Xavier

I would've never imagined running with my family through the woods of my homeland to feel so good. Sure, it wasn't the first time we had done this and it wouldn't be the last. But the run had left me breathless and my heart soared to peaks I never knew existed.

The smoldering embers of my sister's coat brought tears to my eyes. Her wolf was so beautiful. The perfect embodiment of who she was and would continue to grow into. My mother's wolf brought back memories of when I was a child, rambunctiously running circles around her and pulling on her ears.

I ran alongside Fia, her eyes alight with pure joy as she bumped into me. I yipped and tackled her. Nipping playfully at her ears and neck. We rolled around in the snow for several moments before she slipped from me and bolted. I chased after her. Joyous, airy laughter filled my head as our parents caught up to us.

My mother jumped over me and tackled me to the ground, nuzzling me and licking my face and ears. As a wolf, there was no other feeling like it in the world. The freedom. The energy. Through the eyes of a wolf, the world looked so different. Sometimes I would even forget I was a man. I become so engrossed in the hunt or the run that my mind goes blank and I succumb to pure animal instinct.

The fact that I was a man allowed me to feel comfortable anywhere in the world. But to my wolf, nowhere would feel as freeing or as safe as our slice of Brithari. And as much as I would love to keep running, there were things my father, and I had to do. We said our goodbyes to my mother and sister and broke off from the group.

My father headed towards Hayden's home—though I wasn't sure if he still lived there since he was soon to be mated. I turned my gaze away from him as I headed down the path toward the village elder, though I knew Ayla would kill me if she heard me call her that.

The village had indeed grown a bit since we left. On the way, I had counted ten new houses and there were probably more sprinkled around the lake. The buildings were made from the sturdy trees that engulfed this continent and to make sure we never overtake two trees are planted for every one felled. It filled my heart with joy to see so many children running about, both shifters and elves alike. Goddess knows how much our people have been through.

Beta Drake did an amazing job while we were gone. A sense of pride swelled up inside me at the thought of Hayden becoming my Beta when I someday take over the pack.

I paused at the shrine nestled between two enormous silver pines. Their dark bark and silver nettles swayed in the wind, rustling the chimes that hung on the branches. With a silent prayer, I bowed my head to the stone carving of our goddess.

As I neared Ayla's cottage, a rogue snowball came out of nowhere and hit my muzzle. I sneezed, shook my head, and turned towards the wide-eyed children. Balls of snow frozen mid swing in their hands. Hunching low to the ground and keeping my tail in the air, I yipped and watched as their shocked open mouths turned to smiles.

High-pitched giggles filled the air as they flung snowballs at each other and at me. I dodged them all and kicked up mountains of snow with my paws. I weaved through the youngsters, chasing them around, evading tackles until they all slumped together in a tired pile, clutching their stomachs in uncontrollable laughter.

They all gave me a wave as I carried on with my task. I needed to see if the girl was awake and at least get her name.

Ayla's cottage was situated near the village center, covered in snow and strung with a thousand lights. I made a mental note of the thatching. It looked like it needed some work done. A rocking chair sat on the small porch next to a basket of yarn and needles. On the red painted front door hung a sign. It read: Ayla's Recreation and Herbal Medicine.

I pawed loudly at the door and heard shuffling come from inside. The door opened and Ayla greeted me with a wide smile. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun and had on a long tan apron over a yellow sweater dress.

"Ah, Xavier, I was wondering when I'd see you. Come in, come in!"

She led me through the main room, where a couple of couches and chairs sat in front of a stone fireplace. A fire licked the bottom of an iron cauldron. The smell of wormwood and rosemary filled my nose. It was so strong it made my head spin. Maybe I should have shifted before coming here.

Ayla reached into a closet and pulled out a set of clothes, tossing them to me. They landed on the floor in front of me; the pants smacking me in the face. "Here. Shift. I don't want your hair getting everywhere." she smiled and disappeared into the kitchen.

It only took a moment as my bones shifted and realigned before I was standing. My white fur was gone and the intense smell lessened. My senses were still heightened compared to a human, just not as much as when I was in wolf form. Quickly, before Ayla came back, I threw on the clothes. They felt warm and soft, hand knitted.

"You decent?" she called.

A smile played on my lips. "Yes, Keeper."

"Good." she said.

She came out carrying a tray of steaming tea and small cakes and set them down on the coffee table. "I've walked in on too many men in my lifetime. I would think you shifters would figure out a way to keep your clothes from shredding every time you changed."

