Chapter 43

AURORA

“You shouldn’t fear me, Little One. You need to understand your destiny, and I’m the only one who can tell you what it will be.”

I looked up at the tall figure in front of me, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood. He was a towering presence, his black cloak billowing in the soft spring breeze. Despite his intimidating appearance, he didn’t seem threatening.

“What are you?” I asked, curiosity overcoming any fear.

“Don’t be scared,” he said, his voice calm and steady. “Yes, you are the one. She might think she chose you for her own reasons, but only fate can decide your destiny.”

“Destiny? What’s that?”

I’d never heard that word before. My parents never talked about destiny. They only told me about Heaven and Hell, and how our actions in life determined where we’d end up. They made it sound like it was easier to end up in Hell. Almost everything seemed to be a sin.

The figure chuckled, amused by my innocent question. “Destiny, my dear, is what’s meant to happen in your life. I doubt your parents understand that. You might be an ordinary human girl now, but I can sense the warrior within you. You’ll make the perfect beta for the fox heir.”

I tilted my head, confused by his words. How could a weak girl like me become a warrior? And what did he mean by a fox?

“You’ll understand soon enough.” He reached out with a long, black arm. His fingers were crooked and sharp, but he didn’t hurt me. He just patted my head gently. “Don’t doubt the strength within you. You’ll find it one day, and realize your destiny as a Mistress of the Veil.”

I woke up slowly, his words echoing in my mind. I knew it wasn’t just a dream. That figure had appeared to me when I was five years old to tell me about my destiny. But I’d forgotten about it until now, just like Emelio said.

Was I remembering now because something wanted me to, given everything that was happening? Or was it because Emelio had brought it up and somehow triggered the memory?

A soft knock at the bedroom door pulled me from my thoughts. I sat up slowly, careful not to wake Rin. He was still sleeping deeply, which he needed after three days without rest and his injury.

I got off the bed and went to the door, unlocking it and opening it quietly. Emelio was waiting outside, which surprised me. It was very early, and he hadn’t interacted with me much since I’d arrived, except to talk about my potential role as a ‘Mistress of the Veil’.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, stepping into the hallway and leaving the door slightly ajar.

“Everything’s fine. I’m sorry for disturbing you so early, but there are a few things I wanted to discuss. I thought this would be the best time, without anyone else listening. You don’t mind, do you?” Emelio asked.

~Like I have a choice~, I thought, but I pushed that aside and tried to be polite.

“No, I guess not.”

Emelio gave me a knowing smile. “Don’t worry. I don’t have anything bad to say. I just want to make sure you understand your place in this family. I know you chose Rin last night, and that changes things a bit. I’m sure you’ve already figured out how.”

“Yes, I knew some things, like how this would affect any chance of me being with Rayne instead and what my status as a beta is supposed to be,” I said.

“You’re right. Those are important factors,” Emelio confirmed. He crossed his arms as he looked at me. “You’re becoming a strong beta, just as they hoped. I’m impressed. You have a stronger spirit than I initially thought, and I apologize for doubting you. I had the same concerns about Lana, but she proved me wrong too. I guess I should give powerful alphas like Jekia and Rin more credit.”

“Sounds like you have a bit of a pride issue,” I pointed out.

“I admit, I do.” Emelio moved on. “But now that you’ve chosen Rin, your place in his family and in this world is set. A beta belongs to her alpha until one of them dies. That means you’re off-limits to any other alpha, including Rayne. While Lila’s attempt could have swayed you, it didn’t, and I think that’s a good thing. You’re better suited to Rin, and you have a unique ability to keep him in check better than anyone else I’ve seen.”

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t say that. It feels like I’ve just been following his lead.”

“Not at all. Rin would have resisted coming back here if it weren’t for you. And I know your words have calmed him down more than once since you’ve been here,” Emelio assured me.

“So, is this all you wanted to tell me? That I can only be with Rin and I’m stuck with him until one of us dies?”

I was getting impatient, and still tired.

“No, there’s more.”

He surprised me by pulling out a small green vial from his pocket. It was the same one Lady Flora had given me.

“How’d you get that? I thought I lost it when that creature attacked us,” I said, shocked.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I overheard your conversation with Flora before the attack and decided to look for this. I was a bit skeptical, so I had it verified by the Higher Ones who oversee the rulers. They confirmed it’s exactly what Flora said it was. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. The Higher Ones guide the rulers and their families, and they don’t want any children from this union right now. So, you need to take this to prevent that from happening,” Emelio explained.

I examined the vial as he handed it to me. It looked the same as when Flora had it, but I could swear I saw a faint glow deep within.

“But Flora said it would be my choice when I wanted that to happen,” I countered.

“Usually, it would be. But measures have been taken to prevent that, at least for now. Foxes are known for their high libido, so this is the best way to avoid any surprises. I’m pretty sure Lord Rin will wake up wanting to reclaim you, so it’s in your best interest to take this now and let it work for an hour. As his beta, I doubt you’d want to resist him.”

