It was near midnight when we finally set out. There was a sickle type moon in the sky, not nearly enough to light our path, yet still it cast looming shadows wherever we went.
I felt calm as I walked beside Veldore into the great towering trees of the forest. It was odd how safe I felt even as the darkness swelled and fogged the area with a gloomy mist. It should have been petrifying to wander into the forest at this time in the night. I should have been afraid. But the warmth of knowing that Veldore was by my side was sinking in and I just embraced the tranquility in the air.
The knights walked ahead of us, of course Veldore had outright denied my request at leaving with us two alone. He took my hand and pulled my to his side, then notably slowed his pace.
Now we were following a good measure behind the seemingly floating coal lights the knights carried with them.
Even through the silence I could hear the noisy chain armor and it kept me grounded. Staying with Veldore for too long sent me far away, into a land where no one else existed but us.
We kept our voices low as we talked. I tried to ask open questions, ones where he would spend the majority of the time talking. I loved listening to my man, he had such a low husky voice, it resonated, it imprinted in my mind.
Oddly enough, though we had little conversation before, talking to Veldore seemed almost too natural. It was as though I at least partially already knew what he was going to tell me which was, of course, impossible.
I suppose I just felt like I knew him, very, very well.
I loved it, being the only one who knew Veldore this well.
I often heard their passing conversations regarding my King. I had to always quash the undying need to correct them when defining him. They called him a coldblooded man, a ruthless man, a heartless man. They were oh so wrong.
Even stepping partially into the alphas space would be enough to recognize this man as more than those words, deeper than just that petty description.
He had this circle of warmth around him, whenever I stepped in close it grabbed me and roped me and hauled me in. I was lured in like a crow to jewel, and then trapped like a fly in a spiders web. And I loved it.
"We are nearing Aventine Hill." He stated, signalling for me to start leading the way.
It was just beginning to occur to me that I hadn't really much of a clue as to where the sprite might be hiding. She had asked to meet me, I couldn't remember if she'd specified a time, what if we'd come too late?
Before I could give voice to my thoughts I felt my fist close on something solid, in the shape of a rippling petal. I opened it and in my hand reappeared the shell the sprite had given me, the light of the only partial moon somehow shone directly onto it and it gleamed with smug pride.
And the next thing I noticed was the scent.
There was a scent in the air, like freshwater and sea salt, an odd mix. The scent still felt comforting though.
Perhaps ever since the sprite had saved me from Eddergan taking me as if I were his own, I had associated the smell with safety.
Still, I wasn't sure why, but it felt like there was more of an explanation then that.
When I heard the rustling Veldore had already drawn me up close and into his arms, his back was hunched just slightly, protective of whatever might be waiting in the dark. I loved the feel of those muscular arms circling around me, for him it was just instinct, he had no idea just how much comfort it actually provided me with.
I squeezed his arms a little, a sign that it was okay. He let me loose after a while until we heard another rustle from the trees, he then drew me straight back into his hold and didn't let go, signalling for his knights, who were already waving their blazing torches about in the darkness.
It was admittedly a little frightening. The woods were not made of thick bodied trees, more so slender ones than any other. We should have been able to see a figure if it was so near to us.
Then a girl appeared, almost out of thin air, it was the fair sprite. The were sprite as she had named herself. Alcmene.
"Hello son of Ursula, son of Abelia, and the knights of the King."
Veldore stiffened beside me.
"State your name sprite." Veldore ordered, with a little more force than I thought necessary.
"Alcmene." She replied, calm as ever, not even the slightest bit fearful of the hulking man that loomed over my side.
"And how is it, Alcmene, that you know my late mothers name."
She gave a short smile but did not even attempt to answer the question.
"I know plenty. Come Ursula's child, follow me to the lake, this trip is all about you."
I wondered briefly and cheekily how come one who knew so many things did not appear to know my name, yet I made no mention of it. It would have been impertinent.
We followed her to through the trees and across the bumpy slopes, all an uneven mixture of mud, leaves and thriving nettles.
When we finally arrived at the lake there were four others there waiting for us, two of them were half submerged in the water, none of them wore any clothes. And it was only then that I noticed that Alcmene too, wore no clothes. Somehow it had drawn no attention at all.
They all stepped back into the water and apparently hovered slightly as the pulled further into the lake. Alcmene sat with her back too us and he legs in the water.
"Come." She said, patting the earth beside me.
Veldore guided me to her side and kept a protective arm around my waist.
I sat next to her. She looked at my covered feet and raised a slow brow. I took the hint and removed my shoes, then my socks and unbuttoned my trouser legs up till knee length, rolling them up and plunging my feet into the water of the lake.
Oddly enough the water was warm, which was not to be expected on such a frosty night.
She took my hand and pressed something into it. I opened my hand and tried to make sense of what they were supposed to be.
"You have not been yet told the story of your mother have you?"
I paused and turned to her. "I know of my mother. I know what she did, is there more to it?"
"Do you know her name?"
I pondered for a moment. "I believe Jacintha, I could be mistaken."
However the sprite shook her head. "Not your birth mother."
I just stared at her, how could I have anything else?
"Remember child, the scent of honey and long black hair."
I shivered, there was something mesmerizing in her voice and it chilled me a little, at the same time I felt the creeping sense of nostalgia frighten me. Veldore sensed my discomfort and tightened his arm around my narrow hips.
She tutted, "No man should forget the memory of their mother."
"What can I do of it, memory cannot simply be found."
"Memory does not hold enough on it's own anyway."
"And what is your conclusion?"
"I must tell you of your mothers story."
