60 Only time will tell (2/2)

Russ stared out the window. ”He's working as somewhat of a double agent. The council sent him here to locate me and give them an update on my development as an alpha. What they don't know is that he is using this time as 'my babysitter' to train me.” Russ smiled, ”You tell him and I may consider kicking your ass, but the guy's pretty cool.” He laughed, ”Don't get me wrong he definitely knows how to get under my skin but all and all he's a pretty alright guy.” Russ held out his arm. He moved it from side to side as it shifted back and forth from human to wolf. ”He taught me how to channel the wolf at all times and not just in anger...” Russ continued to shift each of his hands back and forth along with isolated portions of his teeth and eyes. ”I'm far from a master, but I can almost completely harness the power of the wolf without losing the man.”

”Huh... The hell ya say?!” Rin watched with amazement. ”How long have you been working with him?”

”Only a week.” A smile curved his face. ”I believe what helped the most was discovering there was someone I couldn't beat with blind rage alone.”

Rin crossed his arms still watching as Russ shifted individual fingers now. ”I'm not going to lie, I would love to go a round or two with you, just to see this new found control of yours.”

Russ grinned widely, ”You're on man!”

”This I would love to see.” Orion stood in the doorway now, his phone in his pocket. ”I sent one of my brothers to Florida to monitor Jos. He has been instructed to lay low unless needed.” He walked over and clapped Russ on the back. ”She'll be safe boy, don't worry.”

Rin's mother materialized at the head of the table. ”She is resting now.”

Rin nodded. ”Father went to get the book he should be back soon.” Before he had even fully finished his words, his father entered the large dining room. He watched as his father placed the book in the center of the long table and flipped it open. waved his hand over the pages and they began to flip and fill magically in front of all their eyes.

”Well isn't that the tits.” Orion said as he walked closer for a better look.

Rin and Russ leaned over the table and both examined the images closely. Some were solid images, some flickered and changed, other were only partially developed. ”What do they all mean, father?” Rin asked.

Russ's breath caught as he glanced up from the book to Rin's father's face. The man's eyes were solid white with no pupil to be seen. He stood ridged with his hands still extended out over the book. His lips moved in a silent chant as more of the pages filled and flipped.

”He's channeling the fates. With their powers he will be able to fill the book. of both past, present... and the future...” Rin answered.

”I don't understand why are some of the pages not completed then?” Russ asked as he continued to watch in amazement.

”Because the future is still uncertain.” Rin's mother answered as she knitted her fingers in worry.

Once the pages stopped flipping Rin leaned in for a closer look. ”These pictures they are of both Shelly and Russ... Joslyn and... me...”

His mom nodded a sad expression on her face. ”Yes, your fates are forever entwined, that much is for certain.”

He studied his mom's face for a minute before taking the book and flipping through the pages himself. His hands stilled and his heart leapt into his throat. On one of the last filled page was a picture of Shelly in a hospital bed. Her face was lit with both tender love and exhaustion as she gleamed down into the tiny blue clad bundle in her arms... his image flickered beside her. His eyes shot up to his mother. ”What is this? What does it mean?”

She smiled back at him as tears first filled her eyes then slowly spilt out. ”This image developed the night you and Shelly first arrived here.” His mother beamed a wide smile even while her tears stained her face. ”Her fate is locked along with the little one in her arms. I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't already carrying your babe as we speak. Her smile faded as more tears spilt down her cheeks. However, son... Your fate has not yet been sealed...”

Rin stared down into the image. His heart ripped apart with the elation of being a father and seeing Shelly gaze so lovingly down into the face of his baby boy... and the pain of watching his own image blur and vanish from her side over and over again.