Chapter 5 - Aurora

After running for about an hour, we emerge from the forest, and Danika slows as she comes up on a riverbank, my dad gives her a few pats on the back, “Stop here for a minute. I think the wolfsbane is pretty much out of my system now,” he says, jumping off and removing his shirt. I’ve never seen such a large man before, there’s no other word to describe him except big. He’s so big. His shoulders are wide and bulky, his stomach ripples with solid muscle, and his legs could rival tree trunks.

Danika and I both look away awkwardly as he begins to remove his pants, and I’m filled with anxiety when I remember we ripped my clothes to shreds during our shift. I have nothing to cover myself with if I need to shift back.

I wish I knew how to create a portal, I could already be back in Samael arms, and not stuck in the middle of goddess knows where, with no clothes. There’s a comforting nudge to Danika’s side and she turns to meet the stormy grey eyes of a gigantic wolf towering over her and lowering its head level to hers. His fur is a silky, soft black, and he has a white patch over his left eye in the shape of a crescent moon. He exudes a powerful aura, dark and imposing, but also regal, a true alpha king.

I can feel Danika’s emotions swell in her chest, as she nuzzles with our father’s wolf; if I was in my body right now, I would be sobbing uncontrollably from the sheer joy of this moment.

“My daughter,” a low voice rumbles in my head, “I am so very happy to meet you.”

Danika sniffles, “we’ve been waiting for this moment for so long. I can’t believe you’re actually here. But how am I hearing you in my head?”

“Family bonds allow wolves to mind link with each other. As the king I can connect with any wolf in my kingdom but only those sharing my blood will be able to return that connection” he reveals, giving her one last nuzzle before straightening up and casting a shadow over us from his size. “Once we cross this river, we will be leaving Cassandra’s territory. The best place for us to go right now is Nature’s Refuge, the Coven Mother is a friend of mine, and she will be able to help get us to Dema Mortem.”

Danika nods, eager to make it back home.

“It’s a long journey, we’ll be running for a good few hours, so pace yourself.” He picks up his clothes in his maw, turns and jumps into the river. Danika follows quickly, and we paddle our way across, cutting through the current easily.

We make it to the other side, and after shaking the water from our coats we take off again, heading for the tree line not far from the riverbank. Danika is undeniably much faster than he is, but she keeps pace with him so he can lead the way.

We run for a while, soon the trees begin to thin, and we come to another river, this one even wider than the last, but we swim across it quickly, darting into the much denser forest on the other side.

I grow impatient with how long we’ve been running. Danika and my father’s wolf never slow, and never seem to tire, all while I’m stuck in the back of Danika’s mind, in a complete state of panic over how long I’ve been away from Samael. I have no idea what happened after Eli injected me, I don’t even know if he made it out of there… although, I’m sure Cassandra would’ve loved to gloat about his death or capture to me, so I’m just going to assume he is safe. The alternative is just not acceptable.

The sun has long since risen, though not yet directly above us, and the day is warm. It’s a pleasant change from the constant cold of Dema Mortem, although, now that I’m a vampire, I shouldn’t be so affected by it. The sea of green surrounding us never changes; we run for hours but the forest never seems to thin.

“Ask him which kingdom we’re in,” I say to Danika, my curiosity getting the better of me.

She relays my question and my father’s wolf’s voice rumbles through my head once again, deep, and powerful, “We are still in my kingdom, but this forest expands into all three kingdoms, as well as the City of Eternal Flame.”

He slows slightly, and Danika accidentally runs straight past him, before realizing and backing up awkwardly. “We are approaching the village borders; we should shift so they know who we are. Once I show myself to the guards, they will open a portal to Fiona’s house, but they are weary of us in our wolf forms, since we are less susceptible to magic like this.”

I think he senses our discomfort, because he goes behind a tree to shift and comes back wearing only his pants and carrying his shirt. He places it on a rock in front of me and goes back to wait behind the tree, giving me privacy.

A memory forces its way to the front of my mind and I’m back in the Stallard manor…

“I own you Aurora, if I want to take your door away so you always feel my eyes on you while you dress, I have that right, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes… daddy.”

Danika takes over, shifting and pulling me out of the memory. Gregory is not my father and never has been. I might have developed some strange attachment to both him and Petra, but my real father would never force me to dress in front of him, would never look at me with a dark lust in his eyes that promises nothing but pain and degradation. Gregory is dead. I killed him, and my real father is here, actually caring enough to give me privacy.

I’m so consumed by my thoughts; I don’t even realize I’m standing naked in human form with Danika settling into the back of my mind. Wiping the tears away, I scoop up my fathers shirt and tug it over my head hurriedly; I let out a sigh of relief when it falls well past my knees.

“You can come out,” I say timidly, and my dad walks out from behind the tree, with a gentle smile on his face.

“Come on let’s go,” he wraps me up in a hug, one where I feel completely enveloped by his embrace and small like a child. It’s comforting and depressing all at the same time.

