A Tale Between Two Species

Self Proclaimed

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"I can't. I already have a mate," Rhiannon cut his speech short.

"I know but--" Vyncent said then stopped as he realized what I had just said.

"You--you have a mate? Like...a true mate?" He stared at me with wide eyes.

Vyncent's Ero had a shocked look on his face and Rhiannon wondered if true mates really were such rarities in their flight for them to have such strong reactions. She knew that her particular situation called for some raised eyebrows but she was certain that true mates between leions existed, albeit not many.

"Yes, I do," Rhiannon said feeling little offended at his incredulity.

Vyncent looked sheepish for a moment before narrowing his eyes at her.

"You haven't been claimed yet. I would be able to tell if you had."

Rhiannon's thoughts went back to Liam and how they had left things. She wasn't sure what she had decided yet, but just the thought of mating with someone else, even of that person was a leion, sickened her and made her heart heavy with guilt.

"It's complicated," she said shortly, clearly unwilling to discuss it.

A smirk appeared on his face. "So you're not actually mated yet. That means my fight still persists."

"I'm sorry, but I won't be changing my mind. I do have to question your intentions, however. I don't hold the illusion that tales of my beauty has travelled over the seas. Why are you really here?" Rhiannon asked with suspicion.

The smirk vanished from his face then. His face was impassive and a stony look entered his eyes.

"If--if I don't find a mate...a mate with the Irra bloodline, my wings will never fully turn white and I'll die," he said solemnly.

Rhiannon wasn't sure if he was being literal or just plain dramatic.

"What do you mean you'll die? Being Irra isn't the world, you know. I'm sure someone else could--"

"It means I'll stop existing, Rhiannon," he said with scorn, cutting her off effectively.

When she didn't say anything, he continued.

"Being a half has its consequences. An ordinary leion isn't meant to take over and the Wind Goddess knows that.

My flight used to be under the command of a tyrant by the name of Redmore. Things were bad, really bad. Then one day, the people had enough. They decided that the only way to end their misery was to end Redmore. My father was a part of the rebellion, and he was the one that ended Redmore's life. Under my father's rule, the flight found peace again, and it was perfect...for a while," his voice was one of a broken man's.

Feeling like he was about to begin a story, a story of his life, Rhiannon kept quite. The other two people in the room was silent also, feeling the tension in the air. Vyncent took a deep breath and walked towards the wide windows overlooking the green hedge maze of the mansion's back garden.

"It all started with the kidnappings, really. At first we thought it was the enigmas playing around. God knows, those creatures live right by us and not one day of rest do we get from them. But it became serious when the captives never returned. We knew it wasn't them then because as annoying as those creatures can get, they never went this far.

Then, the bodies appeared. It was worse because the victims were all young children. It was a depressing time. My father brought us all together. He made the flight see that we could could survive this--this horrible time.

He spoke too soon, I guess, because soon after that, his mate, my mother, was kidnapped. She wasn't his true mate, but they fell in love by their own means. He loved her, and after she was taken, he went looking for her.

The monsters behind this wanted that to happen. My father walked straight into their trap blinded by love and they killed him. After making him watch them kill my mother. The flight...we felt it all, through the bond. The pain was not as much as my father and mother were feeling, but we felt it all the same. I felt it too. I felt it as our bonds grew weaker until they disappeared altogether. Then I felt the power surging through me, and I knew then I had become Irra.

Eventually, the monsters behind the horrible murders were caught. They were loyal followers of Redmore. I had them killed, of course. No mercy would be spared to the killers of innocent children and my parents.

My father's Aro, Denver, took over the flight until I was old enough to be trusted. When I took over I thought it was all over, you know. That, maybe I'd be allowed some peace and that the flight would too. It was great for a while, until some rogue leions crossed our borders and tried to attack me.

They failed knowingly, but before they were executed, they revealed that they were the rest of Redmore's followers come to avenge the deaths of the other followers. They also told me something that made me come here today. They said that I would die before my twenty-first birthday, the day I would be getting my elemental. I have not recieved any elementals yet and I'm sure you know that a leion will recieve all its elementals before or when they turn twenty one.

I didn't believe them at first and had them executed at once. Denver suggested we investigate on the matter just to be safe, and the results sided with what I had been told. The good news was that if I mated with a leion of true Irra bloodline, my wings would turn and I would live."

Rhiannon felt tears prick her eyes at his story which was filled with sorrow. She felt bad that he didn't have anyone to guide him into his position. She at least had been groomed since young by her father, while Vyncent only had the help of his father's Aro. She didn't know what to say, because she wanted to help, but she couldn't.

"I'm sorry for you loss and your predicament, but you understand why I cannot help you, at last not that way. I'm sure there are others out there without a mate that would gladly accept your offer," Rhiannon said as gently as she could.

Vyncent looked dejected at her words but determination still shone through his eyes.

"As long as your supposed mate hasn't claimed you yet, I will be trying."

Rhiannon sighed, feeling annoyed.

"Look, I know that this is important to you, but I won't accept this mating, now and forever. You'd understand once you get your mate."

"If I get a mate at all, you mean. My birthday's in three months. My life depends on you Rhiannon. I hope you make the right decision," Vyncent said with coldness in his voice and proceeded to storm out of the room.

Rhiannon was left speechless at both his story and his revelation. He was going to die in three months. It wasn't her fault, but why did she feel like she would be bearing the sword to his heart?