Thank you to Mizuna Kurenagi for review last chapter

Chapter XXIV: The White Wolf and the precious little key

"This one…missed your voice...Mahina"

How many years had passed since those words echoed in her mind?

Since she had descended into this darkness and left floating in suspended reality. For Mahina it felt like an eternity before her senses began funneling back to her and a voice called out deep and familiar in it rumble.

"Can you hear me, little one?"

Was that… her father? It sounded so far away at first but as he spoke on it was like a trail to the light that Mahina strained to follow.

"Ah, so you can hear me" Mahina could her him chuckling to himself as whatever it was he was seeing confirmed that his words reached Mahina. "That was quite the scare you gave us… I thought that I had lost you… my precious key. Tell me… can you sense my presence too?"

Sense him?

"Come little one" Darcia encouraged "try for me, come back to me"

Come back, she had to...come back…

Mahina reached for the warmth of her father's voice, reached across the empty voice for his being until she felt it. It was black as the void around her but it was him for sure, her Father. To her mind it felt like leather, the leather he always wore and it was warm against Mahina's chilled being. She wanted to feel it for real, enjoy her father comforting touch but when she tried her hand was easily jerked back into place.

The void around Mahina echoed with a muffled sound of rattling chains. Chains that bound Mahina by her wrist and ankles. Chains that were cold against Mahina's bare skin.

She could...feel.

Her pale legs were curled against her chest and her wrist were bound behind her back. Chained down and head tipped upward. Mahina wasn't floating in an empty void anymore, her waking senses told her she was in water? The flow of made her bound body sway gently.

"That's it" Mahina could almost hear the smile in her fathers tone "now, can you open your eyes for me?"

Open her eyes? Slowly, Mahina complied forcing heavy lids to obey her and open with sparking green. Despite the water Mahina could see so clearly, Cheza was submerged with her suspended over Mahina's form like an ever watchful angel. Her mere presence left such comfort in Mahina the she-wolf was almost compelled to return to the void if it meant the flower maidens comfort would follow her.

Something caught her eye though, a gloved hand pressed against the glass of hersand Cheza's resting place. Sluggishly Mahina turned her head to gaze at it. It was her father and he smiled when their eyes met.

"There you are" he mused "your eyes can see me, can they not?" Mahina had no energy to respond to the question so instead she held Darcia's gaze "You must stay with me, little one, I can't lose you just yet. You're so very important to me and mine"

'Important' the word mused through Mahina's mind and she tried to mouth it with what little energy she had in her. Her father nodded in approval when he saw the action. After a moment of silent staring Darcia glanced over his shoulder and motioned to someone else in the room, someone Mahina couldn't see. Whatever command he gave was put into action and with a rumble and a shower of bubbles the tank Mahina and Cheza floated in was quickly emptied out.

The chill of open air sent a weak shiver down Mahina's spine as she was unchained and lifted into her fathers strong arms.

"My Lord Darcia…" someone else in the room spoke, one of father lab workers she recognized this voice...was that...Tyson? "what will you have us do with her while doctor Degre is away?"

"..." Darcia gazed down at Mahina and though it took a lot out of her Mahina gazed back "prepare a seperate tank for her, The flower maiden has done her part. Mahina is stable enough to be on her own now"

"Yes my Lord" Tyson spoke before the sounds of his footsteps vanished in the distance.

"Listen carefully, little one" Darcia's voice was soft in Mahina's ear now that they were alone "I'm going to tell you a story. A story about the Flower Maiden. A story of the place called...Paradise"

Long ago, before all we know now Before Flower Maidens, before Cheza.

There was but on being-forged in the image of the Great Spirit

It was her who decided upon a large, white oak tree the fate of all who wished to enter Paradise

"Paradise belongs to the wolf" This was her verdict and so we Nobles, In fire and blood, cast her down. We imprisoned her, this once ethereal creature, and made her to flesh and bone. Time passed… so much time but she stay silent in the prison we had made for her ever watching… ever waiting.

