After the wild night of telling stories and listening to the sparks crack from the fireplace, I finally felt wanted. That next morning I went on a hike because I wanted to learn about my new home. I found a Gazelle that was eating from the grass that had been sprinkled with the morning dew. It looked so calm and I didn't want to hurt it for I had always loved Gazelles and it was probably because of my whole "animal-fairy-thing" so I hesitated. I crouched down so it wouldn't see me and thought, "Is this something my father or aunt would want me to do? They loved animals,especially the wild ones. I shouldn't kill it for it has a purpose. But then again I am dying of starvation. I should kill it because I don't know how longer I can make it...." While still in my thinking of killing or not killing the gazelle a wolf came up and took the Gazelle down and the scent of the meat made me hungry, but I pushed it down because I knew it was wrong. I stood up on the rock and ran to the gazelle and began to help it. Me of course being idiotic, the wolf noticed me and let out a terrifying growl. After that it felt like had dropped a weight on myself but, it was only that the wolf had jumped on me and was biting me and scratched my porcelain face. Then I flipped over the wolf and opened up my mouth, like I was going to bite it. Then I smelled something, not like the Gazelles' blood smell but a human's. I leaned down to help it when the wolf began to whimper, and let out a cry. All the sudden a black wolf with yellow eyes came towards me and attacked me knocking me off of the wolf. I stood back and saw the two wolves rub chins, and then I knew. They weren't just ordinary wolves, they were hybrids. Half human-half wolf. Even though I knew, I wasn't afraid. So I began to speak to them.
"I know what you are, you don't have to be afraid werewolves. I am new to this and I didn't want to hurt you. Please come back into your human forms. I promise I won't hurt you, I just want to talk."So the wolves looked at eachother then raced behind a tree.
"Please don't go" I yelled.
But they didn't leave. The sound of two wolves howling was all I heard and then I them, in human form. I was astonished at them because they were one very tan and two naked and not afraid. The wolves/humans were a male and female, and were looking under rocks for something. The woman had look of relief on her face as she pulled a white shirt and tight leather pants from under a rock. She put them on quickly and then handed the man a pair of leather pants and a white shirt.
The couple walked toward me and I began to shake. I wasn't afraid but they could kill me with a turn of their fingers. The woman looked at me and stretched out her tan, bloody hand. She smiled and nudged me on. The man next to her growled in some language and glared at me like her was going to slit my throat. The woman turned around and said something in a language that made the man nod his head. She turned back to me and said, "I don't bite". As she said this she smiled showing her pearly white teeth. I shook her hand and felt the woman's warmth on her hands and I could feel the blood trickling down her veins. I felt terrible about the whole thing. She smelled like the Earth and her tan skin and black hair covered most of her body that her shirt didn't cover. She then again spoke to me in English, "We know what you are and we aren't going to spill your secret. You also know our secret, we are wolves. You young fairies are always trying to save the Gazelles? My name is Deerlin and this is my husband Howl. We are Mr. and Mrs. Wolf. It looks like you haven't eaten in forever! Here have our Gazelle. What's your name?" she said.
Before I responded to all of her questions I picked up the Gazelle, all I knew I should eat it. I then spoke, "My name is Victoria. I am not just human, I am also part forest fairy like you knew. My mother died in childbirth with me and my father was the fairy. I haven't eaten meat before so, thanks for the Gazelle. It looks very delicious and you can didn't have to do that. I didn't mean to hurt you two, I am so sorry. Mr. Wolf I didn't mean to hurt your dau.." He interrupted me to say, "Wife"! Then I continued, "Sorry I didn't mean to hurt your wife. I know I didn't scratch your husband but I am sorry."
Deerlin opened her arms and gave me a hug and said, "It's ok darling I did the same and I am so sorry. Here…"
When Deerlin was talking, Hera and the gang showed up. Hera ran to me and said, "Victoria where have you been! We have been so worried. Who are these people? Did they attack you, don't worry we are going home. Richard grab her".
Deerlin began to get scared. The little frail thing began to shiver and get super scared because she knew none of these people. In this fear that she possessed, she let fear turn her, but this time she was out of control. Wolf saw that she had changed so he changed also and tried to get her in control.
"Richard now! Get Victoria before she gets killed. Victoria is going to get hurt and I will not let that happen" Hera screamed.
Howl was snarling at all the hybrids telling them to stay back. Nick and Natalia turned into wolves and tried to calm down Deerlin. Richard was in the trees and then dropped down and grabbed my arms pulling me back with his super strength. I tried fighting it but, I was just getting tired and still moving back. I then stretched out my wings and hit Richard so hard he was bounced back into a tree. He then ran up to me and grabbed my wings and pulled them so hard he was almost breaking them. I let out a cry and tried to fly up. But in a split second Richard was off me and on top of him was Deerlin. Her gray fur was bowing in the wind and her hot breath was all over Richard. Richard though took advantage of her and when she wasn't looking broke her shoulder.
