Erik and I have spent the last 2 hours in each other's arms, kissing, exploring, talking, playing, and teasing. I can't imagine anything making tonight more memorable.
A yawn escapes my mouth and Erik chuckles at me, "Tired my love? Maybe we should head back to the pack house."
"Oh my Goddess! How long have we been out here?", I start to panic. "The hunt! We missed it didn't we?", I gasp again, "Shit! My parents! I'm sure they're looking for me!"
Erik grabs my shoulders and tells me, "Baby, calm down. I linked my dad hours ago letting him know we were together."
"He said not to worry about the hunt and that he'd let your parents know too. Everything is taken care of.", he places a kiss to my forehead instantly calming me.
I sigh with relief, and then a thought came to mind.
"Wait...do your parents know we're mates?"
He casts his eyes down and rubs the back of his neck nervously, he bites his bottom lip. The realization hits me like a ton of bricks.
"Erik...have they known for the last 4 years?!", I squeak out, completely embarrassed.
"I had to tell them something love. They kept asking me for days after I shifted if I found my mate in our pack.", his shoulders sag with the memory.
"I couldn't have them shoving me off to other packs in search of my mate when she was right here! There's no way I could've stayed THAT far away from you.", his eyes become sad.
"It was torture enough waiting as long as I did.", I can feel how broken he felt when he had to stay away through our mate bond.
Standing on my tip toes I wrap my arms around his neck. He pulls me close splaying his hands on my back, turning his face into the crook of my neck. My scent brings him peace and he relaxes in my arms.
We get ready to head back and I remember that I still haven't seen what Athena looks like.
"Wait babe, I still need to see Athena's reflection. I didn't get a chance before.", my smile stretching from ear to ear.
Placing a kiss on my nose he says, "Ok baby love. Go look. We should run back with our wolves anyway. Seeing as how we don't have any clothes."
He playfully smacks my ass as I turn back to the lake. I yip and giggle at him. I love how much he needs to touch me.
Giving Athena control she shifts us easily. My bones still snap and break to form for her, but the pain is no where near as great as before.
'That wasn't so bad this time.'
'It will get easier each time. One day you won't even notice the transformation.', Athena informs me.
'Good to know! Now, let's go see ourselves!' I'm so giddy.
Her paws carry us to the water and she cranes her head peering into the surface.
The first thing I notice is our eyes. They are golden. I've never heard of a golden eyed wolf before. We usually have green, or blue, in some cases brown, but never gold.
I then see the red patch of fur that sits between my eyes on my forehead; the color is identical to my hair. I swear it looks as if it's shaped like flames.
'Athena, does the red patch mean something? And why do we have gold eyes?'
'I'm sorry Enya, I do not have the answer for that.'
'The Moon Goddess didn't tell you anything before she sent you to me?'
'The only thing Mother told me was: Do not fear your power. It will serve you well.'
'What could that possibly mean?'
'I do not know. I wish I did.'
Turning back to Erik I link him, 'Have you ever known of a wolf that had a red patch on their fur?'
He links me back, 'No never. We'll ask my dad about it tomorrow.'
'Ok, that sounds good. I just have a weird feeling it means something.'
Finn approaches us and nuzzles our neck.
'It will be alright my love.'
We start walking through the opening in the tree line, side by side with my mate in our wolf forms. I feel so at peace, I send a prayer up to the Moon Goddess that this feeling never ends.
Athena suggests to me that we race Finn, to see just how fast we can go. It sounds like my kind of fun so I link Erik again.
'Hey, wanna race? See who can get back first?'
'You sure you wanna do that baby girl?'
I can hear the smugness in his voice. It makes we want to run even more. I need to know how fast we can go.
'Damn straight I want to...Alpha.'
'Alright then, as you wish.', Finn's chest is rumbling with laughter.
I roll my eyes and begin a countdown.
'On your mark...'
'Get set...'
'GO!'
Athena propels us forward and our paws tear up the ground. The wind in our fur feels so exhilarating, we pound the forest floor harder gaining more speed.
It seems as if we ran for only a few minutes and we are back on the pack house lawns. Athena turns around in search of Finn.
'Wait, where is he?', I feel a little breathless but not too bad. He should be right behind us.
Another minute passes and still no sign of Finn. My heart starts racing with fear. I scan my eyes back and forth in the tree line.
A second later I can hear Finn's paws on the ground. He is almost here. We release the breath we were holding.
Finn bursts through the trees and I slump my shoulders in relief.
'Thank Goddess. What took you so long? Did you have to kill a bear or something?', I playfully tease.
Finn's face looks serious though. He doesn't laugh back, he only slowly walks to me.
'Hey, what's the matter? Are you ok?', I ask.
Silence. I'm starting to freak out here.
'Erik, say something...'
He finally responds, 'Enya, how did you run that fast?'
'What do you mean? It was all Athena, I just figured she has a lot of energy to run out.'
'Enya...baby, no wolf has ever been as fast as you just were.'
'How do you know that?'
'Because love, no wolf has ever ran 12 miles in under 15 minutes before. It's unheard of...', he sounds worried.
'I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. But maybe that's why I have the red marking.', I wonder through the link.
'We should ask dad about that too.'
I nod my head, 'Ok, yeah, you're right.'
We head back to the part of the lawn where we left our clothes. As we get closer however I see my mom is sitting on the stairs.
I wonder if she has been sitting here all this time. Hope everything is alright...
As we get near the steps mom comes down and meets us on the grass. She has clothes for both me and Erik. She places them on the ground for us.
"Enya...we need to talk honey...", the amount of pain and fear in her voice sends an ominous bolt down my spine.
"There is something I have to tell you. Something I have been hiding from you...", now I'm terrified.
I shift back and put my clothes on, Erik does the same.
"Mom, what's wrong? What are you talking about?", my heart is trying to leap from my chest. I place my hand over it hoping to calm it slightly.
"I've been lying to you sweetheart... About who I really am... and who you really are...", a single tear falls from her eye.