Chapter 10

AURORA

“Understandable,” I said, nodding. “What about foxes? Do you guys usually live in groups or near these towns?”

Rin seemed a bit taken aback by my question, but he quickly masked his surprise. “Well, it really depends on the fox,” he confessed. “We usually live in dens like mine. Some of us keep our dens close together to form a group, but many of us are nomads. We like to wander and experience different things.”

“I can see why. It’s exciting to experience new things when you have the chance.”

“I’ve visited many different places around here, and I’d love to show them to you sometime. I think you’d enjoy them.”

I smiled at him. “That sounds like fun. I hope we can do that soon.”

It was odd, but I could have sworn Rin looked a bit uncomfortable, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so eager. But I sensed there was more to it, something I didn’t quite grasp at the time.

The town we entered was open and inviting, with buildings that reminded me of the elf village. Many of them had shops on the ground floor and homes above. Unlike the elf village, there were no outdoor stalls. I guessed they preferred to conduct their business indoors, though many of the shops had open doors and windows.

The shops fascinated me. They seemed to specialize in different things. Some were like grocery stores, others sold clothes, and some offered what appeared to be medicinal herbs and precious stones.

The stones particularly caught my eye, and I tugged on Rin’s hand to draw his attention. “Hey, Rin, can we check out that shop over there?” I asked.

“Sure. We can go wherever you want. But I didn’t think you’d be interested in stones and herbs,” Rin replied.

“Well.” I hesitated, not wanting to delve into my family issues. “I’ve only heard about such things, and I’ve never seen any, so I thought I’d take a look now.”

“That makes sense. I’ve heard that these things are more specialized in the human world, though they’ve become somewhat popular recently,” Rin observed.

“I’ve heard that humans used them for witchcraft,” I added as we headed towards the shop.

“That wouldn’t surprise me, but I think humans have misunderstood witchcraft for centuries. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Really?”

I was only half-listening as I admired the stones displayed in glass cases around the shop. They sparkled and gleamed in the soft light. I’d never seen such beautiful stones before, and there was a strange, pleasant sensation emanating from them. Was this their power?

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Rin guessed.

“Is this feeling coming from these stones?” I asked him.

“Yes.” Rin looked around. “Shops like this cater to magical elements, and we use them when we need to. Each of these stones carries a different energy that can be used to cleanse the auras of homes and creatures or to ward off negative energies. The herbs can be used for medicine or in spells.”

“Creatures here cast spells?”

“Some do. I don’t, but I do sell the herbs I grow to these shops and sometimes to private buyers.”

Now I understood what the area with all the plants was for. Rin was growing different plants and herbs that these creatures used for various purposes.

“Oh, I see. That’s how you earn a living,” I realized.

“It’s one of the ways,” Rin confirmed.

I looked around again, noticing the shopkeeper standing nearby. She was a slender, attractive woman with long green hair that cascaded down her back. Her ears were pointed, and her eyes were a deep black with incredibly long black eyelashes. She had transparent wings folded on her back. I wondered if she was a Faerie.

She smiled as she approached us. “Good morning, Master Rin,” she greeted him.

“Morning, Galena. We thought we’d stop by your shop before breakfast. You’ve got quite a few new stones,” Rin replied.

“I do.” Galena turned to me. “And you’ve brought a young lady with you. Is she your beta?”

“She is,” Rin confirmed. “This is Aurora. I’ll be bringing her around with me often, so I hope you and the others will make her feel welcome.”

“Of course. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Aurora,” Galena said.

“Nice to meet you too,” I replied, trying to be polite.

“By the way,” Rin added, “do you have any empty crystals left?”

Galena thought for a moment before answering. “I think I do. What size are you looking for?”

“Very small. That’s all I need for what I want to use it for,” Rin replied.

“Alright. Let me see what I have.”

I watched as she disappeared through a beaded curtain into the back of the store. “What do you need a small stone for?” I asked Rin.

“Just something I want to do. I sometimes get these stones, and I used some of them for the lights over our bed,” Rin explained. “Did you want something from here? I could get it for you.”

I quickly shook my head. “No, it’s okay. I just wanted to look because I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Rin let out a soft laugh. “You don’t need to stress over this. Speak your mind, ask for what you want. I’m not here to suppress you, though I’ll let you know if I think your request is too risky.”

