Make sure you read chapter 26 as this is a double update! This chapter is the one I have been waiting for from the beginning. I hope you enjoy it. It's a rough one ;)
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Alice was dreaming. At first, she couldn't figure out the place that she stood in nor could she pinpoint the familiarity of the situation. Until Hades, the God of the underworld walked in, then she realised that was in fact in the meadow where the sprites lived. Her eyes narrowed as she took an involuntary step back the moment her mind registered the Gods face. It did not go unnoticed by him.
"You shouldn't be surprised, my little sprite. You did call, after all." The corners of Hades' mouth twitched up into a smile.
"Hours ago," her eyes narrowed further.
"Potaytoe Potatoe," he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers, his head cocked to the side. She wasn't sure whether she should be more surprised at his rather casual outfit or the way in which he carried himself- as if he really didn't have a single worry. It made him appear almost human. "But I am not here to argue about the timing of my arrival. You want me to tell you how Lucien knows your every move, yes?"
Alice glowered at the smirk on Hades' face. "Of course, although you could have told me before I woke up from the trance. It would have made my life much easier."
His face sobered, "I can not mess with free will too much, little sprite. It's not my place." Alice opened her mouth to speak but with the flick of his hand, her words were cut short. "But, I will say this; Lucien has many eyes that are not his own, some that walk with light and some that walk among the shadows. You must remember that not everything is as black and white as you think. Even the dark has some light."
None of it made sense. Alice scoffed at the riddle, anger brewing inside of her. Of course, he wouldn't answer her truthfully, he was most likely here simply to amuse her mortal worries. Why should he care? She had been foolish in asking him for help, of all the Gods to ask."That's not helpful," she finally snapped. "It doesn't answer anything."
"Not yet, it doesn't. But it will and you will thank me then. Remember, Alice, that with every favour you ask a price must be paid. Be wary of asking for my help again, I can not control the rules." And then he was gone.
Alice blinked her eyes open, startled at the sudden end of her dream. Afternoon light streamed through the partially open blinds with dust particles dancing in the beams of sunlight. A yawn escaped her as she sat up, wincing from the headache that pounded through her skull. Her body felt heavy and weighed down, tensed from the upcoming full moon and the shift to come. She dreaded to think about that night, about the possibility of death and what it would mean. If she died, there'd be a chance she'd come back and if she did- Colden would have to kill her.
After she cleaned and dressed, her mood dark and gloomy, Alice followed Colden's scent. It was easy to find now considering that it consumed her every being. Even if she didn't come back for one hundred years, she was certain that his scent would still be engrained in her mind. How could it not when it was mixed with her very essence?
She found him in the infirmary, a place that she hadn't visited often but rather avoided. Colden's back was turned to her as he exchanged words with Dr Eaton, the same doctor who had looked after her. Alice realised who he was visiting then; Lily's red hair was matted against the white hospital pillow. It reminded her of old blood, rusty in colour. With a jolt, she realised that Lily was in fact awake. Her eyes were wide as they flickered between Colden and the doctor, rimmed red but from what, she didn't know.
It was then that Colden noticed her presence. There were heavy purple bags underneath his eyes, contrasting against his normally olive skin. She noted that he hadn't washed his hair in a while, giving it the impression that it was darker than normal if that was even possible.
"Thank you, doctor. Keep me notified of any changes," he murmured with a small nod, a clear sign that he was leaving.
Alice frowned, her eyes flickering from Lily to her mate. She pushed down the guilt that resurfaced and instead, focused on the feel of Colden's hand in hers as he embraced her, his lips brushing across her forehead. "Sleep well?" The door to the infirmary shut with the sound of his voice.
She hummed in response, "still tired though."
"Your body is preparing to change into another species, pumpkin. Of course you're tired," Colden smirked down at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Why don't you get changed into some warmer clothes? I'll take you out, you know, as a distraction."
Alice's frown deepened, "out? I thought it was too dangerous?"
"Well, you'll be with me and we won't technically be leaving pack territory. Besides, I haven't taken you on a date yet."
She sighed, not really feeling the excitement that seemed to light Colden's face up. Going out would mean exposure, not to mention stares from the rest of the pack members. They still weren't used to her and she doubted whether they'd ever be. It was a topic that often came up between them but not something she was comfortable talking about. But how could she say no to her mate? Especially considering the fact that they had days left without each other before she'd have to leave, not that he knew that.
"Ok," Alice said and a bright smile bloomed across Colden's face. She didn't want to think about the look on his face when he'd find her gone.
