40

Mika laid a gentle kiss on Ari's lips, whispering to her. The words came flooding and felt so right. He knew it was his heart pleading for her to return. But every word he spoke would be imprinted on him for the rest of his life. This was his vow to her for now on.
"Please come back to me Ari. I give you my body to shield you, I give you my strength should you ever need it. I give you my heart for yours till the day we part. No other can stand to you. I bind you to me and call you home." As he had spoken, he closed his eyes unable to bare the look of her resting face reminding him of her passing. But as he pulled back to right himself her blue eyes stared back at him. He heard the moment breath returned to her as his escaped him. He watched as she blinked a few times and slowly moved her limbs. He heard her heartbeat now, a low beat but growing stronger by each moment. "Ari." her name slipping from his lips like a talisman.
He helped her to sit up as the others watch in stunned disbelief. Ari clutched at the tan colored sheet as she realized she was stark naked, and several eyes were on her. "What?" she found it a bit hard to swallow as her mouth and throat seemed dry like a desert. She dry coughed and a women offered her a small cup of water to help. She nodded as she sipped at the cool water. "What happened?" directing her question to the only one she trusted. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if it had all been a dream, or if Drax was disorienting reality again.
"You died." he said slowly and gave her time to digest the words.
Memories of the fight flashed through her mind. She recalled the knife she'd stabbed Drax with. Lost in her memories she could feel Drax's talons slicing her back and she reached back to feel perfect solid skin. Her eyes widen and she looked down under the sheet, where Drax had first sliced her from her collar bone to her breast was perfect pink skin. Mika watched as she examined her body, confusion growing more evident as the seconds past.
Cordilla stepped forward this time, "You have been healed girl by a gift from Mika." Ari looked over seeing the woman for the time. A strange but familiar voice so far away came back to her, “Guardians." an image of a vine creeping up a tree flashed with the voice, "These are the others who are there to help humans.". Then a voice she knew very well but had not heard for a long time, her father's voice louder in her head, "Taking in the life force of another supernatural she shows some of their traits."
“Who? Who are you?’ she looked at the woman in a grey cloak with long white hair. Her face so slender and almost unworldly. She reminded Ari of someone familiar, someone she had seen recently but she could not place her finger on it.
The woman titled her head in respect. Her smile so warm. “I am Cordilla. I am the White Witch of the Crimson Moon Pack lands.”
“You lived with Mika’s people?”
“Yes and no. I lived on the pack lands but stayed where my powers were feed the most.” She replied.
“Where was that?” Ari needed something to focus on. Everything in the room was still fuzzy and the longer she talked and had to think about what this woman was saying the clearer things became for her.
“My powers draw from water. Somewhat like those of the Mer people, however I use my powers to converse with the spirits. Look into the future when allowed.”
“Did you see this?” Mika spoke up. It was not a accusation, genuine curiosity.
“Yes.” She smiled much like a grandmother smiling at a small child.
“The spirits told me where she was. They also told me that she has much more to do.”
“But if you are away from your power source, how will you survive?” Ari asked ignoring the trail Mika and Cordilla was headed down. Somewhere she already knew she had to do something…something but her thoughts were still blurred and foggy.
“It was a great power source yes. However, it is not the only one on this earth. There are many more like it. I will just have to find a new one and prepare it for my services.”
“Why can’t you return to the old one?” Ari asked confused. Not that she felt threatened by her, she didn’t understand what would drive this woman to come all this way for her. She knew Mika’s homeland was much further south so what was she doing here?
“There is a sickness over the lands. An evil creature has penetrated our lands. It has begun to poison the earth, which bled into my sacred home. Until the time is right, we cannot stand against it. If I had stayed, I would have fallen to the creature. Someone like me in the hands of evil is not a good thing for anyone. That is how necromancers are made. “
“Thank you for coming.” Mika said in a hushed voice. Still taking in Ari sitting right there on the slab. He wanted to take her into his arms so badly and feel every inch of her on him. He wanted to look for himself that all her wounds were gone, but he restrained himself for now.

Ari reached up to her neck at its crease. A raised welp, almost like a brand was there. It did not hurt but she felt tingles rush through her body. A smile broke across her face as she looked Mika in his eyes. "Does this mean I will be a wolf now too?" Thoughts of turning in to some kind of cool massive wolf running alongside Mika flashed through her mind. She felt excitement well up in her.
The woman shook her head no, empathy on her face. "No, I am sorry, you will not even though you have been bitten. However, Mika has marked you as his- he is tied to you alone now." For a moment sadness washed over her. "Do you still want me as a mate if I cannot change like you?" she asked,. She knew how she felt about it, She was never a shifter but would it be something more for a wolf pack? Would it cause problems in their customs? She was unsure how *he* felt about it. Without a single word, and in blurring speed Mika scooped her up in his arms. "Let me show you how I feel about us, about you being my mate."Mika came to her side at once wrapping his arms around her comforting her. He breathed her in deeply. He didn't care if she was a wolf or not. She was perfect to him and that was all that mattered to him.
She sighed accepting that she would not be a cool wolf like Mika, but then the last part of what the woman said dawned on her. Mika was and will always be just hers. Remembering the scene that Drax had made for her and now knowing that Mika not would but COULD NOT do that made the transforming pale in comparison.
A giddiness welled up from her stomach, the thought of Mika being hers.
" I will always be only yours." she whispered to him. It was a intimate moment even in a room with several people present. She looked up to see Mika's eyes staring down at her. She saw the love there, and he saw the love in hers.
"Can we get away from everyone. I really just want sometime with you." she whispered hoping the others wouldn't hear her. But knew also there was atleast four other wolves in the room with them and she was not sure if the witch had good hearing too.
"Coridlla thank you for coming. You are welcome to stay with us for how ever long you like. We owe you a debt for all you have done for us. But I think it is best if Ari and I have some time together and rest." Ari burried her face into his chest, feeling her cheeks grow hot.
The women who had helped to cleanthe bodies hid their giggles behind their hands but did not say a word.
Cordila's eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Of course alpha. Please I will see the two of you later. I am sure one of these lovely ladies or another member will help me find a comfort room."
She bowed her head and Mika repeated the motion before turning to exit.


Ari knew that Mika's legs were long but it felt like his strides barely touched the floor as he passed through the halls. Ari couldn't have told you if anyone had seen them as she was taking in Mika's features. In he span of seconds he stopped at a door.
"Are you sure? We pass through this door things will be different between us." he warned.
"Yes, I am sure. I have died and now I want to live. I need you Mika to be complete." She wasn't sure where the words had come from but they were the truth. She was pulled to him but something felt like there was one more push before they truly were one. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. This felt right.