Light on the Side of Darkness

Chapter 16 The Calm Before the Storm

I walked into my room and gasped in surprise. There were candles everywhere and I could smell the soft smell of vanilla, I noticed rose petals littering the floor. I smiled when I felt arms wrap around my waist, I felt his bare torso press against my back, "Sapphire I need you." He whispered huskily.

I smiled and turned around my eyes raked over his taught body, "I am yours." I replied with a purr. He kissed me hungrily, I groaned getting lost in the passion.

********

He kissed my bare sweat slicked shoulder, "I love you Sapphire." I smiled.

"And I love you Leon." He kissed my neck I smiled and snuggled deeper into his arms he purred softly as I fell asleep to the beat of his heart.

*****

I paced restlessly, I could smell her, but I couldn't go to her, it was wrong how could the fates be so cruel? I heard someone approach me, I tensed, "Kyle what's wrong?" Ryker, my best friend asked me.

"Nothing, don't worry about it shouldn't you be training?" I snapped.

"So should you, you found her didn't you?" He snapped back.

"Yes...but she can't be her not truly, the fates wouldn't be this cruel." I rambled running my fingers through my jaw length black hair.

"Do you mean?" Ryker asked.

"Yes, I felt the tug this morning and I followed it, and I saw her Ryker, she was pulling the knife out of a shifter, how can I be mated to that kind of monster?" I hissed. I felt tears welling, I hadn't cried since my parents died when I was taken, Ryker looked surprised.

"Is the mark there yet?" He asked softly.

I nodded and pulled off my shirt, under the scars on my back was a white horned viper, with crystal blue eyes, and coiled around her was my favored form the black mamba.

"Kyle, this means the bond between you two is strong, hers will have appeared as well, even though she is not shifter yet." He said calmly.

"Was it this bad for you and Emma?" I asked him my voice barely above a whisper.

"No ours didn't appear until after." He said rubbing his arm where a rattlesnake and boa were intertwined.

"My brother, if she dies so will you, you must protect her or else it's all over for you and her." He added as he walked away.

I slumped against the wall and put my head in my hands, how was I going to do this? She was the thing I hated more than anything but if I lose her I die too, why oh why are the fates so cruel. I thought back to what my father said before he was murdered.

"Kyle, when you find your draugas everything makes sense, she completes you in ways you never knew were possible. She heals scars that you thought were unhealable. She is you world your life, the air you breathe. No longer is gravity holding you down it's her, she is everything. And son when you find her protect her because there will never be another." He said looking me and placing his hands on my shoulders.

"But daddy what if she's evil or ugly?" I asked crinkling my nose.

"That will not matter, you will help her as she helps you, and to you she'll be the most beautiful creature on this earth you will never want another." He said seriously.

"Okay papa." I said trying to comprehend what he had told me.

I sighed heavily how am I going to do this? I thought I stood up and allowed the change over come me and slithered off into the trees allowing the pull of our connection to guide me. I stopped at the edge of the camp, I heard yelling and arguing. I slithered closer changing to a green racer

"This is wrong! How can we work for that monster? What did they ever do to us? They are just trying to survive!" A soft feminine voice spoke. My heart picked up the pace as the voice spoke.

"Because they aren't good they are evil! They kill hundreds of us and they are not Gods creation they are abominations!" A deep voice bellowed.

"We've killed thousands more of them! They are not bad, I've seen a mother throw her dying body in front of her children and I've watched them sob over their fallen! How is that evil father and how are we any better?!" She yelled back.

I watched the tent flap open, she was breathtaking, she had curly red hair that ended and her waist. She had bright blue eyes and slightly tanned skin, she had freckles dusting her nose and cheeks. She was wearing a fitted grey tank top that clung to her body along with tight black hunting pants. I shook my head I couldn't find her attractive I slithered after her as walked into the woods. I shifted and silently followed after her she stopped at a creek, she pulled up her shirt and on her stomach was a mark identical to mine.

"When did I get a tattoo?" She asked out loud.

"It's not a tattoo it's draugas mark." I said emerging from the forest. She started and looked up with surprise she flicked her wrist I ducked just before the knife hit my head.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry!" She yelled.

She started towards me but stopped, when she noticed I was shirtless and the scars that riddled my body.

"I've seen you before...in my dreams." She whispered.

"That's because we are draugai," I said slowly.

"What-what are you?" She stuttered.

"I am shifter, reptilian to be correct."

I said gagging her reaction.

Her eyes widened, "Wh-what does that mean?"

"We are mates and our bond is special." I replied slowly walking towards her.

She looked at me and whispered, "Why is two snakes on my stomach?"

"The mamba is me the viper is...is what you can become when you accept me as a mate."

"Oh, but I thought shifters can shift into anything." She said confused.

"We can in a sense, I can shift into any reptile, felines can shift into any cat, but since you are not a born shifter and you are a mate you can shift into one and that is what is appears on the draugas mark." I said tentatively. I reached my hand out and gently brushed my finger tips across her cheek she leaned into my touch.

"How do I accept you?" She asked quietly.

"Mating with me." I replied.

She opened her mouth to reply when I heard a rustle in the bushes I turned and noticed Ryker slither out, "We need you come on now."

I looked back at her and sighed, "Stay alive and stay out if trouble and I will find you." I walked up to her and kissed her gently I shifted and slither into the forest with Ryker. The war had began.