Connection - Golden Lycans Sequel 3/3 [in progress]

Through the Orchard

***Ares***

The last twenty-four hours had been very strange, and it was time that I sought some sage advice.

Thankfully, I had controlled the strange bloodlust I was experiencing with Lia, all the way back to the flat. Her blood was the most tantalising thing I had ever smelled, and I was perplexed by the sudden escalation of what I had been experiencing as of late.

Why was it suddenly worse?

Out on the balcony the evening after my brother and father had come to campus was bad, but earlier it was the strongest it had ever been.

I was now feeling very conflicted.

…

I slyly go through the tree outside of the Carphallus building, emerging into the centre of the large orchard of my family home. I do not need to hide who I am here, so I run hastily at my increased speed, through the orchard, the vast garden and then through the main courtyard that leads up to our magnificent house.

It is a large, beautiful Georgian mansion in a red brick, featuring huge palladian windows, a classic hipped roof and impressive marble pillars that flank the large door that leads into the house.

The weather around here is chilly, but bright, in stark contrast to Vale, which is only ten miles away from here.

I enter the back door into the large entrance hall, the grand, twin staircase casting a large shadow over me. I can hear the vague sounds of classical music, and I know immediately where my mother must be as I take a long corridor towards our ballroom.

I open the gilded double doors, the music dramatically louder in my ears as I stride into the room, aiming myself toward the opulent reception room just off one end of the ballroom.

My mother is sat on one of several plush sofas that occupy this reception room, a wine glass of blood in her hand.

She sees me, her expression surprised, but elated, for it has regrettably been over two months since we last saw each other. She reaches quickly for the music control, the volume dropping considerably as she stands to greet me.

"My dear Ares!" she says, spreading her arms wide as I hug her tightly and kiss the top of her golden head.

She feels shorter to me, again. I knew it only reminded her of how tall she once was, back when she was whole.

I pull away to look at my beautiful mother, her blue eyes are dark, her olive skin wrinkling around her eyes more than it used to. She is alive...but she doesn't seem that way, underneath.

But she still manages to smile up at me, cupping my face with her hands as she studies my face.

"I can tell..." she whispers, her eyes tearing up, "I can see it, I can smell it, you are different, once again. Changed, but not by time...but by life. You have been drenched in light, as one could expect from a place created by a faerie."

She pulls me down to sit next to her on the sofa holding my hand dearly. She looks at me all over, studying me, the same way she would when I had returned after a spell in the other realm.

"Tell me everything," she breathes, life slowly coming back into her face as I begin to tell her about my time at Vale.

She smiles at me, laughing at points such as when I describe the absurdity of Madeleine, looking happier than I have seen her in years.

"...Is he around?" I then ask. She shakes her head.

"He will be back shortly. What is wrong? Mother’s intuition: something is troubling you, Ares. What is it?" She asks, squeezing my hand.

My mother had always been my greatest champion, so the idea of admitting my apparent bloodlust feels rather shameful.

"I've been experiencing...something highly unusual and worrying. Umm...my other housemate, my friend Lia. Things are a little different, with her," I frown, as I start to explain.

She looks curiously back at me as I go on.

"I do not understand why, as it is not a skill our people possess, but...I can see her aura, mother. But it is just hers that I see. Nobody else's, no matter how many times that I try. I thought it was because she was my friend, but I cannot see Ash's or Madeleine's, and they too are my friends. My empathic abilities have gotten much stronger, when it comes to her in particular. I now need only be in the same room to sense her emotions, and if I do have physical contact, it is intense. She is just a human, so I do not know why it is happening."

My mother smiles wryly at me and adjusts herself to face me on the sofa, her eyes oddly excited by this admittance.

"Tell me more about Lia," mother asks, sounding keen.

I nod, considering how to start to describe Lia.

"Despite her emotional turbulence, like a lot of young women her age, she is usually...just...sunshine personified. She is kind, she is very considerate, always friendly and able to see the very best in people. She has been so patient with my obvious social deficits, so accepting and always so warm. She introduced me to a sport that I rather enjoy playing, most definitely with her. In classes she is insightful, helpful and hardworking, and she inherently drives me to be better. But, this is precisely why I am afraid-"

"-oh, of course you would be, Ares, but it is okay, this is a very normal and natural experience for any young man-" mother interjects, confusing me greatly.

Her expression is delighted, particularly as she now puts her hand out onto my leg, gripping it fondly as she looks back at me. I look back at her oddly and continue.

"-because, even though I should not, I cannot help it. Mother, I crave her blood. It smells different and sometimes it smells so strong, and this morning....it was so overwhelming. I do NOT want to feel like this!" I finish, breathing hard as I feel panic in my throat.

