№39|Aura Imprints
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The next morning, Julius sat in an impenetrable box as Barron’s group of wolves gathered around it. “19 years.” Vanessa circled the box. “That’s how long mom and dad have been gone.”
“Awe, what’s wrong? Daddy’s little princess mad?” Julius teased.
Vanessa snarled but continued, “19 years without mom and dad… and now… after 19 years… we have a chance to find them.”
“And I can get my money!” Julius smirked. “Which I rightfully deserve!”
“You don’t deserve anything, you pompous little bitch!” Barron growled, pounding his fist on the box. “I can’t believe you! Those are our parents, and you traded them like cattle!!”
“Not necessarily cattle, more like merch.” Julius smirk only grew. “Really, really, expensive merch.”
“How could you just sell the lives of the Alpha and Luna?” Montego glared daggers at him.
“How could you look up to wolves as weak as them?” Julius scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“Ulysses and Enyo were the best Alpha couple this pack has ever seen,” Lawrence turned towards Barron and Medusa, “sorry…”
“It’s true though.” Barron smiled, chuckling softly. “I know I could never beat my parents.”
“I don’t see why you adore those pitiful excuses for an alpha couple.” Julius shook his head, sighing slightly.
“What do you have against them?” Ayame questioned.
“You don’t know what they did… they’re not the picture perfect Alpha couple you believe they are.” Julius scrunched up his fist.
“Mom and dad were amazing people.” Vanessa folded her arms over her chest. “You’re the one who’s rotten.”
“I’m rotten?” Julius gasped dramatically. “Such harsh words, Vanessa! You kiss your fleshie with that mouth?”
Vanessa lunged forehead to attack Julius, but fell victim to Malakai’s soft embrace. “Don’t let him push your buttons.”
Vanessa growled at her brother before melting into Malakai’s embrace. Julius laughed at his sister. “Gods and goddesses… you're just like father... weak to his mate’s touch!”
“Father was never weak!” Vanessa defended, her eyes flashing a deep scarlet.
“Yes, he was, and you know it!” Julius shot back. “If it weren’t for you and Barron, I would’ve been the alpha… not Barron!! If you just mind your damn business I would’ve been alpha!”
“You think I was gonna stand by as you beat the living hell out of mom and dad! Those are our parents, Julius, our parents. Kids don’t hit their parents, Julius!” Barron slammed his hand against the box. “That’s not how it fucking works!!”
“Do you think I care? About them? About you?” Julius laughed mockingly. “I care about my money.” Julius sounded out every syllable of the greedy word. “So I don’t care what those dragons do to them, as long as I get my money, I’m one happy wolf.”
“You were never a wolf in my eyes.” Barron spat out, grimacing down at his brother.
“You were never an alpha in my eyes.” Julius shot back, watching as his brother exited the room, simmering in anger.
◥✥◤
Later that afternoon, Medusa sat at Barron's desk, looking over the pictures of her family. She ran her fingers over the outdated picture of her mother, father, and Medusa standing in front of the Egyptian Pyramids.
Her parents were adventurers, and having Medusa didn’t stop them. The small family of three would travel all around the world. From Atlantis to the Amazon Rainforest – her family did it all. It’s what fueled Medusa into research. While on these trips, Medusa’s mother would give her a notebook to write down all her findings… one that she still used to this very day.
Now that Medusa was grown up and studying the WhiteClad pack, her parents continued their adventures. She would check in on them from time to time, but she hadn’t seen them in months. All the talk about Barron’s parents were no help at all.
She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if her parents were in Barron’s parents' situation. She sighed, shaking her head. She was thankful her parents were safe.
She looked up from her notes. The compound had been strangely quiet since this morning, causing an uneasy feeling to form in the Luna’s stomach. She bit her lip, looking around. “Where is he?” She muttered.
She jumped up slightly when she felt Barron’s arms wrap around her. She lifted her hands to stroke his cheek. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since this morning.” The smell of dead animals lingered in the air. “How long have you been hunting?”
“Not that long.” Barron lied, kissing along her neck.
“Six plus hours.” Lawrence grimaced at the alpha from the doorway. “He hunted practically everything in the damn forest and dragged the entire pack along with him.”
