''You could have been killed Harry! He had a sword pressed to your forehead, with one simple flicker he could have penetrated your skull!'' Her voice was so worried and high-pitched, her eyebrows so close together that little wrinkles could be drawn between them, yet, her hold on Harry's wrist was so gentle that it made his heart swell.
He couldn't help but smile at poor Amelia, at how worried she was over him that she hadn't stopped nagging him about it the whole way to the bathroom. She huffed out little puffs of air and her wild auburn eyes resembled something of a burning fire within her, and Harry was a goner for her beauty.
''I would never let you be in danger, Amelia.'' Harry spoke, his voice low and tender just how she liked it, a sound which was made just for her and her eager heart.
''I wasn't in danger, you were the one with a sword pointed at your forehead!'' She made her point, her cheeks puffed out and swollen, chubbier than they usually were, such sight making the alpha smile to himself.
Shaking his head, he replied. ''Amelia, no matter what is pointed at who, if there's danger in a room in which you're present, you could get hurt, caught in the crossfire. I won't allow that.''
Something flashed in her eyes, recognition perhaps or maybe even something more familiar than that. Aside from everything, Amelia was most definitely shaken up by what had happened and all the new information now laying inside her brain. All of what she knew was an illusion to keep a new world hidden before her own eyes, with creatures more majestic than any tale could tell. Harry, who she learnt was someone meant to do great things and rule a kingdom she never knew existed, and the little ginger was no other than the person who was meant to be by his side through it all.
She only knew Harry for a few months but she couldn't deny that the strong pull she felt towards him on that first night, it was something that she had never experienced before, never had a boy interested her so much just by their gazes locking together. Perhaps that's what Fay had meant by the magical bond, something given to two individuals which connected their paths and traced their destiny up until the point where they meet. Both of their souls seemed to be connected for years and such thing was impossible, or at last, it should be. Amelia didn't know what she believed was impossible anymore.
''You talk as if you would protect me with your life.'' She replied with a softer tone, her hesitant gaze meeting his as they walked through the large hall.
The walls were covered in gentle green tones adorned by golden specks, large arched windows illuminating every single corner of the hallway, armors displayed along the walls, each holding different weapons and the design of the armor in itself also diverged. A hand-made white carpet held beautiful flower designs and almost made it look as if the couple was afloat and entering in a magical, unknown world. In all honesty, they were.
''I would, Amelia.'' Was his only, quiet response. ''In a heartbeat.''
Despite how quiet it had been, the force it held was intense and bigger than Amelia would have thought. It didn't lack feelings and was reassured in authority, something the ginger had come to like about the curly boy during their time together. Harry was very passionate, he gave himself fully to what he loved without fearing getting lost in the way.
''...You're going to make me blush.'' She shyly huffed, blinking rather quickly to try and cover her embarrassment and how his words made her heart race furiously in her chest.
''That's exactly what I want.'' Grinning down at his girl, he licked his lower lick smugly.
Amelia rolled her eyes playfully. ''You and your sweet talk.''
''Thank you, it's a charm.'' Smirking, he raised an eyebrow, ultimately enjoying to tease the ginger while she simply chuckled and opened a door to what he assumed was the bathroom.
Stepping inside, Amelia closed the door behind them to get some privacy in the foreign castle, bringing Harry's hand to her face so she could start cleaning up the large cut the sword surely had made. His palm was covered in bright red blood and the sight almost made Amelia feel dizzy, quickly turning on the faucet and placing his hand underneath the running water. Red met transparent and a beautiful liquid color was formed, making the ginger bring Harry's hand closer to her face for further inspection.
No cut. No more blood. No scar, no...nothing. Blinking, she lifted her head to look at the curly boy who was staring at his hand like the devil had just shook it. If nothing ever felt right to Harry, right now one could say that his world was crumbling with his own insecurities. The boy secretly wished in his heart that none of this was real and that he was just sound asleep in his bed, that Amelia would soon arrive to his house and kiss his forehead so his eyes would flutter open.
Yet, here he was, in a castle in the middle of god knows where, with his injured hand which was no longer injured at all. He looked down at Amelia and took notice that she was already staring at him, but his words died in his throat, he had no idea what to tell her, he didn't know what to say to himself either.
