Tulip | Secrets of Earth | Book one

Chapter Sixteen

That night was magical. The evening seems to glow brighter even without the help of the stars and the moon. Love hung in the air. Everyone was excited because that night Noah had proposed to Tulip. They were set to marry at dawn.

"This is amazing! You just meet and yet you knew you were soul mates!" Cheerly said to Tulip as she took a break on the deck.

"I know. Time just flies by too fast. Over two millennium at that," Tulip was so happy. She had made it so far. From what seemed like an eternity from being alone. In the morning she would be married to the one she loved most. The only one she had ever loved.

Tulip kept to herself the rest of the night. She wanted to wait until dusk to stop making winds. Noah was asked to stay in for the night. So that the two to be married can stay apart for a little longer.

As the sun sank, the sky lit up with an array of vivid reds and oranges. Tulip flew down to the deck and changed back to her Grass form. Her white petal dress shown crimson in the fading sunlight. Her eyes sparkled bright blue with happiness. She walked over to the side of the boat. It was truly a beautiful sight. The night was even more lovely than it would have been. She could even feel the love in the air. It was just wonderful.

Noah was just as excited, but he was not able to savor the night. He paced the floor. Thinking of what could become of him.

"You did it," John said smiling at his son.

"But at what cost?"

"What do you mean? You did this for yourself."

"I know, I know, but what will happen if she gets hurt and I can't help her? Or what if I get hurt and she dies?"

"Don't overthink it. She can't die, and you would be the one that needs saving if anything. She can handle herself. How else did she get here?"

"I know, I know, but... is it wrong to worry?" Noah looked at his father with wondering eyes. He loved his wife-to-be more than anything in the entire world.

"No. It shows that you care about her very much."

Tulip was having the same thoughts. She wanted to make it to where Noah could handle himself in and if there was such a crisis. She placed her hand on her chest, right where her soul was.

"This is for Noah," she told herself focusing herself to pull out her soul. Her chest began to glow. She pulled out a green sphere with a translucent leaf in it. Tulip felt weak. It was her soul alright.

Placing both hands on either side of the sphere, she pulled it apart. She felt the pain of thousands of bee stings and hundreds of watts of electricity rushing through her. It was severely painful. Even more painful than what Dr. Cresen did to her.

Placing the left half back within her, she took a strand of her hair and pulled it out of her head. She carefully wound it around the hemisphere. The strand melted, turning into gold. Tulip shaped the melting gold in a leaf around the half soul. Pushing the soul into place was painful, but not as painful as taking it apart. The gold started to hold shape.

The leaf-shaped half- soul started to shine like an emerald. The shine dimmed down and started to reflect the sunset. It was beautiful. Tulip took another strand of hair and molded it into a gold chain. It was done. Her soul amulet.

The sun's rose fingertips stretched out across the sky. It was a beautiful morning. Just as the night before. Tulip and Noah were to be wed. Both anxious about becoming soul mates eternally.

Noah started with his vows first, "I, Noah, swear upon my life to protect you, Tulip, to care for you, and to never leave your side for all eternity."

"I, Tulip, swear to protect to you, Noah, with my life, To care for you through all of life's bringings, and to never leave your side for all of eternity. Even after time had stopped." Tulip pulled the gold and emerald amulet from her sleeve. Placed it around Noah's neck.

With a flash of brilliant green light, Noah transformed from an African wild dog to a handsome young boy. Noah opened his eyes to see that Tulip was smiling wide and happily.

"Noah... you changed."

"Changed? How?"

Tulip pulled Noah to the edge of the boat. "Look," she said pointing to the water. It was reflective enough to see. Noah looks over the edge he didn't himself though. He saw a boy with bright green eyes, dirt-brown hair, and tan skin. He looked a little bit older than Tulip. "Noah."

"Yes?"

Tulip held out black leather pants and a brown burlap shirt. Noah looked down at himself. He was naked.

"Oh, no fur."

"Yeah. Humans don't have fur so they wear clothes. It helps keep them warm."

Noah took the leather pants and burlap shirt and put them on. He felt foolish and different being without fur. "So am I'm human?" he said after.

"No. You Just look it. Like me, I'm not human, but I look it."

"Right."

Tulip threw her arms around him. She kissed him on the cheek. She was so happy. Noah was too. Everyone else in the pack was dumbstruck. Noah, their alpha, now looked human. Was he human? Was he still one of them? Or was he some kind of hybrid now?

"Everyone! I know what you're thinking!" Tulip said turning to her beloved pack, "Noah is not human! He just looks like one!" Tulip Smiled and kept hugging Noah. She was just so happy. She was beaming in fact.