But we would not wait, we wanted our own Paradise

We poked and prodded, tested and retested. We tried to understand her, we tried to recreate her. We stole her essence until nothing of her was left. She became one, broken into many and her children became Hanabito.

But they were not perfect. They were empty shells with no true self, nothing but copies of a broken one

But then...she came to be

Cheza…

The Flower Maiden

The perfect one

Born of the last drops of the original

As the Hanabito die she grew stronger. Broken, this one tried to become whole. Time passed, Hanabito faded. All but one. Cheza is almost complete again, she will open Paradise.

But first she needs it, the last missing piece. The key to Paradise

We thought it lost forever but I found it, after years of searching I found it. Now we are here and the time is among us.

The earth is dying

Heaven is falling

And Paradise calls for us

My precious little key.

Sparkling green blurring her vision.

She was lying down in this sparkling green and as it slowly pushed and pulled her small frame she realized it was water, she was submerged in water but she could breathe perfectly fine?

She blinked sleepily feeling motion slowly come to her limbs and an odd sense of awareness, she could feel that there was a presences standing outside her watery resting place but for the moment she paid it no mind. She moved her limbs about in this sparkling green water until her right arm was floating before her face. Her sluggish eyes open wider when out of nowhere a dark shadow loomed over her, the calm water was disturbed as a black arm broke the watery surface and brushed against the clawless tips of her fingers gently as if she were far too delicate for anything more.

Why did she feel like she should be afraid?

The feeling was there but just barely as if the green waters about her small form were dulling the emotion. She was supposed to be afraid, angered, seeking vengeance but for what? And why? Slowly, she closed her eyes.

Why was she recalling bright, angry flames and thick iron bars and mournful howling? What was it from? As these questions rang through her head her watery bed rumbled, bubble caressed her body rocketing past her to the ever approaching surface.

Lower and lower it sank and when her face finally broke the surface her lung expanded as if she had been drowning until now. Arching her back up, her eyes snapped open and her mouth opened in a loud gasp before she began hacking and coughing up water she didn't know she was choking on.

Even though she was outside of the water her vision was still blurry, her eyes looked about wildly as she slowly began regaining a steady breath and the remaining water drained away unclogging her ears and disappearing from around her body.

What was going on? Wha…what is this? Her eyes grew wide with hope that she might be able to see more but it did not help

"There you go" that gentle black arm reached further down until it touch her face caressing her in a slow petting motion, the deep voice that accompanied it made the action feel almost comforting trying to ease her through her bodies spasms and twitches "Now, you take your first breaths" this voice told her "Reborn anew"

After a moment Mahina finally felt her lungs calming down as her breathing leveled out and her vision clears up. She was lifted out of the tank when she finally could breath normally cradled in the arms of the male Mahina now recognized as her father. As he turned away from the tank and Mahina's vision cleared, the first thing she saw was Alura looking down at her with concern.

"A...lura?" Mahina's voice sounded a bit deeper then she remembered.

"Oh thank goodness" Alura sighed in relief "she still recognizes me, that's good." with gentle hands Alura tilted Mahina's head back, running fingers down her neck. "The veins have disappeared." the woman observed "It's just as we suspected."

"She was withering?"

"It looks like it." Alura nodded to Darcia before turning her focus back to Mahina "Mahina, if you can try and follow this light with our eyes without moving your head"

A bright light flashed before Mahina's face, she flinched at it intensity before doing as she was told. But the test is short lived. Alura took in a sharp breath taking the light away from Mahina's gaze.

"Her…" the blonde woman looked stunned even as Mahina offered a confused look "her eyes…"

Log #258, name Alura Degre

It has been… a year since my last video log. A year since...the incident…

Lord Darcia had feared Mahina had fallen to the same illness as the late Lady Hamona but it's nothing of the such. It was just as I suspected.

We fed her system too much too fast and though her system didn't attack Cheza's DNA it still was changed by it. I had thought her symptoms were familiar, according to our records the hanabito-flower maidens forged from Cheza's essence- showed the same signs. The constant and long bouts of sleeping and most of the veins across the skin… These are the symptoms of withering.