''So...this is the regeneration power a Magum Noctis has.'' She whispered, as if she was afraid her words would hurt the curly boy, turning off the faucet and ever so gently running her fingertips over his palm. ''Fay taught me this earlier before you arrived, werewolves can heal quite quickly, especially when its cuts like these or burns. But she mentioned that you probably wouldn't remember that you even got hurt in the first place while we were home, like a defensive mechanism to keep your identity hidden from yourself.''
Her words weren't harmful in anyway, but Harry felt swords crawling up his skin and penetrating his organs, killing him inside whilst keeping it a secret from everyone else. His own body and nature wanted to be kept a secret from him, and his head was about to explode due to everything that had happened. He had no idea how he hadn't pass out already. When he felt her fingers slipping from his hand, he instantly felt a sharp pain in his chest at the thought of being left alone with his thoughts and his feelings, not wanting Amelia to go.
Out of selfishness, the boy gently gripped her wrist to make sure she wouldn't leave, unable to go through this alone, and more importantly, without her. Amelia felt her heart clench while her gaze softened, taking a step closer to the boy and using her free hand to cup the expanse of his cheek – or better, what her small hand could touch – while looking into his own green orbs which seemed to be enduring a bloody battle.
''I'm not leaving.'' She whispered, her gaze not leaving his. ''I'm right here with you, Harry.''
An hour earlier
Amelia was sitting over the edge of the couch, looking at the beautiful woman in front of her, Fay, she had been introduced, listening to her and trying to process her information for a while now.
''We need to be careful with what we tell him, at least at the beginning.'' Fay told Amelia quietly. ''Or else, Harry could be in danger.''
''What do you mean he could be in danger?'' The ginger demanded, not caring if her tone was rude towards the elderly woman.
''Too much information about a person's true self is never taken lightly, Amelia. You are taking the information well, because it's not you whom we are talking about, it's Harry. And Harry will have a lot of weight on his shoulders from now on, he has to follow the path of his destiny while learning about something he never considered real.'' Fay replied, her tone calm and motherly as ever. ''But the wrong information can make Harry feel suffocated, once he feels suffocated, his wolf also does. His body can physically reject the wolf and separate them, which would cause the death of both.''
Amelia perked up, jolting from the couch. ''Harry could die?''
''Yes, he can. All it takes is for him and his body to reject the wolf inside of him.'' Fay explains calmly, trying her best to reassure Amelia. ''An Alpha is the strongest form of a werewolf, a leader and a ruler, but it always comes with a heavy burden. To Harry, his burden is to have lived in the shadows of his true roots, and without his wolf awakening, everything he is going to see and hear will be considered a threat to his morals.''
''So...you're saying that he can't handle the truth.''
''I'm saying that the truth could be a very heavy defeat.'' Fay told her before a frown was settled upon her features as she took notice of the smile growing over Amelia's face.
''No, it won't be. You don't know him.''
''Amelia, I'm warning you to be aware of his final destiny. He might be weak to handle the wolf.''
''Fay, I mean no offense, but you should keep that mouth of yours shut if you're going to speak about Harry that way.'' Amelia stood her ground, her voice displaying a sense of domination and command, unlike her usual gentle tone.
Fay blinked, surprised at her outburst. ''I beg your pardon?''
''As I previously said, you don't know Harry. Just like he doesn't know a thing about this world, you don't know a thing about him and the person he is. You're labeling him as if his wolf is the only thing that matters but you forget that, if I understood correctly, Harry is the one keeping the Alpha alive. Harry is a person, someone important to me, no matter if he accomplishes great deals or not. He is someone and he deserves respect just like everyone else in any world there is, don't underestimate him.'' She felt her blood boiling and her heart racing, she had never felt more alive and free. ''But I, fortunately, am not mature enough to hear people talking lowly of him, no matter if you're a werewolf, a witch, or a vampire for all I care.''
Fay watched as Amelia's face grew darker and her gaze shaper, yet her posture was elegant and not showing any defensive elements, truly befitting of a born queen. The woman tried to fight of the proud grin that threatened to brush along her red lips, noticing that the bond between the Alpha and the girl was much stronger than she ever thought it would be, especially without marking – and due to her scent – they hadn't mated yet. How the bond was so strong, Fay did not understand, but to say that she was impressed was an understatement.
