Chapter 7

• The old man took Lupa to a place he said would help her focus, and as they walked, people stared at them, causing Lupa to feel awkward.
• ‘’No need to be anxious, I told you before that most of the villagers here came to me seeking help. Plenty of them had the same problem as you.’’
• ‘’But, if you aren’t a wolf, how could you help them find their inner beast?’’ Lupa asked.
• ‘’Most of them aren’t wolves either, but other werekinds. The same way how I am about to help you, was the same way I was able to help them in the past.’’
• ‘’Why are they still here?’’ Lupa asked.
• ‘’They chose to live here because they were shunned by their packs or families.’’
• When they got to the clearing, the old man took a deep breath. ‘’This isn’t just the center of the village, but the center of the world.’’
• Lupa believed him, because it was so peaceful. It was also the greenest part of the village, the air there was crisper too. She couldn’t hear the chirps of the birds, neither could she feel the strong wind that was blowing in the trees.
• ‘’Ok, take a seat on the ground and make yourself comfortable. You can even lay down if you want.’’
• Lupa choose to lay on her back and stared up at the clear blue sky.
• There was a loud dinging sound before the old man began to speak.
• ‘’There are seven chakras in the body, often one would find that only a specific chakra is blocked. But for you, all of them are blocked. Maybe because of a traumatic experience from the pass, or maybe it is because of the emotions we hold onto that causes them to be stagnated.’’
• ‘’Ok, how do I unblock them?’’
• ‘’Let’s start by opening the first chakra, the root chakra. It is supposed to keep you grounded, connecting you to nature and all that which is around you but if you are afraid, then that fear causes this chakra to be blocked. Let go of everything that scares you. Take a deep breath and search your mind and once you figure it out, lose the connection to that fear.’’
• Lupa’s greatest fear was of Catori and her friends, since they had their abilities and wasn’t afraid to use them against her, she became fearful of them. Knowing she could easily be killed by them.
• ‘’Let go of that fear.’’
• Lupa told herself that now she knew the truth about who she was, no more would she be bullied by them, and imagined the girls losing their abilities and wouldn’t be a problem to her anymore.
• ‘’They just fell into a hole that is closing fast, there is no way out for them. They are now gone forever,’’ Lupa said.
• ‘’Good, you have let go of all your fears.’’
• ‘’Next we will open the Sacral chakra, this is the center for all your emotions. It is also where creativity comes from, along with pleasure and sexual energy. It is often blocked when you either get overwhelmed by emotions or is too co-dependent and in some people it is the case of overindulgence in sexual fantasy.’’
• ‘’You are a child of Lycaon, you can survive on your own and don’t necessarily need a pack. You also don’t need anyone’s approval or acceptance, so if you feel dependency then let go of who you are dependent on, and who you are seeking approval from.’’
• ‘’Maybe it will help if you can think of what you find pleasure in doing the most or think of creating a new safe space.’’
• Lupa thought about Ulva, she thought she was her rock and support, but now saw that she was hiding behind the woman, waiting for her to come to her defense and never truly stood up for herself.
• She then thought about her ability to draw and paint well, but because of the bullying she hadn’t done that in a long time. So she had also forced herself to smile more than cry and knew that she needed to let out the built-up emotion.
• ‘’Sorry mom, but I need to stand on my own two feet.’’
• ‘’Right you are.’’
• Lupa then realized that she wanted to be accepted by everyone from her pack, and as a child she would have done almost anything for that to happen. As a teenager, that didn’t change much. Now, she didn’t care if they liked her or not.
• ‘’Now that’s done, let’s move on to the solar plexus chakra. This is where you will get your confidence and self-esteem. So, if you ever felt ashamed, then this will cause the chakra to be blocked. Get rid of your shame and guilt!’’
• ‘’I am ashamed of myself for not being a wolf or having my abilities. It got worse when I used wolf’s bane to win a training against another girl who had her ability.’’
• ‘’Why would they put you up against someone who has their wolf, and not someone who doesn’t?’’ the man raised a brow.
• ‘’I don’t know, but it’s in the pass. I accept my mistake, and no longer will I be ashamed for not being like others.’’
