Chapter 3

AURORA

The den was quiet as I lay in bed, staring at the wall and replaying the day's events in my mind. It was a lot to take in, and I was still struggling to make sense of the drastic turn my life had taken.

Even in my cell, I hadn’t imagined that a creature would come along and claim me, let alone a fox as captivating as Rin. Despite my nerves, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by him.

He was handsome, even with his fox-like ears and tail. They didn’t put me off; in fact, they seemed to suit him. Since he’d brought me here, he’d been mostly kind, helping me clean up, feeding me, and assisting me when my legs felt weak.

But his demands made me uneasy. Rin was adamant about making me his mate and lover. He just wanted me to regain my strength and ensure I didn’t get pregnant.

I assumed kits were baby foxes. I didn’t want any. I could barely take care of myself, and I was mute. How could I possibly raise babies?

And more importantly, how could I handle having sex with him?

I’d never really thought about being with a guy before. No boy had ever shown interest in me, and I was okay with that. I didn’t feel worthy of their attention. I was always silent, my head down, never facing the world. I wasn’t allowed to. The idea of being with a guy hadn’t crossed my mind because I felt unwanted and unneeded.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the curtain being drawn back. The bed shifted slightly, and the curtain was closed again. I lay still, certain that Rin was now lying behind me.

After a few minutes, he spoke in a soft voice. “I know you’re not asleep. I can tell by your breathing.”

I turned slightly to look at him over my shoulder. He was lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the softly glowing crystals in the ceiling. He was shirtless, which I guessed was his preferred sleep attire.

“Why don’t you turn to me? I’d like to see your pretty face,” he said.

I hesitated. He hadn’t given me anything to wear, even taking the towel from me before I lay down, saying I didn’t need anything in our bed. But I figured it wouldn’t be wise to refuse him, and he’d already seen everything anyway.

Slowly, I turned to face him, my cheeks flushing as I did. He was naked too, his tail strategically placed over his pelvis.

He chuckled at my blush. “Are you embarrassed to see me naked like you? You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

I frowned and looked away. He just had to remind me.

“You’ve got your notepad here. Do you want to tell me anything before we sleep? I’m open to talking a bit more,” Rin offered.

Since he was offering, there were a few things I’d been curious about. I sat up, grabbed the notepad from the ledge, wrote my first question, and handed it to him.

Rin stayed where he was as he read my note. ~Do you have a family?~

“Yes, I do. I just haven’t seen them in a while. It’s complicated, so it’s better for me not to,” he replied.

~Are they like you?~

“Yes and no.” Rin sighed before continuing, “My father and brother are both alphas like me, but my little sister isn’t. She’s an omega, like our mother.”

I tilted my head. Omega? What was that?

Rin noticed my confusion and sat up with me. “An omega is a special type of female in our world. My mother was the only one known until my sister came along. Omegas are equal to alphas, but their strength lies more in their mind than their body. They also attract alphas, although it gets better once they’re claimed by one. The funny thing is, my mother is a human woman,” he explained.

That caught my attention, and I pointed to myself. “Yes. She’s human, like you. You remind me a bit of her, although you don’t look the same. I guess it’s more about what you are. My mom has long black hair and brown eyes. I think she’s probably a bit taller than you too.”

I hadn’t expected that. Rin’s mother was human. Was that why he was attracted to me?

But it also made me curious about his father. He’d said his father was an alpha too. And he’d mentioned a brother and sister. That was a pretty big family. I decided to see if he’d tell me more about them.

~What about your father? You said he is an alpha, and so is your brother. What are they like?~

Rin’s expression faltered when he read my question, but he answered me. “Well, like I said, it’s complicated. They’re not like me, and neither is my sister. The one I call my father isn’t really him. My father was a powerful alpha fox, but he died when my brother and I were five. I guess you could say my brother Rayne and I are twins, but we have different fathers because we were conceived around the same time. His father, who claimed me, is a luna dog, and Rayne is like him.”

I’d never heard of such a thing. Twins with two different fathers? Rin’s description of his family as complicated was starting to make sense. He was the odd one out, being a fox, while the rest of his family, except for his mother, were Luna Dogs.

~I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.~

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s not like anyone can deny or change it, and I wasn’t that unhappy with them. Things were just…tough sometimes, especially with who our father is and who my birth father was,” Rin reassured me.

He moved a little closer, his hand gently brushing the side of my face. “But you know, I do like having you here with me. I don’t mind talking to you like this, and it’ll be even better if I can find a way for you to have a voice. You seem like you’re a very sweet girl, and I love that. I want a mate that I can adore.”

My eyes fluttered shut as his face leaned closer to mine, and I savored the gentle feel of his lips on mine. I’d thought I would be insanely nervous about such a thing, but it was the opposite. I liked how this kiss felt. It wasn’t demanding. It was more like a preview of what it would be like to be his.

“Wow, that is very tempting,” Rin whispered as he pulled away. “I guess I should keep it at that for now. No sense in tempting fate too much.”

I couldn’t resist running my fingers over his cheek, taking in the beautiful sight of him in the dim light. There was no denying that I did feel an attraction to him. That could mean that this wouldn’t be quite as bad as I’d been thinking. I could learn to live with him and maybe even love him.