“Don’t you wolves love a good hunt?” Medusa chuckled, moving onto the next photo that showed her parents and Medusa swinging on vines in the Amazon Rainforest.
“Oh, we do,” Vanessa plopped down on the office couch, “but whatever my idiotic brother dragged us on was not a hunt,” she judginingly pointed her finger at her older brother, “that was corpral punishment!”
“You’re just mad you couldn’t keep up.” Barron scoffed, nuzzling his nose on Medusa’s mark.
“None of us could keep up!” Yvette scolded, heaving heavily as she chugged down a glass of water. “I’m a Pastel and a Russian wolf, and even I couldn’t pass you!”
Medusa dropped her pictures on the desk. “Did anyone record the data?!” She asked hastily. The wolves shook their heads. “Idiots!” Medusa growled, slumping back down in her chair as she continued to flip through the pictures.
“Barron, you cannot just call the pack onto one of your damn ‘I’m pissed off’ hunts without warning us first!” Montego rubbed his shoulder, groaning as he sat down next to Vanessa.
“Yeah, this one was worse than the last!” Alistair groaned loudly, flopping down on the carpeted floor.
“Last time?” Malakai asked as Vanessa curled up in his lap.
“Yeah,” Ayame wiped the sweat off her face, “last time he pulled us along these ‘I’m pissed off’ hunts was when the Alpha and Luna were in the hospital.”
“Barron,” Medusa flipped to a picture of her and her parents underwater in the city of Atlantis, “you can’t force the wolves to go hunting when you’re pissed. Remember what I said? You have to talk out your emotion, not kill every animal in the forest.”
Barron sighed, unwrapping his arms from Medusa before hopping up onto the desk. “He just gets me so mad at times…” his eyes flashed a deep cobalt blue.
Medusa rested her hand on his, smiling softly at Barron. “Hey, we’re gonna find them, okay? Good news; according to some of the hunters, the dragons left earlier this morning.”
Barron nodded, kissing Medusa’s noses “That’s great news.” He stroked her cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Medusa.”
“Me either.” She smiled smugly.
“Look, first thing tomorrow, after we all rest after Barron’s corporal punishment he calls ‘hunting’,” Kirkland growled at the Alpha, “we start finding clues as to where Barron’s parents are.”
“Or were…” Vanessa muttered solemnly.
“Vanessa, they’re alive.” Celaneo pressed her hand on her heart. “I can feel it.”
“How?” Vanessa scoffed. “We haven’t been able to link with them for years…”
“I’m not talking about wolf linking-” Medusa’s head perked up at Celaneo’s words.
“Wolf linking?” She brought out her notebook, flipping to a blank page. “What’s that?”
“Each wolf pack has a collective mind... it allows us to share thoughts, feelings, and knowledge without ever opening our mouths. It’s mostly used for Alphas and Lunas to contact their wolves.” Barron explained, watching as Medusa wrote it all down in her notebook.
“Isn’t that like… invasion of privacy?” Medusa tilted her head.
“I told you, Medusa, wolves are very open.” He tapped her nose. “That’s what sets us apart from fleshies. I could never understand why they loved keeping everything secret.” He shrugged.
“Anyways,” Medusa chuckled, stroking her partner’s hand, “Celaneo, you were saying?”
“Yes. I wasn’t talking about wolf linking, Vanessa, rather… I can feel their aura imprint… it’s still here after many years of them being gone.” Celaneo took a deep breath in. “The compound is covered in it really.”
“Okay, so?” Yvette asked.
“I might be able to use that imprint to track down your parents.” Celaneo smiled sweetly. “I know I haven’t been much help to the pack lately, so please… let me just do this.”
“Of course,” Barron hugged the nymph, “thank you so much, Celaneo.” he leaned in close. “Orion is really lucky to have someone like you.”
Celaneo smiled, turning towards Orion as entered the room. “Hey, you ready for date night?”
“Might have to reschedule,” Celaneo patted his chest, “gotta help Barron find his parents.”
“How?” Orion asked.
“Aura imprint.” Celaneo winked as her and Orion left the room.
Barron groaned, raking his fingers through his hair as he walked back over to Medusa. He glanced down at the pictures. “Is that your mom and dad?”