“You really mean that?”

I couldn’t meet his gaze as I asked the question. The concept of choice was foreign to me. I’d always assumed he’d use his alpha status to control me. Was this just another form of control, making me believe I had some freedom?

Soon enough, Galena returned with a small pouch made of red velvet. Rin moved closer to the counter as she spread a cloth and carefully emptied the pouch. I counted twelve small, clear stones, varying in size from a pebble to a small rock.

“These are what I have at the moment. From what I’ve heard from the Dwarfs, mining these has become quite a task. They’re only being found in the mountain troll regions,” she explained.

“Really? Sounds like someone’s been tampering with the landscapes again,” Rin mused, his voice dropping a notch.

“I’m not sure. There haven’t been any reports of unusual activities in this area. Normally, someone would notice if there were,” Galena replied.

Rin shrugged. “No matter. We’ll just stay alert.” He picked up one of the stones, a mid-sized one. “I think this one will work well for what I have in mind. What’s the price?”

Galena smiled. “It’s on me. You brought me a lot of herbs I desperately needed the other day. I felt terrible that I couldn’t pay you enough, so consider this the balance.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Rin agreed.

Not long after, we left the store. Rin tucked the pouch with the stone into a hidden pocket under his shirt, accessible through his half-open top. I noticed another small pouch in there, probably holding the money he’d brought along. Whatever form of currency these creatures used.

We ended up at a small eatery halfway through the town, housed in a larger building. Large windows adorned the front, and the aroma of food wafted out, making my stomach growl. If the food tasted half as good as it smelled, I was in for a treat.

The dining area was spacious, with round tables ranging from small to quite large. Rin and I were led to a smaller table near the windows by a graceful man with blue hair and folded-back blue wings. His eyes were dark, and he had three black dots ascending his forehead from between his eyes. He placed menus before us and excused himself.

“This is nice,” I murmured, taking in our surroundings.

The place wasn’t crowded. I counted ten patrons, scattered across different tables. Like the others I’d seen around here, they were strikingly beautiful, with human-like features. The differences lay in the details—hair, eyes, skin markings, and some even had wings.

“I wouldn’t disagree. I like this place. It has a more peaceful vibe compared to some of the others,” Rin said.

“It does feel that way. I’ve never been to a restaurant before, but this feels very comfortable,” I confessed.

Rin looked puzzled. “You’ve never been to a place like this? I thought all humans had, at least once.”

“Most have, but my parents didn’t believe in going out. They thought there were too many bad influences outside the home. My mother even despised grocery shopping. She took care of all our food needs herself,” I explained.

“That’s quite unusual from what I’ve heard about humans lately. Most have no problem going out and socializing however they want,” Rin observed.

I tried to shrug it off. “I guess my family was odd, but some are.”

Rin didn’t seem convinced, but before he could say anything else, our waiter returned to take our orders. I played it safe, ordering eggs, sausage, and juice. Rin ordered the same, but as soon as the waiter left, he turned his attention back to me.

“You do realize I won’t drop this. There has to be more to your family’s isolation from other humans.”

“It’s not worth discussing. I’m here now, and it doesn’t look like I’m going back to them,” I retorted.

“No, I have no plans of letting you go, especially now,” Rin admitted, sitting up straighter. “But I am concerned about how I found you. It’s unusual for a human to be unable to speak without a hearing impairment, and I’m sure your condition was caused by trauma. That, coupled with this, worries me. It sounds a lot like you were in an abusive situation.”

He was persistent, but I expected that. He didn’t seem like the type to give up. “It’s not worth discussing, Rin. Can we please drop it?” I pleaded.

Rin sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I suppose I can, for now, given where we are. But we will be discussing this soon,” he warned.

I didn’t argue, just nodded. But as our food arrived and I enjoyed a pleasant meal with him, I couldn’t help but dread the impending conversation. Would Rin still want to keep me once he learned about the real, pitiful girl who was never worth anything to begin with?

I hoped so, more than I’d ever hoped for anything. I wanted to stay with Rin, to find happiness in this world, especially if it meant leaving my old world behind. If he believed I was destined to be his, then I would do everything to not shake his faith.