by Thawer, Tish
As she tried to remember all the places she'd recently been and the people she'd met, she bent to pick up the book off the floor and noticed it was open to a page about halfway through the book. It read, Diana, Mother of Aradia, Goddess of the Witches, Goddess of the Wild Hunt, She Who Runs with Wolves. Below the sentence was a picture of a beautiful dark-haired woman. She held a bow in one hand, while her other rested on the head of a gorgeous black wolf with the most brilliant green eyes.
* * * * *
CHAPTER NINE
Damarius was shaken. He was finally able to meet Aryiah while in his human form and was still in awe of how gorgeous she was in person. He’d been close to her before as the wolf, her guide through her shamanic journeys in Lower World. But seeing her up close and finally being able to touch her was the most wonderful experience he'd ever had.
So wonderful in fact, that it caught him completely off guard and now he was stalking through the castle of Upper World, looking for answers as to what exactly had happened when he took Aryiah’s hand.
Damarius rushed into the throne room looking for his Goddess. "My Lady Diana, are you here?"
"I am always with you, Damarius," replied the sweetest voice that had ever graced his ears. The air stirred and he caught the scent of honey and vervain, then the Goddess Diana appeared out of thin air and took a seat on her throne.
She was so beautiful it almost hurt to gaze directly at her. She radiated a soft silver glow and was dressed in a white gown that crisscrossed her breasts and clung to her waist, then dropped to a puddle on the floor. From the silver chain at her waist hung her athame, as well as a collection of pentacle and moon charms. She was the most stunning woman he'd ever seen. Maybe that was why he was so overwhelmed when he touched Aryiah. She looked so much like his Goddess it was unsettling. None of the other women Damarius had ever trained resembled Diana in the slightest.
Damarius bowed then spoke. "My Lady, I've made contact with Aryiah, both in my wolf and human forms. She is most…spectacular."
"Did you have any doubt she would be?"
"No, my Lady, and even though her memories aren't flowing, it seems she is open to accepting me."
"Time is short, Damarius. Perhaps her memories aren’t flowing freely, but her soul is drawn to fulfill her role in this world. Return to her and begin her training. She needs to be ready by the Winter Solstice."
Damarius bowed. "Yes Goddess, but may I ask one question before I take my leave?"
"Of course. What is it that has you so perplexed?"
Damarius was slightly embarrassed to ask, but he needed to know for certain what had happened when he touched Aryiah.
"When I touched Aryiah’s hand, something happened that I've never experienced before."
"Please continue, for now I'm intrigued. What could have possibly taken place that you haven't already experienced during your thousands of years?"
Damarius began to pace as he recalled the experience. "It felt as though I could not leave, could not remove my hand from hers, as though we were being fused together. A warm sensation ran up my arm, straight to my heart." He decided to leave out the part where the sensation continued straight between his legs, causing him to throb with arousal.
The Goddess was silent, but only for a moment. "So it has finally happened," she said with a loving smile on her face.
"What has happened, my Lady?" Damarius begged. He had an idea, but it was impossible, and that left him even more eager to know what this strange connection with Aryiah was.
Rising from her throne, the Goddess smiled and walked towards him. She took his hand in hers as she explained, "You have experienced The Bond, Damarius. It seems as though you have finally found your mate."
Impossible.
* * * * *
Diana didn't want to share that she too was shocked by the situation. I hadn't realized how powerful this woman was. Do I dare hope? Could she truly be the one?
The Goddess was confused, which was a rarity in itself. She had sensed when Aryiah was triggered, as she did with every Witch, but the pull she felt toward her had been particularly strong. That pull was the reason she went to the library to present her with the book. But when Aryiah refused, Diana’s hopes were dashed. But with this new development, maybe she had been wrong to lose hope so soon. Only time would tell.
* * * * *
CHAPTER TEN
Aryiah straightened her living room, taking a moment to put the book that continued to fuck with her head back on the coffee table, then headed directly for bed. After seeing the image of the Goddess Diana and the wolf, her brain had shut down. She was on overload and having trouble thinking straight, so sleep was her obvious choice.
The decision was a good one, because she slept so hard it was already ten in the morning. She checked her cell phone to make sure the clock on her nightstand wasn’t wrong, but it showed the same time. 10 a.m. While looking at her cell, she noticed she missed three text messages from Devin.
The first read, "Gage is hot." Aryiah cringed. The second, "Dinner was good––me ready for some dessert *wink*," Aryiah rolled her eyes. The third message was from this morning, "Coming over at eleven to give you the replay." Aryiah sighed. I need a shower before I can deal with the sex show replay.
As she headed to the bathroom, she noticed a green light shining from under her bedroom door.
He’s back! she thought, full of excitement.
In the next moment, she heard Damarius’ response in her head. Yes, I’m back, but if you'd rather experience the replay of the sex show, I can return another time.
