Taming Her Beastly Mate
Chapter 24

“Can’t I just fly us all there? This walking on feet crap is for the bears.” Brian grunted as he dramatically dragged his feet as he stepped.

“The pull is real subtle Brian. I already tried explaining this to you. We are just going to have to walk.” Alexis listened to Brian g***n. She felt Aken’s shoulder brush against hers sending sweet intoxicating tingles over her body. She turned to look at him wishing she could just stay in his arms. But while they traveled they were trying to be cautious just in case Erebus or his spies were around.

“And how does this all work again? Because you look exactly the same to me.” Brian continued to drag his feet lazily as he looked over at Aken.

“It’s because I am allowing myself to be viewed by you. Anyone else looking will see a different face and features. And my aura is hidden with the crystals so no one can detect it.” Aken listened to a slight scoff coming from in front of them.

“Ah ah ah.” Micah interjected turning to smirk at Aken.

“Okay, no one should be able to. I haven’t figured out what is up with super bear. I don’t know how he is able to detect me.” Aken looked over Micah with a discerning eye. There was something there he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“I already told you it’s because I am her guardian. Your squid brain doesn’t retain much, huh?” Micah chuckled flashing a bright wide grin towards Aken.

“I see that Winnie the Pooh isn’t the only bear stuffed with fluff. Your ability is not because you are a guardian. It’s as simple as that. Who are your parents? What is known about them?” Aken felt the slight bump from Alexis’ arm and she shook her head quickly.

Micah shrugged as he looked ahead. “I don’t know. I don’t remember much at all about them. I only remember the torture and life I lived in the dark.” He turned his head to look at Aken. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“Simple. Both of your parents were not werebears. I can almost guarantee you of that. You are some sort of hybrid.” Everyone stopped walking and turned to look at Aken curiously.

“Are you certain of that?” Micah was now studying the deity’s green eyes.

“Yes. I’m surprised the blue iguana never said anything.” Aken watched as Alexis shook her head.

“I don’t think my father knows.”

“He knows my love. Your father is a deity. I’m sure he knows Micah is more than just a guardian werebear.” Aken could see Micah seemed a bit disturbed hearing this. “Little cub this doesn’t change anything.”

“What else do you think I am?” Micah asked slowly.

“Now that is where I am stumped. Because there is something there that I just can’t put my finger on. But you have an untapped power reserve inside of you. You are much stronger than you let on. I’m curious why you are hiding it.” Aken watched Micah’s eyes widen as his mouth parted open in shock.

“Micah?” Alexis turned to look at her guardian.

Micah chuckled and shook his head. “Now you are the one that has me intrigued.”

“We will have a chat about all this later.” Aken turned and looked at Alexis. “It was only because of his strength that I was comfortable leaving your side.”

“Wait. So how strong is he?” Brian knitted his brows together and stared at his friend.

“I’d like to test that out myself. Maybe then I can really get a feel for what you are mixed with.” Aken shrugged his shoulders and turned his head to look at Alexis. “Which way now?”

Alexis tilted her head to look into Aken’s green eyes. It was weird having him close to her but in a good way. She wanted to stay as close to him as possible and talk to him about everything. How was it that now that she had him by her side, they needed to act distant? She would also need to keep pretending to be Brian’s mate around others. This would be awkward to do in front of her real mate.

She glanced from hazel, blue, to green eyes. All three of these important men in her life were all carrying sadness. She could see it. Was this similar to the life energy her mother talked about seeing? She wasn’t sure. But from this, she could almost feel the burdens they were each carrying for their own reasons. Maybe this was the natural comradery the men were all feeling? Brian’s, she felt was about him not being able to have a mate. But she was curious about what Micah and Aken’s sadness was about.

Alexis finally felt her beasts inside of her begin to stir. Yuki was pacing in her mind as her inner beast pulsated its strength like flapping its wings. She wanted to sigh with relief being able to feel them again but there was something wrong. She looked up to see the men all had their heads turned looking in the distance. It was the same direction she could feel herself being pulled.

“That’s where I need to go.” Alexis whispered as she raised her hand to her chest. She lifted her gaze as a burst of warm wind rushed over all of them. Aken moved into her side with his gaze fixated on a figure that was coming towards them.

A young woman with silver hair, grey eyes, and ivory skin stepped into view. She was delicately framed and almost looked like she would break with the slightest touch. But there was a fierceness in her eyes as she looked over everyone.

“I see you brought others. A deity, a guardian, and … a thief.”

Alexis recognized the voice. She stepped out from Aken and faced the young lady. “Bella? Is that you?” She watched the girl nod her head but she continued to look angrily at the men.

