Chapter 13

AURORA

A month had slipped by before I even realized it. It was the happiest month I’d ever lived through.

I’d regained my healthy weight and was feeling good about a lot of things, including myself. Life with Rin was a joy, and he treated me with such kindness.

Sure, there were times when he could be a bit demanding, but it was never cruel or belittling. I admit, I often gave in without much resistance, especially when it came to sex. I never imagined I could feel such intense desires as he stirred in me, and I didn’t care what anyone else might think.

In short, I didn’t need the God my parents had tried to force on me. All I needed was this handsome fox who had chosen me.

Summer had arrived, and even though the days were getting quite hot, I still enjoyed sitting outside in the shade of a few trees on the edge of the forest. I did this mostly when Rin had to go away for a bit.

While he spent most of his time with me, he still had responsibilities like gathering supplies and selling herbs and other items in the nearby towns and villages. This gave him a good income, and he also traded with other creatures for whatever he needed.

During these times, I usually stayed close to the den, although he had taken me to more of the towns, including back to the elf village, a few times when I’d asked to go. Since I usually stayed behind, he’d built stairs so I could enter and leave the den whenever I wanted.

I think Rin was pretty proud of himself when he finished, happily showing me my new freedom to move around on my own. Even thinking about it later made me giggle. Seeing Rin smile like that was adorable.

I was thinking about that smile as I sat outside under one of the trees. Rin had left an hour ago, promising to be back by nightfall, and I’d decided to sit out here and read for a while.

I’d gotten into a few of the books I’d found in the village last week, and these quiet times were perfect for catching up on my reading.

But as I sat there, my mind wandered back to where I’d come from. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to my parents. They must have realized I was gone.

Did they try to find me, or did they just shrug and move on?

The latter wouldn’t surprise me. I wasn’t naive enough to think they’d ever liked me. I was just there, something they had to take care of.

It was God’s will for adults to take care of children, whether they wanted them or not.

I frowned as I looked down at the open book in my lap. How was it that my parents didn’t want me, but this fox did so desperately? It felt so strange, like I was meant to be here all along.

But I still couldn’t say I believed in fate, despite the dreams of this place and how Rin had been so certain I was his one and only from the moment he’d looked into my eyes. That felt too profound, and not something I could easily accept.

My fingers drifted up to touch the spot on my neck where the stone was embedded. I couldn’t feel it when I did this, but I could still sense it a little when I spoke.

According to Kaleem, this stone would eventually dissolve inside me, ensuring that I always kept my voice. He thought that I didn’t have one before because I’d let it die during all those years of silence.

That was a sad thought. Parts of me were slowly dying in that cold household. I wondered if running away had saved my life.

I might have ended up taking it if I’d stayed.

A soft noise brought me back to the present. I sat up a bit, looking around at the edges of the forest bordering the field. It wasn’t unusual for the wild creatures to come around from time to time, although Rin had set up barriers so they couldn’t get into the field.

Most seemed to sense this, and would simply walk the edge of the barrier before continuing into the forest.

By now, I’d seen a lot of amazing creatures around here. Most were quite large, but occasionally, the sprites would show up in the evenings.

They were very small, glowing beings of all different colors, and very playful. They looked like tiny people with brightly colored skin and hair, and wings that moved so fast they reminded me of a hummingbird.

The larger creatures were a bit more intimidating. Many had some humanlike traits, but their bodies were anything but. Rin had told me that a lot were bug types, like centipedes and mantises and caterpillars.

They were huge, with some of the centipedes having bodies that could halfway encircle the field. The front of them had shoulders and a neck and head like a person, but their eyes were black, and they had pincers coming out of their wide mouths. The first half of their body had arms and hands for legs, while the back had pointed legs more like a bug.

They were the most common ones that occasionally showed up, but they usually tried to avoid the barrier. I was glad about that. They scared the shit out of me.

But this noise wasn’t like any I’d heard before. This sound was more subtle, like something moving carefully through the trees, then stopping as they got close.

I closed my book, standing up and looking around cautiously. While it didn’t feel dangerous, I was uneasy about the idea of being watched by something I couldn’t see.

“Hello?” I called out cautiously. “Is someone there?”

A soft rustling came from the forest near me, and I took a step back. Even with the barrier there, I was afraid that something might be smart enough to get past it.

“Please, don’t be scared. I would never hurt you,” a male voice replied from the direction I’d been looking at.

“Who are you?” I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt. I glanced back at the den, wondering if I could get there in time to hide if something came after me.

A figure stepped out from behind one of the massive trees. I was taken aback when I saw him. Like Rin, he looked much like a human man, but his hair was white, and he had golden eyes.

He had white animal ears and a fluffy white tail. His dark shirt and pants contrasted with his white hair and pale skin, even in the shadowy forest.

Looking at him, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. His face was handsome, but it also seemed familiar.

He seemed just as surprised to see me. “I thought I was smelling something off. I didn’t expect a human to be living out here,” he said.

“I haven’t been here long. But who are you? I haven’t seen any other creatures like you out here. Just wild ones,” I replied.

“That’s not surprising this far out. Not many creatures can survive here. But I’m guessing you’re with the one who has.” He paused, then added, “I’m sorry, I’ve been rude. My name is Rayne.”

Hearing his name, my eyes widened. Could he be Rin’s twin brother? The name fit, and their faces had a similar look.

