Stepping through the thick terrain of trees, something changes. It's as if my body develops some type of chemical imbalance. I start to feel weightless, like there's nothing to hold me down to the ground. My stomach gurgles uncomfortably, making me feel like I've just eaten too much food in one sitting. There's a distinct fuzziness in my head. This is what being sick feels like in all honesty.

"Where are we?" I ask once I realize my body isn't the only thing affected. It seems everywhere is because we aren't even in the forest anymore.

Instead, we're surrounded by fields of snow and mountains. A thick fog blocks visibility, but I'm still able to make out the shadows of the large rocks in the distance. There isn't a breeze, but the cold is frigid and jarring. My muscles freeze, paralyzed by the chill. My teeth chatter quickly and hard, the movement uncontrollable. Goosebumps rise on my skin as my body shivers to warm itself up, but it doesn't work.

"Someplace safe... for now," Cytherea answers as she turns to face us.

I look over at Rory to see he's doing much better than me. As a wolf, his body temperature is naturally hotter than humans. While I know he's cold, I know he's not as cold as I am at the moment. Though he is naked after his clothes tore with his shift. But I have no idea if lycan bodies are different from normal wolves. They have to be somewhat different if they're seen as almost two different species by the vampires.

Shuffling over to him, I burrow my body into his. Despite his modesty being compromised, Rory wraps his arms around me. As I expected, his body is much warmer than mine is. The effects of his body heat help me for the time being, acting as my own personal heater. But the sooner we get out of the cold, the better.

"Alright, it's prepared. You can step inside now." Cytherea's voice cuts me out of my thoughts. Sparing a glance in her direction, my eyes widen to the sight of a cottage now behind her.

The place wasn't there before and I can only assume that it was hidden by some sort of illusion. Through the two windows on either side of the door, I see dim lights illuminating the room inside. The yellow glow causes another shiver to wrack my body as I imagine the warmth harboring inside of the small house.

Cytherea walks in first, her steps echoing on the cobblestone walkway to the door. It opens without her touching the doorknob. A gust of warm air flits from the cottage, giving me a sample of what's inside. The smell of spices comes next and I'm not sure if it's from food or something else, but there's a different time to find out. Now, all I want to do is step inside and warm my body up.

"Caution to the wind," I mutter, stepping out of Rory's arms. Pulling him with me, I walk the short distance into the building.

The warmth is welcomed immediately as we step inside. A content sigh leaves me as my gaze becomes fixated on the crackling fireplace. Cytherea has disappeared, so it gives me time to survey her home without the intensity of her eyes on me. Looking around, I'm surprised by the interior. I expected to see black and white furniture that exudes nothing but sophistication and coldness. Contrary to my beliefs, I see cream colored furniture: a couch and a loveseat. A brown coffee table sits between the two pieces of decor. Plants fill the room, contrasting with the spicy smell of the place. Framed art is scattered around the walls which actually does make the place seem more sophisticated, but it doesn't take away from the cozyness of the small home.

"You need clothes, Rory," I tell him, still distracted by the place. "And another shower would be quite nice, yes?" After running through the woods, a wash would be much appreciated.

Rory sighs, bringing my attention to him. He gives me a look, reminding me of a pup. "Sophia-Grace, how do we know we can trust this woman?" His voice is only a whisper, but we're close enough for me to hear his words perfectly. Despite him being the one to make the final decision to follow her, he's the first to doubt.

"At the moment, she's the only option we have."

He groans, dismayed by my answer. "She avoided answering the question. Where are we?"

With only a shrug to offer, I reach for his hand. Maybe I can reassure him that we're okay. If we aren't, Rory needs to know that I won't let anything bad happen to him, I could never allow danger to touch his head. Not again.

"I love you, okay?" Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tug lightly so that he lowers himself. Pressing my forehead to his, I close my eyes. "I would never let anything happen to you, not again. I'll protect you with everything I have and everything I am."

"Aw, how sweet," Cytherea speaks from a small distance away.

I want to snap at her for interrupting our moment, but I don't. It's better to let go of this anger instead of harboring it and doing something I'll regret. Despite her prickly attitude, Cytherea did help us escape immediate danger and now we're in a safer place because of her. Why would I bite the hand that fed me?

"Where are we?" I ask once again now after distancing myself from my mate. Crossing my arms in front of me, I level her with a stern gaze, though it's hard because her stare is ever so unrelenting.

"This place has no name. Those who use it just call it the arctic lands." Cytherea raises an eyebrow, taking a small step over to me.

Pursing my lips, I give her a dubious look. "I've never heard of it before."

She gives a slow smile, her lips pulling back to reveal blinding white teeth. "That's because it's used by witches. If any other species has the chance to see this place, it's only by a witch's authority. You two are lucky to be here."

I choose to believe her. Cytherea doesn't strike me as the type of woman to lie for the fun of it. Looking into her eyes, her gray eyes, genuity washes over me. Something tells me that she's being honest about everything she's just said. With those thoughts in mind, I blow out a breath, letting the tenseness leave my shoulders.

"Did I pass your test?" She steps closer to me, examining me. Her eyes hold a question in them, but what that is, I can't really tell. "You're an odd being. Your aura... you're like a rainbow, nothing set in stone. You have everything at once."

Auras? From books I've read, I know witches come with different specialities or powers. I've heard of abilities such as seeing the future or being one with nature. I even heard of witches who harbor dormant powers, yet still have the resources and ability to craft potions and spells. But I've never heard of a witch being able to see an aura. I didn't think that was an actual thing. Auras were something humans made up as they claimed to be psychic. But it seems I've been wrong, wolves have been wrong. We know so little about this world, our world.

"But the lycan," she shifts to Rory next, taking him in, "his is different. Yellow is what I see, a great contrast to your powerful lineage."

"What does this mean?" Rory dares to ask, interrupting the witch and her studying. "I thought auras were a farce?"

Cytherea shakes her head. She steps away before turning on her heel and leaving. Rory and I look at each other, at a loss for words with this woman's odd behavior. She comes back only a minute later, carrying a vial in her hands. The liquid inside is translucent, a pretty magenta color that glows with the light.

She pulls the corkscrew from the small bottle and holds it in front of us. "Drink and see what I see."

For some reason, I give no thought to her words. I don't hesitate or ask if this is some ploy to kill us. Taking the bottle, I tip my head back, allowing the flavorless liquid to fill my mouth. When half is gone, I hand the bottle over to Rory. He hesitantly grabs it from me and drinks the rest of it.

For a moment, nothing happens, then a glowing appears around Rory. Light bounces off his skin as it grows around him to create a yellow that could match the sun. All I see is happiness around him, and I can't help but reach a hand out to feel. When I do, I catch my own aura. It changes before my eyes from a sky blue to yellow. I almost think it's mimicking Rory's until it becomes violet.

Lifting my eyes, they connect with Rory's. He looks just as mystified as I feel. And as if we have the same thoughts, he reaches out to me, entwining our hands. Our auras wrap around each other, feeling each other, connecting together. They change into a pink color and I can only assume it represents our love.

"Wow." The word comes out breathless from my lips. There's nothing else I can say to depict how amazing the sight is.

A boom sounds through the room, making both of us jump five feet into the air. My stomach clenches and fear seizes my heart. Turning to the door, I come face to face with a broken and torn Alexei. Before, my heart hurt with fear, but now it hurts with pain at seeing my hurt mate.