Her Loving Captor

19

Eric

For the first time in his life, Eric felt at peace, settled in a way that was hard to describe. The chaos that usually churned within him was a quiescent river he didn't recognise. And it was all because of her, his mate. He turned to look at her as she walked beside him.

When their eyes met, she glared at him, but there was no longer any way to hide the softness deep in her eyes. No longer any way to hide the warmth of her feelings from him. So he smiled as she glared at him once again.

They were walking down the hall of mirrors and Eric took in the various, and sometimes alien-looking, lands with wonder. How had he not known so much existed outside his world like this? It was disheartening, and humbling to realise the extent of his ignorance.

"Are you going to keep us here as you did Cari and Andre?" Dani asked her grandmother.

"No," Fate replied.

Dani scowled at that answer. "Why not!"

Eric wondered if Dani was upset they would not be here until he and she were fully mated. Did she want as much alone time with him as he did?

Fate's eyes held a hint of amusement as she regarded Dani. "Cari and Andre had to stay because the dark gods would have done everything to break them apart. But you and Eric are different. Your bond is unique, and your destiny lies beyond this realm."

Dani's scowl deepened. "What does that mean?"

"You and Eric are stubborn," Fate said, her voice like a gentle breeze. "Both of you would cut your noses off to spite your faces. There are things you have yet to learn, you must learn that love isn't about confinement, but freeing each other. And you will only do that in the real world through your failures"

Eric watched Dani closely. Her eyes hardened, and he wondered if she understood the unspoken promise-that they would find their way back to each other, no matter where their paths led. He didn't care about the promise of failure. His chaos had resulted in so many of these that he was now immune to them. He had a feeling Dani was not used to failure all that much.

As they walked down the silent hallway, Fate whispered, "Trust the threads of fate, children. They weave a tapestry more intricate than you can imagine."

Again, he and Dani exchanged apprehensive looks. Eric took Dani's hand in his, she stiffened but didn't pull her hand away. He smiled at the small victory, destiny awaited, and he was ready to follow wherever it led.

They reached a mirror at the end of the hall that led into a tranquil forest land. One that was lush with plants that seemed to embody the colour green in all its manifestations. The flowers on the ground and trees were even more vibrant, seeming to bleed colour.

"This is the mirror of what was," the goddess explained as she stood before it. "This window looks back to the ancient times. Currently it is set to the time of the primes."

Eric exchanged an uncertain glance with Dani before they both turned back to watch her Nana.

She wouldn't endanger her granddaughter, right? He thought to himself. While he no longer trusted the goddess, that was one thing he could trust.

"It will take us back so we can observe the past at will." Fate continued.

"And how is any of that going to help?" Dani asked.

Fate smiled, an enigmatic smile that had the hairs at the back of his neck stand. "All knowledge is power darling." She cooed.

Yeah, Eric wasn't going to touch that.