I can only guess that in the process of merging their DNA, we turned Mahina into a...Hanabito.

Hanabito are quite unstable, they can't be survive outside of their tanks and their lifespans are… dangerously short. Mahina's fainting a year ago was inevitable with the rate we had been going but we acted quickly. We placed her in suspended animation much like Cheza and then well… we waited.

It's been a year with no noticeable progress.

I even went to my daughters wedding. I came back to a much different subject compared to the one I left behind….

Alura paused in her log taking a moment to glance behind herself, the action easily drew Mahina's eyes.

From where she was seated Mahina slowly lifted her head to meet Alura's gaze though she could not do much else beyond that. Metal had been snapped into place over Mahina's wrist, ankles and neck keeping her firmly pressed against the chair. The scientist said this was for her own good,bounding her to the chair kept Mahina from yanking out the tubes that lined her neck like she had first tried to do, they didn't want Mahina to hurt herself because this treatment was agitating her.

These tubes, towered high over Mahina and everyone in the room vanishing into the ceiling where the source was. It was Cheza, Mahina could feel it in like man made veins that connected them and the substance it fed her. Cheza always made Mahina's calmer and compliant, perhaps that's why everyone was so insistent with injecting Mahina with the maidens DNA.

Mahina blinked lazily at Alura's staring, their connected gaze being broken briefly so that one of Alura's coworkers could take a picture of Mahina for their records.

"She's grown so much in the year that I've been away…" Alura spoke on her gaze looking Mahina over carefully before she turned back to her video camera "She was a child when she fainted… and now…she's a grown woman."

It's just as I theorized long ago, her human shift changes with her age but there's more.

Her eyes used to be blue… now they're blood red.

I could be imagining it but… I think these injections and test… I think she's turning into Cheza. Still Lord Darcia worries. He's banned Mahina from returning to the garden. He thinks that's what cause her to faint like she did.

I told Mahina but… she doesn't seem to mind.

She… stares off a lot of the time now. I'm going to see if I can schedule some test to check her motor skills again. I… I don't want to resume our treatments… I fear what is becoming of Mahina…

The outside world was bright, Mahina winced as it blinded her at first and took her a long time to get used to again.

How long had it been since she'd last seem natural light? Mahina couldn't be sure but to be reintroduced to it so suddenly left her whining a bit before turning away from it hiding within the dark safety of soft fabrics.

The body she pressed her face against chuckled before running a hand over her head.

"Is it too bright for you, little one?" her father mused, his large hands held Mahina firmly as he carried her out of the keep and into the open world outside. He had gotten into the habit of doing this lately.

It seems that since Mahina had woken she had yet to properly regain all of her motofunctions, her legs were too weak from disuse to carry Mahina any great length before giving out on her. Tyson had taken to wheeling her around in a wheelchair but Darcia took every opportunity he could to carry his daughter even when she had no where she needed to be taken too.

He just came up with places she needed to go and no one argued with him, he was the Lord of the keep after all.

Today was one of those days, Alura and her team of scientist had been setting up for another long day of work on Mahina when Darcia showed up unannounced. At first they thought he was just here to learn of the progress on the project he had invested so much time and money on but instead he simply unstrapped Mahina from her chair and lifted her into his arms and carried her off.

Mahina dully recalled his excuse being something along the lines of giving Mahina a day to relax from constant testing and observation. Still, the outside world was bright, too bright for her eyes. It made her long for the dim shade of the lab and her room.

"Inside" the single word was all she formed to express her discomfort and her father chuckle on at this but never once stopped walking.

"Come now" he mused

"Inside" Mahina insisted bundling the fabric of her father shirt into her fist and burying her face deeper into it.

