Chapter 35 – Take Me On A Ride
I wake to find myself lying on a long couch in a familiar office. Pulling the soft blanket off me, I wipe my eyes clear of sleep and look around. Vulcan is sitting in one of the armchairs, sheets of paper and maps littering the coffee table. His lips are set into a thin line and his green orbs are still filled with anger and something so very dark and unknown.
Sitting up, I run a hand through my messy hair before walking over to him. He looks up at me in confusion when I round the chair. My hands find his shoulders, massaging the tensed muscles that slowly relax under my touch. A low groan escapes his lips, his head falling back and the tips of his dark brown hair grazing my skin.
I continue until I feel him completely relax, the tension that was so prominent in his muscles is now gone. Now, I'm just running my hand through his hair, playing with the strands. He stops me, grabbing my small hands in his large ones and bringing them around his neck to his chest. I lean forward and rest my head on his shoulder, kissing the curve of his neck gently.
"You should rest. You look like you're about to drop any minute." I murmur, hearing him sigh in response.
He shakes his head, vehemently. "I need to find out who did it."
"And you will." I reassure, my voice soft. "But you also need to rest. You're always working Vulcan, at least take a break sometimes."
He reluctantly nods, sighing before letting me pull him up and lead him out of the office. We find ourselves in the kitchen when he grumbles that he's hungry. I cut the turkey sandwiches in half before placing them on a plate and handing it to him.
Sitting on the chair beside him, I take a sip of juice whilst scrolling through my texts, replying to my friends before setting it down. I glance up only to double take when I see that Vulcan is staring at me and has not taken a bite yet.
"Is there something wrong?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Where's your food?" He asks, raising a thick brown brow.
"Oh!" I chuckle before shrugging. "I'm not hungry."
In the blink of an eye, I'm pulled onto his lap. I shake my head, protesting when he holds a sandwich up to my lips. He growls lowly, a stern look in his eyes which makes me sigh in defeat and open my mouth to take a bite. I know arguing with him is pointless, he'll just bring up my health and go on about it forever.
We eat silently, his eyes glazed over indicating that he's talking to someone through the mind link werewolves have while I scroll through an app on my phone. I take a bite out of the sandwich before nudging him with my elbow to catch his attention, holding the sandwich up to his lips only for my jaw to drop when he takes a massive bite, leaving only a small piece for me. I shake my head when he winks before resting my head against his chest. His heart beat speeds up the slightest bit making me smile softly, happy that I have that effect on him.
Looking up when the door opens, I smile at Indigo and Vanessa. They take a seat next to us at the table and she smiles at me, her brown eyes focusing on Vulcan's arms that are wrapped around my waist and how I lean back into him. I playfully glare at her when she wiggles her brows at me in a cheeky manner.
"Okay, we need to assess yesterday's threat." I look up to see that Vulcan's eyes have returned to the vibrant green, his hand now stroking my arm.
Indigo throws a stack of files onto the table, most of them worn around the edges making me assume that they have been stored for quite a while now. "It's obvious that they want to capture and possibly torture Aurora so Vulcan does whatever it is that they want."
Vulcan whispers soothing words into my ear when I stiffen, reassuring me that I'm safe and that they won't harm me. Both him and Vanessa growl at Indigo before she slaps the back of his head making him whine, telling me how he forgets to be sensitive most of the time. He mumbles out an apology and I smile shakily in assurance.
"We've brought some files from the 1900's of when you used to rule over the Vampire kingdom, maybe we'll find some leads?" Vanessa explains, passing over a thick folder to Vulcan.
"Whoa, hold on! How old are you actually?" I exclaim, looking up to Vulcan in shock.
"Around 320." He smirks when my jaw drops. "When I told you that I'm twenty-four, that was when I stopped ageing."
"I'm 250 years old if anybody wanted to know." Indigo pipes up making Vanessa chuckle.
"B-But, how?" I ask, my mind reeling.
"Most supernatural creatures live for a very long time but we stop ageing around our mid-twenties so we blend in with humans. It's quite natural for us." Vanessa explains, flipping through the pages of a file.
