Chapter 90: Duty and Desire

AARON. The morning was bright, sunny, and beautiful. I woke up next to Helena, who was in my arms, and still fast asleep. Strands of her hair fell across her face, and it made her look even more alluring. I sat up, rubbing my chin. Last night was more enjoyable than I thought, even after me and Luna tracked down and took out the demon that trespassed. Apparently, he was just passing by. But we don't like to take chances. Soft mumbling shook me out of thoughts, and I glanced down at Helena. She turned, slowly opening her eyes to adjust to the sunlight. 'Good morning, little wolf." My voice came out lower than I intended. She gasped, checking under the sheets and glancing at me in horror. I raised my brows in confusion. 'What happened?" 'Did we…um.." She stuttered, pointing at herself and at me. I laughed, a low rumble that escaped my chest. 'If I want to mate you, I'll make sure you're wide awake. Feeling every. Single. Thing." She paused, her face turning bright red. She covered herself with the blankets. 'I never knew you were this wild." She muttered. 'I'm an animal, my love. Of course I'm wild." I grabbed her nose, pinching it softly. She giggled. 'Aaron…" She called softly. 'Yes?" 'Does Luna know?" 'About what?" 'About us." She bit her lip. I laid back down, pulling her close. 'Of course she does. I told her; Helena is the love of my life. And she taunted me, as always." I said, shrugging. 'I'm the love of your life?" Her voice sounded skeptical. 'Think about it this way. Yes." I said simply, watching her reaction. She hid under the covers again, and I could tell she was blushing. I let her stay in the tent for a little while longer, while I walked out and gathered the wood we used for the fire last night. Luna was already up, standing on the porch and leaning on the railings. She looked at me with a weird expression. I walked towards her. 'Either there's a snake on my back, or you just hate how I look." I muttered. She looked up, and I froze. Her eyes were obsidian, again. 'What's wrong?" I asked, my senses on high alert. She paused, and her eyes returned to normal. 'The elders sent a message last night. They're coming, Aaron. And they're coming with force. You have two options..." 'Wait wait wait. Last night? Was it the demon?" I interrupted, standing beside her. Tyrus peeked at me from inside her pocket, squeaking with a dejected tone. 'Yes. After you left I stayed back. The demon's body vanished, and all that was left was this." She handed me a bottle of wolfsbane. An ominous sign. 'Those bastards." I clenched and unclenched my jaws. The wolfsbane in the bottle seeped through the glass, sending a sharp sting through my fingers. I handed it back to Luna. 'You have two options Aaron. Either you return and calm them, or you stay back and fight. I'd prefer the latter, but think about Helena." 'You and I know what I'd choose if it were up to me. She'd want me to return. I don't know if I'll come back when I do." The entire thought of it was just…scary. Luna sighed. 'Talk to her about it. It's not worth the pain, or the sorrow." 'You think it has anything to do with my awakening?" 'Probably. They're keeping an eye on you, so noticing your shift in energy wouldn't be hard at all. That's why they're coming now." I groaned, sitting on the ground. My thoughts were roaming with possibilities. What was I going to do now? If I stayed, I would put both Helena and Luna in massive danger. If I left, I might never see her again. I needed something that would benefit the both of us. All of a sudden, it clicked. Why don't I just take her with me? HELENA. I was so scared when I woke up. Initially I enjoyed the morning sun and the cool breeze that followed. But seeing Aaron sitting beside me in the tent gave me so many ideas that I didn't wanna dive into just yet. I still had my clothes on, but anything, and I mean anything could have happened. I sat up after he left the tent, trying to piece together fragments of last night. I remember I slept off after I got a whiff of something. A particularly strong smell. It hit me. There were some creatures out last night. I got up hurriedly, and went to find Aaron. Him and Luna were discussing in hushed tones on the porch. 'Good morning sunshine." Luna said, smiling brightly. 'Morning Luna." I smiled back. The atmosphere was calm. I spotted Tyrus under Luna's arm, and I waved. She squeaked happily, floating towards me and sitting on my shoulder. 'She really likes you." Luna said. 'Of course she does. Helena is a ray of sunshine." Aaron added, winking. 'Don't play a couple in front of me." Luna glared at him, and we both burst into laughter. 'I'm still confused as to how this whole thing started." She muttered. 'It's called a fairytale." Aaron waved his hands in the air dramatically. He motioned for me to come closer to him. 'A fairytale doesn't contain an animal like you." Luna stuck out her tongue, smacking Aaron on the back of his head. 'Helena, I'm being bullied. What do we do about bullies?" Aaron pouted. He was so cute I couldn't. I just couldn't. 'Oh grow up." Luna retorted, smiling mischievously. 'You two are a handful." I giggled. Aaron grabbed my palm, intertwining our fingers. 'I've waited for this for a while." He whispered. Luna walked into the house with Tyrus, probably giving us some privacy. I felt kinda awkward. 'Waited for what?" I asked, looking up at him. I would never get used to his height. 'For you. I won't even lie, I didn't expect you to help me that day. I was more than prepared to die." He said, hugging me from behind. My heart jumped into my throat. What if I didn't help him? What if we didn't meet at all? My life suddenly got a lot more interesting since his appearance, and each day I become more and more grateful for his presence. Thinking about a life without him would be almost impossible. 'You would have seen who would help." I whispered. He shook his head slowly. 'It's rare. Many of them would take pictures, and call people who would most likely kill me." He shrugged, pulling me closer. He was so warm. And fluffy. And he was right. Humans are a little too curious at times. 'Well, that didn't happen. Today you're healthy and strong, fending off creatures twice your size." I smiled a bit as I remembered two nights ago. I wanted to ask him what gave him the energy to move so quickly, but it was a silly question either way. I never understood how they did their things. He chuckled lowly, the vibration of the sound permeating my senses all the way to my bones. 'Well, what can I say?" He had a prideful glint in his voice. 'I had to. Who would have kept you safe?" 'I would have kept myself safe. I mean, it's just to hide underneath a table until the creature falls asleep." I waved my hands in the air, illustrating how I'd do it. 'Oh really?" Aaron leaned closer to my ears. 'What if he found you? Mm?" My breath hitched, and I stiffened. His lips brushed against the tip of my ears, sending shivers down my spine. Luna could come out any minute. 'I'd just scratch his eyeballs out." I managed to say, even though my knees were shaking. Aaron chuckled, moving his lips away from my ear. 'You really think that'd work?" He teased. 'He'd ruin your pretty nails." I looked down at my fingernails, trying to visualize the situation. It'd just be funny as hell. I turned around, facing him. His eyes glowed, even in the morning sun. His lips looked so soft….so kissable. He had a slight stubble, and his jawline only made him look more seductive.