It was harder to compose myself, at home. She places her hand onto the side of my face, but I cannot look at her.

"I see now. What you fear, is hurting her," she says gently. I nod, now meeting her gaze.

As I look up, I see the figure of my father in the doorway. He is wearing the coat he usually wears when he had been in the helicopter, evidently having just landed.

"Ares! You are not due home for anuzza three veeks, but zis ist most velcome," he exclaims, sweeping into the room.

My mother straightens up and takes her hands away from me as he approaches, and I stand to embrace my father.

"Vot are you doing here? Not that it iz not nice to zee you," he asks, sitting down on the armchair as I drop down next to my mother.

"Ares is experiencing something that troubles him," my mother says a little stiffly, looking pointedly towards my father, "a bloodlust. For one particular individual. He should not be experiencing this, given what we know about the natural-born. None of them crave it."

His eyes betray him a little as they widen ever so slightly at this knowledge.

He turns to me and his eyebrow twitches.

"Who iz it?" He asks tentatively, looking on edge. I clench my jaw in residual annoyance.

"The one that you and Atticus could not persuade," I tell him, knowing damn well that he knows who I am talking about.

He sighs heavily and leans backwards, saying nothing for a moment.

"Hmm. How astute ov you, Ares. Describe vot you are experienzing."

"The first day I met her, in the flat, I could smell her blood, and it immediately smelled different from everyone else, even from all the other species that are present at Vale. As time has gone on, her scent has only gotten stronger, and this morning...despite us being outside in the rain...it was very overwhelming. Keeping them in, took a lot of self-control," I admit, feeling entirely disgusted by it, "...I could...father, I could almost sense the flow of her blood around her body...it was maddening and I am very concerned about my friend. She means a lot to me!"

As if affected entirely by the strong memory of how I had felt only two hours before, my fangs protrude from my gums at this point.

I clap my hand over my mouth and lean back onto the sofa, feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself as I stare up into the elaborate ceiling, high above. My parents say nothing while I breathe through it, finally feeling them recede.

"I NO LONGER WISH TO BE LIKE THIS!" I admit frantically, knowing that doing so might upset my father.

But it was true, I didn't ask for this.

I was born this way.

"Ares...you need to stay avay from her," he says calmly, and quietly, looking rather serious.

"Why did your persuasion not work on her?" I ask him, having thought about it so many times since the event, "when MINE does?"

He looks truly surprised for a moment, not something I have often seen, as it is hard to surprise someone who is around thirteen thousand years old.

"Zat IS...rarzer intriguing," he says slowly, his brow furrowing slightly, "all ze more reason to stay avay from her. You cannot hurt HER. It wud jeopardize everyzing.

The idea of keeping away from Lia hurts me, but I nod, realising I had come here in the hope to hear something other than this.

I hoped for there to be another way...but there wasn't.

It was only this.

"I do not want to stay away from her. She...she makes me feel different, in here," I exclaim, as I place my hand against my chest.

My mother smiles warmly at me while my father only shakes his head.

"Ares...NO. Not her. There vill be uzza naturals, who vill vun day make you feel ze same thing. But you absolute CANNOT be in a position where you may hurt her."

"I know. Her mother works at Vale-"

"-vait. She told you zis?" My father suddenly interjects.

"Yes. Her mother is a doctor. I know little else, aside from that she does not want to advertise it. But you are right. I cannot risk it. I won't risk it. I have worked too hard to be kicked out," I say sadly, but assuredly.

I hated the idea of staying away from her, but in reality, I had little choice.

...

***Ophelia***

I exit my room mid afternoon, having spent quite some time laying on my bed, the sun beaming through the window as my mind went over everything I'd come to realise and feel, over the last twenty-four hours.

Most notably, I kept going over in my mind, how I had felt this morning as I stood in front of Ares on the basketball court, realising how I truly felt about him.

I hadn't given the idea of romance, here, much thought, but now, it was pretty much all I could think about. That, and how important my friendship with Ares was; I didn't want to jeopardise it.

I go out into the kitchen and I pour myself a large glass of cold water, drinking it all in one go. A door opens and Maddy soon comes trudging out, looking a little worse for wear.

"I feel like ass," she says as she slides onto a stool, "physically and mentally. I shouldn't have done it!" She holds her head in her hands as her elbows rest on the bar, looking thoroughly irritated.

"Done what?" I ask, a little confused, as Maddy did a lot of daft things.

"I shouldn't have kissed Ares. I don't remember that much, but I do remember him being rather eager and truly, he was very good for a first timer. Maybe he lied? Although that really isn't him, he doesn't lie. But, if it had been anyone but him...I'd have definitely...you know. He's tasted it...and now..." she rambles, trailing off as she sighs.

"Umm...what?" I reply, leaning across the bar towards her.