"Oh...what about human mates?"
"After marking, your DNA changes to compliment your mate's. So, when Vulcan marks you, his venom will work on slowing your growth along with some other effects like you gaining more strength and your features enhancing." She elaborates, writing something down on a notepad.
I nod and lean over to see what she's doing and she scoots closer to me in response. Ever since I was introduced as this pack's Luna, I have started learning how to help Vulcan in paperwork and other duties along with my own.
"Julius should be keeping those vampires in control, he didn't just take over the throne for no reason." Vulcan mutters, opening the file to reveal names with the words secure, medium-risk and dangerous written beside them.
"Julius?" I ask, frowning in confusion.
"He was the lost heir to the vampire kingdom. I ruled because his father chose me to take over before he died." Vulcan elaborates, highlighting some names that he thought of as potential threats. "After looking into some old files, I discovered that he had an illegitimate son. So, I found him and told him to take the throne."
Vulcan leaves after he's called by one of the warriors to the prison cells. He tells me he'll be back soon and that Indigo and Vanessa will stay with me until then. When he's gone, I turn to Indigo.
"Are you of royal descent?"
Smiling, he nods in affirmation to both when I hold up what seems to be a note of interest. I bring over two empty boxes from a nearby table that seem to be not in use, using one for myself and handing the other one to him.
We all work in silence with me asking more questions about how he became a Beta and how packs work and such. He seems eager to tell me all about it, especially about the times back when Vulcan had taken over the throne and raised it to excellent supremacy.
"He was a great leader," Indigo remarks, a reminiscing look in his dark violet eyes. "Though he was fair and just, there were times when he had to force himself to obey the rules and punish the offenders. Back then, the law was strict...almost suffocating for us supernatural creatures."
I halt in my work, leaning against the table to face him. "How did you two meet?"
Indigo smiles, shaking his head. "I had traveled from North America to the south of Russia, my family and I were looking for refuge because of how dangerous the attacks on our area had become. We were to meet the King for us to be granted permission to stay on those lands and when I did -"
"It was Vulcan." I breathe, watching him nod in agreement.
"It was him. He smelt the royal Beta blood in me and ordered for me to stay in the castle, my family sent to live an hour away. I must admit, I was quite frightened of living there, the rumors I had heard about the great King were not all good ones." He chuckles as I rifle through the box for more papers. "But as time went on, we grew on each other and before you know it we were friends and I was being appointed as his Beta."
"Aw," I coo, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "That's so nice."
He nods before getting up to grab some drinks for us, groaning how this is going to take us hours to work through. Vanessa cries out some motivational phrases in a playful manner and we continue, searching for some leads before Vulcan returns.
***
After Vulcan had returned and read over the notes we had taken, I walk Vanessa and Indigo to the door, bidding them goodbye before heading into the kitchen. It's empty however, making me frown and wonder where Vulcan has gone before I notice the open patio door. I slip outside, closing it behind me before walking to the porch swing he is on.
He looks up, snapping out of his thoughts when I get closer. A soft smile spreads on his lips and he holds out his arms for me to settle into once I reach him. I swing my legs up onto the wooden swing, straightening them as I sit in his lap with my torso leaning against his chest.
It's quite for a while, both of us just listening to the sounds of nature. The tall trees of the forest sway gently in the breeze, a few howls echoing here and there whilst pack wolves are out for a run, the stars twinkling brightly in the midnight sky and the full moon hangs high above, gracing us with silver moonlight.
Vulcan tells me that the moon controls the regular werewolves, whereas Lycans can shift whenever they want. He explains that it's safe to sit outside since the wolves are running in a sectioned off part of the territory far from here. The area is surrounded by lasers that will shock a wolf if he or she tries to escape and harm somebody since they don't have control of their beasts. The wolves who can't control themselves are placed in cells where they spend the night.
"This is so nice." I murmur, closing my eyes and sighing in content. I open them again when a sudden thought strikes me, making me pull away to look at Vulcan who stares back at me expectantly. ''I remember that your wolf has different colored eyes. Both your eyes are green, you don't have blue in them at all, so how?"
