Soul Mates, Part 1 Ch 6:
Fantasy

Ailia was slowly roused by the sensation of being jostled around. She slowly opened her eyes to find that she was in a soft bed. Engines roared around her. She was in...a plane?

She started as a cold, wet nose worked its way under her arm and into her lap. Lying next to her was a giant, black and brown furred wolf. She froze. It might have been acting like Fido, but she wasn't fooled. This was a wild animal.

I might be wild, but I'm not here to hurt you, Ailia. Luke's soft, comforting voice entered her thoughts.

She looked at the wolf's eyes and noted the same golden amber eyes on the wolf that Luke had.

"Are you...Lucas?"

The wolf's tail wagged, and he licked her hand. She reached out, and tentatively pet him on the head. The wolf leaned into her touch. Please, call me Luke. Lucas feels too formal coming from the one who is my mate.

The plane shifted again, fighting the turbulence in the air. Ailia sat up in the bed, taking in the tiny cabin around them. It was small, only large enough to fit a single king-size bed and a shallow, door-less closet that had a few clothes inside it. The cabin walls were a deep forest green, and the comforter she was lying under was a light brown. Through a window in the wall she could see a bright blue sky and white, fluffy clouds. They were at their cruising altitude.

"Where are you taking me?"

Home, he replied softly. Back to Tennessee with me, to be with me and my pack. I have to take Gavin's body back home so that it can be properly buried. I apologize for taking the liberty of uprooting you, but I won't leave you alone any longer. We are about there, so it will not take us long to land.

Ailia wasn't even upset about it. She had lived in Connecticut her whole life, and she was relieved to leave it all behind her. It had been nothing but a living hell. She knew that logically she should be freaking our right now, but it felt right to be with Luke. She laid back down, turning onto her side and spacing out. The large wolf pressed into her side, a welcome warmth. She ran her fingers through his fur, and closed her eyes. Having him next to her was extremely comforting, more than she was willing to admit.

I'm all yours, beautiful.

She gave a small smile. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier that morning and her run-in with the vampire. She had a lot of questions.

"Um, Luke?"

She could sense Luke smiling in her thoughts. Yes, love?

"How old are you?"

In your human years, I guess I would be about 40.

"How about in any other years?"

Canis Lupis live to be hundreds of years old. I myself am just under a hundred years old.

"And you're...a werewolf?"

Essentially. We are not bound by the cycle of the moon, but yes, we can shift to part of a wolf or an entire wolf whenever it suits us.

"And that creature from earlier was actually a vampire?"

Luke's voice filled with malice. Unfortunately, yes.

"How has no one else noticed that werewolves and vampires live right alongside us?"

The same way you didn't know I was a werewolf. We supernatural, magical creatures tend to stick to ourselves. It is safer for us and for humans.

"Are there other things besides werewolves and vampires?"

Many things. But, you need not concern yourself with them right now.

"That vampire...she had violet eyes."

A unique color.

Ailia nodded. "She also said she had a message for you."

The wolf's large head lifted off her lap. For me?

"Well, you're the only werewolf I know."

Tell me.

His command sent a shiver through her. "She mentioned that the vampires weren't content with their situation. She said that they will demand a council, and that the healer must be there as well."

Whoever that vampire is, she is certainly one of the older ones. Not likely an ancient, as an ancient would never be so bold as to harm your family, but older than we are used to encountering. If we see her again, we should be extremely cautious.

"What makes you say that?"

She sensed your magic.

"My...magic?" Her eyes opened.

We Canis Lupis are born of magic. Our mates are also born of magic, in some way, shape or form. We do not know why, but it has been this way for a time now.

"You're saying I'm a wolf?!" Ailia thought about herself having four paws, fur, and a tail.

Again, it is one possibility. The other, and the one I am currently leaning toward, is that you are a healer. Gypsy healers are extremely rare and powerful beings, and their magic is just that: healing. It is extremely powerful, and has been known to even contest death. If you are a healer, you are fully human, but still mated to a supernatural. Our cousins in Romania have found a pair recently as well. If the vampire mentioned a healer, it is either them or you.

"I think I would like that," Ailia said quietly. "My mom was a nurse, and I've learned a bit from her. I never liked fighting, in any sense. I'd rather do what I can to help people."

Help people? A voice broke through her mind. You expect to help people?

Ailia cringed, pulling back from Luke's fur. Luke gave a growl so low that it was barely audible.

You can't even help yourself, Ailia. You aren't the strong one, you never were. The only reason you are alive is because I kept you going. If you can't take care of yourself, you'll never be able to take care of anyone else. You can't stop leaning on everyone around you. It's pathetic.

"Go. Away." Ailia growled through gritted teeth.