"He's probably going to be in love with me now, Lia. Ares. I have now ruined him. His first kiss shouldn't have been with his drunk housemate. I shouldn't have done it," she explains. I nod and lean back from the bar, considering the idea in my head.

It isn't an idea that I want to consider, but I also can't help but replay it my head at her words. In my mind's eye I remember the possessive way he had gripped hold of her, how passionately he had kissed her back...

I clear my throat uncomfortably.

What if Maddy was right?

The idea sends a sad sinking feeling to my stomach, and I hug my midriff protectively.

"You okay, Lia?" Maddy asks.

"Umm...yeah. Just...tired," I lie, releasing myself, "would you like a hot chocolate?"

I sense that she needs a bit of comfort right now, and I definitely do too.

She sniffs and smiles at me as she nods.

"That would actually be wonderful, thank you," she replies. I smile back at her as I get the necessary things out of the cupboard.

The front door opens and Ash steps into the flat, looking sweaty and pumped in his gym shorts and barely-there black tank top.

It's baggy enough that as he moves, you can actually see his n*****s and sculpted pectorals

when the fabric billows out a little.

My heart is baffling me, because Ash is assuredly the whole package for almost any woman; but it isn't him that my heart is in a jumble over.

Maddy arches an eyebrow at him as he walks up to the breakfast bar, looking between us with a furtive look.

"You guys....okay? It feels weird in here," he asks. I shrug, doing my best to appear normal.

"Girl stuff," Maddy replies casually.

"Oh," he then says, looking at her sadly, "do you need another heat pad? I've got some larger ones in my room that I use for bigger muscle group injuries."

Maddy just looks back at him wistfully and sighs.

"I think we are good. Not that kind of girl stuff, but you are very sweet to offer so quickly," she says, sounding more like the lesser-seen, normal version of Maddy. The version I felt like I could actually be friends with.

Ash puts his hand on Maddy's shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze before he heads to the shower.

"Oh that man..." she whispers, turning to watch the view of the back of him; which is arguably a mighty fine view.

"I am amazed you haven't made a move on him," I comment after his door shuts.

"Ash is different. I don't want to f**k that man. Well...actually that's a huge lie, of course I do, but...he's too good for me, Lia. He is my Everest," she says, before she sees my confused expression, "the mountain, that if I ever got to climb...I just know I wouldn't need to ever climb any other."

I laugh softly, understanding her analogy in this instance.

Maybe Maddy had a romantic bone in her body after all.

...

***Ella***

As I land in front of Amoya's cottage, I don't really know why I have come here, because she hasn't been able to See anything for perhaps two months, now.

Shadow was slowly descending on the world and even though many couldn't feel it the way some of us could, the Seer's could See it.

I knock on the door, waiting patiently for her to come open it, something that took longer, these days, as she didn't know to expect any visitors.

"Ella, what a nice surprise," she says truthfully, opening the door for me to step inside.

"It must be, these days. A surprise, that is," I reply to her as I go through into her kitchen.

She used to have a coffee waiting for me, but those days were gone, for the time being.

"I hadn't thought of my retirement being this soon," Amoya jokes as she sits down, opening her biscuit tin and presenting me with the contents, to which I gladly help myself.

"It must be refreshing, though," I suggest.

"Yes...but...no. I worry. Not being able to See...I cannot guide this pack. But...I can still hear, Ella, and sometimes...it is a burden of information that I just cannot share," she tells me.

"What can you tell me?" I ask, thinking that anything would be useful, right now.

"She now has a battle of her own. It failed, and now she has to prove her worth…we are the exhibit.” she says, before biting her lip, evidently coming across a barrier she cannot cross, "Her continuation is conditional; if love prevails over all, in the shadows...She will win."

I slowly chew my biscuit, contemplating what Amoya has managed to tell me.

...

***Ares***

As dusk starts to creep in before dinner time, I know I ought to return to Vale.

"Ares," I hear my mother say as I am about to exit the back door into the gardens.

I turn towards her, perplexed, having already said goodbye.

"I will be back in three weeks," I assure her. She nods but comes closer, putting her hands out onto my arms, squeezing them a little as she looks me all over.

"Seeing you today, it has reminded me of the countless change I would see in you whenever you returned from that realm. You are...just...more. I am so proud," she says, strangely, looking purposefully into my eyes. I understand what she means.

"It has been wonderful, being around people. I feel...more, as you say. In the first week or two I would take myself away to my room, or I would sit in the realm for a time. I felt the need to be alone. But, I no longer feel that way. Every evening, I want to be around my friends," I admit.

"I still wish that you had never..." she says, choking up a little, "you deserved a normal childhood. You should still only be a young boy. Still climbing trees in the orchard, scraping your knees. For someone so young to have made the decision that you made..."