“Yeah,” Medusa pointed to the woman with long silky black hair, “she’s my mother, Olga.”
Her finger traced over to the other side of the picture, pointing to the man that stood beside Medusa and her mother. “That’s my father, Graham. They’re both adventurers, so they took me on their trips around the world!” Medusa eyes began to sparkle. “One time, we were in the Himalayas because my mother and father were doing research on Yetties-”
“Your parents were researchers too?” Barron questioned.
“Yeah!” She nodded her head excitedly. “Mom and Dad first met when they were both competing for a grant. Mom was researching the mating habits of different types of aquatic animals while my dad was studying the migration patterns of dragons.”
“Awe,” Malakai chuckled, stroking Vanessa’s hair, “science runs in the family.”
“My mom gave me this notebook.” She stroked her fingers on the cool leather spine of the notebook. “When I was 5, we were in Atlantis, and she gave me my first assignment; write down your observations of the mermaids’ scales.” She chuckled at her sloppy writing. “After that, I began writing down everything I saw.”
“Do they know you’re here?” Barron inquired.
“Yeah, they know. They’re super excited that I finally got someone to fund my research… even if they are my boyfriend.” Medusa giggled, kissing Barron’s cheek.
“I would fund all of your research in a heartbeat, my love.” Barron whispered tenderly, brushing a strand of snake and human mixed hair.
Medusa blushed, her clouded eyes shimmering in the evening sunset.
Just as Barron was about to lean in for a kiss, Medusa pulled him down by his collar. “Don’t you think being cute is gonna get you off the hook. You were running and hunting faster than ever and none of you,” she glared at all the wolves in the room, “decided to record the data?!”
“Sorry Medusa…” the wolves muttered.
“Yeah, yeah,” Medusa let go of Barron’s collar, “next time you angry hunt, you’re wearing that collar.”
“Medusa, it’s itchy.” Barron complained.
“I don’t care, it helps with my research,” she smirked at him, waving her recorder in his face, “and you said you would fund my research in a heartbeat.”
“I remember no such thing.” Barron turned away from his Luna.
“Oh really?” Medusa pressed the top button on her recorder.
“I’d fund your research in a heartbeat, my love.” Barron’s past self said, a sly smirk growing on Medusa’s face.
“I’ll wear the collar.” Barron muttered, admitting defeat.
“Thank you.” She murmured, planting a small kiss on his lips. “It’s all in the name of science, my love”
Celaneo returned to the room with some candles.
Ayame raised her eyebrow. “What’s with the candles?”
“It’ll help me locate the Alpha and Luna easier.” Celaneo explained shortly.
Celaneo placed the candles on the floor, lighting them as the smell filled the room.
The pack watched in silence as Celaneo sat in front of the candles, her hands hovering over the flame as she closed her eyes. She exhaled a deep breath, her eyes shooting open as she found the imprints.
“Celaneo?” Medusa waved her hand in front of Celaneo’s glowing green eyes.
“Is she dead?” Yvette questioned, crouching down in front of her.
“No, you dummies!” Chelia scolded. “She’s connected to the Alpha and Luna’s auras right now, so the world faded away.”
“Amazing…” Medusa muttered, studying Celaneo as though she were a specimen. “So she can’t hear us?”
“Not a single sound.” Chelia replied.
Medusa tried to poke Celaneo’s cheek, but a quick shock sent Medusa jerking her finger back. “What the heck!” He scolded, shaking out her hand to relieve the pain.
“While her body is in this state, a protective barrier shrounds her body so it won't get hurt. Hence, the shocks.” Chelia explained as Medusa backed away.
“Cool.” Medusa smiled, pulling out her notebook as she began to write down her observations on Celaneo.
Meanwhile, Celaneo walked around a dark and cold cell. A deep sigh echoed throughout.
“Ulysses,” Enyo’s voice reached the man across the cell, “how are you feeling?” The former Luna crawled over to her mate, tracing her fingers over the new welts and burns on his skin.
Ulysses groaned, turning towards his Luna. He smiled softly, stroking her cheek. “I’m fine… how are you? They were specifically hard on you today…” he glanced down at the blood that dripped from open wounds on her arms and legs.