Deerlin then returned to her human form and was crying. Howl ran to her in his wolf form still and Hera hoisted her onto the backs of Nick, Natalia, and Howl. "We are so sorry we didn't mean for this to happen. Richard! I didn't tell you to break her shoulder bone! You really hurt her, and could have kill her! Here come back with us to our home, we will give you a permanent home. We will be your half family, even though we don't have bloodlines"said Hera.
Howl carried Deerlin in wolf form home. Nick stayed next to me, quiet at first. I felt a certain urge to touch Nick and he let me. I began to run my fingers through his fur and his dark brown fur was so soft and silky. After stroking his head, I scratched behind his ear and a smile came upon his face. Then after I stopped, I put my hand on his head and closed my eyes to see if I could read his mind. I didn't read his mind, but I heard him talk instead.
"Victoria you can hear me and I wanted to ask you if your ok, I mean with the whole fight. You are probably shaken up. Here get on my back I will run up to the rest of the group. If it's ok with you because, it's not everyday you find out one of your hybrids in your tribe can turn into a wolf" Nick said.
I shook my head in agreement and climbed on his back. His muscles bulged as he ran I could tell he was very strong. This new world I was in was confusing to me and my heart. For some reason I felt warm and I had never this way before and I didn't know what what it was. It was melting my ice, cold, stone heart.
When we all got home, Hera showed Deerlin and Howl their room. Howl looked at Hera with killer green eyes and Hera left them with a small piece of her tears. The door closed, I leaned against the wooden door and heard little human laughs between kisses and I knew it was time for me to leave them and let them have their privacy. I knew that they were married and they deserved a spying-free home. I walked outside and Nick was outside, shirtless with black jeans. He looked at me, smiled, and looked into the sunset. We looked at each other and he said, "Wanna have some fun birdy? C'mon wings and wolfie together, you could say it's a match made in heaven".
I laughed and nodded. He touched my hand and grabbed it, saying, "Ready birdy?". I laughed and stretched out my wings and he turned into a wolf. I hovered above the ground and watched Nick run with the wind flowing through his hair. He stopped for a minute and let out a howl. This howl sounded happy and when he finished, he began to run again.
When he stopped running, I flew down and realized that this was the spot. He turned human and pulled out pants from a rock and put them on. My brown wings covered my face when I came on to the ground, so I wouldn't get whipped by a tree branch. Nick was waiting for me and clapped slowly for my appearance. I laughed and bowed, and smiled showing my pearly-white teeth. Nick helped me down quicker and pulled me to a rock that was round, smooth, and infested with moss. He smiled and talked to me, "Thank you for coming. This is the spot where I go to get away from the world, to escape the human in me. You see my father was a wolf and my mum was a wolf. They were madly in love and then we happened, Natalia and I. We stopped growing at 20 and we are stuck like this, we have been stuck like this for 150 years. This may be early but I feel like we have a connection, a connection that feels warm. I don't know what it is but it feels good. I don't know if you feel the same way, but yea that's how I feel."
I looked at him and I said, " Nick I felt the same way earlier, I still feel the same way"...
All the sudden a big, black warrior was in the trees. It looked at us. It stretched out it's torn black wings and swooped toward us.
"Victoria let's go" Nick yelled. We started running, faster than I had ever gone. Nick was next to me saying, "Gosh darnit what is this thing doing here. I haven't seen this before, but I heard about them in stories. Victoria we have to run, its right behind us" Nick said.
At that time I was running and at that perfect time, my clumsy feet tripped over a log and soon the orb was above me. I began running again and he caught up to me. He used some sort of force to pull me towards him. I realized it wasn't a force but black chains wrapped all around my whole body. I then was being pulled up and I screamed, "Nick help me!".Nick by that time had turned around and was grabbing my hand pulling me down as the black warrior pulled me up. Nick was stronger than the warrior for a few seconds. The warrior then got a better grip on me and pulled me and Nick up. "Nick you have to let go. You can get the group and come and save me. Nick I don't want you to get hurt, please let go" I said.
Nick let go, I began to be pulled up into the sky and I felt two tears fall from my eyes down my cheeks. I closed my eyes and began to become very scared. I looked to where we were going and to my surprise, we were going to a cliff. Maybe this warrior was going to kill me, push me off, or worse take me to his leader.
When we landed on the mountain I looked around and backed towards the edge. From the tree area on the mountain emerged a black castle in the distance. The caped warrior dropped me and came towards me and leaned in to touch my face. I bit the fingers of the thing and the caped thing shrieked and it's cape fell down. It revealed a man, this man who wasn't human. He looked like a hybrid, I knew this because he had marking of an animal on him. The man then slapped me hard and said, "You foolish girl! Why would you bite me? You know I could kill you, but I won't. Well at least not yet...". With a whiff of his hand the chains were gone. " I made those, and those chains with my powers. See watch" he said. He moved his hand and with a puff of black smoke came a puppy. He held out his hands and handed it to me. I stroked the puppy's fur and the puppy licked my hand. I laughed and smiled, the man scowled. He snapped his fingers and the puppy turned into dust. I screamed, "What did you do to that puppy? I was having fun and you killed it"!
