Out of the World

20. A Pandora’s Box

Zorion

After a few minutes of numbness, in which time seemed to stop, Alpha Tor walked straight toward Helena and placed a hand on her shoulder. I wrapped my hand around my Nina’s almost inadvertently as a huge smile formed on my lips. My sister finally found her mate!

Lena had said many times that she didn’t want a mate anymore and she had given up on love and relationships after her dramatic break-up with her ex, but I knew she was in denial. She wanted her mate more than anything. As a powerful empath who couldn’t control her own powers she was used to feeling everyone’s pain, everyone’s feelings. She wanted deeper feelings of her own, love big and bright enough to convert all the voices in her mind to silence.

Lena wanted to feel the same thing I felt with my Nina, it was only natural. I ran my fingers up Nina’s arms and enjoyed the electric tingles flowing between us. Damn, this feeling, this love was huge and overpowering, and having my little human in my arms, melting into my kisses, was the best feeling in this world and any other. Nina was my piece of heaven.

To my surprise neither Lena or Alpha Tor said the words we all were expecting to hear, they didn’t claim each other. The Werewolf removed his hand from my shocked sister’s shoulder and murmured, “I am sorry.”

Walking away from Lena, Alpha Tor took a seat by Alexander’s left side. There was a shadow on his face, he looked shocked, sad even. That was odd! I could see in both their faces that they thought it was real, that they were mates. Lena’s normally slightly flushed face looked pale as a ghost. My poor sister was trying to hide her pain, her feelings, and putting a mask of indifference on her face, but Lola, me and surely mum could see through it clearly.

“Lena,” I called in her mind, she was looking into space, seeming completely lost.

“What? I hope the food arrives soon, I am hungry like a wolf!” she chuckled in my mind. The sound of her fake laughter made my heart clench.

“He is…” I started.

“He is a hot guy that came for dinner, unfortunately, he didn’t come to be the dinner. But no one can have it all, right? Tonight he will be only an eye candy,” she mind-linked me back, shrugging.

“Did you feel something for him? That he was the one?” I insisted, keeping her feelings locked in a box would only make her have another strong headache crisis as she used to have in times like that.

“There is no one, Zo. You found your mate, you won the lottery of the Gods! Good for you, not everyone will be the same. I felt the bubbling of an illusion for a split second, but then my too imaginative mind realised that I was going cuckoo bananas. No mate for me, it’s fine. Look, the food arrived. Let’s get busy with something that matters and try that delicious salad!” Lena cut me off.

I exchanged a look with Aurora and she sighed deeply. She was worried about Lena too and hopefully, she would have more luck talking to our younger sister.

Nina looked at me, confusion evident in her pretty honey-coloured eyes.

“Do Lena and this Alpha guy know each other?” my mate asked with a murmur, as the Werewolf lady served her a type of salad traditional from their lands.

“No. It was the first time they met, but something tells me it won’t be the last,” I murmured back even knowing that whoever was paying attention would be able to hear me. Alpha Tor seemed very busy talking to my uncle, even though the sadness hadn’t lost his eyes, and it seemed only to get more intense as he stole glances at Helena every once in a while.

“This salad is delicious!” My Nina almost moaned, making my member jump awake in my pants. She had no idea of how much she affected me, of how all my thoughts and desires belonged to her alone.

“The food in the werewolf realm is pretty good! But the Fae Realm has the best sweets and definitely the best wine ever!” Emma commented, attracting a low growl from her dad.

“How do you even know that? Emma, you are too young to drink!” Uncle Richard growled again.

“Oh, I don’t know that. I’ve only heard so, Dad,” Emma flashed the Alpha King a sweet smile that seemed to calm his beast down. She had her father wrapped around her little finger.

Uncle Richard was quite lucky, he was the only one among Aunt Lea’s three mates to have more than one child. While uncle Alexus had only Alexander, uncle Valentin was still expecting his first baby, uncle Richard had the twins, Ragnar and Emma and a two years younger son, Alaric.

Laius grinned at uncle Richard, “In Hell they start earlier than that!”

