The Fox and the Alpha

{13}

The dark sucked. I wish I could say I wasn't really alive, I'm in a coma, or that I woke up seconds after my heart stopped beating. But I didn't.

I had to die, but I thought I would wake up right after that. I thought I would be able to hug Xander and everything would be okay. My mate. My beautiful mate.

I don't know how long it was dark, it felt like an eternity, but how was I to count time? I counted seconds, but after 10,000 or so I gave up.

I felt like I was floating, in fact, I knew I was floating. I could feel my hair around me, suspended in thin air. I blinked when a light began to swell inside my chest, bring back power and energy to me.

I opened my eyes to the meadow. The same damn meadow that I can't seem to leave. I turned in a circle, breathing in the fresh air. I looked and saw the Moon Goddess watching me, a twinkle of amusement in her eye.

"I thought you said. I wouldn't see you until the war started?" I asked, my eyes taking her in. She was beautiful, power radiated off of her so effortlessly my body was humming in delight.

"It has. War is not a single battle, war is so much more than a huge battle between two foes." I smiled and walked closer to her.

"So I'm your daughter." She nodded and waved her hands over me, transforming the shirt and leggings I had died in into a white and gold dress, a thin crown resting upon my brow. I froze as I looked at my clothing, a small smile playing on my lips. "Can't we add leather or something?"

She laughed at my words, waving her hands a bit more. I had a thin leather bracelet around my wrist, causing me to roll my eyes. I reached to rub my shoulder and jolted, feeling the spark from my mark.

"Don't do that too often, you'll scare your mate." I widened my eyes, looking at my fingertips.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Close to a year." I sucked in a breath, my breath hitching as I spun around.

"You're kidding me, I thought I'd be gone a day at most!"

"You needed your powers to grow, you're so strong now. Your powers are your second nature, you are my flesh and blood, so now you have powers from each of my creatures." My heart rate picked up as I rung my hands together.

"I just wanted to be my fox! I don't need all these powers!" In all honesty, I was just ready to go home.

"Be grateful, this war will end and you will be able to live a normal life. Well, as normal as it could be." She chuckled at her own joke, my eyes involuntarily rolling.

"Has, has Xander moved on?" I asked quietly.

"No, he's still madly in love with you." She sighed as she took my hand. She led my through a garden to a large home, smoke leaving a chimney as plants thrived around us. "He has grown angry, he doesn't let anyone touch the piano, nor your clothing. They're hung up in his bedroom, including every book you have ever touched."

"How do I go back to him? I'm scared." I felt her warm arms wrap around me, pulling me into a embrace. "What if he's grown to cold, and even I can't fix him?"

"I see his soul, his heart, and it is not black. He's broken right now, but I must warn you. I said he hasn't moved on, and that is correct, but he kissed someone." I bolted away from her grasp, my eyes wide in horror.

"Who?" I felt my chest caving in, hollowing out.

"A girl named Leah. She's a nice girl, but as soon as her lips touched his he backed away. He saw you, and your face, and couldn't do anything." I nodded, bringing my hands up to wipe away at my watering eyes. "Come, let us go through your powers."