His hand strokes my hair slowly, a peaceful feeling running through me as he does. It's amazing how his touch can calm me down so quickly and make me feel safe from all the bad in the world. I want to stay like this forever, in his arms and live a happy life without anyone scheming to break us apart.
''My parents were both born into royalty, they were different so when I shifted for the first time, I received both their eye color as a sign that I'm the first heir to the throne. It's weird, they didn't think it would happen when the witches told them of their vision but, it did.''
I nod, feeling uneasy when he mentions witches. His past is really something else, there is love, happiness, suffering and torture. It's a mix and I wonder how he got through it all to be standing here today. I see how everyone looks up to him, as if he's some kind of hero, and maybe he is, maybe they were there when he went through these struggles.
But then they look at me with the same kind of respect and awe. Now that, is what I don't understand. I'm no hero, only a senior in high school. Why do they look at me like I did something for the pack; like I helped them overcome a struggle. I have yet to do something for this pack, yet to act like a Luna I read about whenever I have time on my hands.
Sighing, I gaze up at him, seeing the moon's reflection in his dark eyes as he stares up at it. I don't believe he's some kind of abomination that should have been treated with such cruelty. His parents fell in love and flipped society the bird when it came to rules about species mating with each other. I admire them for the strength they had to fight against the world, it was their little own family against thousands.
Vulcan paved the way for other hybrids, serving as an example that it's okay to have two sides to yourself. That, yes, it's scary and confusing but it's nothing you should run from or let others bully you into thinking that you are not like them. You are who you are.
''Can I ride you?''
Vulcan's head snaps to mine so fast that I think he nearly had a whiplash. Watching his eyes burn bright gold before switching to black and back chaotically, I stare up at him expectantly. I'm quite confused at the reaction I receive, his eyes usually turn gold when he wants to kiss me or do something intimate. I'm not really asking for intimacy here though.
''What did you just say?'' He grits out, closing his eyes and breathing heavily.
''I asked,'' Propping my elbow onto the wood of the porch swing, I lean my cheek against the palm of my hand. ''If I can I ride you, you know, your wolf?''
He groans loudly before looking at me, his teeth biting his bottom lip. I almost swoon, the things he does to my hormonal self. I stare at him with an expectant look in my eyes, wondering if he will agree or not when he finally speaks.
''Aurora,'' He starts, his voice deep and guttural. ''You don't know what your saying -''
''Of course I do! I wouldn't ask you if I didn't!'' I wave him away before grabbing his shoulders and swinging my legs around to straddle his waist. ''Please? It'll be so cool! Come on, Vulcan, just once?''
I widen my eyes and pout, trying to make him give in. It seems to be working as he lets out a shaky breath and leans his head back, shutting his eyes tightly. A deep, husky growl escapes his lips as his fingers dig into my thighs. He opens his eyes again to reveal dark green eyes but with specks of shiny gold around his pupil.
''Only once, I'll never ask again.''
He chuckles huskily and shakes his head. ''You can ride me any time you fucking want, baby.''
My eyes widen before I cheer in excitement. I hug him tightly while he chuckles. Pulling away, I look down to see him murmuring something under his breath.
''Don't go too fast though. I don't want a branch hitting me or something.'' I frown before nodding to myself. His eyes darken to black again, burning with intensity before he pulls away and stands, placing me on the swing.
''If you want to ride me, it'll be fast and hard. I don't do slow, sweetheart.'' He murmurs huskily before walking away towards the door.
Great, now I'm definitely going to get slapped in the face with a branch, I think to myself whilst crawling to the end of the swing.
''Wait,'' I cry, watching him stop but not look back at me. ''Where are you going?''
''To take a shower...a bloody cold shower at that.'' He ends with a low murmur before continuing upstairs. "We'll go after that."
***
I wait on the porch swing while he showers before feeling uneasy at being out alone in the darkness and moving inside. It has been fifteen minutes and Vulcan has still not come down, the clock has struck eleven a long time ago.
I'm starting to think that he fell asleep but then, he returns with just sweatpants hanging low on his hips, his body on full display and his feet bare. I remember how he told me that clothes will just rip off a werewolf's body when they shift, hence the sweatpants, but dear God, is he trying to give me a heart attack?
