Page 50 of Blood Pearl
“Already done. I anticipated your acceptance. As did Alpha Aurora. Everything will be at the border ready for us to leave an hour before sunset. See you there.” Turning on his heel, he walks away.
Closing the door, I lay on the bed. A few hours' rest won’t hurt and I can reflect on my evening with Aurora. It’s strange, but I don’t think of her as Alpha Aurora now. The vision of her from last night seems to have changed my perspective somewhat.
Waking refreshed and hungry, no surprise there, I think to myself, I head to the dining room. Grabbing a tray, I walk over to the serving area. Seeing Cook Ivy shaking her head as I load up my tray, I give her my best ‘what’s a shifter to do?’ look.
Seeing her nod to her right, I glance over and see Aurora sitting at a corner table, alone. Looking back at cook Ivy, she has her eyebrows raised so high, they’re practically at her hairline. Taking the ‘oh so subtle’ hint, I walk over to Aurora’s table and ask if I can join her.
“Are you planning on devouring me or your lunch?” I look at her in shock.
“I’d rather hoped you’d forgotten that part of the evening.”
“Forgotten it? Hardly. I haven’t had an offer like that in years. Sit down and we’ll see if we can get past it again, shall we?” Her gentle laugh has me smiling without knowing I’m doing it. We’re still sitting there when Xavier stops by the table.
“Everything is ready at the border. We should leave soon. I think it best if you say your goodbyes here, Alpha Aurora. Your Beta probably won’t approve of your being close to the border so soon after the last attempt on your life.”
“I do not need my Beta’s approval for my actions, Shadow Warrior. Let’s be clear on that, shall we?”
“No, you don’t. You are more than capable of making your own decisions. If, however, you insist on taking unnecessary risks, I may have the warriors secure you in your office until such time that you begin making ‘rational’ decisions once again,” Beta Raina states from immediately behind her Alpha, laughing at the thought of her Alpha being confined.
“You’re becoming very adept at sneaking up on me, Beta.”
“On the contrary, Alpha. When you’re with Gerry, you lose the ability to see what is happening around you. I find that quite telling, don’t you?”
Feeling that I’m going to be drawn into this, I turn to Xavier. “You’re quite right, Xavier. I agree it's time that we were on our way, sooner rather than later, eh?”
Escaping what could have become an embarrassing situation has us in wolf form and in a ground-eating lope towards the border. Before we reach where the border patrol is waiting with our supplies and equipment, we shift back to human form and preserve our wolf’s strength.
It takes just thirty minutes to confirm that everything is as it should be and then we wait for the light to start to fade. As soon as Xavier announces it is time, we load up and cross the border. Heading directly to the deeply forested areas, we make our way into no-man’s-land. There are no signs of any rogues and we haven’t seen, or heard any the whole time we’ve been at the border. Staying in human form as long as we can, we press deeper into the forest.
“Gerry, this is as far as you need to go. I’ll use this as my supply base. The foliage in these trees will give me an ideal storage place for my supplies and spare equipment. If you’ll give me a hand to get them hidden, then you can be on your way and back at the border before sunrise. Your wolf should be fully rested and be able to go all the way back, no problem.”
“You know that you didn’t have to do this alone? I would have stayed with you.” Knowing that as a Shadow warrior he would prefer to work alone, my offer is honest but also a token gesture at the same time.
“I need you at the packhouse. You are more valuable to me there than you can possibly know.” Xavier gives me a strange look.
“I don’t understand how I can be of help to you when so far away. That makes no sense, Xavier. What use can I be to you from there? What are you trying to say?” I squat on the ground and gesture that he does the same. Looking him square in the eyes, I wait for his response.
“I have only discussed this with Alpha Aurora once, and with no one else. I don’t know exactly what it is I’m trying to explain, so bear with me, please.” Taking a few breaths, he appears to be composing himself. “When I first caught up to you, your two female warriors and Aurora in the forest, I had a strange and unsettling ‘emotion’ run through me. It was definitely something that emanated from the females. It was nothing to do with yourself. When I returned from that patrol and gave my report to Flint in the Alpha's office at Blood Pearl, I had the same feeling again.”
“Who was present?” Although I have an uncomfortable feeling I know where this is headed.
“Female wise, just Alpha Aurora and Beta Raina. As I said, the feeling was definitely not a male thing.”
“So then, you have an emotion for the Alpha. That’s the obvious conclusion.” I am not happy with this and I’m not sure why, other than I recognize jealousy when I feel it.
“Your conclusion is quite wrong, Gerry. This is not a mating bond or a sexual thing. I have had a mate, and this is not like that at all. I have never had this type of feeling or emotion. I can’t even describe what it is.” Xavier genuinely appears confused and shows no sign of possessiveness over Aurora.
“Okay, so what other thoughts do you have? Anything?”
“I suggested to the Alpha that the Goddess may have some tasks for me that involve her. As a Shadow warrior or as my Shadow wolf, we can only think that we are meant to protect her in some way. Again, this is all supposition. We have nothing other than this strange sense that we are meant to be around her. It sounds weird to you? Imagine how we feel!” Xavier does indeed look lost.
“Very well. I’ll go back immediately. If I can get past Raina,” I smile, “I will guard Aurora with my life. Be sure that you return safely. If you are to be her protector at some future point, you need to stay alive to be there.”
With that said, I shift to Asher and make my way back to the border and then to the packhouse. This should be yet another interesting conversation between myself and my Aurora.
My Aurora?
Chapter 27