The First Fae Mate

Seventeen | Blood Moon

They left at dusk.

The moon was yet to rise, and Visena felt uneasy. Gideon, Jed, and Orion stalked in front of Visena while Liam, Eve, and Prim were at her flank.

"Don't stare at my ass." She whispered back to the trio with a little smirk. Despite trying to ease the tension, her heart still thumped in her throat. The returning grimaces showed her anxieties were shared. Walking silently down the path made the trek drag for aeons. Visena had to bite her tongue many a time to stop an inappropriate quip from slipping past her lips. When they reached the pack border, it was dark, and the forest ahead was empty. Ancient trees were unusually sparse above their heads, and the sky was tinged in red and white.

Visena felt a hand brush against her side and peeked over her shoulder to see Eve. Her eyes swam with emotion which she promptly swallowed down. "I'm sorry," she whispered, intertwining her fingers with Visena's. "Me too," the Fae replied with a sad smile. They squeezed each other's hands when a voice sounded. 

His tone seemed to embody the darkness. "Well, well. Nice to see you again, pet." 

Despite the nameless address, Visena knew he was referring to her. She stepped forward next to Gideon and scowled into trees. Her boldness was spurred by the protective vibe projected from her friends. A dozen glowing eyes appeared as the Malum wolves prowled towards their borders. 

Central to them all was a towering figure; his light blonde hair and dark eyes a stark contrast. A deep purple scar ran across his face, from his hairline to his jaw. He didn't look much older than Gideon, but that was where the similarities ended. Visena felt a whirlpool in her stomach when he spoke again.

"Gideon."

"Zeir."

The lack of titles was a clear statement and made Visena antsy. "Alright, enough pea-cocking. What do you want?"

Zeirs' brows quirked up. "You haven't changed a bit, I see, little Nymph."

Gideon bristled beside Visena, and she gradually shifted closer to him. "Where is my mother?"

"Straight to the point, I like it. But, before I fetch her, what do you remember?" His tongue darted out and brushed along his lips. Zeir reminded Visena of a fox. Cunning.

She opted for the truth, as usual. At least mostly the truth. "Nothing. I woke up in an Aether realm with no memories a few weeks ago. Your wolves found me, and I..." She didn't know why she felt the need to protect Janna or the grey wolf. "I got away from them." It wasn't a lie, not really, but it felt odd on Visena's tongue. The subject of her lie wasn't in the lineup of Malum wolves, so at least they couldn't refute her statement right then. A bad feeling radiated through her stomach. Somehow Visena knew then Janna and her companion would never refute anything again. She gulped.

Zeir's eyes narrowed at the Fae before skating past any mention of his wolves. "So the Myth of the Fae portals are true. Fascinating..." He seemed to think things over for a moment before shouting into the darkness, "Esmerelda?" 

Visena immediately recognised her mother's name and squinted in the moonlight. An ethereal goddess-looking creature came forward. Her flowing mane of silver brushed against her curved hips. Sapphire fabric cascaded over her body in gentle waves, cinched at the waist by a golden corset. She didn't make a sound as she walked through the brush. It looked like she was floating.

"Visena." Esmerelda's voice was liquid silk. Both women held themselves back from running into each other's embrace. The resemblance was uncanny, but Visena still couldn't remember anything new beyond her mother's name. She had hoped the memories would all just come back to her.