I quickly composed myself, not wanting to reveal that Rin lived here. He was estranged from his family and didn’t want them to find him. I didn’t want to upset him by letting his brother know he was here, but I wasn’t sure how to avoid it.

“I’m Aurora,” I finally said, deciding to see how this would play out.

Rayne smiled at me. “Aurora. That’s a beautiful name. It suits you.”

He was so kind and genuine. Could he really be another alpha and the son of one of the most powerful ones still alive?

“Thanks. But why are you here? I didn’t think there were any other creatures like you around here, and I’ve never seen you in the village,” I asked.

“No, you wouldn’t have. I don’t usually come to this area, but I was following up on some information I’d heard. I didn’t expect to find a human girl out here either. It wouldn’t be safe for you to be alone, so I’m sure an alpha is looking after you,” Rayne reasoned.

I nodded. “Yes, he is. He’s made sure I’m safe here.”

Rayne stepped forward, reaching out to where the invisible barrier was. “Ah, I see. He’s set up a barrier to protect his territory. Smart.” Suddenly, he froze. “It couldn’t be…”

Of course, he’d probably recognize something Rin did. He was his twin brother, after all.

I played dumb. “Is something wrong?”

To my surprise, Rayne easily stepped through the barrier. I took a step back. Was it safe for me to be alone with another alpha, even if he was Rin’s brother?

Rayne sensed my unease. He stepped closer, but didn’t make any threatening moves. “It’s okay. I promise I won’t hurt you. But I have to ask; is your alpha a fox named Rin?”

Could I lie about that? It didn’t seem wise. Rayne had obviously sensed Rin’s presence.

“Yes, he is. You’re his twin brother, aren’t you?” I asked softly.

“I am.” Rayne gave me a polite bow. “I’m sorry if I’ve startled you. I haven’t seen my brother for nearly a year, and when I heard a rumor about an alpha fox being out here, I had to investigate. But I had no idea he had you with him.”

This was a bit awkward. Rin’s family knew nothing about me, and I didn’t know how to explain it without oversharing.

“It’s a long story that I’m not sure I should get into. I’ve only been here a month. I’m still learning a lot about this world,” I told him.

“Only a month?” Rayne looked surprised. “I haven’t known many humans to be over here. My mother’s the only one, besides another human woman I’ve met with one of the rulers. But you seem young, and you have an elf stone in your throat. Were you mute before?”

He was very observant. I wondered if he could smell Rin’s scent on me.

~Oh no!~ I thought suddenly. ~Can he smell the contraceptive too?!~

I tried to stay on topic, hoping he wouldn’t bring up the other. “No, I couldn’t speak. But Rin took me to the elf village, and they helped me.”

“That sounds like Rin. He wouldn’t ignore it if he could help you,” Rayne said.

“Yes. He’s been very kind to me,” I agreed.

Rayne looked around. “I’m guessing he’s away for a while, and maybe it’s better if he doesn’t see me yet. It’s enough for now to know he’s okay, and I can tell our parents the same.”

“Are you going to tell them where he is?”

“No, not yet.” Rayne smiled at me again. “If he’s happy here and he has you, then we don’t need to interfere. Maybe he’ll decide to come back on his own. I think that would be better, and I believe our father thinks so too. Rin just needs time to get away from everything and figure himself out.”

“You’d really do that for him?”

I found it hard to believe. If Rayne was so hell-bent on finding his brother, wouldn’t he have wanted to bring him back home?

“I would,” Rayne said, settling down on the grass and leaning against a nearby tree. “Don’t get me wrong. I miss him like crazy. Things just aren’t the same without him. But I understand how he feels. Our position isn’t easy, and we were born into it. Plus, Rin has a different dad than me. Even though our father claimed him, and he’s never been treated differently in our family, I know people talked about him outside our home. It wasn’t their place, but I know it must have hurt him. Made him feel like he didn’t belong.”

“I think you’re right. He doesn’t talk about it, but I can tell something’s always bothered him about going home,” I said, sitting down next to him. I wasn’t about to spill that I’d read it in Rin’s journal.

“You seem to have gotten to know him pretty well since you’ve been here,” Rayne observed.

“I’m trying to. If I’m going to be living with him, it would be better that way,” I replied.

“It still surprises me a bit, but then again, maybe it shouldn’t. Rin and I are old enough to start looking for potential betas, and foxes usually start feeling that urge earlier. I guess Rin’s still got that, even being half human like me,” Rayne mused.

That piqued my curiosity. “What about you? Do you have a beta too?”

“No, not yet. I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t met anyone that I’ve felt that drawn to, and it’s a big deal for an alpha like us, so I wouldn’t take it lightly. Not that I think he would either. Our position wouldn’t allow us to change our minds once we’ve chosen a beta.”

“I didn’t realize that an alpha could change their mind about those things.”

Rayne shook his head. “Well, I guess I didn’t explain it quite right. It’s kind of complicated. While others are considered alphas in our world, they can choose and leave their betas if they want to, although most wouldn’t. If a beta dies, they can also choose another one. But the rules are a bit different for us, and for our father, Jekia. As one of the rulers within the Veil, he was only allowed to choose one beta, and once he did, he couldn’t take it back. He waited a very long time, until the day he met our mother. Even though she’s human, he’s always loved her, and she’s the only one he’d ever want.”

“And the same is true for you and Rin. If you choose a beta, then you have to stick with them because you’re the heirs to the Northern Lands,” I concluded.