"I would love that indeed, please." I was in a mood for storytelling, my own curiosity guided me to the confident answer and while the water the rushed around my legs was warm and kept me calm, only Veldores heat provided me the true safety and comfort I was feeling.
"Then I will proceed."
I said nothing and waited for explanation.
"Your true mother went by the name Ursula. She was, like I, a were sprite. The odd mix of ancient fairy and the shifting wolf. She too was adopted into the waters of the lake at a very you age. We grow a little of course, for a while. Still age is not very present on our skin, hard to decipher.
"The difference between sprites and werewolves is the we do not have rank, and we do not have mate. Unfortunately as a were sprite she did have one, found him at 41. He died of course, she was unable to claim him. She was without gender, as all of us are.
"Still, in faith, she prayed at Selene's pedestal, the well on Verity hill. She did so religiously, faithfully, continuously. One day, upon feeling the death of her mate and overcome by sadness, she lowered herself slowly into the depths of the dried out well, she did not leave, she wanted Selene to give her a sign that her trust in the gods would be repaid.
"And then there was you. Born only months prior. The mate of your birth mother was furious. Not only was he born of bad blood but he had mingled with bad blood and disaster was evident.
"He wandered far into the woods and climbed the hill, upon seeing the well and thinking it fresh with water he placed you into the pale and lowered you downwards.
"Like the gift that you were from Selene you fell into Ursulas hands. She was elated. The small baby, fragile and perfect, a prize like no other for your infertile mother.
"To Selene she prayed that she might grant her the wish of adopting you. And Selene granted her such a wish, with the exceptions that you would still be free to find your mate, and grow as normal, as requested by Ursula, who missed those pleasantries herself."
I wanted to ask her. I'd kept my tongue shut this entire time yet I had so many questions. It was driving me into a frenzy just having to bite my tongue and keep my words silent. How did Alcmene know this all?
"She cared for you, such a smile none of us had ever seen, so it made us quite sad when that man came to retrieve you in anger, ripping your mothers throat.
"She only managed to claw him.
"She was week as a sprite, we all are.
"We have our abilities but as a sprite you are not meant to mingle with other species. We live as long as the Gods please, and when our time is up it is generally by the unnatural hand."
"Please." I interrupted. "My mother died?" Alcmene said nothing but nodded, somewhere in those empty blue eyes I spotted the barest hint of sadness, though nonchalant her expression seemed to be. "How do you know this? How do you know I was a gift from Luna? Why did my father kill her?"
"I cannot see through the wild frayed mind of the man you have been groomed to call your father. I will never know why he took you from Ursula, or why he felt the need to rip her throat out in the process."
I felt bile on my tongue at the thought. "How do you know this, how should I know if any of this is true."
Alcmene shook her head, "I am in no mood to waste time proving it more than the gift in your hands will. We know Selene favored Luna because once she passed she retrieved her from death and granted her one last visit to her family, us, she told us off the injustice she faced, she asked us to leave you a gift the day after your binding ceremony to your mate. She asked me to explain all.
"Selene did more than raise her from the dead though, she gave Ursula the gift of godly power, to forever work at Selene's side, one of her children, the eldest one of her thousands of children."
I calmed a little at the last sentence. The Ursula was alright. She was happy, she did not die in terror and vain. She must be content.
Veldores arm tightened once more and I moved slightly to press up against his side.
I accepted the comfort.
I thought for a couple of moments before I muttered, "Ussie."
Alcmene nodded without looking at me. "You have remembered."
"I dreamed of her. I remember it now, almost vividly. He threw me on her body when he killed her. I thought of Ussie only. Yet how could this be? I could not have been old enough to remember this."
"Your spirit, your wolf spirit may have remembered it all for you."
"I thought my wolf spirit was a part of me? A side of me?"
"Not for were sprites. Our wolves guide us from the air above our skin, until we pull them in for transformation."
I turned to ask her another question yet she had gone as fast as she came.
I returned my eyes to Veldore. "She has yet to tell me what this gift is."
Veldore guided my fingers, with the gift nestled on my palm, into his warm large hands and chuckled. "Pumpkin seeds."
He placed them in a pouch.
I smiled. "Odd, yet endearing."
He returned the smile, pushing me back against the leaves and dirt and wiping my mind of any other thought with a kiss of such blatant lust that it sent my poor overworked mind into a frenzy of need. I guided the probing tongue, the soft pressure as he melted me from inside out. He kissed in such a way that his possessiveness showed, it was glorious.
I panted when his tongue had finally given up taking account of every nook and cranny of my mouth. I licked my lips, the taste of butter and cinnamon quickly fading, I wanted it to stay forever. The taste of Veldore.
He drew me in close and as I felt his warmth envelope me I shivered upon realizing just how cold it was outside of his space. He kept me tucked into his side and I pressed myself further into him, nuzzling him just slightly as he walked.
I liked the feel of rubbing our skin together just the bit, it sent pleasant tingles scattering all over my body.
He guided me back to the blazing lights of the knights we'd left waiting behind.
"You needn't have stopped kissing me so soon." I smiled, the hint in my eyes.
"Oh, I'm not done, I'm never done kissing you, my mate, I must take the pleasure and time in order to remind you just who you are, Cinde, the Kings mate."
[A/N] And we are done. That's the end folks. None more to read. That. Is. The. End. Boom. Explosion. Thank you to everyone who loved me even when I was a nasty bastard and couldn't update for a month. Thank you to everyone who voted without me needing to beg for it. Thank you everyone for your interesting, embarrassing and wholly confusing comments.
Goodbye Cinde & Veldore.
PS: Regarding everyone freaking out that there was too much left unsolved I did mention on my page that I would be writing a short follow up that would be less crammed with explanation.
No panicking allowed.