V Y X E N

16.

Arisa sat crossed legged on the forest floor, twirling a broken limb between her fingers, she didn't know why she was there . . . just that it felt right. The full moon hovered above her, sprinkling her small clearing with a light magical blue glow.

A gust of wind blew her twists from her face and with it, the smell of oak and the musk of the woods engulfed her, she turned to her left, watching silently as a midnight black beast emerged from the cover of the trees.

She was not afraid of him, she didn't know why . . but he didn't scare her, she watched in silence as the beast stalked her, slowly, it's calculating stare giving way to its intelligence.

Maybe if I reach out, she thought longingly, just as her hands, of their own accord, reached out to touch the beast that seemed to reflect the light of the moon on its thick, dark fur.

She touched its silky nuzzle tenderly, feeling its hot breath tickle her palms, she couldn't stop herself as she trailed her fingertips along his slender snout unto the top of his head into his silky fur, she continued, feeling his fur give way to a hard, smooth surface that sent her heart racing, long firm fingers wrapped around her wrist as she jerked back, feeling her arm ignite with uncontrollable warmth

"Arisa"

Her eyes snapped towards the sound, only to be met with two pools of darkness, rimmed red.

Dreams.

They had a way of setting the tone for the day.

She supposed it made sense her wacky dreams were no longer only during the full moon, right now her life reminded her more of those supernatural movies she had liked watching once upon a time until Olivia practically stopped talking to her out of annoyance.

She had woken up, not surprised to find Crystal gone, she had been occupied fully by the arrival of her bright-eyed boyfriend Mihyun and Olivia had practically disappeared into thin air, which kind of described her life for the past couple of days.

A worried mother hen during the waking hours, with Olivia's mood swings and temper and by night odd dreams of wolves, men with dark eyes and the Alpha.

All though, the more they occurred the more convinced she was that all three were one and the same.

Vyxen.

Now she was circling the small clearing, supplies were continuously being stacked by her brother and his men, there wasn't anything alarming happening but still, she knew that they couldn't remain in those makeshift tents forever.

she had to make a decision and make it quickly, which would've been easier if she could see the Alpha, but after he had practically given her the boot she hadn't so much as glimpse him, except for her dreams that is.

Jeremy sighed heavily from beside her "why do I have a feeling you won't be rejecting the symbol" he whispered.

She stopped by the woman that had clung to her that night, she had a bandage wrapped around her midsection and smiled as she took the hot cop from Arisa's hand.

"thank you," she said gratefully, green eyes shining with admiration. Arisa swallowed harshly.

"You should've stayed with Rojjana, I heard you were even helping out with the restaurant"

"I am, it's right down the hill, I come up when it's slow to help out here"

Again he sighed heavily

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, I'm already irritated by you and mom"

"She isn't this way because she doesn't love you" he began "it's more complicated than you could imagine"

"will it get uncomplicated once I decide to stay?"

"You won't become another sacrifice, not you" she blinked wildly, his harsh tone taking her off guard.

"you barely know me, why do you care so much?" she muttered and he looked away, jaw ticking.

"what was it like for you here? without mom? without me? did you know our dad?"

the more questions she asked the further away he stepped.

"Beta" someone said deeply, they both turned to Elliot, his now twists wrapped in a high bun

"The Alpha wants to talk with you"

Jeremy, almost as if he had been waiting for the chance to escape jumped into gear, only stopping to tell Elliot to take her back to Olivia's family.

She stared at Elliots six-foot frame, remembering how torn he looked that night and how without a plead from her he jumped into gear to help the women and children.

She didn't know much about him but from what she saw so far she trusted that her assumption of him being good was accurate.

"What are you giving them?"

Arisa paused, looking around at the women sipping from coconut shells "Its a special blend I make whenever I can't sleep, I heard they were having nightmares so I just.." she trailed off with a shrug and Elliot raised an impressed eyebrow.

"Sounds like you're in deep" he muttered looking around, eyes darkening at the sight.

"I'm really sorry I got you involved" she muttered as they made their way to nurse Kang's tent "It must've been hard to see all of those people in pain"

something flashed in his brown eyes, then he looked down at her, a forced smile "it's nothing I haven't seen before" he said, faking a nonchalant tone but Arisa saw through it, the way his voice cracked a little.

She didn't think words would do anything to comfort him and so she reached to pat him gently on the arm, when they made contact a wave of guilt and panic slammed into her, so unexpected that it made her lose her balance on the floor littered with dying tree trunks.

Elliot reach for her, his skin feeling like literally fire on hers

"Arisa!"

"Elliot"

"hey Arisa, what's wrong?"

"Run"

"hey" her brain jerked as he shook her, she couldn't find the words to tell him to stop as images burned through her brain, hot and blurry.

"Elliot go" his voice sounded weak, his breathing wet and bubbly, a sign that he had liquid in his lungs, Arisa frowned as an elderly man, rugged features and greying hair looked up at her, eyes wide and frantic.

"Elliot leave" he forced out, breathing becoming even more difficult, he tapped her knees harshly in an attempt to get her to listen, she could feel the warmth of his head on her lap, his hands vigorously tapping her, feel the heat and confusion that swarmed in the air, but she knew the limbs that clung to the elderly man and the words he spoke weren't for her.

what was she doing here?

The door creaked a sharp change in scenario and a second later Arisa came face to face with Vyxen.

A much younger Vyxen

A much younger Vyxen in chains. They wrapped around his naked torso, his boyish features doing nothing to quell the rage in his dark eyes, the numbers 0075 bold against the silver chains that clung to his hips and wrist.

Flames licked the corners of the door and he stood there covered in grime and blood a murderous expression on his face, their eyes made four and he balled his fist, nostrils flaring.

The tapping stopped abruptly and the old mans face filled her vision once more, his vacant wide eyes looking out at nothing in particular.

A harsh raging scream tore through the house a moment later and her throat burned, almost as if she had been screaming, emotions that she couldn't process ran rampant through her. driving her crazy.

She felt warm, strong hands clamp over her mouth and a second later Vyxen's harsh words "shut up or you'll experience something much more sickening than death"