#31

Aurora
Evander stroked my back massaging up my neck to wake me. The hum of the bond spread through my body. “Hmm,” I groaned gently as I stretched like a cat. I had slept so well that it was hard to get up. A dreamless sleep was rare for me. “I would have given you a few more minutes, but my sister is cursing your brother's choice of a mount, and he seems to think you’ll save him from her fury.” I shot up quickly, glancing over her shoulder. “Horses!” I about squealed. Grinning from ear to ear. Evander’s surprised eyes tracked my movements as I flipped the covers off of me and went skipping over to the pile of clothes. Evander followed suit opting to make coffee while I brushed out my hair and did whatever girls did in the morning. Bounding down the stairs with hair braided to the side with some string I'd found in my bag for the plants I gathered. I had come across a belt in the basket which I used to cinch Evander’s shirt around my waist after adding a new hole. I paired it with black leggings and my boots. It was enough effort without going too far for a day in a little town in the cascade mountains. Taking the cup he offered me sipping the dark black liquid and humming with pleasure. It was dark and bold and could wake the dead. It was perfect. “We better head out, here let me help you with your coat”. Evander said, taking it from my other hand. He held it out so I could slip in one hand and swap my coffee, or rather my lifeline, at this hour of the morning, to slip in the other. He faced me zipping up the front before leading me out the door to where the horses were kept. The sky was still dark, the faint glow of morning barely lighting our way.

About 10 mins later we came to a large alcove in the mountainside. They had mortared together stones to build the last wall of the stable. There were a handful of cows, some with calves and goats, but I could hear the protestor in the background. And as we walked deeper inside, a draft horse stuck his enormous head out and huffed in my sent as I gave him a pat and an ear scratch. “That's Benny,” Evander said. I nodded moving forward.

I started to hear the swearing. 3 men with the tackle in hand caged her in. “Diablo, you are fucking insane! Who in their right mind would put that lil lady on this devil’s spawn,” a green-eyed sandy-haired man wearing worn jeans, muck-out boots, and suspenders over a light blue shirt. “We all know Alpha saved her from the slaughterhouse. He's too kind. She’s of no use to anyone if she can't be tamed!” The other man said. He wore a stained white tee stretched over a wide muscled chest, his ebony skin so dark his pearl white teeth and the whites of his mocha eyes stood out. “I thought I was the only demon here,” my brother chuckled, teasing the others. The blue-eyed paint thrashed again causing them to scatter. I leaned back into Evander's chest, whispering. “How long do I make them suffer before I solve the problem?” I looked up at him and he raised a questioning brow. Whinnie shook her head in frustration. “I told his stubborn ass to just let us take the old bay,” she said, eyeing me and walking out of the stable in a huff. I handed Evander my empty coffee cup and winked at him, strutting away to face the spitfire of a filly and the 3 men failing to tame her.

“Having some trouble, boys?” I asked startling them. “Well, hey there Sis, nice of you to finally put us out of our misery.” “Luna,” the other two men said, bowing their heads slightly. “It's Aurora,” I said, my eyes on the horse. “Give her some space,” I said. The two other men looked at me strangely but obeyed. They joined my brother leaning against the rock wall. I glanced around grabbing an apple and a lead. They had her tethered between two leads set in the rocks. “All she sees is predators coming for her. You smell like a wolf and if she was up for slaughter, she knows the stench of her own fear and impending death. Think of it like animal PTSD.” I turned my back on the horse so I wouldn't be seen as coming forcefully at her and stretched out the tendrils of magic to her mind. Similar to how I infiltrated Evander in wolf form all those days ago. She welcomed it. They always did.

I took a bite of the apple before tucking it into my shirt. I spit the chunk of apple into one hand offering it to the horse who looked at me inquisitively before huffing in a breath and taking it from me. As she did this, my other hand reached up and gently unfastened the tethers, using my magic to have the air slow their fall so they wouldn't spook the animal. I slowly reached into my shirt and took another bite, chewing. Her snout nudged my shoulder. I was still feeding my magic into her to calm her and search out some of her worries. I ate that bite of the apple and blew a huff of my breath out over my shoulder where her nose was closest. She took in a big breath and nickered. I took another bite. Dropped the apple back into my shirt and spit it into my hand.

This time, when I offered it to her, I gently clipped the lead on. “Bring the tackle outside.” I said pulling the apple out and taking another bite. I blew over my shoulder again and moved forward, and she followed, intent on the snack I offered. When we were out of the building, I looped the rope over a beam they probably had set to groom the horses. I handed her what was left of the apple and took the blanket from my brother. Whinnie was looking on holding the bridle of an older dun mare. I walked up to the paint and talked calmly, but loud enough that the others could hear. “She doesn't like being confined. Don't ever fucking hit her, and you need to be patient because to her, you smell like her impending death. Oh,” I said, “and she's greedy for apples.” I heard a chuckle from Evander behind me before I presented her with the blanket. I rubbed it with my hand and she huffed in a breath and I dragged it along her before gently setting it on her back. I ensured my steps were gentle and not to startle her As I met the eyes of a man with Ebony skin. I reached out to take the saddle. "And you are?” “Evan," he said, handing it to me. I smiled. “It's a pleasure,” I gave him a small nod, and he smiled in a way that feigned disbelief and awe. “Pleasure is mine, Luna,” he whispered. I walked back to the horse. This would be tricky.