Emelio was usually right about these things, and I had a gut feeling he was right this time too. It had always been hard for me to resist Rin since our first night together. So, I did as he suggested, uncapping the vial and downing it in one gulp. It tasted strange, like a very strong tea, and a warm sensation spread through my lower abdomen.

Emelio gave me a reassuring smile, patting my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out, and everyone is confident that you’ve made the right choices and will continue to do so.”

“Thank you…for everything.”

I meant it as I turned to go back into the bedroom. I wasn’t sure about Emelio yet, but it felt like he was looking out for me, just like he did for everyone in Jekia’s family. Lana had told me that was the Mage’s role. They were sent by the Higher Ones, who watched over the rulers and ensured things were done right.

I locked the door behind me and tiptoed back to the bed. I stripped down to my bra and underwear for comfort, then snuggled up against Rin. He was still asleep, but he wrapped his arm around me. I smiled, letting out a content sigh as I drifted off to sleep.

Despite the uncertainties, life was good. I had the man I loved, who loved me back, and a real family.

I slept soundly, and when I woke up, the room was dimly lit by the early morning light. Rin was stirring beside me, stretching his body. He didn’t seem to be in pain, which was a good sign, but I hoped he wasn’t hiding it.

“That feels a lot better.” He yawned.

“You slept well. How’s your shoulder?” I asked, sitting up.

“Much better. The poison was removed and these bandages are soaked in medicine, so it should be healing. Being an alpha like me helps. We heal quickly,” Rin replied, sitting up slowly. “Are you okay? I thought I heard Emelio talking to you last night.”

So he had heard us. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Rin had excellent hearing.

“I’m fine. He just wanted to discuss a few things because I chose you yesterday. I understand why. He’s answering to Higher Powers, and we all have our roles here. I made it clear to him that I only want to be with you, and I just want to be friends with Rayne,” I explained.

“I know you do, and I’d like that. We have issues to resolve, and what happened between you and him just made things worse. That damn Faerie queen knew it would deepen our rift. That’s why she made it happen,” Rin admitted.

I decided not to tell him that Lila had actually planned for me to get pregnant during that encounter. Not only did it not happen because I’d regained enough control not to let him finish inside me, but I could only imagine how bad their fight could get if he knew there had been a chance.

“You two should try to talk things out. You don’t want her to have any more power over you, and it might be easier now that I’ve made my choice,” I suggested.

“Maybe,” Rin agreed. “So, what else did Emelio want to talk about? Did they find Flora?”

“Not yet, but he gave me the same medicine she tried to. He said he was told to because they don’t want me to have any children for a while,” I replied.

“That makes sense. There’s no need for it to happen soon because neither Rayne nor I need to take the throne. Jekia’s still strong, and there’s no sign of that changing. We both prefer it that way. We look up to him more than he realizes, and we still have a lot to learn from him,” Rin admitted.

“I’m sure you both do, and he’s right. No one is perfect. You might make mistakes, but you can learn from them,” I reminded him.

“True enough.” Rin shot me a knowing grin. “But we’ve got time, and that medicine should be kicking in by now.”

His sudden shift in thought wasn’t hard to catch. I shouldn’t have been taken aback either. Emelio’s description of a fox’s libido seemed to be spot on when it came to Rin, and I was certain that my current state of undress was more than a little tempting for him.

Not that I was complaining. I craved a break from all the negativity that had been swirling around, even if it was just for a short while. Plus, Emelio was right about me not being able to resist the allure Rin stirred within me.

I mirrored his grin. “I wouldn’t mind. It feels strange that it’s been so long since we’ve been intimate, and I was told that you’d want to reclaim me as your beta because I chose you.”

“That’s correct.” Rin drew me closer so that I was straddling his lap. “Not only does a beta’s soul become as strong as her alpha’s, but our bodies are now designed to revel in each other’s pleasure.”

I wasn’t entirely convinced that this newfound desire had only sprung up because I had chosen him over all others. It could’ve been my lack of experience with sex, but I always felt like his body was a perfect match for mine. Even now, as I traced my hands over his firm, smooth chest, my heart was racing, and my body was buzzing with anticipation.

Oh yes; I wanted this so much. I needed to feel all of him again.

Our kiss was intense, my body practically melding with his as I wrapped my arms around him. I could feel his hands exploring my back and hips before cupping and squeezing my breasts through my bra. A shaky sigh slipped out as he kissed my neck, then the tops of my breasts as he unhooked my bra.

“Oh…”

I moaned and arched my back as he circled his tongue around my left nipple, then sucked on it while he squeezed the right. The tingling sensation between my legs intensified as he continued this, alternating between my breasts until they were so sensitive that it was almost painful.

Rin let out a low, sensual chuckle before laying me back on the bed. He slipped out of his pants and looked down at my nearly naked and highly aroused body. I shivered slightly as he gently traced his fingers over the stitches on my abdomen, and I noticed a slight dimming in his eyes.