As the flowers grow.

Elf or Alpha.

Summer heat pushed over my tired body as I lay in a small stream. I shouldn't have been running this early in the day, it was too dangerous, but I needed to blow off some steam. Steam that started with the awful elders. Mother said that I shouldn't think like that because it would get me into trouble, they could read minds after all. But mine couldn't have been the first wondering eyes of the waterfall village and I was coming of age. That meant, I was out of here. Something told me I was not going to get off that easily thought. I had too many extra powers for them to let me become some random Alpha's wife, I would be wanted to carry on the magic in our own blood line.

This was all too much for me. I continued to lay in the steam, smelling the wonderful flowers and listening to the birds sing, rather then, go face my destiny. Another smell then filled the air, a hunting Alpha, this close to our packs territory. That was risky. I liked it.

“Lola, is it really that bad?” The man said from behind me. His voice soft, charming and sure. He was confident. I smiled but I didn’t reply, I continued to lay in the steam waiting for the world to go by. I heard him getting closer and splashing, clumsily into the stream next to me. He then said, “if it was only as simple as being with the person you have fallen in love with.”

I turned to look at him. Lucas and I had a long history, the land from my packs territory, was right next to his. His dark-brown, shaggy hair covered his unusually pale green eyes, eyes that were saddened by the news my elders had told me. News we both knew was coming but that neither of us wanted to hear. The choice wasn't ours to make. Lucas was a very young Alpha, his 23-year-old body supported a wise head. A head that didn't want me to have to leave.

“Have they told you who it is?” he asked in an irritated tone and I shook my head. He could sense my avoidance, he knew I was trying to protect his feelings, but he wanted to protect mine. He finally stood up, giving me his hand, he pulled me up to stand with him. “The thought of some old wizard or elf putting his hands all over you, makes me feel sick,” he told me, looking into my purple eyes and stroking my ice blond hair. The fact was, I was a half breed, part shape shifter, part wizard and I was valuable to a pack who needed extra power.

The elders are not above bribes and Lucas knew it. “We could mate now, it would be over with and we would be bonded. They could do nothing about it,” Lucas said hopefully but I shook my head.

“They would kill you to break the bond,” I told him, and he looked at the floor, knowing it was true. I stroked his face and he kissed my hand.“Look at you, way too beautiful and unique for me.”

He was such a handsome man, who had matured but wasn't too old for me. I knew he was right; I was going to end up making babies for some important, powerful creature far away from the beautiful waterfall village that my shifter family lived in.

Lucas submitted to the fact I didn't have any information for him. He slowly walked away, turning to look at me with sad eyes. Eyes that knew that would be the last time I would see him. Knowing the elders were going to send me as far away as possible.

I slumped into the house and mother quickly sprayed me with perfume. I choked, shaking my head at her.

“What are you doing!?” I shouted as she looked sadly at me.

“You smell like another Alpha," she said suddenly as she continued to spray me. “He's coming, the elders and your match are coming now.”

“What? I'm not due to leave for a week,” I told mother, she pointed to my packed bags. Placing her hand on my shoulder. “They think you are ready; they think it is time,”

The elders walked up to the house with my match. An Elf. I had a feeling with my half shifter, half wizard blood that it would be an Elf who would bid the highest for my virginity. I looked at him, he wasn't terrible looking. Too much of a pretty boy for me, beautiful blue eyes and long, flowing, white hair. He was stunning, but he looked delicate and light, I was used to tough and hard shifters. I was used to a dark and charming Alpha. Not a prince. But they got closer and I had to accept that this was what was expected of me.

My mother happily let them in. She knew what was coming, I had an older sister, I had never met her as she became of age before I was born and took her place in a different pack. She was a shape shifter however, I was not. My mother always insisted that I was the product of a one-night stand with a wonderful, handsome wizard. Deep purple eyes and long flowing silver hair. My appearance exactly. And that was all I knew.

The elders looked very pleased with themselves, providing me with a mate that was worthy of our superior blood line. Mother wasn’t going to cry when I left. She would probably find a new mate and start again, much like most shifters. But I could feel a sadness from another shifter, and I wished I could have told Lucas how much I’m going to miss him, but that would have made this harder.

“Lola, this is...” an elder started beaming with pride.

“Airyck,” I interrupted, taking away the elder’s moment. It was clear who he was, a price of darkness, he came from a clan of night elves, very powerful, magical warriors. He had the family crest on the wonderfully plated, navy blue armor he was wearing. Airyck nodded, smiling slightly at me as I made the elder feel a fool. “I can read,” I told the elders.

One elder rolled his eyes and grabbed my bags. Packed by my mother while I was laying in the stream with Lucas. “Make it short,” he snapped at my mother. Everyone cleared the house and I looked at her. She was proud I was going to carry the child of a warrior elf. The future king. I smiled at her and said “Goodbye.”

“Lola,” she said as I began to walk away. She looked unhappy, she looked like she was hiding something. She came over and hugged me, looking into my purple eyes. “Become as powerful as you can be and one day, you might return to us, return to him.”

I nodded. I didn’t understand but the elders could hear everything, and she couldn’t tell me anymore. I took my bags from the elder and walked after my new mate. We walked into the forest, he smiled at me, being light-hearted.

“Can you summon portals?”

I nodded but I would not make one now, he knew that. He pushed his hand in front of himself and twirled his fingers around, the trees bowed, making a cover over us, that then filled with light and we were suddenly in his kingdom. Far away from home.

We landed up on a hill. A hill at was facing the forest city that the night elves lived in, it was beautiful, huge tree houses and in the middle, a giant, wooden castle, that managed to tower above the trees and into the sky. Airyck let me watch the city. He let me observe his troops patrolling the wall and study the markets inside, busy as it was about to fall into darkness and the day trading would be over.

I looked at him. He luckily wasn’t as old as I thought he would be. I could have ended up being betrothed to the King but instead they were kind to me and his son was the perfect age. He wasn’t terrible looking, he simply wasn’t what I would choose myself. Very tall, with some muscle, beautiful elven hair and wonderful, pale blue eyes but he was too pretty. Nearly perfection but too perfect. He let me watch him and take everything in. That was kind. Most men would have thrown me on their bed and had their way with me, it was what I was here for, to make him children.

“You're not a simple mate to have,” he said as he became tired of letting me take everything in. He started to walk, and I followed.

“I'm not that complicated.” I told him, and he gave me a light smile.

“With your powers, I would do well not to push you into something you are not ready for,” he told me, thinking to himself along the way. “But you still have to be a queen someday,” he said in a stern voice suddenly, still wanting to assert dominance in the situation we were in.

“I know, and I'll do my best,” I told him, but he wasn't so sure, a look of confusion waved across his face before he dismissed what he was thinking and gave me another smile, a fake one at best.