and, Billie said in awe,"When did we get Vanilla Rooibos Tea? Alana smiled and replied, "I have been saving this one for awhile I thought you would like something special today." Alana finishes her coffee and the rinsed her mug and then made herself the same tea and then placed her mug and hot breakfast for them on the table. Since it was Monday they had a simple breakfast of cream of wheat with canned pears. The cats had taken up residence on two of the four available table