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They walked hand in hand along a small path, past houses and small shops. Wolves carried on with their days as normal, some in work and some enjoying the time with their families. Colden pulled her along to a quaint cafe with blue windows and mismatched chairs. It smelt heavenly of cake and coffee, a combination that she loved. It was quirky in its own right, with several tapestries hanging off the walls, different assortment of plants and fairy lights that decorated the windows, it looked like something from a fairytale.
Up until now, they had been enjoying their company in the outdoors, sitting on a park bench or feeding ducks in a small lake; even after everything they had been through, there wasn't much that they knew about each other's childhoods or experiences. Colden was as mysterious as it came and it was a great surprise when he informed her that he used to play the violin. It's not something that Alice could easily imagine without laughing.
Colden pulled out a chair for her at the farthest table in the cafe, away from the prying eyes of the pack member. She sat down in compliance, shifting some of the unease that filled her at the murmurs that swept through the cafe. "They're curious," Colden murmured, handing her a menu.
Alice knew that most of them meant no harm, but she never did like the attention. It made her feel more like a freak than she already was, and that said something. Her eyes scanned over the menu. She decided on a caramel latte with a plate of waffles, something she hadn't had in a long while. As per usual, Colden stuck to his black coffee and pancakes, something she noticed he was obsessed with.
"I've been meaning to ask," Colden began, shifting slightly in his seat after the waitress took their orders. Alice held her breath at the look in his eyes.
"Yes?" She prompted, unwilling to show her unease. She had promised him to try and be better, and that included being more open about her past, even if it made her uncomfortable.
"Why would Lucien target that Elliot and his female? It's just that," he licked his lips, peering at her from beneath his eyelashes. "Well, you never did mention him before and your reaction made it seem like he was someone important."
Alice shifted uncomfortably once more, sucking in her breath as the image of Elliot's battered face appeared in her mind. Her hands shook with nerves and she placed them in her lap, something which Colden's eyes followed. "He...was important...a long time ago."
"Before you met me, you mean?" A corner of his mouth lifted up into a half smile but she saw the hint of vulnerability in his eyes. The realisation made her uneasy.
"Yes. I had been with him for three years, you know. I met him in college, I thought that he was the greatest man I had ever seen. For a period of time, for those three years, I stopped running. I had pretended to be someone normal and not someone that had strange men after her."
"The demons," Colden offered.
Alice nodded, "I kept quiet about it, I didn't want to bring my past up to him in case he decided I wasn't worth the danger. Until he proposed. I told him then, I knew that I couldn't keep something like this if we were to marry. And Elliot," she sighed wistfully, lost in thought, "he had been so understanding. I couldn't believe that I had doubted him because why would he leave when he was so sweet and caring? "
"Why did the relationship end then?" Colden's eyes pierced her own, "did you fall out of love?" The words came out harsher than the rest, more forced as if the thought of her loving another man disgusted him.
She smiled half to herself, half lost in memories. "No, I loved him till the end. Around the last few months of a relationship, things became...tense. I tried to smooth them over, pretend that everything was fine and hope that if I tried harder, became something else entirely, that he would love me like he once did. But I was foolish and I did crave love, my father," it was Colden's turn to wince, "never showed me affection. Anyway, fast forward to four months later I come home from work and find him fucking his stepsister against our kitchen wall."
Colden cursed with a wave of raging anger present in his eyes. Alice returned to meet his gaze and smiled, "and then I met you."
He furrowed his eyebrows, "right after you found...?"
Alice laughed, "it was my first time in a club," she admitted, "I wanted him to feel the same way I had and most importantly, I wanted to forget. When you approached me I never did expect you to be who you are now."
Colden scoffed. The waitress approached with their orders, bowing to them as a sign of respect before she once again left them to their conversation. Alice picked at her waffles dusted with sugar. They were soft and sweet, just like she normally had them. One of her nannies used to make them just like this, except Alice would normally beg for ice cream to go along with it.
"I messed that up, didn't I?" Colden murmured after several minutes, "I must have given you a fright."
Alice paused mid-bite, chewing through the lump that rose in her throat. That night wasn't something she liked to think about. It was true that he had scared her, terrified her even, and she had nightmares for months followed by the full moons that left her gasping for breath. But what would her life be like now if it hadn't happened? She licked her sugar dusted lips, avoiding his knowing eyes. "You didn't scare me at first. I suppose realising that someone you just had sex with was a mythical creature was what terrified me. But most of all, I didn't like the way my body reacted. I had just left Elliot and you...you took my breath away in more ways than one. Perhaps on a different day, I may have stayed to listen but_"
"I traumatized you," Colden stated dryly. "It's alright, pumpkin. I've beat myself up enough about that time, I can take it."
