"Dawn will break before we know it, we must rest, you must rest," He tells me as we go back to the cave. I'm in clothes once more and when we arrive I go straight to the warm furs and lay down. Of course, I know morning will come all too soon, and another battle will rage. I feel guilty. He is all but turning his back on his clan for me. Me. The beggar dog slave with no past.
"Don't you know?" I hear my mate ask as he stands at the front of the cave looking out at the stars.
"Know what?" I asked lifting my head up slightly. He turns to look at me, "That you are beautiful in my eyes."
My heart quickens,
"That's not why I love you," His eyes are intense,
"No?" I can hardly form words,
"I love you because you are you and you are mine." He looks away "You were born for me."
I lay down, unsure of what to say. Should I say something back?
"So innocent, small," He adds "Virginal."
I shiver "DaThoren," I whisper,
"Yes, mate?"
"Come to bed,"
I want him near me. I am not good with words. I want to show him.
He walks back and sits then lays and I curl right into him "Protect us?"
"Always."
I close my eyes and let the warmth of my mate drag me to sleep. I don't get to sleep long though before my heat is gone.
"Sleep mate,"
I can tell the sun is coming up,
"Where are you going?"
"Do not worry, sleep." He walks out and I yawn. I do need to sleep but how can I now? I stretch and my tummy growls. I guess ignoring my hunger is not something I can do anymore. I rummage around and find dried beef, surely it is ok to eat it. As I eat on the stick of meat I put my shoes on. I hope my mate does not become to cross with me. I wish he would have waited. He didn't tell me to stay so I am going to take that as it's okay to roam. I exit the small cave and greet the rising sun.
"I forbid it!"
I jerk when I hear the voice of Hal yelling. I swallow and follow the voice. I'm glad no one else seems to be up yet.
"DaThoren are you serious, why would you go there?" Zim asks,
"Because of the girl," I hear Roland speak "Why else would he go there."
"There is nothing there!" Hal yelled, "Death, death is what is there so unless you are taking her there to abandon her I forbid it!"
I cover my mouth to keep my gasp in.
"Do you plan to kill me then grandfather?" I heard my mate's voice and it's rough, dark and it sends chills down my arm.
"Do not think I won't accept a challenge boy,"
My mate growls,
"Hal," I hear a woman's voice.
I hear the older man snort and growl again and then silence then after a moment my mate speaks again "You are either with me or you're not."
"DaThoren why go there?" I hear the woman's voice and I wonder who she is.
"It is where Cora told me to take her."
"You believe that witch of a wolf?" Roland asks "There is a reason she is banned."
I hear the woman sigh "There is nothing there my son,"
My back goes straight; it's DaThoren's mother!
"Then perhaps it is the place I should go to start my own clan!"
"DaThoren," Is Kaggun's voice,
"I won't ask you to go against grandfather, or this clan," My mate says "You will always be my brothers," Hal must have walked off seeing as they were talking about him. I hope he does not run into me.
"You would abandon us for her?" Roland asks,
"I'm not abanding you,"
"Grandfather forbid it and he is head of the pack," Zim says,
"But Voltan is our Alpha in command," DaThoren speaks and I peek around to see him looking at Voltan. Red is next to him but her eyes meet mine and I hope she does not blow my cover. She winks.
"Grandfather will not let you return," Voltan states with crossed arms.
DaThoren looks down and I can't stand it anymore. I step out "I'll go alone."
Everyone turns to look at me.
"I told you to rest."
"You didn't tell me to stay," And im not a dog, right?
Roland snorts and looks away. The woman I assume was speaking earlier walks around them and up to me slowly. She seems frozen in time as she looks at me. I can see a mating mark meaning this woman is a shapeshifter which means she is their mother and I wonder about their father. Surely she is not Hals mate, she's far too young.
I don't know what to do or say as she walks around me "Where did you find her?" She asks stopping in front of me but looking back at them.
"She was with the wives of Nim." Voltan tells her "She was their-"
"Dog." I speak honestly cutting him off though I didn't mean to. She quickly looks back at me and places her delicate looking fingers to her lips "Dog," She whispers then she reaches out and brushes my hair back. I get goosebumps from her touch "My son has mated you, you are no dog."
"We don't know what I am," I whisper taking in her long braided dark hair,
She smiles at me "You are a rare rose in the void of hell,"
I blush.
"Mother?" DaThoren speaks and she looks back at him "Leave it to my big brute to find this,"
My eyebrows shoot up, she called him what I call him! DaThoren blushes and comes to join us "I have to protect her." He puts his hand on my belly "And this,"
His mother gasp "I see now what the fuss is about,"
She begins to pace and I can see the slight age lines on her face, then she stops and lifts her chin and I look at her eyes "Is it not my place but you are my son and I love you more than anything,"
I smile at her words to her son. She closes her eyes "I may catch hell for this and in the end, we may all die this day but I have to do what's right in my heart,"
"Mother?" Voltan steps forward hearing his mother speak.
"Because you and DaThoren have done right by your heart."
I swear I see a small blush on Voltans face. Voltan and Red are far less open about their relationship though little time has passed since he mated the wolf.
"Go to Volcano Mountain,"
"Mother!" Roland snaps,
"It is a graveyard to what was once a mystical place,"
DaThoren grabs my hand and squeezes it.
"The home of the dragons," She says with a smile.
"Did you get to see them?" I ask.
She smiles bigger "Oh yes, they were beautiful creatures,"
My heart flutters,
"What happened," Roland asks his eyes hard on his mother his arms crossed but he seems eager to hear. She sighs "What always happens when people begin to fear power, war."
She moves to sit on a rock nearby "The dragons were feared by many and many other clans sought to destroy them."
I am invested because I wonder what could kill something like a dragon.
Her eyes met ours "The source of their power was their fire, but it was also their curse."
I swallow,
"The young were pulled away, killed with golden spears,"
DaThoren pulls me close,
"The females were meant to be hidden while the males went out to protect them but nets were cast and the males were trapped within the volcano, they met their death with the same fire that protected them."
My lips parted, it was so sad.
"Of course this to many many years ago,"
"What happened to the women?" I ask,
"Most of them were so broken from the loss of their hatchlings and mates that-
"What did you just say!" Roland unfolded his arms and his mother looked at him and slowly repeated, "Most of them were so broken from the loss of their hatchlings-
Roland looked at me with great shock,
"What?"His mother asked picking up on his shock.
"The human girl Mary, she called you a hatchling!" He Ignores her and speaks to me.
There is a shift and I cant help the creeping feeling crawling up my spine.