Chapter 5

AURORA

Emerging from the den with Rin for the first time felt like stepping into a brand-new world. I’d been here before when Rin brought me to his home, but I was in such a bad state that I hadn’t really seen anything.

Now, everything was clear and breathtaking. Above the den was a gorgeous, open field. It was surrounded by forests, but the field itself was a vibrant green, dotted with wildflowers.

Honestly, it took me by surprise. This field was so similar to the ones in my dreams—the dreams that comforted me through all my hardships. Could those dreams have been a sign of what was to come?

Rin stood next to me as I took in the stunning view. He seemed a bit proud. “Beautiful, isn’t it? Most of the Veil is. I guess I’m used to it since I grew up here, but it still takes my breath away sometimes,” he said.

I turned to him, my hands clasped in front of me. He looked radiant in the afternoon sun, the light bouncing off his red hair, ears, and tail. I wondered if my growing attraction to him was a good thing. If he wanted me to be his beta, I should feel something for him, right?

Rin gave me a warm smile. “Okay. Let’s get going. I’ll carry you. We’ll get there faster that way.”

I let him lift me up, and he took off into the woods at a sprint. He was incredibly fast, and I held onto his shoulders tightly. I didn’t think he’d drop me, but it felt safer to hold on.

The forest we ran through was as beautiful as the field. The trees towered above us, and the ground was covered in bright green plants and large, colorful flowers. I caught glimpses of other creatures, but they didn’t look like Rin. They were more inhuman and didn’t seem to care about us.

After what felt like an eternity, Rin finally stopped. Ahead of us, the plants glowed a beautiful blue. This part of the forest felt different from the rest, almost magical.

Rin set me down gently, my bare feet sinking into the soft grass. I stayed close to him as we moved forward, looking around in awe. Was this the home of the elves he’d mentioned? It had to be. I figured that this magical feeling could only come from elves and Faeries.

But as we got closer, the tree trunks in front of us started to move. I hid behind Rin, gripping his arm. He laughed at my scared reaction. “Don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t hurt you. These are the elves’ guardians. We call them splinters.”

The trees moved closer and started to bend towards us. That’s when I realized they weren’t trees at all. They were giant creatures that looked like trees. Their bodies were made of bark and leaves, and they had long arms and trunk-like torsos. Their heads were rectangular, with huge black eyes and branches of leaves framing their faces.

The one on the right leaned in close to us, its leaves rustling loudly. It seemed to be studying us. “Ah, Master Fox,” it said in a deep voice. “Good to see you. Are you here to do more business with the elves?”

“I am. That’s not a problem, is it?” Rin replied.

“Not at all. But I see you’ve brought a guest. She’s lovely, but she smells human,” the splinter observed.

“That’s because she is. But there’s no need to worry. This is Aurora, my beautiful new beta. We’re here because she needs help to regain what she’s lost,” Rin explained.

The splinter nodded. “I see. There’s no problem with that. Master Kaleem is proud to be associated with you, and you’ve done a lot for us and our elf village. The least we can do is help.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Rin said.

The splinters slowly moved aside, revealing an archway made of leaves and vines. Rin took my hand and gave me a reassuring nod. “Let’s go in. I’m sure Kaleem is waiting for us.”

I nodded and squeezed his hand as we walked through the archway. The village inside was as beautiful as the outside. It was a small settlement nestled in a glen deep within the forest. The buildings looked like shops on the first floor with living spaces above, all in an old-fashioned style that reminded me of pictures I’d seen of England and Ireland centuries ago. They were made of wood and stone, with large windows and shingled roofs.

Elves were walking around the main road through the village. Some were selling goods like food, clothes, and jewelry, while others seemed to be customers. They looked human, but their skin was either pearl-like or light blue. Their ears were pointed, and their faces were narrow but pretty. Their eyes were vibrant and came in all sorts of colors, including purple, pink, and even orange.

They dressed conservatively, which reminded me of the Amish back home, but they wore beautiful accessories on their foreheads and waists—sparkling gold and silver chains studded with colorful jewels. The elves glanced at us as Rin and I walked down the main dirt road. Some stopped what they were doing and looked at us curiously. I wondered if it was because Rin was there, or because he’d brought me. Had these elves ever seen a human before? It was possible, considering Rin’s mother was human like me.

Rin halted as a male Elf approached us. He was tall, even taller than Rin, and strikingly handsome. His skin was a soft light blue, his eyes a deeper shade, reminiscent of the ocean. His white hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, and a silver chain adorned his forehead, a diamond hanging from the center.

“Welcome, Master Fox. I regret not being outside to greet you, but I wasn’t expecting your visit today, let alone with such a lovely young lady,” he greeted Rin.

“No worries at all. This visit was unplanned, and I don’t want to impose. However, there’s an issue my lady needs help with, and I believe you might be the one to help,” Rin explained.

“I see.” The Elf studied me more closely. “She’s a young human woman, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Rin confirmed.

