Chapter 18

The first night that I spent in the pack house, I cried myself to sleep. I sobbed violently acknowledging the loss of my father. Now that I could mourn, I did. I was loosing a friend, a mentor and a father. I was loosing the kindest soul I had ever met, a man who had instilled the same kindness in me. I whacked the pillows aggressively as violent sobs tore through my body.

It wasn't fair.

It was my fault.

He had followed me out of Arden. He had come to save me, it was my fault. My fault. It was all my fault. The world had lost such a loving and bright soul for my sake, to protect me. I could never live up to him, I could never match his brightness. I choked on my tears, my throat felt raw and uncomfortable as I let out a low and wrangled moan as more tears racked my body.

I needed to mourn his loss and let him go. It was heartbreaking and it ripped out pieces of my soul, but I needed to feel the fullest extent of that pain because I deserved every second of it. It was like someone was tearing out my insides as I breathed heavily, panting through my sobs. I didn't hear the door open and the light patter of footsteps fill the room, I didn't realize anyone had entered until I felt warm arms wrap around my body and curls of black hair fell in my face. I panicked for a second, thinking it was Isaac. I didn't want him to see me like this, such a mess. I didn't want to expose this kind of vulnerability to a stranger.

But I calmed once I smelled the familiar chamomile scent of my best friend. Esmeralda wrapped her arms around me and began rubbing my back like she did when we were kids, when the elders gave out to me or when one of the other kids said something cruel. I calmed down as she whispered in my ear that everything would be alright. That I was okay and that I was allowed to grieve.

"It's my fault." I managed to croak out and she shook her head, her eyes burning with a fire that I could see through the darkness that plagued my sight.

"Aurora, it is not your fault. This outcome was past anything you could of foreseen. He only came because he loved you, he died loving you and his soul lives on here, beside you,"

I wept again, registering her words but shook my head. "He died because of me."

"It wasn't your fault. You were his everything Aurora, his precious child. He would've been so happy that he was able to save you. You need to let go of this idea that it was your fault. If anything, it is fate. The cruel string of fate that pulls at our hearts and our souls."

I breathed heavily, but despite that the tears had stopped. Now I was just left in a raw sadness. But I knew, I knew that he loved me.

"Beautiful child, he loved you so much." She whispered, as she patted my hair soothingly.

"I know it hurts. It hurts so much you wish you could rip it out. But you cannot for that pain is a reminder of what that person was to you. It will take time to heal and it will not feel like it was before, but this pain you feel now will fade."

"It hurts so much Esme." I whispered and she nodded.

"I know Aurora. But it will be okay, as long as you do not shut yourself away from love. I am here, as is Finn. And that wolf, that wolf loves you very much."

"It's so overwhelming." I whimpered and she drew back, her eyes alight and glowing.

"But it is so beautiful. This is the love you desired, is it not?"

I nodded wordlessly, she reached out and held my hand tenderly. "Allow yourself to heal Aurora. Be kind to yourself, it's what he would've wanted."

I nodded. I knew that.

She gave me a last hug before whispering. "Get some sleep, I'm right down the hall if you need me."

Before she tip toed out into the darkness again.

Esme's p.o.v

My heart hurt for my best friend, but swelled with love. She was a brave and pure soul, who deserved the world and I realized as I stepped out of her room, that she just might have it.

Isaac was sitting, back to the wall, on the other side of the room. His eyes met mine, and he stood, nodding in a quiet thanks.

"You heard her crying and you still realized that smothering her with affection at this stage of your relationship would damage her." I whispered and his grey eyes matched mine, unmoving. He said nothing and I offered him a tired smile.

He had woken me up after hearing her crying and asked me if I could comfort her. He had realized that she needed her best friend, not a man she had just met to comfort her. He had made the choice to put her before himself and I had never respected him more.

I took one final look at his sitting form as he waited outside Aurora's door, his head between his legs.

As soon as the morning would peek through the thin blanket of darkness and light the world outside, he would go in and hold his love.

-/-

Isaac's office had a window ledge that fit my body perfectly. I laid down some blankets and pillows to make it even more comfortable and that's where I was currently sat, watching the rain drops against the window. It was soothing, as I read a book I had borrowed from Isaac, I had the soft downfall of rain as my background. Although I couldn't seem to focus very much as I held the book open on my lap but instead my eyes wandered to where Isaac was working at his desk, filling out yet another page of mind-numbing paperwork. He had been at it for the past two hours, sending my eyes on him he out down his pen and his tired oooo eyes met mine, smiling softly.

"I think I can take a break for a while and spend time with my mate, I mean I have just gotten her back." He said as I rose to meet him. He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled his head into my neck.

"I wanted to talk to you about that," I muttered and his face fell. I could almost see what he was thinking.

"I'm not planning on returning to Arden, my father is already dead and my two best friends are here. I have no reason to return."

He nodded slowly, understanding my words before he motioned for me to continue.