"I had nightmares," she admitted, ignoring the flash of hurt that crossed his eyes. "But they passed. For the most part, I felt angry, I thought that you had ruined my life. I didn't know that it was me all along though."
"Do you still feel like that?" He murmured, sipping at his coffee, "that I've ruined your life, I mean?"
Alice frowned, "no. I had accepted that a long time ago. And I am sorry for it, Colden. I had been horrible to you and_"
He held up his hand, his eyes warm as he held her gaze, "you apologized before and I accepted. Don't worry, ok? I love you no matter what. Besides," his fingers intertwined with his hers, his hand warm and rough against her soft skin, "I prefer to think of the future than the past. With you, that is. Once I kill Lucien and deliver his head to you as a gift we will be able to live the life that we both deserve."
Alice held her breath at his revelation, unwilling to let her emotions show on her face. Of course, his dream sounded like something that came out of a book but she knew that it wouldn't happen the way he expected it to. She swallowed the remains of her latte and pushed aside her empty plate, exhaustion coating her limbs. She wasn't going to think about how he would feel when the time came for him to find her gone. It would be hard on both of them but she vowed that she'd come back. No matter what.
"Ready, pumpkin?" Colden extended his palm to her. Her lips tingled from the soft kiss he brushed across her mouth. Alice nodded, her heart thundering against her chest. The pack watched them leave and all the way come, she felt like they knew of her betrayal to come.
The minute she got home and the clock hit midnight, Alice felt the plausible shift within her. it was small and barely noticeable, a prickling at the back of her neck, but it was a clear sign that her body was getting ready to shift. The days blurred from that point on. She was exhausted, barely awake enough to eat three meals a day. Thankfully, it also saved her the misfortune of watching Belle and Colden fuss over her with their worried glances and unspoken words.
Alice looked and felt terrible. There was a possibility that soon, death would claim her. When the day of the full moon came, a majority of the pack had been evacuated for safety; no one was certain whether Alice would even shift into a wolf to begin with, or whether her wolf would be sane. She held onto the fraction of hope that perhaps she would be normal, otherwise what would be the point of Hades striking a deal with her? But then came the knowledge that he expected her to defeat Lucien, and would that be something she'd be able to do as an ordinary wolf? The thought didn't seem likely.
It was just past four in the afternoon when Colden made her go outside; her body temperature was high enough to sizzle an egg on her skin, and her eyes felt as if they would melt out of her sockets any minute. Yet it didn't hurt. It was bearable if she had something to focus on; Colden's horrible singing, Tom's ridiculous jokes or Belle's teasing about growing a tail.
Within the hour her muscles began to cramp, sore and taut from the wolf in her begin to come out. Alice felt it then, the tension coiling through her and another being- another monster- ready to spring out when the time came. She gritted her teeth through it, eyes cast to the sky where the moon shone down on her, almost mocking. They had spent many nights together with her writhing on the ground of some dingy apartment, screaming in agony as it taunted at what she was and the bond that she shared. Now it came to watch the final finale, the last time that she would ever cry out in pain because of the beast inside of her.
Then the true pain started; at 8.09pm the bones in her fingers broke. It caught her by surprise, the sight of distorted fingers and the searing burn that followed enough to shock her out of feeling the extent of the pain. Colden grimaced by her, watching like a hawk as she bit her lip and sighed, unwilling to let the beast take control over her body. Not yet, at least and not now. That would come for when she needed to rip Lucien to shreds.
Minutes ticked by where nothing happened. The anticipation of the pain likely made it worse, but before she knew it the bone in her shin cracked such a sickening way that bile threatened to come out of her throat. "Don't look, Alice," Colden ordered her, for once serious. "It's worse if you do." And so she kept her eyes cast to the moon, glaring through the agonizing minutes that passed until another part of her body decided to break.
She felt it then when her legs were broken and her claws were protruding out of her nail beds; the beast crawled inside of her, eager to be let loose and taste wind on fur for the first time. She had waited a long time for Alice to let her, to be let out. A snarl that shook the trees escaped her mouth as she felt her spine break. Hot pain raced through, blinding for just a fraction of a second until her body pulled and morphed. Fur began to sprout from her skin like piercing needles.
For the first time that night, Alice cried out, snarling in agony as her bones shifted and grew, pulled and reshaped as the hours passed. Colden could do nothing but watch and murmur words of encouragement, and even they got in the beasts demand. She felt the beast clawing in her chest, pushing her to let the shift take place.