The Elf turned, glancing over his shoulder at us. “Please, follow me. We’ll be more comfortable discussing this in my home.”

Rin agreed, holding my hand as we trailed behind the Elf down the main road. His home was at the end; a grand, three-story house with large windows and a beautiful garden surrounding it. He opened the wooden door and led us inside to a spacious foyer, then left into what seemed to be a large den. The room was filled with elegant furniture, coffee tables, and walls adorned with paintings and mirrors.

“I feel a bit rude too,” he continued as we settled on one of the loveseats across from him. “I didn’t properly introduce myself to your young lady. I am Kaleem, the leader of the elves who live here.”

I nodded, touching my throat to indicate that I wasn’t being impolite.

Rin spoke for me. “I believe she’s trying to say it’s nice to meet you. This is one of the reasons we’re here. Aurora can’t speak, and we were hoping you might have a solution for her.”

“I see. I’m guessing her loss of voice is due to mental trauma, given she can hear perfectly,” Kaleem stated.

“That seems to be the case, at least from what she’s written down for me. But I’m unsure how to handle it. I know there’s a chance she might regain her voice over time, but there’s no telling how long that might take,” Rin explained.

“Very true,” Kaleem agreed, crossing his arms and nodding. “We all know trauma affects us in different ways, whether we’re human or not. Tell me, my lady, do you remember how old you were when you lost your voice?”

I thought for a moment before holding up seven fingers.

“Seven years old? That’s quite a long time considering your current age,” Kaleem commented.

“Ten years. She confirmed to me last night that she’s seventeen,” Rin told him.

Kaleem’s expression turned serious. “Ten years is a long time to be silent, and it significantly reduces the chances of her regaining her voice naturally. With that in mind, I believe the best option is to provide her with an alternative way to speak.”

“You seem to have some ideas already,” Rin noted.

“I do,” Kaleem confirmed. “I suggest using a magic stone. I have special ones that we’ve used before to help those who lost their hearing, and I believe they can also help replace the voice box. It’s worth a try.”

“And it won’t harm her?”

“Not at all. If it doesn’t work, I can easily remove it.”

I felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation as I listened. If this worked and I could speak again, I’d be able to talk to Rin instead of just writing notes. There were so many things I wanted to discuss with him.

Rin pondered for a few minutes before finally responding. “Alright. I’m willing to give that a try. However, there’s one more thing.”

“Yes? What might that be?” Kaleem asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“As you know, I intend for Aurora to be my beta, but I need to claim her for that to happen. The problem is, I don’t want her to become pregnant with kits. I’ve heard there are ways to prevent that. Can you help with that, or should I ask someone else?”

Kaleem sighed. “No, you don’t need to ask anyone else. I can help with that. If you don’t plan on that happening anytime soon, I suggest one of our implants. As long as it’s in her, she can’t conceive. It will stop her from having the typical female reproductive cycles,” he offered.

“That sounds good, but what’s involved? You mentioned it’s an implant,” Rin responded.

“Yes. It’s minimally invasive. We use three braided blades of Lemi grass prepared for this purpose, place them on the skin, and they’re immediately absorbed. This is done on the abdomen to be directly over the womb for the desired effect. We’ve used it on many different creatures over the years, including a few humans, and it’s been one hundred percent effective,” Kaleem explained.

Rin nodded. “Simple enough, and with that effectiveness, I won’t have to worry about anything. We’ll go with that.”

I knew I wasn’t getting a choice in this. Not that I minded much, even if it made me nervous. Hopefully, it would be as Kaleem said, and I wouldn’t feel a thing.

We all rose, trailing behind him into a room that was straight out of a magician's fantasy. A long table dominated the center, surrounded by shelves crammed with bottles and jars. Each one had a label, but the symbols were foreign to me. They must've been in Elvish.

Kaleem motioned for me to sit on the table. He then selected two bottles from the shelves. Uncorking the first one, he tipped it over his hand and a small, beautiful blue stone fell out. It glowed softly, its light pulsating gently.

“First, we’ll restore her voice,” he announced, turning to me. “Stay still while I place this. I assure you, it won’t hurt.”

I did as he asked, trying to keep as still as possible. Kaleem gently pressed the stone against the base of my throat. I felt it sink into my skin. It wasn’t painful, just a strange sensation.

“Looks like it’s in place,” Rin observed once the stone had fully disappeared.

“Yes. Why don’t you try speaking now?” Kaleem suggested.

I touched my throat, pondering what to say. Maybe something simple, like Rin’s name. I moved my lips, attempting to mimic the way others spoke.

“Rin?”

I was taken aback by my own voice. Was that really me? I hadn’t heard myself in years!

Rin’s face lit up when he heard me say his name. “Perfect. It worked.”

“As we’d hoped,” Kaleem concurred. He then reached for the other bottle, unscrewing the cap to reveal a small, braided bundle of grass. “This won’t take long either, but if you’d prefer, my wife can do this part.”