Burning The Ocean

7: The Turn

"Where's Keir? Or Adira?" Aureus yawned, he'd checked the house for both the shark and the dire, but to no luck. The Alpha and her Beta were missing, leaving the warrior and the cat in their house.

"I've got no idea, sorry kitty." The owl fawned over the comfy bed that she slept in. Aureus had been confused on why Keir moved her to a random room, but didn't think much of it.

"Please don't call me 'Kitty'. Adira uses it because I can't fight back against her, but, can you not, please?"

"Yeah, sorry, I won't. What about the little owlets in the house?"

"They went 'poof'. Wait, wouldn't they be pups, since they're all siblings of a Dire?" Aureus joked towards the bird of prey, who doesn't look that threatening with her big eyes, and small appearances. Not to mention how quiet she was on a daily basis. Aureus was actually pretty restless today, though.

"Eh, I don't care to much what they're called, just trying to make sure they are alrigh'." Nascha adjusted her glasses on her face, glaring down the door as it burst open. The glare quickly melted into a bright smile.

The entire pack burst through her door. All the children excited to truly meet their guests, following was a sweating Alpha and Beta. Keir handled the front of the pack, as Adira reined them inside from the back of the pack. Keir pulled Adira closer, whispered something quick, and too quiet to hear into her ear.

The Great Horned Owl swooped in, greeting the little kids and hugging them all. Adira watched the children and Nascha interact, dumbfounded, as Aureus pulled Keir out of the room.

"So, could you tell me what's going on?" Aureus whisper-shouted. Keir looked Aure over, watching his tense shoulders, shake-y voice, with eyes that constantly flickered around the room, not making eye contact. The most prominent thing, was that as soon as Aureus let go, he kept a pretty big distance between them.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes! Of course I do!" Aure nearly shouted, "Nascha acts like everything's extremely normal, and you and Adira do nothing but talk in secret. It sucks! I may not know you well, but I'll tell you now, I do not like the truth being kept from me!"

"Alright, I'll talk to Adira, and I'll see when I can talk to you about it," Keir met his, well, would've if Aure wasn't still scanning the room, "I really am sorry."

Aureus took in a deep breath, but he definitely didn't completely calm, "I'm not mad, per-say. Just, please tell me, and don't mention it to Adira. She's scary, yes, just don't go to her for permission for every little, ity-bity, thing."

Keir scanned his race, when Aureus finally did meet his eye, hoping to see that he didn't actually want to know. Or if maybe he could trick him. But, the lion's eyes were as hard. This wasn't the Aureus he knew. Even if he had only known him for a little while.

"Alright... you know the tiers?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, without the vitamins, and if you don't have an implant. Y'know, the one in your neck. You can, with practice and some-- a lot of pain, turn into the animal that is your tier..."

"You're full of shit," Aureus said, astonished. He didn't leave, yet. "Prove it."

"I can't right now, theres no water..." The Shark thought for a second. He left the room, leaving Aure to scream, "Adira, come 'ere!"

Anyone could hear the loud steps, and the pitter patter of smaller footsteps of several. A head of curls called Ava-Lee popped through the door first, rushing torwards Keir, before Adira opened the door the rest of the way. Kier followed them, and winced when he saw the lioness freeze, and kinda' scooch away from the little girls hug.

"Can you, uh, turn?" Keir asked, in false confidence, trying to not seem like he was challenging her, but to seem like he was just trying to ask. If you seemed too scared, or too aggressive, it was practically a threat to any really high tier, hell, even Kier was like that.a

"It has to be outside, my wolf is too big for the house," she understood he what he was asking. Not to mention, she knew he'd crack and tell Aureus. She left the room, in her weird, elegant, yet aggresive way. Everyone followed, even a very excited Nascha, who had already wiggled the question out of Adira. "Don't worry, little miss nosey already knows."

...

The outside air was warm and muggy in forest area around their home and the large lawn in the middle of basically nowhere. Adira stretched her body, hearing every bone crack made Keir's nausea kick in. She lazily started calling her little siblings to her side.

"Storm, Azure, Dannie. Come here, guys."

The three boys came forward, Dannie being the tallest at the age of thirteen, and he looked exactly like Adira, except he had the rare case of brown eyes in the family. The twins were identical, light brown hair and green eyes. All had the signature tan glow from being outside consistently.

Adira walked into the forest for privacy, the boy's staying put.

After several seconds, almost a minute, a large thumping sound rumbled from the forest. As a giant wolf entered the clearing, and Nascha basically ran threw herself onto the 7'5 beast, which just sat down, moving his head from Keir, to Aureus, to her siblings, and finally landing on Nascha who was practically attacking her in a hug.

Keir turned to Aure, who stood with his mouth ajar, gaping at the beast who was now growling at a, very clingy, Nascha. Keir smiled, thinking his crush was enjoying himself, until he noticed how unnaturally pale he was.

The ground was closer then Aureus remembered, and there were bright lights in his vision. Then everything was gone.