Aryiah was mortified. He heard her thinking about a "sex show" and thought she was serious. Oh my god, how was she supposed to face him long enough to explain that she was referring to her best friend's nocturnal activities and not some porn obsession she was suffering from?
That’s when she heard him snickering on the other side of the door and realized he was teasing her.
Checking her bed head in the mirror and adjusting her breasts so they looked nice and perky in her tank, she pulled open the door and stepped out to face the sexiest man she'd ever met.
"You will NOT read my mind without my permission. ESPECIALLY when I don’t even know you’re here!" She tried to sound serious and strict, which was really hard as he stood there looking like the definition of a wet dream.
"I do apologize, my Lady, it is something that happens naturally when I’m around you. At your request I will make an effort to only communicate out loud." He sounded serious and sad. So sad it made Aryiah’s heart ache.
"Thank you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off." Aryiah’s gaze drifted from his now smiling face down to a white t-shirt that read Mean People Suck, the same black, military style pants he had on before, and his black combat boots. The contradiction made her laugh out loud.
"Does my attire strike you as funny?"
Once Aryiah caught her breath she replied, "No. I don't think you look funny, it’s just that you talk so proper and old fashioned, yet you dress so…bad-boy normal."
Damarius hesitated for a moment, then replied with a sexy smirk. "Bad-boy?"
Aryiah tilted her head then bit her lower lip. Raking her gaze over him once more, she realized in that instant it was going to be absolutely vital to her existence to find out exactly how bad this boy could be. But just as her thoughts were heating up, Damarius’ next statement rapidly cooled them down.
"We have to start your training. You have been triggered and there is no time to waste."
Feeling like she just fell into the rabbit hole, Aryiah said, "Excuse me? What are you talking about?"
"Please sit and I'll explain."
He started to lead her over to the couch, but Aryiah had a feeling this conversation was going to take a while. "Wait, I need coffee first." She turned and headed towards the kitchen instead. This would also buy her some time to text Devin and tell her not to come over. The sex show replay was going to have to wait.
&
nbsp; After offering Damarius some coffee and having him politely refuse, she settled down on the couch, threw the blanket over her legs, and braced herself for what she was sure was going to be an amazing tale.
* * * * *
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As Damarius watched Aryiah prepare her coffee, he thought back to the life changing event that took place earlier in the day.
He was still confused by how he and Aryiah could have shared The Bond, which immediately sealed their tie as mates. It should be an impossibility since she was human and he a werewolf.
But when the Goddess had asked, "Damarius, are you not pleased that after thousands of years you have found your mate, your one true love?" it only took a moment for him to respond.
"Of course I am, my Lady."
He longed for an explanation, but was left confused as he watched the Goddess fall into her own thoughts. Upon breaking out of her reverie, she'd said, "Damarius, return to Aryiah and start her training ,and enjoy the fact that you have found your mate. All will reveal itself in time." Without another word, the Goddess disappeared, leaving a light flowery breeze in her wake.
Damarius had immediately shaded back to Aryiah's apartment, and was now ready to begin the daunting task of explaining his world to her.
Once Aryiah took her seat beside him, Damarius began. "Aryiah, what do you know of magick?"
"Well, I looked into some paranormal stuff when I was a teenager, studying all the ways to communicate with the other side. But besides you appearing and disappearing in my living room, and the mind thingy we have going on...um, not much else," she answered.
Damarius debated telling her that she could hear his thoughts because they were mated, but decided it was best to stick to his chosen course of topics. She needed to know the big picture first, so their personal stuff would have to wait. He'd been without a mate for thousands of years, so what was another couple of hours.
"Okay. Well I thought perhaps you were more educated, as you have all of those Wiccan books over there."
Aryiah turned to look at the library books that were now spread out on her coffee table. "I haven’t had time to read any of them..." Looking unsure, she hesitated then continued. "The only one I looked at was that one." She pointed to the black leather book. "Because after I woke up from my nap, it was glowing. So I picked it up, read the title, and fainted, and the only other thing I read was from a page inside––something about a Goddess," she finished in a rush.
Damarius knew about the glowing book. It was his doing. But he was still confused as to why it made her faint. He'd only chosen that book to get her attention, as it was the only one in her pile that mentioned the Goddess Diana. He'd hoped that it would jog her memories and give them a head start on her training. Unfortunately, it had not, so he was going to have to start from the beginning.
With a serious look on his face, Damarius began. "A long time ago…in a galaxy far, far away..."
Coffee went spraying from Aryiah’s mouth as she busted up laughing. "No fucking way."
Damarius laughed. "I thought I’d lighten the mood. Maybe now you won’t see me as only proper and old fashioned."
In his mind he heard her say, Huh. Sexy as hell and a sense of humor. I think I’m in love.
Damarius tried to show no reaction to her thoughts, as he told her he would no longer read her mind without permission. But at the sound of the word love, he couldn’t help the longing that raced through him. He reached out and took Aryiah’s hand and let the warmth wash over him. Just as before, it shot up his arm, through his heart, and straight to his loins, giving him one hell of a hard-on.
