Chapter 2

Two

Ihave felt pain before, endured it for most of my life.

Never like this.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel pain so deeply it could block out every sense of the world. As waves of agony ripple through my body, I feel like I’m no longer where I was, as if I’m somewhere else entirely, just floating in another world, another reality, because all I know is this pain. This deep, horrific pain.

I open my eyes, barely able to lift my lids, all I can see is sparkling crystals as my senses are flooded with a million different things. It’s too much. And painful. So unbelievably painful. I scream and twist in agony. Somewhere around me, Rueven’s voice calls out my name. There is so much panic in his voice that it sounds like a plea, as if he still cares about me. I could fool myself into believing he does.

I try to call back to him, but it’s like my mouth has been sealed shut as I feel every fingernail change, every strand of my hair tighten, until suddenly it stops. A cry—no, a whine—-ripples out of my throat as the pain blissfully recedes and my vision comes back to me. I stare up at Rueven hunched over me and I immediately notice how different he looks. It’s like his skin is glowing, every tattoo coloured a bright blue and he smells different. Addictive. My wolf wants to rub herself all over him. I can also sense everything about him. His deep musky forest scent, like star kissed nights filled with rain washes over me in a much stronger way. Even his emotions are more intense, but I can feel them now as if they’re my own. He’s relieved and surprised at the same time. He’s also feeling protective over me. Possessive, almost. It doesn’t make sense.

What just happened? I try to say those words, but nothing comes out. What’s going on?

“Mercy, you are okay,” Rueven says in a low, calm voice.

I feel fine,I want to tell him, but instead a strange yipping noise comes out from me.

What… the…

I’m so low down, just below Rune’s waist, but I feel strange as if I’m still floating in a sea of pain except the pain has gone and I’m left with this confusion. In the corner of my eye, a small pool of water gleams under the moonlight, and I rush over to it as the smell of fish swimming under its surface carries over my senses. My legs stumble with every step as if I’m intoxicated. The breeze, the dead and alive weeds, trees and flowers—all of them are so vibrant and strong that I can’t focus on one thing. But I do manage to focus long enough on the pool of water, and when I see my reflection, it nearly takes my breath away.

My wolf is crystallised.

Instead of fur, sparkling crystals coat my entire body, each one of them gleaming in the light. Something hangs out of my back, right between my shoulder blades, almost like wings, but I’m not sure I can fly with them. The crystals are breathtakingly clear, with nothing but the light reflecting through them. A bit of blue from the water, green from the trees, brown too. All of them are in such a vivid colour. My purple eyes fill with tears as I look down at my reflection.

This is what my wolf looks like. After all those years of not knowing and praying to the gods, I have finally met her and know what she looks like. This… is me. The real me.

I was never a No-Shift like my bullies called me. I was always and forever a crystal wolf. Although, I’m glad that they never found that out. My old alpha would have killed me had he known. A half-human shifter can sometimes be tolerated but a half-fae wolf would only ever be seen as an enemy.

I look up at Rune standing next to me, a low growl echoing in my throat. He holds up his hands with a playful grin, and I see a little of the old Rune peering through.

“I came to tell you that you’re exquisite, even in your wolf form.” His eyes flick over my head to something behind me, before flicking back again. “I’m sorry if that hurt you, Verena. I didn’t expect your shift to be so violent. It must have been all those years you didn’t shift before.” He crouches down, so he’s at eye level with me. “Now shift back so we can talk. You are very powerful, little wolf, and right now you’re screaming that power out into the world for everyone to hear. We don’t want to draw attention. Besides, I’m fairly certain your wolf is about to eat me, and I’d much rather remain uneaten if that’s okay with you.”

I tilt my head at him, pondering if I should shift back or not. There is so much I want to do now that I’m finally in my wolf form, but I still have so many questions needing answered. And most important of all, I still need his help. But my wolf hesitates, almost like she does want to eat him. She doesn’t like being told what to do, and everything I’ve been through, neither do I. However, my hold over her isn’t as strong as the hold she currently has over me. It’s like my emotions are more intense in this form but also divided, and I’m not the one completely in control of them both. I never expected it to be like this when a wolf shifted. I thought we’d be synchronised the first time I shifted.

A howl echoing in the far-off distance snatches her focus. Elias. It’s so far away but we hear it. Another howl echoes next. Lazuri. I can feel my mates, so far away from me now, and I almost want to cry and run to them. This intense need to be at their side, to protect them, to be close. I get why they were going crazy being around me now.

This feeling… it’s unbearable.

A hand grabs my mouth and turns to me to look at him. “Shift!”

