Alivas studied Aurelia.
He saw how her eyes shone in the firelight. How she nibbled her lip with anxiety. Her hair was tucked back into a hat so he could see her face so clearly.
Other than her amazing blue hair and eyes, there was nothing that particularly stood out about Aurelia. She was plain, but there was something that drew Alivas to her. And he was unsure as to how to explain it to the girl he had just met.
"Do you have anymore questions? I have a few of my own when-"
Aurelia cut him off again.
"Have you been following me? What do you know? Do you want my hair? Are you going to do what those men did? Is it my-"
This time it was Alivas' turn to interrupt.
"We will get to your birthmark shortly. I was in Downstride in search for a meal when I saw you. I cannot explain how I know so much about you", he lied. He knew exactly why but this was already overwhelming for Aurelia.
Her breathing had quickened and Alivas could almost see the cogs turning in her head. She pulled her knees up onto the sofa and hugged them to her chest.
"Your hair is of no real interest to me. Though it is beautiful..." Alivas gazed at her. But she shrunk away from his eyes and he looked towards the fire as he continued.
"Its a valuable item amongst the humans. As you have probably guessed you are not. Born into a wolfpack, but with no wolf. Your Fae friends scratch would have killed a human and you are too clumsy and shy to be a vampire. No, Aurelia you are something unique."
Aurelia stared at him. How could Alivas say this? She was nothing, just a wolfless runt with no family or place in this world. She could not comprehend his words.
"And I would never do what those men were doing or going to do to you." Alivas snarled, but his anger was not at Aurelia.
"I would not have even lifted you if I thought you would be okay. I would not ever touch you without your consent." His voice returned to its soft tone.
Aurelias breath slowed. She believed him. He made no motion to be in her space, nor did he have any ill intention in his body language. She had watched for years the male wolves behave like predators around the she wolves. It was disgusting.
"And your birthmark. The spiral at the base of your neck between your shoulder blades. It has been documented but not seen in Valdera for centuries. The true meaning has been lost to time, but what I have found roughly translates to 'unbound'. Are you cold?" Alivas asked noticing Aurelia hug her legs tighter.
"No, I'm okay", Aurelia answered truthfully, but with all this information, she really needed a hug and what felt like a week of sleep.
"I have a few questions of my own if you're okay to answer them?" This time Alivas did not take his eyes off her. Whatever nervousness he felt before had disappeared in the midst of Aurelias strange self hugging behaviour. She nodded back in response, then took off her hat letting her beautiful hair frame her curious little face.
"Why did you leave your pack? You grew up there and as you have unfortunately already seen, this world is dangerous", when asking this, Alivas leaned forward. His shirt opened to reveal his colarbones and the top of his chest. His skin was like snow.
"I never fit in my pack." Aurelis took a deep breath.
"I was a lowborn and when I didn't shift at 13 I was completely ignored, except for my friend Claudia. I found my mate, the next alpha and he said he didn't want me so I left", Aurelia had to blink back the tears.
Repeating the events hurt her heart. She missed Caludia so much. She truly thought in the moments she knew that Grant was her mate that the universe had finally cut her a break. Aurelia felt so alone in the world but her fight to survive since she left the pack allowed these feelings to find a home in the back of her mind. Until now.
"But you don't have a wolf, you can't have a mate." Alivas said with a furrowed brow. He was utterly confused, the wolves fated mate bond should not have affected her. His heart sank a little.
"I had heard about the fated mates from the other wolves. When we touched I went into heat and I wanted nothing more than to be close to him..." Aurelias mind drifted off and tears fell silenty from her eyes as she stared into the fire. It felt like years ago now. She blinked and looked back to Avilas who stared at her intently.
"Funny. Because before that I hated him. But I left. That tie severed when I left Eclipse".