“Yeah, I guess…” Enyo muttered, brushing strands of her silverish white hair. “Just some cuts and bruises…”
“You’re bleeding.” Ulysses morphed into his grey wolf form, licking up the blood from her wounds. “I shouldn’t have said anything… maybe they wouldn’t hurt you as much.”
“They were bound to hurt us regardless of what we did or didn’t say…” Enyo whimpered, looking down at the floor.
“How’d we’d end up like this?” Enyo sighed, shaking her head.
“Don’t you remember?” Celaneo whipped her head towards Irvam as his leather boots echoed through the hallway. “Your son sold you.”
Celaneo glared at the dragon. “They’re people… not object… you fucking monster.”
Irvam’s wine toned eyes darted towards the corner of his eye. He smirked slightly. He couldn’t see the nymph fully, but her aura was there. Dragons were partially skilled in seeing aura and detecting it from miles away.
“Now,” Irvam turned his attention back towards the couple, running his nails against the steel bars of the cell, “what should I do to you today, mutts?”
“Go to hell…” Ulysses growled, his eyes flashing a bright silver.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Irvam teased. “I don’t speak mutt.”
“I said…” Ulysses rose from the floor, “go… to… hell!”
With a swift extension of his arms, a bright green ray of magic streamed out of Irvam’s hand, sending Ulysses into the back wall.
“Fuck you…” Ulysses murmermed as he slid down the wall.
Enyo rushed to her mate’s side. She quickly morphed into her wolf form and began licking up his wounds in an attempt to heal him. “You fucking monster!” Enyo snarled, glaring daggers at the dragon.
“I’m the monster?” Irvam gasped, extending his hand towards Eyno. A bubble of water shrouded the former Luna. “No, no, no. See, the only monsters here are you two.” He scrunched up his fist, the water pressed inside the bubble becoming higher. “You wolves are fucking animals! Literally!”
Enyo whimpered, gasping for air. “Oh? Does the Luna need air?” Irvam teased, slamming the bubble against the wall, not only popping it, but sending the former Luna against the hard brick.
“Your eldest son couldn’t hold up the deal…” Irvam sent Enyo flying into Ulysses arms. “Not to mention those children of yours took all my CandyLand wolves!”
Ulysses smiled. “Smart kids…”
“More like dumbass kids!” Irvam growled, slamming his hands against the bars. “What kinds of wolves are you raising over there?!”
“Don’t you talk about our pack!” Enyo struggled to stand. “The WhiteClad pack won’t stand for this!”
“They don’t even know you’re here!” Irvam laughed, turning towards Celaneo. His hand began to glow a bright white as it wrapped around Celaneo’s neck, holding it in a tight grip. “Or maybe they do know…” he smirked slyly as Celaneo rapidly hit his hand in an attempt to make the dragon let her go, “look at what we got here… a nymph… aren’t you just one fine little thing.”
Meanwhile, back at the WhiteClad pack, Celaneo’s body began to gasp for air, clenching her thighs as tears streamed down her face.
“What’s happening?” Orion’s voice laced with worry. He tried to comfort the nymph but the protective barrier blocked him.
“I don't know… nobody should be able to see her in her aura state… unless…” Chelia gasped, “the dragons have found her…”
“I thought you said nobody can see her?” Orion began to panic more and more every passing second.
“Dragons can see people in their aura state… their senses allow them to detect aura from miles away. That’s how they can see Celaneo.” Chelia explained.
Back at the cell, Celaneo’s vision began to fade, but a slap from Irvam jolted her eyes. “No, no, no. You don’t get to pass out, my little nymph.” A hissing sound began to fill the hallway as his hand scorched Celaneo’s neck.
Celaneo screeched out in pain, her nails gripping the wet, cold bricks of the room. “Did you think you could be slick and spy on me?” Irvam growled, slamming Celaneo’s head against the wall. “Did the little Alpha Barron think he could send a nymph in to be 007?”
Orion growled deeply, the burnt blonde wolf clawing his nails into the carpet as Irvam’s voice echoed out from the candles. “What the hell is he doing to her?!” Orion snarled.
“I-I don’t know.” Barron stuttered slightly. “But it isn’t good.”