Then he leads the way forward, veering off into the trees and away from the beaten path. We walk at a quick pace, cutting through the dense woods until eventually a new path forms and I let out a breath of surprise; even though the sun is high above us, the trees are so large and close together, most of its rays are blocked out, causing the twinkling lights that come out of nowhere to feel blinding at first. As my eyes adjust, they fade into the background, creating a luminescent effect in the dark forest surrounding us.  

I can make out a couple of small houses in the distance as the trees slowly begin to thin, and a tiny cabin comes into view just up ahead; its walls crawling with vines, and overgrown flower beds littering the front yard. The path we’re on leads directly past the house, where a wooden gate blocks our way, connected to a fence on either side that stretches out far into the trees further than I can see, and probably surrounding the entire village.

My father stops in his tracks, and I end up walking into him and bouncing off his back, almost falling on my ass. He steadies me with one hand, while raising the other like he’s surrendering.

“It is Lothar, your king. I come seeking Fiona’s aid.” His deep voice rumbles, echoing off the trees around us. I look around, wildly searching for whoever he is speaking to, and finally my eyes catch on movement; hair fluttering in the almost non-existent breeze. A woman walks into our path, her green eyes shining brightly in the dim, and her dark hair cascading in waves down over her shoulders, she has the aura of a lioness ready to defend her home.

She straightens, eyes softening when she sees us; both of us barefoot and half dressed must look pretty odd, but then I get a better look at her; her feet are also bare, with twine jewelry tied around both ankles, and she wears a long, flowy dress, leaving nothing to the imagination due to the various cutouts in the material.

I feel a little intimidated by her ferocity. I might be a tribrid now, but she looks so dangerous, I think she could take me. Danika huffs her disagreement but doesn’t say anything, only solidifying my assessment.

“My king?” the woman questions, curiosity and confusion swirling in her deep green eyes. “Are you alright? What’s happened?”

“We need to speak with Fiona urgently,” my father says, his tone suggests it’s a request, but the low rumble accompanying his words make it a clear command.

The woman nods, turning her head, she calls out, “Marigold Manor!”

Two men seem to appear out of nowhere, having blended in with their surroundings so well I hadn’t noticed them. They open the wooden gate to reveal a portal of swirling leaves; it’s like a vortex of greens, oranges, reds, and purples all flying around in a constant circle.

My father holds out his hand to shake the woman’s, and she returns the gesture, bowing her head in respect.

“Don’t let anyone from Spirit Lake enter your village,” he says gravely, “they’ve betrayed us.”

Her eyes widen, but she nods again, then gives me a warm smile which causes my heart to flutter, but a deep ache also begins to pulse in my fangs, and my mouth suddenly feels extremely dry. Her dark skin is beautiful, but it’s the faint outline of her veins which grab my attention, my eyes zero in on them, and my ears pick up the sound of her heart pumping the blood through them.

My tongue darts out, sliding roughly over my bottom lip, and before I know it I’m baring my fangs. Danika comes forward with an aggressive growl; both of us thirsting for this woman’s blood, and willing to kill her for it.

Before I can make a move, my father steps in front of me; his hand flies out hitting me in the chest with so much force I’m thrown back into a tree, hitting the trunk, and falling to the ground with a thud.

“Sorry, she’s still learning to control the bloodlust” my father says to the woman who is now glaring daggers at me.

“Ow” I say from the ground, looking up at my father with indignation.

He just chuckles, holding out a hand to help me up, “I know that didn’t hurt you Aurora. I had to snap you out of it somehow, you would have attacked her.”

“Yeah but still… coulda just pinched me or something” I grumble, wiping the dirt off my ass. I look up at the woman, feeling heat rise to my cheeks from embarrassment, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… almost try to drink your blood.” I cringe as the apology leaves my mouth, but she actually cracks a smile, which only makes her even more devastatingly beautiful. 

“You could try, but I doubt you’d taste a drop,” her eyes are daring, almost like she is actually challenging me.

I smirk, taking a step forward, “you want to test that theory?”

She opens her mouth to retort but my dad interrupts, “Aurora, we have to go. You ladies can test whatever theories you want when things are less urgent.”

My heart plummets when I remember our situation, “Right,” I hold out my hand to the woman, and thankfully, she returns the gesture, her dark brown skin a stark contrast against my paleness.

My father and I say goodbye to the intimidatingly beautiful woman, and exchange glances with the two men standing on either side of the gate, before walking through the portal.

We exit into a garden; to my left are bushes full of an array of berries, to my right are rows of vegetables, and up ahead, the sound of laughing children reaches my ears. The path through the garden leads us up a small hill and into a backyard attached to a beautiful house that is built around a group of trees; like a treehouse sitting on the ground.

A little boy and girl are playing in a small pond, splashing each other, and giggling madly; while who I guess are their parents, sit in rocking chairs, each holding a frosted glass of some kind of iced drink, and between their chairs is a bassinet, rocking back and forth slowly. The woman notices us first, springing up from her chair and running to meet us.

“Lothar! What’s happened?" She looks at him, concern in her eyes, until she spots me, and understanding dawns in them, “Oh, I suppose this was Gwendolyn’s secret.”