His Enchanted Soulmate

“Mommy…Mommy, Where are we going? Where is daddy?” I say between my sobbing and trembling voice. My mom is running in desperation. Her hand grabbing my wrist tightly, avoiding me to separate from her side. We are running to the deep part of the Dark Forest that is known to be the most dangerous place in Mystic Springs. “Shuu!” My mom hisses, and places her index finger over her mouth, indicating me to make silence. I nod my head and continue following her.  She is running fast that my short legs are no match for her longs steps. I am panting due to the long distance we have run, and my feet continuously slip on the old- wet leaves on the ground. The cold wind is not helping; it’s freezing my body because I am only wearing a thin nightgown.  All of sudden, I see that my mom stiffens up in front of me. Then, she pushes me to her embrace and covers my mouth with her hand. Moving my gaze over the place I could see a big shadow ahead of us. A man.  I can feel she is trembling and afraid. This is the first time that I see my mom like this, and this just makes my heartbeat as crazy. Moreover, I don’t understand why we have run away from our pack territory, and why my dad is not with us. The only thing I can remember before run is a big ruckus outside the pack house, and my mother coming in my room to take me out of the house through the back door like thieves in the shadows.  “I know that you are here. I can smell your unique scent stupid witch. Why are you running from your fate? You know you can’t run away from us, not this time” shouts the man with a deep and dominant voice that makes me feel goose bumps all over my body.  I see that my mom is looking around, trying to find a way to escape from the man that is just a few meters away from us. But, today the moon is standing high and proud in the sky illuminating everything with its light, making it impossible to move an inch without being noticed.  “Come on! Dalia, get out from wherever you are. Don’t tell me you are waiting for that wolf you call mate to save you because let me tell you what” the man makes a pause, looking around, trying to see or hear any movement.  “He is dead,” he says, followed for an evil laugh “Is not sad that his efforts to save both of you were in vain. Yeah…I know that our plan B is with you”  Plan B, is he talking about me? What it means plan B? While I am processing all that I have listened. I notice a slight movement of my mom’s hand, and then a horrible and loud scream is heard. I can see that the unknown man has a big tree branch crossing his body, and blood is oozing out of his mouth and stomach. “You…Fucking witch you are going to regret this. I swear it”  The man yells with a trembling voice. I want to scream due to the bloody and horrible scene, but my mom’s hand is avoiding me to do that and my stomach is suppressing the need to throw out. Never in my life I have seen something like that.  Taking advantage of the man state, my mom pulls my hand, and we start to run again. I am really tired that my legs feel numb and heavy, and I am tripping with any rock or branch that I find my way. Realizing, that I am not moving fast my mom picks me up and carries me between her arms.  “Everything is going to be fine. Don’t worry. We almost arrive at a safe place” she whispers to me with a tired voice.  “Mom! Has my dad died?” I ask her with my head pressing in her chest, and a big teardrop rolling from my wet eyes. I don’t want to believe that, but something is telling me that the man was not lying. As I am thinking about this I hug her more tightly.  “Honey, don’t think about that. I assure you that you are going to be fine, and I am going to make sure of that”  After an unknown time, I notice that she stops in front of a big tree. I look at my mom in surprise, but she has her eyes closed and is muttering some words that I am not able to understand. I frown because I feel confused. But to my surprise and before my eyes the tree starts to divide into two parts, allowing us to observe his core.  Surprisingly, the space inside the tree is enough for a little person or a child. I look at my mom again, and she began to walks towards the tree. She places me inside the hole, and I let go of my hands from her neck. Then, she caresses my face and I can see she is crying, and I know this is not good. Now I am more scared than ever, and I have the need to ask her what is going on.  “Mom, what are you doing?” I ask her with wide eyes, but she doesn’t answer my question, instead, she apologizes to me.  “Elara, I am doing this to save you and I hope you forgive me. But remember nothing is more powerful than your inner self, even magic”  Magic? What is she talking about? Why is saying those words now? Before I can utter a single question, I see light coming from my mom’s hands. She places them in my head and the other in my heart. I don’t feel anything, but whatever my mom is doing it affects her because in a blink her long and shiny hair is turning dull and gray like an old lady’s hair.  “Someone will come for you, and you will be saved”  “But mom…” I say, but before I can complete my sentence, the tree is closing again with me inside. I try to get out, but my mother shuts at me.  “Stay there”  I freeze in my track. I look at her eyes and both of our eyes meet. I am pleading her to not let me here. What I am going to do? What is going to happen to her? All those questions come to my mind. But, my heart stops when I see blood flowing from my mom’s nose, feeling the warm liquid in her face she removes it quickly with the back of her hand.  She is smiling. Her eyes are shining like stars. She is just ignoring the fact that she is not well to make me feel fine. But, I don’t know why there is something telling me this is the last time I am going to see my mom.  I start to cry again. I don’t want to let her go. I want her to stay with her. If we have to die I want to do it with her. I don’t want to be in this world without the most important person for me. My parents.  “Elara, I don’t have more time, baby. But, remember that we both your father and I love so much”  Those are the last words I listen from my mom’s lips before seeing her disappear in the darkness of the woods again, letting me behind and alone. ********  I wake up and the warm light of the rising sun is falling on my cold body. The frightening forest where I was running hours ago now looks like a completely different place with the light of the new day. I open my eyes slowly and I keep them squinted to avoid the reflection of the sunlight while my eyes get adapted.  When I am able to see clearly, I realize that my body is lying on the humid and cold soil, and I look completely a mess. My whole body and clothes are dirty and ripped.  Then, I look around me, but I don’t know where I am. Moreover, I don’t see the big tree. I don’t know how is possible that I am outside. Wasn’t I inside a hollow tree? How could I go out of there? And where is my mom? Thinking about all this, it makes me have a headache, and this lack of memory is not helping me. I move my hands to my head and I place them in my temples making pressure to ease the pain.  Everything is calm and silent, but all change in an instant. I jump in fear when I hear a sound. I look up to notice any movement, and at the same time I try to get up, but my legs hurt, and I fall to the ground heavily. I am so scared for the sudden sound that I didn’t notice the moment when two people come out from behind the trees, and now they are just a few meters away from me.