“No shit!” Orion scolded. “Who the hell is that talking?!”
“Irvam.” Medusa replied. “He was the one Julius was working with.”
Irvam chuckled. “Ooh, can they hear me, nymph girl?” The dragon leaned in close, his grip tightening on the nymph. Irvam noticed the mark on her neck. “Ooh! Someone’s mated? Is he in the room?”
Celaneo shook his head. Orion! She pleaded out for her beloved. Orion! Anyone! Just bring me out of this state!
“Don’t lie to me, nymph girl, is he in the room?” Irvam asked again.
Celaneo nodded, pleasing the dragon. “What’s his name?” Irvam questioned.
“Ori-Orion…” she croaked with the little bit of air she had left.
“Orion?” Irvam tapped his chin. “Oh! The scrawny little delta! You’re mated to that thing?”
“What did he just say?!” Orion scratched the floor. He marched over to Celaneo’s body, enduring all the shock waves as he attempted to wake her up.
“Orion! Stop it! If you keep disturbing her it’ll-” before Chelia could finish, a large shock wave sent Orion flying into the wall.
Orion growled and matched back towards the candle, holding it in his mouth as he shook his head back and forth. “Stupid… dragon! Mine! Mine!” He snarled, throwing the candle against the wall.
Celaneo hissed out in pain as the scorching on her neck grew to an unbearable heat. “Tell him to put down the candle in front of the Alpha and Luna.” Irvam demanded.
Orion growled, throwing the candle against the wall once more. “She’s mine!” Orion clawed at the candle.
Irvam’s grip tightened on the nymph, Celaneo’s eyes bugged out of her head as fire lit in Irvam’s clenched hand. “AGH!!” She hollered out, her voice echoing in the night.
“Ori-Orion! D-Do what he says…” Celaneo rasped, hitting Irvam’s hand repeatedly as she gasped for air.
“Celaneo…” Orion whimpered.
“Orion… please… AGH!” Celaneo sobbed as her head bashed against the wall.
“What’s it gonna be delta? You gonna drop the candle or do I have to give nymph here a concussion?” Irvam wagered.
The delta whimpered, glancing back at his mate’s body as it writhed out in pain. He slowly walked towards the Alpha couple, placing the candle at their feet.
Barron scratched behind Orion’s ear. “She’s a strong nymph, she’ll be okay.” He whispered.
He picked up the candle, clenching it tightly. “Let go of my nymph, Irvam! And my parents!”
“Who do you think you are? Barking orders like you the shit.” Irvam scoffed, pulling Celaneo by the hair as he slammed her into the cell bars.
“What do you want with them?” Medusa growled.
“Hmm…” Irvam turned towards Barron’s parents, a thought popping in his head as a wicked smile graced his lips, “how about you come to the Dragon Islands, and I’ll tell you what I want. Seem fair?”
“You can’t touch my parents until we work out a deal!” Vanessa added, gaining a groan from Irvam.
“Fine!” He groaned loudly. “I won’t touch them.” He released his grip on Celaneo. “See you later, nymph girl.”
With that, Celaneo went back into her normal body, falling back onto the floor as she gasped loudly for air. Orion rushed towards Celaneo’s side, whimpering as he licked her face.
“Orion, I’m okay… really…” she said, her breathing slowing down slightly.
“No, you're not!” Orion nuzzled against her neck. “It’s burnt…” he frowned at the burn marks on her neck, especially along the mark he gave her. “Mine…” he whispered, nudging her slightly. “All mine…”
“I know, I’m all yours, Orion.” Celaneo wrapped her arms around the wolf, hugging him tightly as he morphed back into his human form. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get enough information… your parents…” a smile graced her lips, “they’re alive!”
~A/N~
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!
What an amazing Xmas present for Barron and Vanessa! Their parents are alive!! Yay!!
Anyways! This marks the end of Arc 2 and the next update will begin the third and final arc!
Also, after Wereology I'm posting the next book in my villain series. "A Sea Of Bloody Hearts" which will be a murder mystery with the Queen of Hearts as the MC
I hope everyone got what they wanted for Xmas or whatever holiday y'all celebrate.
Till Monday!! Bye!!