Chapter 17

AURORA

“Ever notice how quiet it is here, even with all those big creatures in the forest?” I mused, as Rin and I lounged under the shade of a tree.

Two more weeks had slipped by, and life had continued in the same peaceful rhythm since Rin and I had met.

I wasn’t complaining. I loved my life here with him. I couldn’t quite put it into words yet, but I felt myself falling for him. Everything about Rin was wonderful to me. He treated me like a person, not just a lover, but a friend too.

I’d never had a real friend before. Even though I knew my place as his beta, this felt more like home than it ever had with my parents.

I was becoming more and more certain that this was where I was meant to be all along. Whether it was sinful or not, whether it was right for a human woman or not, I’d found my place by Rin’s side.

Rin looked content as he sat beside me, his eyes on the clear sky.

“One of the reasons I decided to stay here is the quiet. I don’t mind being around the villages, but I prefer the peaceful countryside,” he shared.

“So, it’s not just about hiding?” I asked.

I felt a twinge of guilt. I’d never told him that Rayne had discovered his hideout. But it seemed like Rayne had kept his word about not telling the rest of their family about this or about me. If he had, they would’ve shown up here by now.

“It started out as that, but I’ve grown to love this place. Besides, I can’t completely hide anywhere. I need help sometimes, so there are always creatures who know I’m here. I’ve just been lucky that they’re friends and won’t rat me out,” Rin confessed.

“They seem to respect you a lot. I guess that comes with being an alpha,” I observed.

“In some ways, but the respect they show me is also because of my bloodline and who I’m supposed to be in this world. I don’t really get the fuss about all of that. Rayne’s the one who’ll take over if anything happens to Jekia, so it shouldn’t matter to me.”

I watched him as he spoke, noticing the distant look in his eyes. Rin rarely talked about his family after initially telling me a little about them when we’d first met. I didn’t bring it up much either, thinking it might upset him.

But I was curious about them, especially after reading what Rin had written about other creatures not accepting him for how he was born.

I decided to take a chance and see if he’d open up more about it. We’d been together long enough, and we were comfortable with each other.

“Rin, do you really think you’re supposed to be beneath Rayne?” I asked.

Rin shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes I do, but it’s hard to keep thinking that way. I know my brother doesn’t see it like that. Even though we were born different, we’ve always been close. It’s funny to think about it, but I know we’d do anything for each other. That’s probably why Rayne hasn’t been looking for me. He knows it was hard for me to hear some of the things I did, so he’s probably giving me space.”

He’d hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what Rayne had told me. He wanted to give Rin space but also wanted to make sure he was okay.

“I can understand that. He is your twin, even if you have different fathers. But I’m sure he’s worried about you. It’s been over a year now, hasn’t it?” I reasoned.

“Yes, it has. I’ve thought about going home, just for a day or two so they know I’m okay. But I can’t bring myself to do it yet,” Rin admitted.

“Because you don’t know if you could leave again, right?” I guessed.

Rin sighed. “You’re right. If I see them again, especially my mother and sister, I don’t think I could.”

I moved closer and hugged him. “I understand, but I hope you can do that one day. At least they care about you and want to see you again. Even if you don’t stay, they might feel better knowing you’re okay.”

I’d never insist that he go back home or take me there. That would always be Rin’s choice, and I’d respect whatever he decided.

“I know.” Rin rested his head on mine, his arm around me. “I’m still thinking about what I’ll do, and I’ll tell you when I decide.”

I stayed where I was, thinking about when I’d seen Rayne. Maybe it was time to tell Rin about him. I owed him that much, especially if Rayne came back like he’d promised. It could be bad if Rin caught us together and got the wrong idea.

“Rin, if I…”

The sound of rapidly flapping wings interrupted me. I sat up with Rin to see a beautiful little sprite approaching. She glowed blue, radiant even in the bright sunlight, with a trail of matching sparkles following her as she flew to us.

“Hey there,” Rin greeted her, though he looked worried. “You’re one of Kaleem’s Sprites, aren’t you? Is something wrong?”

The sprite nodded. “Yes,” she replied, her voice sweet and melodic. “I apologize for interrupting your time with your lady. Master Kaleem didn’t want to disturb you, but there’s been an incident that’s upset him and the other elves. He needs you to come to the elf village to help figure it out.”

Rin’s eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of incident? I’ve made it clear that I don’t want to get involved unless it’s absolutely necessary,” he reminded her.

“We understand, Master Fox, but this has us all rattled. To put it simply, one of the splinters has died under very strange circumstances,” the sprite explained, her worry evident in her voice and expression.

That got our attention. The splinters were enormous creatures. It was conceivable that one might die occasionally, but what kind of strange circumstances was she talking about?

“Strange circumstances?” Rin echoed, standing up with me. “Well, if you put it that way, I guess I don’t have a choice. I don’t like uncertainties, especially when it involves a guardian’s death.”

“Could something have killed it?” I asked him.

“It’s possible, but if so, we’ll need to be careful. It takes a lot to kill a splinter, and the elves should’ve noticed if something was amiss,” Rin replied.

“‘Yes, but nothing was noticed or heard before it was found,’“ the sprite confirmed.

“‘That doesn’t sound right,’“ Rin turned to me. “‘I’m going to see what’s happened. I want you to stay here until I return. It’ll be safer for you in case anything else happens.’“

I nodded. “‘I understand. I’ll stay close to the den and stay alert,’“ I promised.