''Of course, Luna.'' She bowed her head to the girl. Never in a million years would Fay think she would boy to someone so young and inexperienced, but she had to acknowledge Amelia's guts and her inner strength.
Perhaps Fay shouldn't mention just yet how Amelia's auburn curls turned into deep orange flames, consuming her soul and leaving a burning trail behind her words.
Fay's words played in Amelia's mind and she leaned on her tip toes, her forehead pressing to Harry's and hoping her touch would sooth him. Such information was a big blow to Amelia, she knew how strong Harry was even though he couldn't see it, even though he thought so badly of himself. With a defeated sigh, the boy wrapped his strong arms around her waist and brought her close to the comfort and protection of his chest, his lips dancing over her forehead.
''I don't think I can do this Amelia.'' He whispered in secrecy against the paleness of her skin.
''Why not?''
''I'm not as honorable as they paint me to be, I've only ever done mistakes in my life, and finally everything was going alright, I was doing something I enjoyed and everything was just snatched from my fingertips.'' He breathed out.
Amelia could feel his heart racing and how nervous he was since he was squeezing her tightly against him, his face disappearing from her view once he nuzzled it against the crook of her neck, hiding from her sight.
''Harry, I understand that this is very overwhelming, believe me, I also had no idea this world existed a few hours ago.'' Amelia told him, her tone as comforting as ever, her hand travelling upwards and lacing between his wild curls, playing with his hair. Harry felt even worse at that moment, he was so focused on himself that he forgot that his girl was also going through the same thing. ''But aside from overwhelming, we also need to keep our calm, nothing good is going to come out of us feeling low or like we are unworthy of being here. You still haven't tried it yet.''
''What if I try and I mess it up?'' He whispered, his tone breaking Amelia's heart. ''They are already expecting so much of me, telling me how my father was a great king and warrior. What if I can't live up to their expectations?''
''Then, you just have to make a new record.'' She whispered into his neck, her soft red tinted lips pressing against the skin of his neck. ''If you're afraid you won't live up to their expectations, then just set the barrier up and aim higher, Harry. Forget about their expectations and start making ones for yourself, you always said you wanted to be a better person, what if this is your chance to prove yourself wrong?''
Perking up, Harry stiffened in her hold, his eyes wide despite Amelia not being able to see it. He felt his heart squeeze tightly beneath his ribcage and he instinctively held the ginger tighter. Man, Eros seriously wasn't lying when he said that a Luna was the best part of an Alpha, because in all truth, Amelia helped him make the best out of every situation and he knew he would be lost without the ginger by his side.
''Fuck, I like you so much.'' He breathed out while holding her tightly, not noticing what had slipped from his lips before feeling his girl tensing up under his strong hold.
Harry blinked once, twice. What the hell did I just say? He thought to himself as his face got flustered, his breath hitching. He hoped the stars would chase away his embarrassment because Harry was being honest – for once, he was honest about his feelings. Of course, the thought of losing Amelia haunts his minds every day and at this moment that fear has increasingly grown, not only because she is a part of him, but because she has something that no one else has, something that neither Harry can achieve.
Amelia is a good person by heart. A person who perhaps went through so much but still saw the positive side out of everything, a girl who stood up against the monsters under her bed and asked them to have a little hot chocolate with her so they wouldn't feel lonely. Her ignorance was a bliss to her kind heart, and in such a cruel world, a fool is the best she can be.
He pushed his embarrassment to the side and calmly pulled his face away from the hideout of her neck, wanting to be able to see her face and see her reaction, needless to say that Harry wasn't disappointed. As he so much loved, her cheeks were deeply flustered and her nose was slightly red, her round almond eyes almost as wide as a cartoon's and those lips of hers parted, while her gaze met his own.
Once more, the boy couldn't help but smile. Amelia was so effortlessly beautiful that sometimes he even wondered if she was real. Harry chuckled, one of his hands coming up her side to rest at the curve of her jaw, urging her to tilt her head up so they could properly stare at each other.
''That expression is a bit dangerous, babycakes. It makes me want to eat you up.'' He whispered, hoping to gently coo her out of her dazed state, knowing that she was probably surprised that he confessed out of the blue.
