Chapter 33 Through the Pain of the Past #2
To think that humans would deny their females access to such knowledge. It infuriates me. My mate, however, defies those limitations. She studied under her mother, learned everything she was taught, and asks questions without hesitation. She is everything they tried to suppress.
“You know so much, Theron,” my little dove says, stepping on the dark leaves scattered across the forest floor, carefully avoiding the lighter ones.
Unsure what to make of this game, I pause before I answer her. “Vólkins value knowledge.” I try to mimic her steps and place my paw on a dark leaf, but my paw is far too large for this. “Not knowing something you’ve been taught is considered foolish.”
She hums in acknowledgment, her focus momentarily on the forest path.
We reach a clearing, a good one. The ground is flat, without stones or rough patches. Ideal for training.
“Are you tired?” I ask, noticing how she still steps carefully on the dark leaves.
She shakes her head, her gaze fixed forward. “This is a great spot to warm up the muscles!”
And just like that, her focus shifts. She abandons her game, stepping on dark and light leaves indiscriminately as she rushes forward, then spins around to face me with a bright grin.
I do not understand.
“Attack me!” she exclaims, her eyes lighting up.
I tilt my head. “Is that how you want to train?”
She nods, that grin growing wider. “I may not be as big as you, but I have this.”
She pulls out the weapon she used to stab me, holding it up like a trophy. The sight of that small weapon reminds me of the fire in her eyes the first time we met, a fire that has only grown brighter.
“How about you attack me?” I suggest, patting my chest with a grin of my own.
A wicked smile is her only reply before she tightens her grip on her weapon and sprints toward me.
This shouldn’t arouse me as much as it does. But goddesses above, the way her breasts move with each stride, the sway of her hips, the sharp focus in her gaze—I can barely think straight. We need to get back to the furs immediately.
She strikes, holding the weapon in one hand and using the other to push it forward for extra force. Clever. Very clever. The added power makes her hit more effective. My little dove is so smart. I catch the weapon in my paw, and my tail wags uncontrollably.
She smirks as I catch her weapon. Why?
Her hand, the one she used to push the weapon, suddenly shifts its direction, aiming straight for my jaw.
Incredible. She’s not just strong, she’s quick and adaptive.
Before the weapon can reach me, I catch it between my teeth. Now her small nose is right in front of mine, and we’re grinning at each other like two mischievous pups.
The urge to snap the weapon in my mouth is almost unbearable. But this weapon is special. She crafted it herself, poured her time and care into it. I could carve as many as she wants, but this one holds meaning.
I unclench my jaw and release it.
“Why do your crystals shine so brightly? This isn’t the first time,” she says. The light makes her irises look blue, and it’s mesmerizing.
“Every time a vólkin feels strong emotions, the crystals mirror the frequency our souls release.”
Her eyes narrow as she lowers her weapon. “When we first met, your crystals were bright like this,” she says, taking a step back. “And yesterday too.”
“Of course,” I say, stepping closer. “When we first met, I was excited, aroused, and happy. Finding my mate was the greatest moment of my life.” I lower my paw to grip my semihard shaft. “Yesterday too.”
As expected, my shy little mate’s eyes lower to my cock before she blushes, her cheeks glowing that delightful shade of pink.
She clears her throat, quickly shifting the subject. “What else can your crystals do?”
“I can send waves and signals to vólkins not too far away,” I say, though her reaction still amuses me. “If I wanted to call the warriors here, I could signal them, and they would feel it and come immediately.”
“That is incredible! So useful, it’s unbelievable,” Noel says, her gaze fixed on my crystals like she’s studying them.
“You will have them too, my mate,” I say, releasing my cock as the tension becomes too uncomfortable. My sac growing too tight.
“Me? What do you mean?”
“After the bonding ritual, you will awaken. You’ll become your true self. Every spiritual being has crystals, and you are no exception. They will be blue like mine, like the blue rose.”
Her eyes widen. “How? What?”
“My mother had crystals, Kael’s mother, Aeson’s mother, they all had crystals.”
Her expression shifts, something I can’t quite place.
“Your mother was human . . . right?” she asks, leaning close and resting her hand in my paw.
“Yes,” I confirm, tilting my head as I watch her. “What is it?”
“How did your parents die?” Her voice is quieter now. “ánya and Vládan.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. “You know their names. Let’s sit, and I’ll explain everything.”
I lead her to a calloused tree, its shadow shielding us from the warmth of the spring sun. Sitting down, I motion for her to settle between my thighs. She grips her gown before sitting—carefully avoiding my cock—and looking up at me.
“Before the barrier appeared, a curse of flesh swept through ávera,” I begin.
“A sickness?” Noel asks, her brows furrowing.
I nod. “There is a plant, an apple from the tree of knowledge, that can cure such harsh diseases, but it only grows in the far north, far beyond these lands. Elder A?na said the grown vólkins decided to travel there together to gather enough of the herb and return safely, as humans roamed the land at that time.”
“Did Elder A?na go as well?”
I shake my head. “She stayed with us, the pups.”
Her expression softens, her eyes glistening as she leans back against my chest. “And they never came back?”
The words are heavy on my tongue, the pain fresh even after all these years. “No, they didn’t.”
I do not remember my parents, only the stories Elder A?na told me. She always says my mother was like dawn’s first light, happy, and always seeing the good in others. My father, she said, loved her deeply. He was more serious, and Elder A?na often remarks that I resemble him.
I tug my mate against me, wrapping my arms around her, shielding her from my own words. “The barrier appeared the night they left ávera.”
“Maybe they’re still alive! Maybe they settled near the barrier, hoping it would disappear so they could come back.” Her eyes shine with so much hope it pains me.
“Elder A?na said,” I begin, exhaling, “that all their souls have reached the skies.”
Her expression softens, and she leans closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. She presses her forehead to mine and whispers, “I am so, so sorry.”
My sweet mate. Even with all her strength and fire, she holds compassion like no other. The goddesses chose the perfect female for me, and I will carry gratitude for that with me for the rest of my days.
“Let’s start training, my dove.”