"There was a time when you would beg me to let you play outside" Darcia sighed, he could almost be pouting just by the tone of his voice as he spoke "and now you want to stay in? It's much too nice a day out for you to be cooped in a lab"

Father had a point, this was something Mahina realized slowly. The hum of machines and tapping of fingers on keyboards faded and the song of the outside replaced it as he walked, the sound and feel of the breeze caressed Mahina and the twittering of birds danced through her ears. Then there was the warmth, the warmth of natural sunlight against her pale skin.

It felt nice, welcoming more tempting than her fathers teasing could ever be. Slowly, she peeked turning her head the tiniest bit then completely. Darcia had taken Mahina out to the gardens, perhaps not the same garden Alura had taken her to but one all the same.

Rather than a lake view Mahina was treated to low hanging trees and lush bushes of wild flowers. Wild roses climbed up tall columns, twisting themselves around vines of ivy before hanged down in before Mahina's wide eyes. When she looked up at the canopy of trees she found the warm sun shining through a glass dome high over their heads proving that she wasn't actually outside.

"See?" Darcia's voice brought Mahina's mind back from its observations "It's not so bad is it?" he smiled warmly at her before setting her down on her feet. "You've been very weak on your feet lately, I wanted to correct this before those scientist can do anymore damage to you"

"I can walk fine enough" Mahina remarked back but the shack of her knees before they gave up on her was enough to silence any argument she could have formed against her father. The male was there and ready, gripping her round her waist and steadying Mahina before she could fall to the grass.

"You can barely stand" Darcia countered holding Mahina steady until she was shaking and then taking her hands "come" he coaxed her with a affectionate look "walk with me"

And so she did, cautiously, nervously with one bare footed step in front of the other Darcia had his daughter walking with his help and then walking without his help though just barely.

He turned it into a game, a challenge he knew Mahina couldn't refuse.

"You're too fast" she whined reaching out to catch her father only to have him step back and out of her reach with a laugh "Father"

"I'm not too fast" he countered "you're simply too slow" Mahina growled swiping at her father only to have his evade her again and laugh on as she stumbled. She dropped to the grass on her hands and knees and sighed

This was hopeless.

"You need to be quicker, little one" Darcia spoke circling her like he was stalking his prey in a "When you hunt, your prey will not stop and let you catch it because you complain that it is too fast"

These words…

Mahian furrowed her brow as she repeated them in her head. Hadn't she said these words before?

"if something happen to the rest of us-or should you be separated from the pack you have to learn how to catch your own food -"

"I don't have to worry about that" Mahina shook her head of the haunting words before lifting her gaze to meet her father's "I have you, father"

"..." Mahina's words made her father pause, his amused smile faltering and he stopped circling her. "...that's right" his voice quivered when he spoke again before dropping to a crouch beckoning Mahina with his hand. "You have me, so you don't have to worry about anything" Darcia spoke watching with the smallest of smiles as Mahina complied with his command, crawling towards him until she could rest her head on his leg and gaze up at him.

Her father stared down at her but something in his gaze said she wasn't actually looking at Mahina anymore. His gaze was distant, unfocused despite running his hand over Mahina's head nad through her hair. Where had he gone to look as distant as he did right now? Mahina wondered.

"...Father?" Mahina arched a brow at him but he shook his head leaning down to press his forehead against Mahina's.

"I built this place just for you" Darcia remarked lowering himself so he sat on the grass now, he gaze going skyward at the dome that let the outside world in while protecting them from ti at the same time. "A place where you could bask in the light of the sun and still be safe. Where you can smile and laugh and be happy" he turned his gaze back to Mahina and offered such a soft look of affection for his daughter Mahina couldn't help but offer a smile back at him nuzzling his hand when he brushed it against her cheek "It's funny… with you by my side… I can almost forget..."

"Forget?" Mahina echoed tilting her head "forget what?"

The father smiled down at Mahina leaning forward again to press his forehead against hers.

"Forget paradise, and stay here with you. Until the world ends"

Night had fallen on the keep and with it another long day of testing was finished

With Alura turning in for the night Mahina was released from her bounds and escorted back to her room.