• ‘’Very well, but you having to spar with someone who has their ability when you don’t, put you at a disadvantage.’’
• ‘’Next we will do the heart chakra. This deals with love, compassion and forgiveness. Maybe there is someone you need to forgive; it could even be yourself that needs this forgiveness.’’
• Lupa let out a breath.
• ‘’Now, it gets harder from here. The throat chakra deals with communication, so if you have a hard time with communicating, a hard time putting your points across or don’t speak up for yourself then this chakra will be blocked.’’
• ‘’But I thought I was speaking up for myself.’’
• ‘’Maybe there is more to be said, but you are afraid of how others might feel.’’
• ‘’We are almost done. The sixth chakra is the third eye. If you don’t have an intuition or find yourself not able to rely on them, then this chakra is blocked. It also helps you to be more in tune with your surroundings. Trust your instincts, always follow your gut feeling and become one with nature.’’
• ‘’Now that’s done, let’s get to the final chakra. The crown chakra connects you with yourself, others and the universe but is blocked by stress, anxiety and unresolved issues. Open yourself and let us meditate. Repeat the OM sound, this will help you on the final restoration journey.’’
• Lupa does just that, feeling herself floating. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was in fact floating. Her body was on the ground, and all around her she could hear the earth, along with everything and everyone in it.
• The more she made the OM Sound, the more she felt lighter.
• Soon, her spirit floated back to her body, and she opened her eyes.
• ‘’Congratulations, you have opened all your chakras. Now that’s done, let’s now connect with your wolf. You have to search deep within yourself to find her.’’
• But Lupa didn’t have to search, the moment she closed her eyes, a large silver wolf rushed at her.
• ‘’Finally, I have been waiting for you. Even chasing you in your dreams but would always get denied.’’
• ‘’That was you?’’ Lupa asked.
• ‘’Yes, I hope you are ready to bond because I need to get out of this place. Being cooped up in the back of your mind and not able to run around was slowly killing me.’’
• ‘’But how do I bond with you?’’
• ‘’Just say my name.’’
• ‘’What is your name?’’
• ‘’Cinder, just tell me that you accept me as your wolf.’’
• Taking a deep breath, Lupa called Cinder’s name.
• ‘’Cinder, I accept you as my wolf.’’
• Lupa could feel a warmth radiating in her chest at first, but soon it became unbearable, spreading to all parts of her body.
• ‘’I’m burning up,’’ Lupa said.
• ‘’You are undergoing the shift; it is a painful but necessary process.’’
• Lupa cried out and fell to the ground, feeling as if all the bones in her body was breaking. She cried out at the horrific scene as all the teeth fell out of her mouth, she tried to speak but her human teeth were replaced with sharp elongated teeth which cut into her tongue.
• ‘I can’t take this anymore,’ Lupa thought as everything around her soon faded.
• Lupa woke with a gasp and began to choke. ‘’What happened?’’ she asked, looking around to see that she was still outside.
• ‘’You passed out.’’
• ‘’Is that normal?’’
• ‘’For your first shift, yes. After you will change into your wolf without any problems.’’
• ‘’Thank you for helping me.’’
• The man nodded. ‘’But my work isn’t done yet, you still need to figure out the ability you have.’’
• ‘’Ok, teach me then.’’ Lupa was grateful for the old man, because in all of her classes, none of them taught her to do any of these things to unlock parts of her.
• ‘’Finding out your ability is simple; all you have to do is ask your wolf. Don’t be disappointed if you have none, though I doubt someone like you would be left without an ability.’’
• Lupa tuned out the old man. ‘’So, what can you do?’’ she asked her wolf.
• ‘’You are an elemental,’’ Cinder replied.
• Lupa opened her eyes to see the old man waiting patiently.
• ‘’She said we are an elemental.’’
• ‘’Yes, but what element do you control?’’
• Lupa held up a finger, seconds later she replied. ‘’All of them.’’
• He gave her a smile. ‘’My work here is done, that is all it takes for you to gain your wolf and ability.’’
• ‘’Can I do the same to help people who might be struggling as well?’’
• ‘’Of course, but with everything, practice makes perfect. That includes your abilities.’’