Frostline

The Winter Solstice

"Are we set for tonight? Is everyone aware of their posts and rotations?"

"Yes, Alpha. They're aware of their posts, the schedule has been distributed accordingly." One of my colleagues answers from beside me.

"Good. There can be no mistakes tonight, there are too many high-profile people here tonight. Make sure they run through their posts again, where is Erik?"

"The Beta, I think that he is preparing for this evenings activities."

I stop in the hallway, just beside one of the stained glass windows, outside the snow falls gently into the ground and surrounding forest. "Can you please send him my way? Thank you, O'Brien."

He slightly nods and gives me a small smile. "Yes, Alpha."

I smile slightly as leaves down the hallway, leaving me alone in silence except for the sound of the snow gently crunching together, I let the rigid form of my body settle against the hard stone of the wall, closing my eyes and letting the quiet envelope me for once.

Just a moment of peace.

But that only allows for the voices inside my head to make themselves known, only allowing for one question is allowed through the channels of my mind.

'How much longer have you got here?' It mocks. 'Just how much longer can you keep this up?'

How much longer do I have here?

"Alpha... You asked for me?" The familiar, almost whispery sounding voice of my beta reaches my ears. "Is everything alright, why aren't you dressed?"

I open my eyes, and turn to face him. "Erik... Everything is fine, I was just making sure that everything is in place." I take in his appearance, though we were only supposed to be guards tonight, we were still going to be in the main room with all of the festivities. That requires a little dressing up on our part. his short black hair is groomed neatly, and the black ensemble he dons fits him well, it makes the blue color of his eyes more present than ever. "You look nice..."

He smiles a tiny bit at my words, but it falls again. "Are you sure everything is alright, you-you've been acting off."

I take a breath, there's no hiding from him, some part of me hated that he could read me practically like an open book. But it is something that I am deeply grateful for at times, he keeps me out of too much trouble.

From getting myself killed.

"Milla..." He finally says when I don't answer, he steps forward, close to me.

For some reason I thank back to a time, where for a moment I was taller than him.

"I don't like it when you shut me out like this, I know you haven't been sleeping well, it's in your eyes, in your demeanor. Something is weighing on you, what is it? You know that I made the oath to always be there for you." His hand gently raises up my head to look up at him.

Looking up into those eyes of his, those trusting, all seeing, innocent eyes. I don't know if I could do it, I don't know if I could break and shatter the way that his eyes see the world now, selfishly, I don't think that I could handle him looking at me in any other way than he does now, with the illusion he does now.

Should I tell him?

Should I crush him?

Should I-

"Amelia, Erik!"

We both turn and look at the voice, Erik puts distance in between us, quicker than the speed of light.