My aunt’s mate growled louder in response and Mum gave Laius a dirty look and he shook his head, surely whispering something in her mind through their mate-bond as he always did.

While we ate the main dish, a ray of light illuminated the room and Aunt Lea surged through it. She was radiant, giggling in uncle Valentin’s arms, but as soon as she saw us, her smile disappeared and her eyes opened widely. She jumped to the floor as fast as her huge baby bump allowed her to.

“Oh, Goddess! I am so sorry, the dinner is supposed to be today, isn’t it?” she said, covering her lips with her hand as she took slow steps closer to Nina.

“You must be Nina, nice to meet you. I am Lea, Zo’s Aunt. I am so sorry, I wasn’t here on time. I… I am a little overwhelmed lately,” she murmured apologetically, offering her hand to my mate.

“It’s okay. Nice to meet you.” Nina gave her a smile.

“Take a seat, my Luna. You shouldn’t tire yourself,” the ever over-protective Alpha King said, standing up with a jolt and helping aunt Lea to take a seat.

“Good evening, I’m happy to see you all!” Uncle Valentin smiled, and moved to take a seat next to aunt Lea. Placing his hand on her swollen belly, he kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry again, we were in the Fae Realm. We had business there…” Aunt Lea said looking at her Fae king mate and his smile only grew, which made her cheeks blush a little. Emma had already told us about her mum’s business with uncle Valentin.

“Oh, Tor, dear! You are here too,” Aunt Lea smiled at the Alpha and he greeted her. Even though she was half-Elf and half-wizard like my mum, aunt Lea had some sort of healing energy to her that washed part of the tension left by Lena and Tor’s awkward exchange out of the room. Everyone chatted and smiled through the rest of the dinner. Everyone but my sister Lena, her smile didn’t reach her eyes and her sadness was so clear that it hurt me as well.

As soon as we returned home Lena flashed away disappearing in a beam of light to I-didn’t-know-where. Lola and I exchanged a pained look, we both wanted to talk to her, to comfort her. Yet, I knew she needed some time alone.

“She needs some time, then she will talk to us,” Mum told us, as she rocked a sleeping Auri in her arms. I knew her well and could see that she was much more worried than she let us see. “Now, I am tucking this little koala in her bed and going to sleep. You all should do the same, it was a long day. Good night kids,” she added, heading upstairs. Dad, Elric, and Laius followed her.

We all knew by the huge grin on Laius’ face that mum wouldn’t sleep at all. My head shook as I tried to dismiss this unwanted thought. Growing up in this house we got lots of love, but also lots of awkward moments.

“Let’s go to bed, Honey,” I told my yawning Nina, waiting to see if she would oppose it and tell me that she wanted to sleep by herself. A smile formed on my lips as she took the hand I offered and we both headed to her room.

After changing into a beautiful sleeping dress, my mate curled up on the bed by my side. My lips brushed against hers as I wrapped her small frame in my embrace.

“Good night, Honey. Sleep well,” I murmured, even though the last thing I wanted to do was to sleep. My body was completely awake, my hands and d.ck itched to touch all over her body.

“Good night, Zorion… I think it’s not that bad that I couldn’t go back to the so-called Human Realm,” she said with a yawn and a small smile.

Damn this beautiful smile and her words were as good as a caress. That was all I wanted, to have her happy, sated and smiling here by my side, not because she didn’t have another option, but because she wanted to stay.

~ * ~

Nina

Zorion took my hand in his as we went down the stairs to have breakfast, my lips tilted up in a smile. I couldn’t just avoid it, everything with him just felt good, right and even though my new reality was overwhelming and damn crazy, I haven’t ever been that happy. That was it, being close to him made me feel more like myself, a different and better self, someone I actually liked to see on the other side of the mirror.

“Good morning!” Lola smiled at us when we came across her and Lena in the living room.

Lena looked half-asleep and a little hot mess with mascara all over the top of her cheek. Did she party last night?

“Not that loud! Come on, Lola! Don’t be that happy in the morning, that’s just wrong!” Lena grumbled, shaking her head and covering her face.