"Rest up Mahina" The guard who had escorted Mahina back to her room spoke up a light tone to his voice that Mahina recognized as him trying to be friendly "i'm sure you have a full day ahead of you tomorrow"

"..." Mahina said nothing in response to the words, prefering to stare silently ahead of her instead of at the man at her door leaving the friendly guard to shuffle awkwardly in the uneasy silence that her lacking response created. After a moment of this the guard grunts another 'well...night' before shutting the door.

The room echo with click of the door being locked a moment later and the footsteps of guard walking away.

Even still Mahina didn't move, she stared across the room at the full length mirror reflecting her own image back to her.

Mahina had grown since she last looked at herself. Her once adolescent body had grown taller, shapelier despite its slender build. The roundness of her face had melted in favor of an angled chin and a long neck.

As true as Alura's reports had said, Mahina's eyes had changed colors. Crimson red eyes stared back at her only looking more striking thanks to her long black hair and pale skin.

Slowly, Mahina brought her hand up to her face, her slender fingers trail over her skin before she covered one of her eyes with her hand before quickly running her fingers through her hair.

Alura hasn't noticed it yet but Mahina's hair was getting lighter too.

It was a much darker black last week not it looks a faint shade of dark grey.

She was...changing again?

But why?

Not changing…

Mahina blinked in surprise as her room echos with this voice all of a sudden. She looked around her room for the source of the voice, had someone snuck in here without the guard noticing?

No one is here, though, Mahina didn't see anyone.

But she could feel a presence. Something was here with her.

"...Cheza?" Mahina's voice finally broke the silence as she tried to guess who was speaking to her. It would make sense for this to be Cheza, the maiden was the only being in this keep that Mahina knew had a voice without having to be physically present in a room and a presence when eyes could not see her.

But there was no sound of bubbles, no feeling of being submerged in water.

This… this was not Cheza, Cheza was sleeping.

Not changing… awakening…

This voice, it didn't even sound like Cheza's.

Cheza's voice was soft, as gentle as a summer breeze that circled you in a maternal like embrace. This voice was haunty, it echoed around Mahina's room bouncing from one wall to another as if it didn't want it's source to be found. This voice new secrets and would gladly tell you them… if you were brave enough to venture into darkness for them. It's words echoed around Mahina before seeming to find a center becoming solid. With this a form appeared before Mahina actually taking her by surprise. Though it doesn't lunge at her Mahina flinches, her reflexes prompting her to crawl backwards farther onto her bed and shield herself the best she could just incase she was attacked.

Snow white fur

Golden eyes

A White beast

A white wolf suddenly stands before Mahina as if he had been there this whole time.

"Who are you?"

'Who I am is of no importance' the wolf replied before wordlessly turning away from Mahina and makes his way towards her locked door. The wolfs large white frame drifts completely through the door and out of Mahina's sight and in his wake the doors lock undid itself with a echoing 'click' before it creaked open slowly.

".." Mahina didn't get up immediately, unsure of how to proceed. She was allowed to walk around the Keep without an escort, her father had made that very clear. Clearly there were no guards standing at her door right now because surely they'd have reacted to the sight of such a large wolf and her once locked door opening on its own. By all logic Mahina should stay where she is but...she was also curious…

She felt a nagging jab of familiarity with this wolf and it was enough to make her get up and walk out of her room.

The first thing Mahina see's when she walks through the doorway is a body sprawled on the hall floor right at her feet. Mahina gasped, scuttling backwards and gripping the door frame as she stared down at the body.

Were they… dead?

There was no blood on the floor, no scent of it in the hall and from where Mahina stood she could see no injuries to the fallen person.

She eased herself to the floor and pushed the person over onto their back, their face immediately sparked Mahina's immediately memory.

"The guard who brought me to my room…" she muttered, he must have been assigned to watch Mahina's door for the night. His expression didn't look like he was in any sort of pain. His eyes were shut, his face relaxed… was he just sleeping? "Hey…" Mahina gently shook the man "wake up… father will be angry if he finds you out here sleeping…" the man didn't wake but he was alive. Mahina could sense the life force in him though just barely. It felt odd, but before Mahina could check further the wolf appeared before her once more, his presence seeming to force Mahina to give him her undivided attention.