“A thief? What the hell does that mean?” Brian snorted out in agitation.

Her eyes shot daggers at Brian and Micah. She reached out her hand quickly and two pulsing winds shot into both men knocking them instantly from their feet. She turned to look at Aken who eyed her down.

“Those tricks won’t work on me.” Aken’s voice was low and icy as his eyes narrowed on Bella.

A smirk rose on Bella’s face as the world around them shifted and distorted. Alexis looked down in shock as she stood standing above everyone. It was like she was standing on an invisible ground. She watched Brian and Micah climbing back onto their feet as Aken bellowed angrily.

“What in the world…” Alexis looked to her side to see Bella standing right beside her.

“It’s an astral projection. But this isn’t going to work on him.” Bella looked at Aken with annoyance. “We only have a couple of minutes before he tears a hole in space. Barbarian.” She reached out and grabbed onto Alexis’ hands.

“What are you doing?” Alexis stared into Bella’s intense grey eyes.

“Taking you to where even a beast like him will struggle to enter.” Bella grinned as a cold wave flashed around them. At the same time two large hands ripped into the space they were in. A cruel smile reached her lips as they vanished from the deity’s sight.

“That fu.cking b***h!” Aken roared shaking the grounds below them.

“What the hell was that? What kind of dragon has this power?” Brian looked around as Micah’s arms trembled with rage.

“The white light I just saw wasn’t from that dragon. It came from a fuc.king goddess who has a death wish. I’ll rip her apart if she harms Alexis.”

“What goddess?” Brian asked.

“The light felt like Shiva.” Aken looked up at Brian whose lips pursed together.

“Just who I need to see about this burning aura of mine.” Brian listened as a low growl came from Micah.

“Can you get to her?” Micah lifted his gaze up to Aken. He felt panicked and was enraged. He was struggling to control himself and battled against himself.

“Let the bit.ch try to keep me out. Come on. We are getting Alexis back, now!”

_

Alexis watched the world around her change again. Now she was surrounded by white soft powdery icy snow. The walls around them were made of solid ice that had a few dark openings leading to somewhere else. She turned around to look at the young lady standing next to her.

“I don’t understand. I thought you were going to help me. Why did you attack them? Why did you take me? And where did you take me?”

“I am going to help you. And I would hardly call that attacking them. The dragon had it coming. I know of the aura inside of him, Scorio.”

“You know about the curse on him? Can you help him? Brian is a great guy. He shouldn’t be punished for the things his grandparents did.”

“Scorio is not a punishment!” Bella snapped as she furrowed her brows at Alexis. Her eyes then softened and she shook her head. “Shiva has given the burning aura of scorio to the dragon. But this is what they wanted right? To have an heir that powerful. Well now they have it but at his expense.”

“He didn’t ask for it. He would gladly give Scorio back.”

“He can’t give it back.” Bella frowned and shook her head. “It doesn’t exist like that anymore. It is now part of him.”

“Can Shiva adjust it so that he can command the aura? At this rate, he won’t be able to claim his fated mate. But more than that he won’t be able to be around his own people. His family and friends. He doesn’t deserve that.” Alexis pleaded looking at Bella.

“If only one curse can be removed which one do you choose? Yours? Or his?” Bella asked tilting her head to the side.

“Are you telling me you’ll only remove one of the curses?” Alexis asked but Bella only continued to stare at her with her grey piercing eyes. She seemed different than the dragon she had met in her dream.

Alexis shook her head slowly as a faint sad smile spread over her lips. “What kind of choice is that? How could I ever choose my happiness over his? If it can only be one then cure him.”

A wide grin formed over Bella’s lips and she rolled her shoulders back. “Now comes the fun part.”

“The fun part?”

“If you want your cure taken away then you are going to have to fight for it.”

“Wait? Does that mean you’ll do both?” Alexis asked as she watched the girl shift into her dragon form.

The white mane tossed to the side as the crystal dragon grew to form. “There is no sky to fight here so we fight on the ground. If you win, I will take away your curse and see about removing the curse from your… friend. If you lose, you will reject the mate bond and be paired with a mate of Shiva’s choosing.”

“I see you have a relationship with Shiva. I’m so tired of deities interfering with everyone else’s lives.” Alexis growled lowly as her dragon pushed forward. Her light blue dragon spread its wings and flapped them towards Bella sending a gust of wind towards her.

Alexis roared loudly as the crystal dragon in front of her stepped towards her. If the crystal dragon wanted a fight, then she was going to get one. The two dragons locked eyes with an intensity that could crush a lesser being. Bella pushed off of the ground and rushed towards Alexis. There was a sound like earth-shattering thunder as the two dragons collided sending one body slamming into the ground.