You can't even make me go away. How sad. You can't possibly think you're better or stronger than me.

Not alone, she wasn't. But she isn't alone anymore. Luke's voice filled her mind. Filled her mind. He was everywhere at once, wrapping around her soul like a shield.

Ah, there you are. The new lover. Just another boy to come along and promise her the world. How long before you break her heart like the ones before her? You aren't anything new. You couldn't protect her from Jason's Mustang. You couldn't protect her from the vampire. I am a part of Ailia, and therefore a part of her soul. Your shield does nothing to stop me. What good are you? Loathing gave off a deep laughter that reverberated around them. Her entire life is pain. And until she sees that I am the one who should be in control, it will ONLY. Be. Pain. So I hope your precious bond is as strong as you think it is.

Ailia's eyes turned red. I hope you can be there for her. Because if you fail, boy, the only thing left of her will be ME.

Loathing's presence receded, falling back to a corner of Ailia's mind that was covered in a spider web of shadow. The red irises of her eyes quickly faded back to their normal silvery blue.

Ailia jumped. She flung herself from the bed and into the corner of the small closet on the opposite wall. Luke was right behind her, shifting back to human as he went. He wrapped his arms around her and pinned her to his chest.

"NOOOOO!"

She struggled against him, beating his chest, slapping him, and kicking him away. Her scream attracted the attention of the concerned flight crew, but Luke waved them away. This was between the two of them, he knew she wouldn't want anyone else getting involved. For ten minutes, they fought in that corner closet space. Every time she would get loose, Luke would just grab her again. After a while, her hits became weaker, and Luke was able to hold her against him, placing her head against his bare chest.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, running his hands gently over her back. "I am yours, Ailia. I am here, and a little posturing from her won't change my mind or scare me away. You and I were made for each other, and I will never want anyone else."

Her struggling stopped. "Promise me," she whispered, clinging to him.

He grinned. "I'll do you one better. Once we are back with my family, we can complete the Blood Rites, and we will be bound to each other until we die."

"Can we do them now?"

He looked down at her, surprised. "We could, technically. However, there is some tradition and ceremony to it, and of course our Alpha will want to be present."

"Oh...right..."

"Are you alright?"

"I...I don't know," Ailia admitted. "I hate Loathing. She scares me, honestly, because I don't want her to hurt anyone. I'd never forgive myself if she hurt someone."

"I know you are used to being alone, and dealing with things alone, Ailia. You aren't alone any longer. I am your other half, and I will support you in every way I can."

She nodded. "Please, don't ever let her get inside your head. She would only hurt you."

"The only one getting inside me is you, my little spitfire," Luke said with a wink.

Thoughts and images flashed through her mind at his words, not all of them appropriate ones. Luke caught them, and what he found there made him curious. She wasn't afraid of him, and she wasn't afraid of sex or being sexual, despite everything she knew and had seen growing up. She was, surprisingly, rather outgoing sexually, if she overlooked her own doubts about her body image and abandonment. His wolf stirred; he wanted her.

Fuck, he's hot.

I heard that.

Ailia smiled. She enjoyed this mental connection she had with him. He truly made her feel whole and at peace with herself, and he was always there in her mind, which placated her fear that she would be alone. She sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him. He left and returned a minute later, wearing a t-shirt and loose-fitting slacks.

"Lie down," he said, eyes still glowing.

She cocked her head to the side, interested. But she obeyed, sliding to the center of the bed, and laying back.

Luke climbed in after her, lying next to her and sliding his arms around her shoulder. He gently pulled her to him, her body flush against his.

He held her against his chest for a few moments, savoring the sensation of having her in his arms. He had waited a century for this. He gently rubbed her back, her side, and her arm. His soul was almost at peace. Almost.

He rolled her back over onto her back, and held the back of her neck with one hand firmly, but gently. He lowered about half of his weight onto her, resulting in a soft sigh of pleasure. "Is my spitfire secretly a submissive?" he asked, teasing her with a smile.

Ailia turned bright red, shielding her face but nodding. "Your dominance is really hot," she whispered, not meeting his gaze. "It turns me on, and it feels right to give you control."

The wolf rumbled in content. He kissed her. She was slightly awkward, which just endeared her to him even more. His free hand gently stroked her side, letting her feel and enjoy his touch. His mouth slid down to her neck for a moment. He wanted his mark on her. He needed the world to know she was his now. It would be so easy... but inappropriate.

A ding from above the doorway eventually interrupted them; the plane was making preparations for final descent.

Luke shifted, keeping his arm behind her but taking his weight off her. He lay beside her. She whined quietly at the loss of warmth and touch. His hand behind her stroked her hair, reassuring her.

Welcome home, mate.