It was then, as the clock struck 11.01pm that Alice let go, even when stars danced in front of her eyes and she truly wished that someone would put a hole through her head; her face formed into a muzzle, her back and legs shaped and her skin became covered with fur. A piercing howl left her muzzle as the beast took over and a large black wolf took her place. Eyes black as the sky blinked back in amazement at the sight around.
Everything was pristine and crisp. She could hear, sense and smell a whole new world that was blocked to her eyes moments before. And then Alice realised that it was over; the beast was out and she had lived, survived through the cruellest pain that had ever graced her body.
The sound of shuffling feet caught her attention and immediately, Alice rose in defence, lips pulled back to reveal a set of razor sharp teeth that were meant to peel the skin from bone. Colden stood before her, crouched down with his eyes glowing gold. She smelt the dominance of him, the scent strong and harsh against her sensitive nose. But Alice was no ordinary wolf and she wouldn't be treated as anything below powerful.
Alice took a step forward, her head lowered and her muzzle turned into a snarl. He was not her Alpha, he would not rule her. Colden snarled in response, his chest vibrating with a desire to shift. A booming growl escaped her chest at the disrespect.
It was then that her beautiful mate shifted, landing on four black paws with a dominating growl of his own. She felt threatened by his dominance, the way his wolf pushed towards her as if she were the one meant to bow down. Her ears flickered, registering the quiet voices that retreated to the house. The moment of distraction cost her as Colden lunged, teeth aimed for her throat where he without a doubt would order her to submit.
Alice barely had time to roll out of the way, snarling as he nipped at her tail. But she realised that Colden wasn't attacking her; his wolf ran off into the forest, soil falling behind its paws as he left her standing there momentarily confused. He wanted to play and the thought had her beast glowering. With hackles still raised, Alice followed behind the scent Colden left, unwilling to pursue in the chase of her mate. It was a game, she was sure, to get her to submit. Her wolf was cautious as she sniffed at the ground, all senses strained as Colden became invisible to them.
He attacked her by surprise, rolling them through the leaves with a predatory glint in his golden eyes. Alice fought back, nipping just as hard as he did, snarling in protest at his attempts to appease her wolf. The beast was far more cautious of Colden than Alice was, not quite willing to accept him so easily into her embrace.
Colden's wolf nuzzled her face, licking away the dirt and grime from his attack. Alice watched with caution, eyes following every move as his body rubbed against hers, an exchange of scents made to show that she was a taken female. When he got too close to her tail, her wolf snarled in a warning. He merely regarded her with intrigue in his eyes, nudging her with his nose. He still wanted to play.
Over time, Alice's guard fell down and her wolf relaxed in his presence. She took a hesitant step towards him and this time, she embraced him with her scent. Colden realised her willingness to engage with him. Colden's wolf puffed his chest out in pride at his mate's acceptance; he was her male and now, he would prove his worthiness. She watched as he followed the trail of a rabbit, nose stuck to the ground and paws barely audible against the leaves.
Alice watched in excitement and desire as his teeth sunk into the rabbit's neck, a prize for them. Colden placed the reward of his hunt at her feet, head bowed low and eyes never leaving hers. Her wolf sniffed at the meat, noting with a jolt of surprise that he had not had a share of his meal. It was hers for the taking, a gift from their mate. Colden's wolf relaxed the minute Alice tore through the rabbit, guzzling down the catch with newfound hunger. He waited until there was nothing but bones left before he hunted his own meal.
When their bellies were full and the sky began to turn purple, a sign that morning was coming, Colden did something that caught them by surprise; his head bowed low to the ground, neck exposed to her as a sign of submission. His eyes were a whirlwind of emotions. Alice knew that it was not his nature to bow down either but the fact that he did had a pleasant feeling growing within her chest. It was a decision made on impulse; her mate had hunted for her, played with her and now showed his respect. Her beast honoured Colden's wolf with a bow of her own, exposing her neck to the wolf with intrigued eyes. That night, they became equals, Alphas in their own right.
The pack felt the shift within the pair and howls echoed through the sky, crying out to the moon at their union. As Alice regained her human self and she lay in Colden's naked embrace, she knew with a heavy heart that their time together was done.
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I feel like a mother with these too, getting emotional over their damn relationship lol. Anyway, I wasn't supposed to update this soon but well, I couldn't help myself honestly. And I have the weekend before my last 3 exams so I can write some more then. What did you think?