I approached her letting my side come at her as I dumped the saddle to the ground. She leaned down snuffling in a deep breath as I started rubbing her down with my hands. Boy, she needed a good curry comb. She was enjoying the contact and by doing this I could help her relax more than just in her mind within a few moments she was calm enough she had finished investigating the saddle and I hefted it up and she huffed in a breath again and I gently dragged it along her and as gingerly as possible set it upon her back over the blanket. I rubbed her down a bit more. “Ahh, you like that girly, I said, getting down near her belly before quickly looping the girth into the buckle and painfully slowly tightening it up. The sandy blond went to hold out a bridle. I shook my head. The next person to bridle this horse deals with me,” I said coldly. I took up the lead and looped the lead around, knotting it through the other side of the halter. “Hey Whinnie you ready?” “Yes ma'am!” she called. I looked over at Evander, his arms crossed, his smile huge as he took me in. I winked at him before gently sliding into the saddle. She sidestepped but settled.

With horses, I'd do anything to make it right for them. They felt like kin to me. I could speak their language in a way my instincts just clicked with. They were wild things that could be associated with the chaos in my heart. I urged her with my legs towards Evander, my hands barely touching the halter rope lazily draped over her withers. “You good?” he asked. Looking up, I see his eyes shine with pride. “I’m great, but those guys.” I gave him a cringy face. “They just lost whatever bet Blake gave them.” He chuckled, and I leaned down intending to give him a peck, but that man devoured me, shoving his tongue in and claiming my mouth like it was his temple, and I accepted the worship greedily. “Come on Evander! That's my sister.” Blake called. I cringed, pulling away. Blushing as I realized the audience. Evander winked at me mischievously. Oh, that was on purpose. I rolled my eyes and kept my laugh inward as I moved the paint towards the old mare Whinnie was riding. As we began moving through the forest, ensuring my backpack was well secured across my chest. Before I asked. “So what did my brother win in that bet?” Whinnie chuckled. “I now have a crib and a pile of spun wool yarn coming to me.” “All for the baby, huh?” I asked. She nodded.

“Yeah, how’d you get Satan's spawn to work for you?” I decided to give her the long story we had time and my heart wanted to be open with her. At least she was family now. “Soo, Blake’s and my Knowing brought us here. Our Gran's took her to South Dakota. Her calling was protecting the mustangs. She separated from the coven to take care of them. Typically, your calling is the only way out of the coven. We spent summers there. The filly understood I follow a' mhàthair (The Mother). I juggled calming her mind with understanding where her fear was derived from. Our grandparents were free spirits. We would take one horse out together and ride with the herd. What they didn’t know was that I would jump horses. And the herd accepted me to do so. When we were out there, it was the only time as a kid that I wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder before using my gift. Blake is truthfully the only one who truly knew me. Our parents fretted too much so I tried to keep things to myself.

Whinnie glanced back at me and sighed. “You bring me an entirely new view of my mate I never knew existed.” She said. “Well, imagine in my mind, dear sister, I was never going to have anyone. I still struggle to believe and accept this, but my heart, soul, and body are fighting my mind. It's very confusing.” She glanced back at me. “Why exactly could you have no one where you came from?” she asked, scrunching up her face. “Covens are greedy for power. If they indeed knew me, they would try to use me or conform me to do their bidding. Or someone could sell me out to others or the council. So since I was a little girl, it was a secret. Anyone I let close to me was a threat”

“Aurora,” she said after some silence. “What.” “They will never harm you here.” “That's what everyone says, but it's also what I want to believe. So forgive me for my awkwardness, I'm used to dealing with people who probably would just want to drain me or use me till I'm dead."

She was quiet for a while, and by now the sun was at a mid-rise on the horizon. "I already explained my concern to Evander. Risking your pack is not an option." I broke the silence finally. “As strong as you are and you would still run?” she said. "I don't want to, but I will if I have to. Nobody else should get hurt because I’m here. I can't risk the loss. When you have seen the good in these people's souls, it's hard to let go of what could be, but it's harder to think you could be their demise.”

“Do you intend on mating, my brother?” She asked, glancing over at me. “Depends if Dominic can do his job,” I told her. “Then we need to make a pack. Even if we risk exposing you as Evanders mate, it must be done. Dominic may be mostly his father's son, but he adored our mother, though he found her ideas quirky. He will help us if he knows what's at stake.” “Then if need be, Whinnie, tell him the truth.” I said. “Oh, Luna, he's gonna want to hear that from you himself.”

Evander is not gonna like this.