Chapter 12
1164 Words
Chapter 12
AVALINE
I followed her gaze, curious to see it and my eyes widened when I came across it. It was truly a beautiful creature with wings that seemed to shine under the sunlight and it had all the color of the rainbow.
It was unlike any butterfly I had ever seen that had one color.
"It's beautiful," I breathed, also enchanted at the sight just as she was.
But before I could stop her, Aida had run away from my side and was running after the butterfly, her small legs carrying her deeper into the forest, with no fear of what lies ahead.
"Come back!" she called to the creature, laughing with pure joy and happiness trying to touch it. "I just want to be your friend!"
"Aida, wait!" I called after her, but she was already disappearing between the trees, following the butterfly's erratic flight pattern.
I ran after her, my heart pounding with fear. The forest was dangerous, especially for a small child. There were wild animals, hidden ditches, and other hazards that could hurt her badly.
But more than that, there was something about this part of the woods that felt wrong, as if we were being watched by something supernatural, the further we went in.
"Aida!" I shouted again, pushing through the undergrowth as the branches caught at my clothes and hair.
"Come back to me!"
Her scream shattered the peaceful silence of the garden making me terrified and worried about her.
It literally sent ice through my veins. I had never heard her make a sound like that before, and it spurred me to run faster than I had ever thought possible.
I burst into a small clearing just in time to see the most horrifying sight imaginable.
A pale figure had Aida pinned against a tree, one hand wrapped around her throat while the other tilted her head to expose her neck. Fangs gleamed in the dim light as the creature prepared to sink them into her tender flesh.
A vampire.
"HELP ME, MUMMY!" Aida screamed, her small hands clawing desperately at the vampire's iron grip. "PLEASE HELP ME!"
There was no thought, no consideration about the consequences. I threw myself at the vampire with all the strength I possessed, and we went down hard, rolling across the forest floor as I fought with the desperation of a mother protecting her child.
The vampire was stronger than I expected, but I had something that he didn't have.
I had the unbreakable will of someone who had already lost everything once and refused to let it happen again.
I clawed at his face, trying to scratch at his skin and draw blood, and when he tried to throw me off, I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on.
"You will not touch her!" I snarled, not even recognizing my own voice. "I will kill you before I let you hurt her!"
The vampire's eyes widened in surprise at my ferocity.
He had probably expected me to freeze with terror or run away screaming. Instead, I fought him with everything I had, using my fingernails, my teeth, my knees – anything that could cause him pain.
"Fascinating," a smooth voice said from somewhere above us.
"Lucerion, what exactly are you doing, letting two weak humans get the best of you?"
The vampire beneath me – Lucerion – immediately stopped struggling and looked up with what appeared to be embarrassment.
"I was just playing with them, Zirael. I wasn't actually going to hurt them."
My blood turned to ice in my veins as I recognized the voice. Slowly, I turned my head to look up at the newcomer, and my worst fears were confirmed.
Zirael stood at the edge of the clearing, his massive frame blocking out what little sunlight managed to penetrate the canopy. Even in the dim light, I could see the beauty that marked him as something far more dangerous than any ordinary werewolf.
His dark hair seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, and his eyes held an ancient intelligence that made my skin crawl.
The Lycan King. Alpha Monroe's potential ally. And according to the rumors that went around the pack in whispers, Lucerion's mate.
I had heard whispers about their relationship, though no one dared speak of it openly, for fear of being punished.
The idea that the most powerful Lycan in existence might be mated to a vampire was scandalous enough to get someone killed for spreading such gossip.
But seeing them together now, I could sense the connection between them, something that was more than mere friendship.
"You know better than to play with your food," Zirael continued, his voice carrying a note of mild disapproval.
"Especially when we're supposed to be meeting with Alpha Monroe about the territorial agreements."
Lucerion pouted – actually pouted – like a child who had been caught misbehaving.
"But they smelled so interesting. The little one especially. There's something different about her scent."
Terror shot through me at his words. Aida was still pressed against the tree, her small body trembling with fear as she watched the exchange. If they realized she was special somehow, if they decided to take her...
"She's just a child," I said, my voice hoarse from the struggle. "Please, just let us go. We won't tell anyone we saw you."
Both creatures turned to look at me with renewed interest. I was still straddling Lucerion, my hands pressed against his chest, and I realized how compromising the position must look. But I didn't dare move – not when Aida's safety hung in the balance.
"A protective mother," Zirael mused, his head tilting slightly as he studied me. "How refreshing. Most humans would have run away screaming by now."
"She's not my biological daughter," I said quickly, hoping to deflect their attention. "I'm just her caretaker. She's not important to anyone."
"Lies," Lucerion said, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. "I can smell the bond between you. It's stronger than many blood relationships I've encountered."
The vampire beneath me shifted, and I felt him testing my grip. He could throw me off easily if he wanted to – I was only managing to hold him down because he was allowing it. The knowledge sent fresh waves of terror through me.
"You're both human," Zirael observed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "No wolf scent at all. How curious."
Thank the Moon Goddess for the suppressants. Without them, my approaching eighteenth birthday would have been obvious to both creatures. They would have been able to smell the approaching changes in my body, the way my scent was preparing to shift when I came of age.
"We're servants from the Nightwood Pack," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"We were just collecting herbs for the healers."
"Nightwood Pack," Zirael repeated, his expression growing thoughtful.
"Alpha Monroe's territory. We're actually heading there for a meeting about the mating ceremonies."
- Writer