He said, "You see I didn't bring you here to play with puppies. You and I have something in common. We are share the same DNA, you could even say we are doppelgangers. We are only siblings, twins to be exact".
I backed away. There was no way that he could be my sibling. I mean we looked a little alike, but my mother never talked about another baby. I mean if he was my twin then, the priests would have taken him. There's no way. The man then stepped towards me and put his hands in mine and said, "This will jump your memory".
"Oh Baron, we are going to have twins. I hope one is a girl so we could name her Heather, but if it's a boy I want the name Tomas. Another girl name I like would be Victoria but, I would only choose that if we got to name our boy Tomas" the woman said. A man's voice said, "Of course we can name the boy Tomas. I really like the name Victoria Luise-Heaven Payne". The couple laughed and the vision faded.
I stood there crying, I didn't know if they were good tears or sad tears. I was amazed about how I was named and now I knew. "Tomas, show me more. I want to know why were separated. Why were we taken away" I said.
Tomas nodded and took my hands and I saw things again. A woman was screaming, and I heard a cry, a baby's cry. "Tomas, it's Tomas. Let me hold him, he is one of my children. Baron what are you doing? Baron come back with him!!!!" she said. The vision ended with me being born and her holding me close and saying, "Victoria my sweet, you will grow up on goodness and be a queen and…".
I stood back, shocked. My father had abandoned me and took Tomas. Tomas why, why did he choose you? He should have taken me".
"He knew I had the biggest potential for wildness. So he trained me in light magic which failed, so he died. Then I came after you, I wanted to kill you. That's why I became a warrior. Don't worry it won't hurt, you see I use revenge to get the job done" he said.
I then realized that enough was enough. I opened up my wings, and slapped him. He fell down, and blacked out. I ran and jumped for the edge, and opened my wings. I flew off the edge into the darkness when something stopped me. I looked back and Tomas was using chains to hold me back, he was breaking off my wings. I began to scream, in that scream came a sonic boom that knocked him down. He held his ears and I began to fly away as fast as I could. I heard him scream though, "Victoria it doesn't matter where you go or who you're with. I will find you and I will slaughter you!". I began crying again thinking how I almost died, and how my father took him because he wanted to raise him good. My father died saving me. I heard a noise from the ground and flew down to see the whole group. Hera gave me a hug and I ran to Nick and thanked him for getting everyone.
"I didn't get you. I was almost to the house when Hera and the gang heard a scream that was a message you sent. But I am glad we found you, and I am sorry that thing took you. I didn't mean for it to take you. We are never gonna let you out of the house any time soon! I just want…" Nick said.
I cut him off and tears said, "Oh Nick it's not your fault. It was family business. My brother that I must of had showed up and tried to kill me. It is not your fault".
At that time Kate came towards me and said, "My dear girl, are you ok? Are you ok? I read your mind and Tomas wasn't supposed to be wild. Your father was sopp…". Kate dropped to the ground and starting crying. She must of read my mind about my father dying. She hit the ground, all of the trees and moss raised in the air. She pushed her hands down and they all fell to the ground again. She kept crying and gave me a hug and said, "Your father was a good man. We are going to avenge his death, his death will not be a waste". Nick came up to me a again and said, "Let's finish our conversation that we had before that warrior attacked us". I laughed through the tears and nodded my head.
When we got home, Nick got two glasses and a bottle of soda. He poured it and sat down next to me and we began to talk to me. "So do you want to talk about what happened? I mean the whole thing" he said.
I cleared my throat and said, "That warrior that took me was my long-lost-wild twin. I didn't even know I had a twin sibling. His name is Tomas and he has the power of wildness. He became a warrior so he could kill me. He showed me the truth of how my father took him and not me because, he had the biggest chance for wildness and the priests must of seized me after my mum died. My father wasn't there to take me too but, I know he wanted me too. He must have gotten scared by the priests coming, that he left. My dad is now dead and I never got to meet him, he died because of Tomas. Tomas killed my father, both of my parents are dead".
I collapsed into an emotional wreak and I cried on Nick and he stroked my hair and held my hands. I stopped crying when he started holding my hands. I looked at him and he said, "Is it okay for me to hold your hands. You see Victoria, I really like you. I want to be there for you, and I realized these feelings when I saw you being pulled away from me. Please Victoria…".
I looked at him and moved into him and we kissed. He let go of my hands and put his hands in my curly red hair. My red lips were touching his soda stained lips and I felt so loved. After a few minutes I let go and Nick kissed my lips slowly and our noses touched and we sat in awe. For the first time I felt in love, and it was an amazing feeling. I was still afraid to rush into feeling though.