There’s such power in that word from him and I bend to it. I gasp as I fall straight onto the musty ground, completely naked, shivering from head to toe as the shift finishes. A cloak is draped over my shoulders, and I pull it tightly around me, making sure everything’s covered up before standing. Rune steps closer, pulling the ties of the cloak as I slide my arms through them. He ties up all six of the laces that fall down the side of my hip before pulling the hood up next, his fingers grazing my neck. I shiver from the touch, and I don’t know what to make of him caring for me like this. I change the subject and purposely step back. My eyes drift back to the water, seeing my usual purple eyes and long, dark hair.

“There. I shifted.”

Rueven hums. “You’ll need to practise it along with your fae powers, which I can sense are right in here.” He taps his chest. “Now hold on.”

“Rune, stop!”

I barely get the words out before he grabs me around the waist, flying us straight into the sky, and I have to close my mouth, so I don’t throw up. Not this again. My eyes widen when we get above, and I look down at the faelands for the first time. They are strikingly beautiful. Crystal towers are spread in every direction. The crystals almost look like mountains, with cities nestled right in front of them. The trees in the forests are all thick with life and luscious, separated by miles and miles of different colours. Everything from the vibrant greens that we fly out of, to pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, every shade really. Pure magic dances in the air around us, like the waves of a rippling sea, instead it’s all glittering silver and golds, with some traces of purple too.

Rueven flies us straight towards the nearest town, which is not small at all, and a dark purple stone castle built right in the middle. Down below from the grounds, all the fae look up, gasping and pointing at us, their ears only just recognisable as we fly past. What strikes me the most is they’re so normal, like us. I was taught that the fae were terrifying, awful people. Monsters, really. But as we fly over, I see them cooking, working and just being normal, it confuses me.

Rueven lands with a thump on the castle roof, barely putting me down before storming to the door. My cloak whips around me in the breeze as I steady myself.

“Rune!” I shout after him, but he ignores me again. “Rueven!”

I pick up the bottom of the cloak so I can run faster. I chase him through the door, down a very long set of stairs while shouting at him repeatedly. He continues to ignore me. I barely see my surroundings as I chase him through the castle. He isn’t keeping me trapped here. He opens one door that leads into a throne room. Beautiful crystal floors shine my reflection back at me as I enter. My eyes immediately land on a throne flanked by what I assume are Rune’s banners. The throne is made of a deep, black onyx, with a diamond star engraved into the headrest. I walk towards it, and when the light hits the throne, it glitters like stars in the night sky. Two birds sit perched on the pillars behind it. Their heads turn to me, and their eyes flash just like Darcia’s had done in the courtyard.

As I walk towards them, passing several chairs on my way, suddenly Rueven grabs me around the waist and pulls me onto his lap on one of the chairs. I try to fight him, but his arm is like steel wrapped around my body. He holds me against his chest and grabs my chin, his eyes locking on my own.

“You’re safe now, Mercy.”

“Let me go!”

“We will spend hundreds of years here,” he says, refusing to listen to me. “My father will get eventually bored of attacking the wolves. Or he’ll win. Either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re here now, where you belong, and I’m going to keep you safe.”

I shake my head at him. “What about…” My voice trails off. What about my mates?

“Forget them,” he murmurs, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. It’s like he read my thoughts. “Stay with me. I’ll keep you safe and train you to fight. You’ll never be hurt by those wolves again.”

No, he’s got it all wrong. I don’t think they would ever want to hurt me. My wolf certainly agrees with that. Her longing to be with them again once more threatens to consume me, like a vicious ache gnawing away at my heart. I need to get back to them.

I twist in Rune’s lap, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Rune, just stop. Let me go.”

His grip only tightens on me. “I won’t do that. I’ve waited a thousand years for you.” His fingers skim my cheek in a caress. “Stars above, those fuckers didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you. You’re safe from them now, Mercy.”

I groan and turn my head away from him. He keeps saying I’m safe, but if that’s the case, why don’t I feel that way? I feel trapped. He’s just offering me another cage to spend the rest of my life in, and I won’t do it. I don’t think I’ve got it in me anymore to be someone’s caged little bird.

“No,” I breathe out. “I can’t.”

“Yes,”—his lips brush my neck— “you can. Fate brought us together. Do you not see that?”

I do, but I won’t admit it. Fate also brought me to Elias and Lazuri, and yet Rune refuses to believe it. He won’t even acknowledge it. He kisses me again, his mouth lingering as he breathes in my scent. I bite my lips as a moan threatens to work its way past them.

“Trust me, Verena.”

His joke doesn’t make me smile. I glare up at him. “I trusted you before and look what happened!”

He clicks his fingers, his smile slowly fading. “We’ll talk about all that soon, but for now…” Lights bleed into the hall as the large doors begin to open. “I have an audience with my people. Many things to discuss and prepare. So, sit here with me, and be the magnificent rare wolf you are. It’s time to meet the fae of your ancestors… Welcome home, Verena.”