He stared at her with those golden eyes of his before turning and continuing down the hall. Mahina wordlessly followed leaving the sleeping guard behind.

'You have slept for many years, shattered into too many bits to mend yourself back together.'

Mahina silently followed the wolf as he spoke, they moved down the hall and up stairs until they drifted pass a room but even as the wolf moved to keep going down the hall, Mahina stopped walking, her eyes immediately drawn to what lay inside

The room was colored with a faint green hue, both walls were lined with large tubes filled with pretty white flowers and this sparkling green that she had grown accustomed to.

Father went into this room a lot and would spend hours within, Mahina had always been curious what he did in this room and so her curiosity had gotten the better of her. There were all sorts of machines she didn't know the purpose of and of course all the lovely flowers that sat soaked in the green water from within their tubes. Gentle voices whispered from them and danced in Mahina's ears in song and warning but she ignored them as she stepped farther into the room.

She gazed about the room in awe until her eyes landed on what rest in the center of the room.

A large sphere filled with the same sparkling green, hanging within was a lone maiden bound by her hands and neck. Her head was hung and her eyes remained close in what looked to be a peaceful sleep.

Cheza

'Not yet'

Mahina looked over her shoulder, her hand half reaching out to touch the sphere that contained Cheza. The white wolf loomed in the doorway staring at her still with those golden eyes of his.

'It is not yet time for that' he remarked before he turned and continued down the hall once more, Mahina followed only briefly looking back at Cheza's sleeping form.

"...Why are you here?"

'To warn you'

"Warn me?"

Down the hall they went

Into a room to the left

Through that room and out a wide door

'The world is beginning to die. Soon, you will have to leave this place'

Outside, the night breeze felt nice against Mahina's face. Mahina followed the white wolf despite wanting to stop to take in the night air.

Up a path to a small gazebo with a cliffside view and back down the other side.

Down a paved path through a small garden decorated with beautiful archways

Over a bridge, the full moon reflects from the stream below shining light into Mahina's eyes

She turned her head to look up at the moon in wonder but a tug at her white gown brought her attention back to the white wolf. His teeth release the fabric as his golden eyes still stare deeply at Mahina.

'Not yet' he speaks firmly

"But…" Mahina isn't given room to protest, the white wolf turns and keeps walking.

Through the woods they walked on until the wolf finally stops walking. Thought it had been a long time since Mahina was last here she still remembers this place she and this wolf stood is a part of the garden… the one father had banned Mahina from returning too.

The one where had fainted a year ago.

Silently Mahina stepped out into the clearing all the way to the water where she drops down at the shore and dipped her feet into it. The wolf laid down on the grass beside her. Mahina looked down at him curiously. Why did he bring her here of all places? Father thought this place was dangerous, Mahina should be here.

So then… why did she follow the wolf here?

Something in her made her, like an invisible hand gently pushing at her back and making her trail after him. Did Mahina know this wolf?

Taking in his white fur, Mahina reached out to pet him but hesitates just as her fingertips are about to connect. She pulled her hand back dropping it back onto her lap.

Something compelled her to touch this wolf but something else in her told her no

This is not the right one

This is not the right wolf

If the white wolf noticed Mahina's actions he made no sign that he did

"...what are you warning me of?"

'Two years from today I will return for your soul'

Her...soul?

Mahina's heart quickened a bit at the casual comment that most definitely was a threat but her body wouldn't allow her to react beyond that. Insead she stayed where she was, sitting calmly at the shoreside and staring out at the water.

"My soul?..."

'Yes'

"Why would you do that?"

At first the wolf didn't answer. He rose back to his feet and since Mahina was still sitting they were now at eye level. His gaze burned like a force all its own, there was enough behind those golden eyes to convince Mahina that whatever reason he gave for his threat upon her soul there was nothing she could do to argue it. This would happen because some cosmic force willed it and Mahina would eventually have no choice but to accept this event.