I'm snapped out of my thoughts when he crooks a finger and beckons me to follow him, a smirk on his lips as he catches my wandering eyes. Jumping up from the couch, I follow him into the back yard in excitement. As we get closer to the tree line, he suddenly turns around to stop me, placing his hands on my shoulders, making me look up at him in confusion.
"I'm going to take my sweatpants off, wait here. Unless...you want to come with because I really don't mind, Моя роза ." (My rose.)
My eyes widen and I jump away as if he's on fire, a cough escaping my throat while I look elsewhere. I can feel my cheeks heating up making me sigh in relief that it's night time and he can't see me...I think.
"No! No, I'm okay. I'll uh - totally wait here, you carry on, do what you've got to do."
"Ты чертовски милая." He chuckles before walking further into the forest until I can't see him anymore. (You are so damn cute.)
I turn to look at the house as a means of distraction while I wait, the kitchen lights casting a warm ember glow on the lawn stretched out ahead. The light just ends three steps away from where I stand on the grass, near the tree line.
I yelp when something wet nudges my bare legs, turning around in fright before sighing in relief when I see that it's only Vulcan in his wolf form. I don't even have to crouch down or anything, he's much bigger and taller than me and I guess he seems to realize that when he moves to stand in a proud stance.
"You're so beautiful." I breathe, running a hand through his black fur before sliding it down between his eyes to just the tip of his nose.
He nuzzles his nose into the crook of my neck making me squeal at the coldness before lowering himself to the ground, his belly grazing the tip of grass and nodding at me to get on. I hoist myself up, swinging my leg over to the other side of his flank and smiling when my hands sink into his silky, soft fur. Clutching it tighter when he stands, I hold on in fear of slipping off his body.
"Giddy up, wolf-y!" I yell, nudging his sides with my shoes.
A low growl escapes him as he turns to stare back at me with an unimpressed look in his different colored eyes. I grin at him cheekily which results in him only shaking his head before taking off into the woods.
I duck low to avoid any branches that might come in our way, holding onto his fur tightly. After minutes of just running through the forest, he leaps over a fallen tree making me whoop in excitement. I look right to see the outlines of other wolves running through the woods in the sectioned area, their mere speed astonishing me.
Vulcan circles the pack border, his speed increasing yet it's slow enough to not make me afraid of falling off. We soon stray from the woods and I frown in confusion when he slows down to a trot. I look up to see a beautiful lake ahead, shimmering in the moonlight with the sky reflecting on the water.
When he stops, I slide off his back and walk further to the clearing. It's so serene here. I crouch down to dip my hand into the water, wrenching it back when I feel the freezing water on my skin before gliding it around in the water, creating ripples as I go.
I hear the sound of bones snapping from behind and then clothes rustling, indicating that Vulcan has shifted back. It doesn't take long before I feel his presence behind me, watching him sit down beside me. I lean back until our shoulders are just grazing each other, the contact making my skin tingle in pleasure.
Pulling my knees up to my chest, I stare ahead to the other side of the lake. Taking it all in, I watch as he picks up a small pebble and throws it into the water, a circle of ripples erupting on the surface of where it hits. Smiling at the sound of the water splashing, I look up when the moonlight dims, a grey cloud covering it. Sighing, I rest my head on Vulcan's shoulder, his arm wrapping around my waist and tucking me into his side almost instantly, like a reflex action.
"I've called a good friend of mine; a witch who can look into the future. You will be meeting her tomorrow." He speaks, his voice low as if trying not to disturb the peacefulness of the clearing.
"What if she gives us bad news?" I whisper, making him pull away to look down at me.
"Then we will get through it together." He presses a gentle kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering before he pulls away.
I nod, looping my arm around his in an effort to seek comfort. "Vulcan, we'll be okay right?"
He frowns, cupping my cheek with one hand and rubbing the pad of his thumb across my skin. "As long as I live, you will not be harmed Моя дорогая ." (My darling.)
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- R.W. ♡