Don't take him wrong, Harry was surprised himself, he never thought he could easily blurt out something like that but he did, and he was so fucking glad he was able to. Because now his girl knew how serious he was and could understand a bit of how much he needed her.
''I like you.'' Breathlessly, Amelia whispered into the small space that separated them. Those auburn eyes pierced straight into his own and he felt as if Cupid had thrown an arrow right through his heart.
Amelia's hands gripped the fabric of his shirt while her body screamed at her to get closer to the boy, wanting his touch all over her and her own hands pressed to his skin while making him forget about anything else but her name. She had no idea why his confession made her feel so hot and bothered but it was inevitable, as soon as those words left him, she felt her heart explode with joy and something else awakening inside of her.
She couldn't deny that she wanted his touch on her, she wanted to feel him all over her and touching places she had yet to discover. She wondered how it would feel to touch him and listen to his moans against her ear, how it would be to finally be able to give herself fully to him and secretly she hoped, deep down, that he would lose all control and just give himself fully to her as well. She blinked, her lips parting further and her thighs pressed together.
The ginger perked up, however, when a low growl reached her ears and her attention was focused back on the boy in front of her. His face resembled hers, flustered and hesitant since he probably wanted to touch her just as much as she did. But both knew they shouldn't, not now, not in the bathroom and especially on their first day there.
''You're mine.'' He whispered tenderly, bringing her face closer to his own, wanting to finally be able to kiss her again.
She sunk her teeth onto her bottom lip, eyes half closed as her gaze flickered between his own and his lips. ''Perhaps I always have been.''
As always, right on the last second, something interrupted the two lovebirds. This time, there was no voice but there was a gentle knocking on the bathroom's window. Blinking, Harry let out an annoyed sigh which made the ginger giggle, both turning to the source of the noise. Adjusting his gaze, Harry swears he must need some glasses because things kept getting weirder.
On the contrary, Amelia gasped out of surprised. Knocking on the window was a man, a strange man if Amelia had to explain. His skin was so piercing white that it was slightly see through, a black expensive-looking gown over his body yet leaving one of his shoulders on full view. His hair was a dark shade of black which contrasted against his bright skin, on the top of his head two long horns that arched all the way back until they almost touched the floor. Something fluffy was poking out of his gown and after a long look, Harry realized that it were four different tails which were saying in expectation.
A bright smile was settled over his lips as he noticed both the Alpha and the Luna had heard him, starting to wave eagerly at the couple. Harry and Amelia exchanged a look, basically Amelia saying that the creature was extremely cute and she wanted to engage in a conversation, while Harry thought it should be better if both of them left the bathroom so they wouldn't run into unknown danger.
Yet, who could go against those puppy eyes the ginger was sending his way. Sighing quietly to himself, Harry shook his head while Amelia smiled in victory, both walking up to the window and opening it to greet the stranger.
''Hello, I'm sorry to intrude, but I had to meet you.'' The man said, his tails waggling excitedly.
''Hello, I'm Amelia and this is Harry.'' The ginger introduced herself and Harry smirked at how curious and eager to learn she was. ''And you?''
''My apologies, I'm Aloysius. It's a pleasure to meet you, your Highness.'' He replied with a soft bow, while Harry kept a secure hold over his lover's waist just in case.
''What are you?'' Amelia asked curiously, leaning closer to the creature before Harry tugged her back by the leverage he had on her waist, a frown over his features and a warning in his gaze.
''Amelia, don't be reckless. Remember, we don't know a thing about this world.'' Harry told her calmly, not wanting to upset her but also wanting to make a point.
Aloysius smirked at the gesture. ''Your Highness, there is no need for you to worry. It is in a Phoenix's nature to be attracted to anything related to nature.''
Harry and Amelia blinked in union.
''Phoenix?'' Harry asked, confused.
''The Luna, sir. I was told she was human, but Adene must have gave her the freedom to unleash her powers. It is such a rare sight, I can smell it on her, she's a Phoenix.'' The man breathed out quietly, his gaze on Amelia. ''And Phoenixes have been extinct for over 600 years.''
❆❆❆❆❆
(NOT EDITED) And I: oop.
The story keeps on developing and new elements are already in plain sight.
Amelia is not a human? SHOCKER *GASP*
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Thank you for reading,
Stay safe xx