"I don't mind it." I said.

"Of course you don't. Come, sit. Have some tea." she laughed.

I sank into the plush couch and took a sip of the burning liquid. There was a hint of cooling mint as it went down and I sighed. My muscles relaxed, and I felt the weight lift off my shoulders. I missed this. Ayla always had a way of knowing exactly what you needed as soon as you stepped in her home.

"Did you kill them, Xavier?" She asked.

I nearly choked on the tea as her words hit me. It came out almost as a whimper. My face fell as I looked at her. Her eyes were misty, and a frown pulled at her lips.

"Did Father not tell you?" I asked. Suddenly, the tea didn't look as good. My stomach rolled, and I looked down at my hands.

She scoffed and took a drink. "Carver couldn't wait to get out of my house after dropping off the girl. He only said they were dead."

"Is she awake?!" I straightened and my eyes were drawn to the corridor that led to the bedrooms.

"She is... you didn't answer my question." She said.

"What... what did she tell you?" I asked.

Ayla sighed and stirred her tea. "The poor thing remembers nothing. Now tell me what happened. If I am to help her, I need to know and I deserve that much. She was my sister, Xavier."

My hand ran through my hair, and I rested my forehead on my palm. A painful sigh escaped me as I stared past Ayla. Narrowing in on a picture of her and Willow that hung on the wall. "We didn't want to. We weren't going to when we found them. Over the years, my father's mind slowly slipped into insanity. I honestly didn't think he'd make it another year.

"We thought Willow would know what to do. How to help us get home without blood being spilt. I don't know what happened. One moment we were sitting together talking, the next I was staring at the girl in the hall covered in blood and Willow and Liam were dead."

Tears slipped down Ayla's cheeks as she stared into the fire. Her hand shook as she put down her tea.

"I'm sorry. Ayla. We truly didn't want to... I'm not entirely sure what happened. It was as if our minds were not our own." I said.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "The goddess's law is absolute. I do not blame you. I just wish things could be different."

"You think it was the goddess?" I asked.

"I do. But what confuses me is if she intervened, how is it that the girl survived?" she said.

I stilled. Should I tell her? I wasn't sure how my father wanted to handle the situation. This girl, being my mate, was a big deal. It was what got her parents into this mess to begin with. When the goddess gave us wolves our humanity back, she decreed that the elves and shifters were forbidden to mingle and produce offspring. We even thought it was impossible, but Willow and Liam's daughter stands as a living testament to that.

It wasn't even that hard of a rule to follow. We preferred our own people. Until Willow met Liam and they fell in love. The girl is already breaking the law just by existing. Her being my mate just makes it more dangerous. More complicated.

Ayla raised a brow and tilted her head. "Xavier?"

Her voice broke my train of thought and I was about to come up with an excuse when I felt it. A gentle pull of my heart and trickles of emotions that were not my own.

My heart was racing as soon as I laid eyes on her. Across the room, with her arms wrapped around herself, stood the girl. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying, and her damp hair clung to her face. Emotions pulled at me through the bond, like prickly icy tendrils wrapping around my heart.

Drowning.

Can't breathe.

Have to get out...

Instinct kicked in and I stood up. I wanted to say something, anything. But the words were lost to me. I could feel her grief suffocating her and the simmering anger she felt at herself. I had no way to help her and it ate away at me.

Ayla flinched at my sudden movement and followed my gaze. "Oh! Ivory! What do you need, hun? Are you okay?" she asked.

Ivory! Her name is Ivory...

Whatever magic Willow had placed on her had not returned and she remained in Elven form. This was the first time I had gotten a good look at her. She was beautiful. Her eyes were wide, round and as green as evergreen nettles. White freckles scattered across her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. Her white hair fell well past her hips and her pale blue skin shimmered in the sunlight that peeked between the curtains.

My heart ached at the sight of her sullen face. If only there was something I could do to ease her pain, but I fear the only thing would be to bring her family back. And that was impossible.

"I was hoping to go for a walk. Get some air," she said. Her eyes zeroed in on me and her brows knitted together. Confusion. Confliction. Foreign emotions. I read her like a book and from the look on her face as she stared at me I could tell she sensed me too. My blood turned cold, and I instantly pushed down my rising guilt, building a mental block between us. She can't find out. Not like this.

The thought was strange. I barely knew her, nor did I know how a relationship would even work. But I had hope. Hope for what my parents had and all the other mated couples. It was a strong bond between two people, one that could shake you to your core. Two souls forever intertwined, and it would only get stronger the more time we spent together. The mental block would not last long, especially after we complete the ceremony... if we complete the ceremony.