Rin gave me a quick kiss, then left with the sprite, disappearing into the woods in a flash. I stayed where I was, the sprite’s words echoing in my mind.

I remembered seeing those splinters for the first time after I met Rin. They were massive. I couldn’t imagine anything killing one of them, especially without the elves they guarded noticing. The whole situation gave me a bad feeling, like a dark shadow was creeping over my happiness.

As I stood there, something unusual caught my eye; a glimmer of gold floating toward me. I turned to my left, expecting to see another sprite, perhaps sent to watch over me at Rin’s request. He had seemed uneasy about the situation, so it would make sense for him to do that.

But it wasn’t a sprite. It was a beautiful golden butterfly flying toward me. I stood still, mesmerized by its beauty. This butterfly was similar to ones in my world, but it was much larger, almost the size of a small bird, and it glowed a radiant gold. It flew slowly but steadily, passing just a few inches from my face.

As it did, a deep chill ran through me, and a strange vision flashed before my eyes. I saw the inside of a beautiful palace made of fine white marble, and a figure standing in front of an open archway with the open sky beyond. They were a vision in gold, wearing a long dress and with long blonde hair the color of the sun.

But there was nothing warm or inviting about this figure. Only darkness and foreboding. She slowly turned to face me, her black and gold eyes meeting mine…

“‘Aurora?’“

The sudden voice snapped me out of the vision. I blinked, realizing the butterfly was gone. It was as if it had never been there.

I turned to see a familiar white figure approaching me.

“‘Rayne?’“ I said, my throat aching as I spoke, and I instinctively touched the stone.

“‘You seemed lost in thought,’“ Rayne observed as he stopped in front of me. He looked concerned when he saw me touching the stone. “‘Are you okay? Is the stone bothering you?’“

“‘I’m fine. It just hurt a bit for some reason, but it’s better now,’“ I assured him.

“‘Be careful with that. Magic stones are usually safe, but they can be risky when used on humans,’“ Rayne warned.

That didn’t surprise me, but I wasn’t worried. Rin would make sure I was okay, and if he trusted this was safe, then so did I. So, I decided to change the subject.

“‘I didn’t expect you to come here now. It’s only been two weeks, and Rin usually would’ve caught you,’“ I said.

“‘Yeah, I knew he probably would, but I thought it would be better to come back and admit that I knew he was here. Something must be going on if he’s suddenly left,’“ Rayne replied.

“‘There is. A sprite from the elf village came here and told Rin that something happened to one of the splinters that guarded it. The Elf leader Kaleem wanted him to come and help figure it out,’“ I explained.

Rayne’s concern deepened. “‘Something happened to one of the splinters guarding the village? Did the sprite say what it was?’“

“‘No. She only said that it had died under strange circumstances.’“

“‘Strange circumstances,’“ Rayne repeated, deep in thought. “‘It’s good that I decided to come here then. If it’s connected, then whatever this is must know where he is too.’“

“‘You mean something’s also happened around your family?’“ I asked.

“‘Yeah, there was this weird thing that happened in a nearby town. Our dad was looking into it. He thought it might be connected to something he suspected when we were kids. That’s why I risked coming back here to talk to Rin. If Dad’s right, it might be safer for you to come home with him,’“ Rayne confessed.

“‘What happened when you were kids? Are you talking about when the palace was destroyed?’“

“‘Seems like Rin filled you in on that.’“

“‘A bit,’“ I said, shifting uneasily. I was worried about Rin’s reaction when he returned. I wished I could have warned him about Rayne’s visit, but it was too late now. I continued, “‘Rin doesn’t talk much about the past. He’s only shared a little about your family. He did mention that the palace was destroyed when you were five, and you had to grow up in a new home.’“

“‘That’s right. Our home was destroyed after some lycans targeted us and our dad. I guess it’s one of the risks of being in power,’“ Rayne confirmed.

“‘Seems like it.’“

Rayne moved closer to the tree. “‘Why don’t we sit here and wait for Rin? It’s more comfortable than standing,’“ he suggested.

I agreed and sat next to him. I tried to subtly study his features. Rin and Rayne did look a lot alike, but Rayne’s coloring was white, and his ears weren’t as wide as Rin’s. Those differences must have been due to their different heritages.

“‘I feel bad that I didn’t tell Rin I saw you first,’“ I confessed.

“‘Don’t sweat it. I didn’t want you to, and I won’t let you take the blame when he gets back. I also didn’t tell anyone else that I found out he was here or about you. I don’t think it’s my place, especially since Rin seems happy here. He hasn’t been like that in a long time,’“ Rayne replied.

“‘I had a hunch about that,’“ I decided to share what I’d discovered. “‘I’m not one to pry, but I stumbled upon a journal Rin keeps. He wrote about being unhappy at home. He mentioned creatures gossiping about him and how much he hated it. He also wrote that he knew he wasn’t meant to be an heir like you.’“

“‘He wrote that, huh?’“ Rayne didn’t seem surprised at all.

“‘Yes. He’s told me himself too. He said he has a different father, and only you and your sister should be the rightful heirs to these lands,’“ I explained.

Rayne shook his head. “‘I know he feels that way, and he’s told me the same. I understand. It’s tough being different, and foxes aren’t always well-regarded. Rin’s father was particularly controversial. While many creatures respected him for being the second strongest alpha in the Northern Lands, there were just as many who looked down on him because of his species and their misconceptions about foxes in general.’“