"I understand the concept of mates and know that it's something sacred and joyful for your kind, but you have to understand that I am not of your kind. This is all new to me, I want to take it slow,"

He relaxed, running his rough hands through my blonde curls, before sighing deeply. "I had never intended to rush you into something you're not ready for, nor do I ever intend to.

"I'm not like other Alphas. I won't trap you. Forest nymphs are creatures or freedom. I won't risk harming you for anything, not even myself."

"As proud of a man that I am, I'm not past begging. You're the only glimpse of sunlight I've seen in years. The mate bond, Aurora, is like nothing you've ever felt. Because your not a wolf, it won't take effect immediately but it's a connection past one's comprehension. Our souls are connected in a way that makes it impossible to undo. All i ask is you stay here with me and give me a chance." He whispered and I nodded silently into his shoulder.

I looked up at him, nodding. There was still a hole in my soul from loosing my father, someone who had been a constant in my life and had never let me down. He was the only father figure I had, but he was also a mentor and a friend. Especially after I had lost my mother, he took it upon himself to be everything that I had lost.

Nothing could replace that. And being thrown into a completely new world didn't help. I still felt out of place and at times, helpless. But there were brief moments, just like this one, I don't think I'll ever forget the way his eyes looked in that moment. The sun was just beginning to set and the side of his face was basked in the glow of the sunset, all hues of cerise and auburn that lit up the sky above his head. But that's not what took me by surprise, what completely struck me was the way the light illuminated his eyes and made them seem golden. I could see the specks of green and hazel running alongside his Iris and he stared back me just as intensely.

It was moments like them that made me feel like everything would be okay.

"What's all the paperwork for anyway?"

He scrunched up his nose in distaste and I let out a light laugh.

"Those vampires were part of a bigger group that have been making trouble for a considerate amount of time now. But this incident allows us to bring their leader to the high court, hopefully they'll be disbanded or even sentenced."

"To death?" I gasped and he nodded. "That's a very big possibility but considering how large the group is, they'll probably just detain the main leaders and the group will disperse naturally."

I looked down and his finger hooked under my chin, raising my eyes to his. "It isn't the worse outcome, Aurora. They've harmed people, killed and tore apart families. You saw how they treated humans, that won't change unless someone changes it."

I stood, my eyes unforgiving. I recalled my father's dead body on the cold streets of the town. "I understand."

-/-

Isaac's pack was large enough to cover the right side of the entire town. It stretched out further, into the forest. The main pack house was covered by trees and I remember the first time I came, it looked like something out of a fairytale. There was a long driveway, until the road opened up to a large mansion, where the alpha and beta family lived. There was houses littered around the town but it seemed like the main pack house had a little more privacy. However, coming form Arden where I was always surrounded by people, it felt a little lonely at the start.

But there were things I adored, like the view from my room. Isaac had asked if I wanted to share his room, but I requested that I have my own one for the time being, something he thankfully agreed to. The room was gorgeous, with dark oak floors and a large skylight which allowed me to watch the stars from my bed at night. The view from my window was also breathtaking - as I stared out at the dense green forest that ran for as far as the eye could see.

I hadn't been here that long, but I was already settling in. My two best friends were here, Finn and Esmerelda, along with the new friends that I had made. There was also him, I couldn't wrap my mind around our relationship or even begin to put it into words. Everything felt so natural and easy and I wasn't sure if that eased my mind or terrified me. I had come to adore his stares and crave his touch. The mate bond would take longer to form on my end, but I felt like it was already beginning to draw me closer to him.

He was kind and warm, and considerate of my feelings. He wasn't barbaric or trying to cage me like a bird. He understood that I needed time to adapt and tried to make me as comfortable as possible, something which I really appreciated.

"What would you like to eat?" He mused, as we reached the kitchen. I was just beginning to find my way around the house and I adored the kitchen, my cooking skills had developed over the years and I no longer burnt pancakes. I had even come to love cooking and baking as it was something I did often with my father. The thought made me stop for a second as I stared at the large marble counters and remembered the old granite ones we had at home, with scruff marks all over the floors as we walked over odd tiles. A wave of sadness hit me as Isaac moved to open the fridge. After gaining to response he turned to me, expectantly and as hard as I tried to hide it, he saw right through me.

"He loved to cook." I said softly and he pulled me into a warm hug, resting my head against his chest.

"I'm sure he made one hell of a chef." He said and I giggled as a single tear fell down my cheek.

"He did, I would always burn everything. But he would always be so patient and help me, I loved to cook because I knew he'd be right there beside me."

He took my right cheek in his large calloused hand, stray brown curls fell over his eyes as his voice fell to a whisper. "He'd be so proud of you."

I looked up at him, through glassy eyes and all I could manage was a nod. He gently placed his lips against my forehead.

"How does chicken sound?"

The words were barely out of his mouth when the door swung open and Finn walked in, a large grin on his face.

"I love chicken."

That single sentence sent a wave of calmness through me as I realized, as much as my life was changing, some things never changed.

-:/

Longer chapter than normal, leave a vote if you enjoyed it. Who do you guys picture as the characters? Have anyone in mind?