Ayla glanced between us, her one brow raised. "Is everything okay? Ivory?"

Ivory stumbled and leaned against the wall, looking like she was about ready to faint. Her face was pale and her eyes glossy. She clutched her stomach as if she was about to puke. The force of cutting her off must've taken a toll. I hadn't meant for it to be so jarring, but I panicked.

"I just felt the strangest sensation. I swore I heard a voice in my head." She stuttered.

"A voice?" Ayla's face fell, concern etched on her face. She walked over to examine Ivy, gripping her chin and staring into her eyes. The girl looked frightened for a moment. Her eyes widened, and she flinched.

"Hold still dear, this will only take a moment. I'm a healer. Do not be afraid."

Uh, oh. Ayla's hand glowed with the familiar silvery color of Elven magic. Sparkling tendrils lifted from her palm as she closed her eyes and focused. The magic weaved through Ivory, who tried to break away, but the magic had her rooted. Her wide green eyes turned silver as Ayla's magic worked its way through her.

Ivory focused on me as if I could do anything to stop Ayla and her face set in a scowl. This was not good. What Ayla was looking for... she would not find it. Though hearing voices was never a great sign among the elves. Dangerous, in fact. Ivory was far from sick.

I was compelled to stop her from finding the mate bond. However, I did not wish to injure Ivory. Magic was fickle, and this type had to be extremely precise.

The silvery strands threaded through her mind, moving in and out of her head before traveling down her neck and paused at her chest. I watched as Ayla's brows rose and her lips pressed together.

"Impossible..." she whispered.

She found out. A long sigh left my lips, and I sat, finishing my tea. Honestly, Ayla was bound to find out, eventually. I continued to watch as the strands of magic now flitted through her core. Ayla's eyes snapped open as Ivy let out a painful scream. The silver magic swelled and then turned gold. Slowly consumed. A bright flash engulfed the living space and Ayla was blown back.

When the light cleared, I rushed to Ayla even though every fiber in my being was screaming to run to Ivy. I worried for her... but I didn't want to scare her. Whatever that was... can't be good.

"Are you okay, Ayla?" I helped her stand. Her arms and legs trembled as she stared wide-eyed at Ivy.

Ivory fell to her hands and knees, panting. She clutched her stomach and groaned. Narrowed eyes peeked behind a curtain of white. They glowed a bright gold.

"What the hell was that? What did you do to me?!" she seethed.

"I... I'm sorry. Ivory. I.. I don't know what happened..."

Ivy's icy stare continued as she straightened. "I'm going for a walk."

She stormed towards the door, and I grabbed her wrist. She stilled and jerked her hand away. Scowling at me as a burning fire raged behind her eyes.

"May I come with you? The village can confuse those unfamiliar with its paths. I wouldn't want you getting lost."

She eyed me cautiously, her gaze untrusting. Her arms crossed over her chest as I burned under her intense gaze. Despite that, I couldn't help but fall into those forestry green eyes, as if I were running through the deepest grove of evergreens.

Her eyes narrowed, and she scoffed, "fine..." and stormed out the door.

I started after her when Ayla spoke.

"Are you going to tell her?" Her words tore at my heart and froze the air in my lungs.

"Tell her I took her parents away from her?... I don't know..." I whispered.

"She will find out eventually... better it comes from you. I have never seen such a strong bond woven by the goddess." She looked at me with a contemplative gaze.

She was right. I would need to tell her eventually. Building any kind of relationship on lies was never a good idea. I needed to find the right time. If there would ever be a right time. A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed hard.

"She's hurting... I can feel her depression. I don't know how to help her. If I can help her. But I want to..."

"That... That is something you need to figure out yourself. I will help her the best I can." Ayla hummed. "And Xavier... that blast...something's buried beneath her magic. Something alive."

My breath caught in my throat. Something alive? That didn't sound good. "What was it?" I asked, glancing back at Ayla. She sat on the couch, sipping her tea, staring out the window facing the front of the house. Dark circles hung under her eyes and a frown set on her face.

She shuddered. "I do not know. In all my practice, I have seen nothing like it before."

©2022 Jessica Powell. All Rights Reserved

Author's Note

I apologize for the delay. Writing has been difficult lately. I struggle with ADHD and it can be hard to focus and put my thoughts into words. Im hoping to stay ahead  of the updates. 

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