The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

74

Hannah's phone rang, she took it out quickly and looked at the screen before excusing herself, and nearly running away from the table as she answered the call. Aspen was more careful and slow in his movements, but he too excused himself from the table swiftly to follow Hannah.

Caspian knew something was afoot, but would wait for Hannah to tell him herself. Holland was too mesmerised watching his boys woo their mate with August promising Ariel a walk through the woods and Alex wanted to show her the games room after lunch. Little mini dates, one on one to give them a chance to get to know each other better.

Caspian felt like his head was going to split. Hannah was dealing with something that had her emotions feeling like a verifiable storm fit to founder a ship, while he also needed to make time to speak to his sons about their mate, and what Caspian had learned about her from his dragon. There were apparently almost an endless number of reasons why his son's mate had attracted the notice of a nightmare demon.

Lumi had told Caspian there was a lot of darkness in Alex's and August's mates past, and that there was a dark witch who might be seeking her. Lumi had drastically undersold the trauma in Ariel's past and apparently had no idea how dark the witch in question was.

Caspian's mind and dragon were working overtime as he considered what he knew, and what was suspected. Needing to make several dicey decisions quickly on how to address the problems. Caspian made eye contact with the demon across the table. Waiting for the demon to meet his gaze. Sending a message to the demon's mind. I would appreciate a chance to speak. Alone.

Binh raised his glass in a subtle toast. As a dragon Fitzprince commands, I obey. The thought coming through clearly to Caspian. Caspian had spent far too long under the influence of the dragon court to be so crass as to react to an obvious jab at his heritage and history that was only broadcast to him. The dragon court was too ruthless for anyone that soft. The raven perched on the back of Ariel's chair starred at Caspian. He had not heard of any witches managing to connect with a corvid familiar in his entire lifetime.

Caspian returned his attention back to the breakfast table. "I'd really like to see more of the forest, and the games room with you Alex-" Ariel says, getting all Greenrivers present at full attention for what she might say next. "It's just-" Ariel looked towards Binh.

"Do not worry for me, the Prince Caspian and I have much to catch up on. You enjoy your day. I will be fine." Binh needed to disappear tonight. Ariel needed to be secure and feel safe in her new environment. With people who could keep her safer than even Binh could.

Ariel heard his words and smiled. Turning her attention back and forth between her mates. As Caspian gave Binh directions for where they were to meet. "There are hiking boots in your suitcase." Binh called out to Ariel as the three young ones started to rise from the table.

Ariel softly said a thank you, going to change for a walk in the woods with August. Caspian rose from the table. Inflecting with his head that Binh should head to the appointed location. Binh heard Ariel's quiet voice talking easily with Alex and August as they came with her while she got ready to walk with August. It was music to his ears. She was relaxing into their presence. He had accidentally seen her dream last night and knew Ariel was more than warming up to her mates now.

Binh rose from the table and made his way to the door, putting on his shoes, and heading through a slightly meandering path to an office hidden in a loft space above the wood working shop in the yard. Binh went to the closed door, turning the knob. Glad to find it was open. Surprised to see both Caspian and Aspen waiting for him on the other side of the door.

"Welcome Baku, nee Binh. Sit please." Aspen said softly. Knowing that Binh would be unable to refuse a direction from a forest Fae. Hierarchy was paramount with demons. Caspian was technically a prince, half brother to the current Queen of the Earthside Dragon Union; a still very much developing situation. Caspian's rank only mattered to dragons, Aspen's rank was absolute to a demon

Binh had not managed to uncover that one of the Greenrivers father's was a true forest fae. They were nearly as rare as Binh himself. Aspen was in commune and communication with everything green on the planet. Binh instantly had known Aspen for what he was. It didn't matter how slight the auburn haired man appeared to be. 

Binh knew power when he saw it. "Man of forest Green, Keeper of the balance between Cultivation and Nightmother, can the tree's find Gisella?" Binh asked, no longer caring about whatever it was that Caspian had wanted to speak of. Using ancient invocations. The trees of the planet spoke to this man with endless knowledge and the blessing of two goddesses, Binh needed to find the witch who had harmed Ariel. Serve retribution.

"Is that the witch who held her?" Caspian asked. He didn't have quite enough information and Aspen had warned that the formality his presence would bring to the demon, it would also have unintended consequences. There had been so much to try and parse through that his dragon had not been able to get a good grasp of her entire life history.

Binh looked towards the small auburn haired man. "Can you find Gisella, because if you can you need to." Aspen was unprepared to be flooded with a brief flash of multitudes of nightmares. He could not discern any single nightmare image with any clarity. Only a certainty that each one was a memory, and that Aspen's son's mate knew suffering such as Aspen had once known.

The trees around the Greenrivers homestead vibrated. Calling out. A warning that something was coming. Ariel was not safe. She needed to be protected. Discord. Erris. Wishes another chance to change the turns of the world. A warning from the trees.

Binh was invested in Ariel's safety. Aspen knew Binh's behaviour regarding the girl was not typical of his kind. Deciding to share some intel with the demon. "Trees have been corrupting more frequently. It's been a concern for a while without any solid lead on any one cause. The latest one was in a park in the same city where my sons found Ariel." Aspen had no real proof, he had only made the connection yesterday before they had arrived. 

Caspian turned and grabbed a scroll from a bank of built in document storage behind him, unfurling a large map of North America. 

Glad that Ariel's first date was with August walking among the trees. The trees Aspen had noted were very invested in Ariel before her arrival. There was a sense of anticipation that had been confusing him. "I can't find the witch. The trees want to help but- A very dark force is working to keep the witch hidden. " Aspen admitted finally to Binh and to Caspian. An answer neither was thrilled by.

After so long living in Golden Green. Making it his home. He had thought he had learned all the secrets of the forest. There were apparently many things he still did not know. The world was endless and ever changing. Now the pieces were starting to fall into place, the forest had already welcomed Ariel. Shared with her the power they could bestow. "The forest will do what it can for Ariel." Aspen promised Binh, before a warning shivered through his senses.

Binh bid both men goodbye, warning them that Ariel had been keeping her past to herself. Leaving to begin preparations for his exit. Missing that Aspen was clearly distracted by an unseen force, Aspen felt as an ancient presence approached the magical ward he and Caspian had set themselves, during Aspen's first months home.

Aspen granted the forest guardian spirit Elk admission onto the packlands. Glad to welcome such an esteemed and revered spirit onto Golden Green. "She has attracted the protection of the Elk Forest Spirit. He has decided to take up resilience here while she stays." Aspen smiled, Caspian had felt several magical influences through his dragon, was glad Aspen was able to translate the sensation into good news instead of bad.

Ariel would be kin to Aspen and Caspian soon enough. Aspen could not wait to be part of doing everything possible to make her future as full of love and joy as possible. The forest knew Binh. But were uncertain of his place. The forest was awash with gossip about the dream demon who seemed to have fallen in love with a witch in his own strange way. It was indeed, a very interesting story Aspen had to admit

"We need to find Alex, he is somewhere nearby." Caspian said. They had learned much while with Binh. Most of it was not pleasant. Alex and August both needed to be warned that several possible dangers could be seeking to find their fragile mate.

Aspen nodded. His head still full of the bottomless well of nightmares Binh had sent through his head. Aspen had known mistreatment in his life before finding Hannah. He had still always had the commune with nature to draw strength and comfort. According to all he knew, Ariel's magic was new. What all she had endured, she had done so as a human before she was even grown.