'Because that is the curse of this house'

"Mahina!"

"..." Breaking the wolfs gaze,Mahina looked behind her at the call of her names to find her father standing at the entrance to this part of the garden. When Mahina looked back the white wolf had vanished

Soon, Mahina found herself walking silently beside her father back inside the keep. The once empty halls of the keep are buzzing with the same amount of life they normally would have during the day though this was very different compared to the day time. The scientist fluttering around the halls were dressed in robes and nightwear, as if they hadn't bothered to get dressed before returning to work. If Mahina wasn't so lost in her thoughts she would have taken a bit more time to take in the fearful and worried expressions many of them wore.

Even if she did her father would eagerly push her along and make her keep walking.

Guards were everywhere, medical personnel were shouting orders at one another as well s lingering staff to make way as they pushed gurneys as fast as they could go. Mahina paused as one of the gurneys carried the young man who had been standing guard outside of her room but her father quickly wrapped and arm around Mahina's shoulder and forced her to face forward again and keep walking.

"How did you get out here on your own?" her father spoke finally once the pair had left the chaotic lab area, they passed Mahina's room as well "I told you you're not allowed to go to that part of the garden."

"..." Mahina made no sound to answer, even she wasn't sure why she followed that wolf out into the garden like she had.

"How did you even get out of your room?"

"..." Still Mahina didn't answer though she did wonder idly if that guard was okay. Seeing as Mahina wasn't being very talkative, her father didn't question her any further and the two were silent the rest of their journey. Soon they arrived at their destination, a bedroom much larger than Mahina's the was bathed in her father scent. Mahina hesitated at the door.

"You'll stay with me here tonight" Her father explained, his hand pressing at Mahina's back to prompt her inside.

Mahina didn't move.

"Curse…" The white wolfs words found their way to Mahina's lips

"What?"

When Mahina looked back at Darcia he looked as though Mahina had slapped him.

"A cursed...house… were souls are stolen…" Mahina elaborated, perhaps her father knew of this white wolf. If not then maybe this was the answer they had been searching for. Maybe this white wolf knew what caused Mahina's mother to remain in the dead yet alive state that she currently was in down in the depths of the lab below. However the look Darcia gave his daughter was anything but good, he looked disturbed by Mahina's words.

Cheza must have sense the unsettlement in the air because suddenly Mahina could feel the maiden stirring awake. Cheza's presence flickering against Mahina's in concern.

Mahina?

"Mahina…" Darcia spoke as Mahina stared blankly at the room before her

Mahina...sleep…

"what did you-"

"Cheza says I should sleep now…" Mahina cut off her father, glancing up at him briefly "good night" she bid the male before wordlessly wandering into the room and straight for the bed.

Darcia lingers in the doorway in shock for a moment staring at Mahina who lays down with her back to him. It was clear just from the air between them that Darcia wanted to speak on but Mahina was in no mood to continue the conversation. She heard him sigh before he closed it and locks it behind him.

Darcia prepared himself for sleep in silence before climbing into his bed behind Mahina, his arm found its way around her slender frame and pulled her closer until her back was pressed against his chest and the males scent enveloped her. The scent of leather, he always smelled like leather. It used to be a comforting smell for Mahina's nose, almost as comforting as Cheza's lovely smell but now there was a pit in her stomach when it came to the smell.

Something in her kept telling her that something about this scent was just wrong, her being felt like rejecting any comfort she one gained from her father's smell.

Her soul-no, her very being craved something else. A smell she'd never really been introduced to but remembered. The smell of pine and snow and the wild itself.

These made her think of that pup from oh so long ago, the white pup with the fire of determination in his eyes though she didn't know why she thought of him all of a sudden. However the thought of a white wolf just brought Mahina back to the one she had just encountered.

Two years from today, he would come for her soul.

Mahina drifted to sleep with the white wolf's warning still ringing in her ears.