“Here is the handover potion from Aunt Lea,” Lola told her sister, giving her a little bottle. Lena took it early, drinking the sweet-smelling liquid in a single gulp, she shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair, tidying it up a little, “Now the day actually starts. Thank Aunt Lea for this miracle of a potion!” Lena gave us a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Zorion was right, his sister was trying to hide her broken heart. I could relate a lot, I too was good at ignoring and hiding my feelings - at least before Zorion came to my life.

Only now I noticed that Lola was cuddling with a cute pink piglet. It was tiny, and I wasn’t a fan of pigs, but the little wee thing was cute.

“Nina, I think you haven’t met her yet. She's called Amora and she’s a pixie piglet,” Lola told me.

“A pixie piglet?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, she is like a normal mini pig, but changes colours between purple and pink according to the seasons,” Lola explained. “Oh, you haven’t met Luna yet, he is my Hellfox! He is in the garden digging little holes now.”

“So, you have a pig and a Hellfox. How about dogs?” I asked. Most people I knew in my world had rather a cat or a dog pet, no pixie pig or digging foxies.

Lena let out a chuckle, “No! I am the one in this house that likes dogs, and wolves.” but soon her expression morphed into a little frown and her eyes grew sad in a teary shade of blue that reminded me of a beautiful watercolour.

Zorion and I exchanged a worried look, but Lena tried to dismiss us, “How was your night? Anything wild?” she asked, winking at us.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, making Lena cover her ears with her hands and wince, “Why, Goddess? Why?” she murmured under her breath.

“Hello guys, Aunt Nema is in the house. I heard that we have a new chick around, so I realised that it’s the perfect moment to have the talk with you all,” a red-haired woman with tanned skin and as tall - or better said, as small - as me came into the living room.

I couldn’t avoid staring at her funny clothes. She was wearing high boots, a leather skirt, and a loose white t-shirt, looking like something between a dominatrix and a pirate.

“That’s Nema, she is a Nympho!” Helena explained to me, a funny smile on her face. It seemed like Nema’s arrival made Lena recover her energy.

“Do you mean a Nymph?” I asked, brushing my chin in confusion.

“No, she is a Nympho. It’s a species that lives between the Pixie Realm and Hell. they are awesome, and fed of s*x,” Helena replied.

“They feed off s****l energy, Lena. it’s not the same,” Zorion corrected her and she shrugged.

While Helena was explaining more about Nema, Lola ran toward the Nympho and hugged her tightly.

“Nema is great to see you, but all you talk about is the talk. Many more times than I want and need to hear about how babies are made and how babies aren’t made,” Lola told the woman, biting her lips awkwardly.

“Sweet baby chick. You girls still have so much to learn, you all. One day you will be riding like a queen like your mum, three co-”

“We got it, Nema,” Zorion cut her off.

“No one will ever let me share my wisdom completely. But now I will talk and you ladies will listen. Then it will be your turn, Zo-zo. Now, go clean a bowl of yoghurt with your tongue to practise your skills and let me have a talk Nympho to chicks with the girls!” Nema shook her head, placing her hands on Zorion’s back and turning him around. She gave his butt a swat and he shook his head before heading upstairs.

My hand covered my lips. I couldn’t hold back my giggles at the way she handled him, and even more the way she called my mate, ‘Zo-zo.’

“So you are Zo-zo’s mate. Such a pretty chick!” Nema smiled at me, and not knowing what else to do, I shook her hand.

“I am Nina, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said awkwardly. How could someone feed off s*x, it was even weirder than the movies and books I saw and read back in Spain.

“Pleasure is my middle name, Nina! Don’t worry, I will teach you how to add it to your life! Now, girls, Aunt Nema has something to show to you all!” Nema flashed Lola, Lena, and me a very exciting and a little scary smile as she showed us a wood box.

* Guys, I made a graphic with the family tree (and photos of each one of the characters). It's on my F a c e b o o k page: T. R. Durant - Author

and group: T. R. Durant's Realm.

*Liv has 5 kids:

Liv and Laius: Aurora (Lola)

Liv and Elric: Helena (Lena) and Delric

Liv and Avalon: Zorion and Auri.