We ended up lying down together, and Rin snapped his fingers so that the crystals turned off. I snuggled with him, feeling safe for the first time since I’d ended up on this side. Even if I didn’t know how, I felt like things would turn out okay. At least I had someone who wanted to care for me.

The night passed quietly, and when I next woke up, I could see light just outside of the curtain. Morning had come; another day within this strange world.

Rin stretched beside me, his ears going back as his body tensed. I kept my eyes on his face as he did, still nervous about seeing all of him. His golden eyes slowly opened, and he blinked to clear them.

“Morning already,” he breathed, laying an arm over his forehead.

I remained where I was, though I couldn’t resist stroking one of his ears.

Rin smiled. “That feels nice,” he sighed. He turned onto his side to completely face me. “I hate leaving you here alone, but I’ve gotta take care of what you’ll need today. Hopefully, it won’t take me too long, but I can’t say for sure.”

I nodded, completely understanding. It wasn’t like he could do all of that from this den. I doubted they had things like phones or computers here.

“You’ll stay in here while I’m gone. I’ll seal the entryway so that nothing can get in. Nothing’s off limits to you here either. Just be careful that you don’t fall, okay?” he continued.

I agreed, and he kissed my forehead. “Good girl. I promise I’ll be back soon.”

I laid still and watched him slip out of the bed, feeling a little down. Even though he had to do this, I wanted to spend time with him, to get to know him even more. He seemed so sweet the night before. Was he always going to be like that?

If so, then there was a good chance that I could learn to love him.

Rin made sure to fix us breakfast before heading out, and I was now alone in that den. I sat at the table, looking around and wondering what I should do. I’d kept a blanket wrapped around me, but decided to take it off before I slowly stood up. No sense in tempting fate and letting it trip me.

My legs felt stronger now, and I was more confident as I slowly stepped away from that table. May as well take advantage of Rin’s offer and look around more. I hadn’t been able to take in much of this place the day before.

The den I was in was bigger than I’d originally realized. The main room had some nice furniture that looked like it was carved from fine wood, with big, plush cushions on them. He had a small kitchen to one side, including a stove and icebox, along with a door that I realized was a walk-in pantry when I opened it. There were a lot of different foods in there, even stuff that looked like it had been freshly canned. I wondered if Rin had done that or if he’d bought them.

The area with the plants I’d noticed the day before was fairly big too, and the whole ceiling above it looked like glass. I wondered how he kept that hidden if this place was underground. Now that I thought about it, the ceiling in the main room was the same way. Did he use some kind of fox trick to hide it within the field above?

The plants he had were mostly potted, although there were a few groups that were growing from the dirt patches he’d left. The rest of the floor was done in marble. That seemed to be his go-to for these floors and the bathroom. I wondered if he’d made all of this himself, or if he’d had help.

I studied the plants closer and realized that many of them appeared to be different herbs and flowers. The thought crossed my mind that these could be used both for food and medicine. They might’ve even been things that Rin sold for money. That would’ve made sense. He’d need money from something to buy supplies.

I headed out of the plant room, going to the bathroom. The shower in there was tempting, so I decided to use it and clean myself up again. The water came out warm just like the day before, and I relaxed as I stood under it.

Yet my mind went back to the night before as I stood there. Rin had said that his mother was human, and he had a twin brother who was a luna dog, along with the one he called his father. I wondered what they looked like. If they were anything like Rin, they must’ve been incredible.

I tried to imagine his mother. He’d mentioned she was probably taller than me, with brown eyes and long black hair. She was also an omega, a term he used to describe someone strong-willed. I figured she had to be, to be married to a creature from this realm and bear his children.

But then, she’d also had Rin with a fox. I couldn’t help but wonder how that had happened. Was she involved with both of them, or had the fox done something he shouldn’t have?

The possibilities were endless, but I held back from asking Rin about it. He didn’t seem eager to discuss his family or his late father.

After my shower, I dried off and returned to the main room. My eyes were drawn to the bookshelves on the far side. Curiosity piqued, I wandered over, wondering what kind of books they had in this realm.

I scanned the spines of the books on the shelves. Many of them looked like novels. Some were familiar from my world. Maybe these creatures brought them over occasionally. I considered pulling one out, a story I knew and liked. It would help pass the time.

But as I did, another book slipped out with it. This one had a plain brown leather cover with no title. That was unusual. What kind of book had no title?

I opened it and immediately understood. The book was filled with handwriting, like a journal. I read the first paragraph and realized it was Rin’s writing. This must be ~his~ journal.

Normally, I wouldn’t pry into someone’s personal thoughts, but I couldn’t resist. I wanted to understand his world, to understand him better.

But I wasn’t prepared for what I read.

Rin wrote about growing up feeling like an outsider. Despite the love he had for his family and their love for him, he knew there were many creatures who didn’t accept him. They all knew he was a fox, and even though his father was a powerful alpha, he wasn’t the ruler. Rin didn’t see himself as an heir to the Northern Lands. That was a role he’d leave to his brother Rayne and sister Selenia.

~Wait a minute~, I thought. ~Rin is a potential heir to a throne?!~