Damarius jumped up and walked away from the couch, hoping Aryiah hadn’t noticed the evidence of his reaction to their mated bond.
"Damarius, what’s wrong? I thought you were trying to lighten the mood and now you look so serious."
He was serious...in serious need of holding her and kissing her; not to mention all the sensual things that could lead to. He wanted to tell her of their bond in that instant, but until she was up to speed and had officially accepted her place and begun her training, he was going to have to let go of such ideas. Knowing that and convincing his body of it, however, were two very different things.
Damarius regained his composure, then settled himself back on the couch. "I’m sorry, I was just considering how to truly begin. I fear that you're going to have a hard time accepting the things I have to tell you."
* * * * *
Aryiah sat quietly for a moment, looking into his eyes. After experiencing the warm sensation that ran straight through her for a second time, the idea of accepting anything this man had to offer had her tingling all over. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt as though she could trust him with anything––maybe even her heart.
"Damarius, I'm ready to listen to your story and start my training," she said. "And as for accepting all that you have to tell me, I think I've shown I can handle it. You’ve literally appeared from out of nowhere twice now, and I haven’t run screaming for the hills yet. Which, by the way, is exactly what most people would do. So please, can we begin again? I feel like it’s time to get this show on the road."
* * * * *
CHAPTER TWELVE
Aryiah was right. Time was running out. That fact that she was feeling a sense of urgency was a good sign. Maybe that meant her memories weren't as buried as he thought.
"My name means Dealer of Death. I have served the Goddess Diana for thousands upon thousands of years. I am charged with the guiding and training of her Witches."
Damarius paused briefly to gauge her response, then continued when she simply nodded.
"In Ovialell, there are many different races, most of which humans believe to be only fantasy. Witches, fairies, vampires, the Amazons, and…even werewolves."
He hesitated to see her reaction to his last revelation, since for obvious reasons, it was of vital importance to him. Smiling, he continued when she nodded and took another sip of her coffee.
"The Goddess Diana rules over them all with the help of The Witches. Diana’s Witches are a coven of the most powerful women who run with her during the Wild Hunt. They also protect the citizens of Ovialell with their magick and healing abilities. Whenever a Witch dies, another is called to take her place."
"Ok, wait. I have a question," Aryiah said, shaking her head. "If these Witches are the most powerful women over there in Ovialell, how can they die so easily?"
"A Witch does not die easily, Aryiah, or very often. Until recently, I had not been called to train a new one for over 250 years."
"What do you mean, until recently?" Aryiah asked.
Damarius hesitated, debating how much of the current situation in Ovialell he should tell her. He quickly decided it was best to stick to The Witches and the story of their training. "We will get to that, but there's more you need to understand first. When a Witch dies in Ovialell, her replacement is triggered. She is sent a dream that directs her to begin her studies of the Wiccan way. For through the Wiccan religion, a Witch develops an understanding of many things––how to ground and center, how to cast a circle and call upon the Goddess, and most importantly, how to develop all aspects of her magick."
As Aryiah's eyes widen, he could tell his words had sparked something within her.
"The dream. I had a dream, and all I could remember was the word Wicca. That’s why I dragged Devin to the library." After a long pause and a deep breath, she continued. "Damarius, are you seriously saying that I’m supposed to be one of these…Witches?"
"Yes, Aryiah. That's exactly what I’m saying," Damarius replied cautiously.
He was expecting her to shut down at this point, or at least start shaking her head in denial. Instead, she just set her coffee down and smiled.
"I can’t believe it. All my life I've thought there was something more out there. Some more inside of me. When my dad died, I spent years looking into the occult, trying to find ways to reconnect with him. And when strang
e things started happening to me, I just assumed it was because I'd opened myself up to the paranormal. But now, I realize it must have been a part of me all along."
Aryiah threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you for helping me realize that I'm not actually crazy! I can’t wait to tell Devin. She’s never gonna believe it."
Damarius held Aryiah in his arms as the happiness drained out of him. He knew there was no way to avoid this part––the part that always left these women in ruin. The part where he had to tell them that to become one of The Witches…they were going to have to die.
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Devin woke up and started getting ready to head over to Aryiah’s. She had to tell her what happened last night, as it was completely unbelievable.
Her date with Gage started out great. He was gorgeous and had a serious I’m gonna rock your world look about him. But every time she tried to scoot closer to him in the restaurant, or to lean in for a kiss in the car, he just kept pulling away. Remembering the events again, she thought to herself, What the fuck was that about?
As she headed to the door, she grabbed her cell phone and noticed the text from Aryiah. "Sorry, something's come up. Don’t come over. I’ll call you later."
"Oh, hell no…" Devin said as she grabbed her keys and headed for the door.
* * * * *
From his hidden position behind the hedge of boxwood shrubs, Gage watched Devin walk to her car. I hope she’s headed to the Witch's house. I cannot afford to fail this mission.
