rosebud || PURE book 1

thirteen

R O S E B U D

Everything was a blur after our encounter. He soon left the room, slamming the door. I sat. I stared. My heart hurt.

I could feel it around me. The anger. The hurt. The betrayal. So many emotions flowed through my heart I felt like it was going to stop. Is this what heartbreak feels like?

What did I do?

I felt numb, I couldn't even comprehend my body exiting the room and descending down the stairs. It was like I couldn't stop myself. Is this why my mama always told me to stay away from the Elf men? Is this why she didn't want me to go with Abaddon? Why everyone didn't want me to go with him?

There are so many questions but no answers. I can't even break apart each emotion I'm feeling. They were all jumbled together and before I knew it, I was in the forest. My bare feet slapped against the dirt as I broke out into a run. I was dodging trees and bushes.

I needed this. This is my natural element.

I need to breathe but it felt like all the air was knocked out of my chest.

I felt the trees around me deteriorating. Everything was dying because of my emotions.

I closed my eyes and took a second to calm myself. I can't carry all this negativity around me.  

A B A D D O N

So much anger coursed through my veins. I felt my beast angered, but not at Rosebud. No, at me. I just dropped her. The thought of her fueled my anger even more. It's not her fault she doesn't know. It's not her fault my mother cast us out of Olympus.

I swipe all the contents on my desk onto the floor. My beast was trying to break through, to find our little mate and worship her until she forgave us but I held back. I couldn't face her in this state. I will make it up to her once I've calmed the monster inside.

"Sire," Aesop burst through the doors, looking breathless. My beast growled out at the interruption to his day dreaming of Rosebud, but I just pinched my nose in annoyance.

"What?" I question. He quickly bows before explaining the situation. Dead trees? What does he mean? Before I could even question further, he continues on.

"Someone saw Rosebud take off into the woods and supposedly saw "decaying trees following her footsteps"." He uses his fingers to gesture a quote. Worry begins to fill me. I quickly exit my office, following Aesop.

As we exit the house and rounded the corner, the smell hits me first. The dead flowers and fruit had a very distinct smell. Green, vibrant trees that were once beautiful were now wilted on the ground.

What is happening ? Where is my little elf ?

We continued into the forest, following the trail of death. I could feel the dark emotions surrounded the area. My beast was on high alert.

"Do you think the Queen is the cause of this ?" Aesop questions, warily eying his surroundings. It was quiet, no squirrels or bunnies running around wild.

"I don't quite know, I feel like her mother is holding some things back from us. I've never heard of an elemental who can do some of the things she does." I mutter truthfully, looking around at the brown and grey that meets my eyes.

A branch to our left cracked, the loud sound echoing throughout the forest. Both Aesop and I get into a defensive stance, ready for the upcoming source, until we see Descentus step out of the brush.

"What has happened, my Lord?" She grabs onto a rotted branch. It crumbles under her touch, sifting away in the wind.

"I fear I may have hurt the Queens feeling." Was all I could utter. For what else what I supposed to say ? I had no explanation to all of this. I truly did not know much about her species.

Descentus sighed, staring around in wonder.

"Abaddon," she sighs running her hands down her scarred face. She addressed me by my name which was rare for her. She only did that when she was serious.

"Before the tree incident, the Queen had touched me and I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. The presence of my son. I'm not trying to accuse her of anything but I think there's more to it."

I'm not surprised. I felt it too, there was just something about her. She was different. Powerful. Her mind was young but her power was quite sophisticated with age.

Our footsteps broke the silence surrounding us as we continued to look for my little mate. We followed the trail of death to a very small opening in the brush. It just stopped.

The trees around the entrance of the opening were lively, very contrasting to the death that surrounded.

The clearing, too, was very bright and beautiful. We entered, my eyes darting back and forth, looking for my little elf.

"Please, do not bring that negativity in here."

She sat on a few different hanging vines, each side connected to trees like a makeshift hammock. Suspended in the air, she looked like an angel. Her eyes were closed and total serenity coated her beautiful features.

I've never been more awestricken in my life.

"Little elf, what are you doing up there?" I ask calmly, trying to adhere to her wishes. She says nothing, humming in peace as the wind brushes through her locks.

The wind calmed down and I realized her little lips were moving, saying unspoken words under her breath. Was this the chanting her mother was doing ?

After a few moments of none of us moving, just watching the little elf completely wash her negative emotions out. At least, I guess that's what you would call this. Meditation ?

Her eyes flutter open and she makes eye contact with Aesop and Descentus, her gorgeous globes never made contact with mine. I should understand why after how terribly I treated her.

I just found her and I was already messing up because of my unresolved issues with my mother.

"My Queen, please do be careful coming down from there," Descentus stood under her, arms out frantically and ready to catch the young woman.

"I-I" Rosebud swallows, obviously nervous. Her eyes dart back and forth between Aesop and Descentus, still refusing to meet my gaze. Her grip on the vine tightens and she doesn't make a motion to move.

"I don't wish to come down right now," she politely declines, her ears flattening down in embarrassment. A dark shade of red dusted her cheeks. Before anyone else could say anything, I silently advised my companions to give us some space.

As they took a step out of the clearing, I took one closer to my beautiful little elf. My beast had been silent at the sight of our mate.

No longer pawing at the edge of my mind, angrily pacing because she was out of my arms. All because of my own actions.

"Little elf, please come down from there. I would like to properly apologize to you for the way I treated you," I coo, watching her shoulder drop a little. I felt her insecurities through the bond. Her anxiety, anger, loneliness.

She gracefully slipped off the vines, landing in front of me. Her gorgeous hair frayed around her face as she hit the ground. She was wary. She had a right to be.

This was a new world to her, mates, beasts, men. I know I have to take it slow, show her the world of the supernatural. Her mother should have never sheltered her like this.

"Let's go back to the palace baby, we will talk there."

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Look I know it's been a long time. Idk if I'm really gonna be able to keep up with updates but i'm gonna start to try again.

I gotta remember the purpose of the book. I honestly don't remember where I was taking this but I'll figure it out.

:) good day