One last introduction, technically two… just, read the chapter?
Author made art (kinda): starysky205/art/Tera-766300413
39. Παρελθόν
Ivana Chilikov was barely starting in the professional world when she met the love of her life. As an alpha, she had never been the one at the receiving end of flirting; but societal norms didn't seem to matter to the other woman.
Her name was Scarlet, and she was anything but a normal omega; a fire in her veins that burned brightly as she effortlessly tore down every wall Ivana had ever built. Falling for her was the easiest thing in the world, courting her had felt like a privilege, being mated to her a blessing.
When Scarlet got pregnant of Alexei, Ivana thought it was the start of the rest of her life with the omega; and for a while, it seemed like it was. But then Scarlet started acting different, distant, lying about where she had been, and having a bitter undertone to her smoked meat scent.
Ivana worried, and wondered, and doubted; but Scarlet wouldn't let go, or let her in; and then she disappeared.
She had to raise Alexei by herself, and she would, even if her heart felt betrayed; she would not let her boy suffer, no, her child. Alexei had been so scared when they confessed that one to her, looking every bit like a kid as they hid behind the omega they had befriended; Ivana was silently glad her child had found such wonderful friends.
But before that, back when Alexei was about 4 years old, she had a re-encounter with a different woman, one that would grant her something she had wanted for years, answers. Heidi looked like a spooked animal as she explained the world her wife lived in, a world of fear, and distrust, and death; a world the beta's own mother had barely escaped, a world the beta's son was about to enter.
So she helped, she hid what the boy was, and then faked his animal when the time was right. She never told Alexei the truth, but now here they were.
The little alpha was called Tera, and unlike Alexei, she was a full dragon, a fire drake, because there was a difference. Her resemblance to Scarlet was uncanny, as was the similarity she held to the omega boy she was meeting for the very first time.
Ivana guessed most people likened Evan to Heidi, but Ivana could see Richard in him. She had met the alpha when they were young, they had been friends for a short while, and she had heard he had gotten married to a beta nurse; she knew he was living in Colorado now with a new family.
Seeing similarities between Tera and Evan was a little off-putting, but also reassuring due to the situation. Ivana felt a little helpless, to think Scarlet had to deal with hiding what she really was with no help, too afraid to trust anyone and have it blow up on her face; it hurt.
So she would do everything in her power to make sure Tera never went through that, and now that she had met them, that extended to the two dragons that were responsible for her still being alive.
.- .-.. - - ... - / -.. - -. . / .-. - ..- -. -.. .. -. -. / .-.. - - ... . / . -. -.. ...
Tera doesn't like remembering, but the tired looking woman that smells of alpha, and the odd beta besides her cause her to do just that. She's sure it isn't intentional, after all, Tera hasn't told anyone what happened.
She wants to, her dad, no, she had to call him Connor now, her real family lays with these two strangers; Connor had taken care of her, taught her what she needed to know, had never given up even when she had burned his arms, of course she wanted to tell him. But she's afraid of how he'll react, because she thinks that he'll go after the bad people if he learns about their existence, and she doesn't want him to be hurt.
She turns to Vanhan, because after the incident with the alpha boy, Kleinman apparently, he stopped Connor from getting into a fight, and because she can tell he suspects something about it, but he hasn't pried and he hasn't shown signs of wanting to go after the bad people; so she thinks he's safe to tell.
"You don't have to; I know remembering can suck"
There's also that, Tera knows there's something Vanhan himself wants to forget but can't, sometimes she can tell when he remembers it because his smile drops; but Tera has decided to tell him.
"I want to"
Vanhan smiles softly at her.
"Ok"
Tera looks at her hands, the nails have been painted pretty colors by Connor, so they wouldn't break so easily. She liked how smooth they felt to the touch.
"It was really scary"
….. - -/-… - -.-/.-/..-. .-.. .- … …../-… .- -.-. -.-
The memory is blurry, sharp with the sense of fear coiling around it and tinting the images just so, enough for the whole picture to be off-set. She remembers arms tightly around her, panting, and a beating heart.
She remembers leaves, a voice telling her to hide, a myriad of angry scents, including one she had felt safe with. She remembers running, grass, and rocks, and branches clawing at her uselessly as claws helped her not to stumble; to the nest, always to the nest, safer in the nest.
She remembers light, warm, and familiar, and terrible; and then silence. Silence for what felt like ages, a silence she dared not break, because it would bring the bad people to her.
She remembers feeling the days pass, seeing sunlight and moonlight fall alike on the uncovered part of her nest, one after the other with no end. And she remembers him, remembers the things she later learned to be 'coffee' and 'chocolate'.
It takes a bit for her to trust him, to realize he's not going to hurt her; it takes her longer to care for him, to take him as her family.
Vanhan doesn't speak as she talks her way through it, just offers his presence as a reminder that she isn't there, and she likes him all the more for it. When she's done he brushes her hair behind her ears, and smiles softly.
"I'm so glad I got to meet you"
Tera knows she's crying as she throws herself at his arms, but Vanhan holds her close and rubs circles in her back; she's glad too, so glad that Connor found her, that she met Vanhan, even if it feels like she's losing them both.
"Don't tell dad"
She knows she's supposed to use his name, but Vanhan doesn't correct her; and though she thinks he wants to, he doesn't ask questions either.
"Ok"