We have been through this many times before, and I don't want to go through it again. I shake my head vehemently and smile earnestly at her.

"No. No, I would not have had it any other way. I made a choice and I have NEVER regretted it. Not once. I could tell I was losing you, back then, even at a young age. I AM going to see this through. Mother, I WILL do my best to cure you!" I tell her emotionally, cupping her face with my own hand, now, "I shouldn't even exist. But thanks to science, I do, and I am going to use science to free you from this!"

She bites her lip as she looks back at me, sadness in her eyes as she shakes her head a little.

"Not at the expense of you losing out on what life has to offer you, Ares. For you see...things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes...the things that pain us, are the things that are truly going to make us. You always have a choice, and I believe you have the absolute strength to make one. The right one."

I am not entirely sure what she is talking about, but I nod at her words anyway, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek before I open the large door out into the cold air of the grounds.

It feels much colder than it did earlier, my breath visible in large puffs as I walk casually toward the great wisteria tree in our orchard.

I wonder for a brief moment what Ella Landry would make of it, as I knew it was around before my mother was turned. It was the largest one I had ever seen, certainly, and it had an air of ancient wisdom about it.

Perhaps it was among the first.

I stop and stare up at it. It was this tree, four earth years ago when I was just six years old, that had transported me to the other realm.

Someone or something had whispered on the wind. It had called to me, encouraged me to think of the shadows as I stepped through for the first time. I had been immediately enthralled by the place, as it had been the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

It wasn't shadowy at all.

Nothing I had seen with my own eyes or in any media compared to that place.

My feet crunch through the dead leaves in the orchard as I continue to walk forwards. Perhaps it was reading my mind, perhaps it is a coincidence, but inexplicably, I hear the voice once again.

"...please..."

It is no longer a whisper, now, but with an obvious tone, pleading on the sudden breeze as it rolls through the orchard, more leaves shedding as it does so.

I freeze as I stand mere metres from the tree, as I am suddenly able to look at it so differently; bluish-white, glowing channels of what I just know to be energy, are flowing all throughout the tree. It is lighting all it's branches and into the ground where it is rooted. I blink several times, unable to stop it.

Did trees have auras? I wonder.

All the energy seemed to be flowing towards the centre of the tree, so bright, so light...

"...help me!..."

I hear the voice call more urgently.

It is feminine, and it is a voice that hits me like no other. For the first time it occurs to me, and I have no idea why I had not considered it before; for a realm devoid of any other being; where did the original whisper all those years ago, even come from?

Who did it belong to?

I push through the tree into the other realm. It is daylight here, and I feel heavy, having experienced normal gravity so often in the last few months.

I look out across the vast landscape, which still takes my breath away. Huge hills dominate in the distance, including a large waterfall that I had cooled off under when the days had gotten too hot. The familiar, vast, open prairie filled with the most vivid wildflowers...all under an azure blue sky with purple clouds.

It was idyllic, my own private paradise.

The place I had come to a few times since starting at Vale in order to get my assignments out of the way. It had been two weeks since I last came, which equated to several months, here. Behind me, behind the tree, was a sheltered area I had one constructed a tent in, where I used to live for days at a time before coming home to spend time with my family. For the first time since I was six years old, I call out.

"HELLO?" I bellow as loud as I can into the space before me, my voice, much deeper now than it was last time, echoing into the distance.

Once it stops echoing, there is silence once more, aside from the breeze rustling the leaves of the tree behind me.

Today had been so strange, there was absolutely every chance that I had imagined the voice.

I turn back towards the tree, intending to return to Vale, sadness sinking into my gut as I think of the danger that I may soon become to Lia.

I needed to be sure.

...

***Ophelia***

It is close to nine o'clock, when Ares returns to the flat. I am sitting alone in the living area, reading a book, as he strides in through the door.

His smile towards me is immediate, and I return it wholeheartedly, unable to control the nervous flip in my stomach as I do so. His expression shortly falters, and he looks conflicted as he slowly closes the front door, his eyes still locked into mine.

Oh goddess...those...eyes...

I am stumped, once again, that before only a day ago, I had entirely missed this.

How had I missed how provocative his eyes are?

I can feel my heart racing a little as he slowly comes towards the seating area, entirely unaware that I am at the mercy of my hormones right now, unable to stop my eyes from once again travelling all over his body.

I am taking in every detail of him, just like I had earlier, as if I had never truly looked at him before today...since that kiss he shared with Maddy. I subconsciously lick my lips as he sits down on the opposite sofa, regarding me in a curiously cautious way.

"You've been gone all day," I say lightly, not wanting to ask where he had been, because it wasn't really my business.

He nods slowly, his eyes narrowing a little at me, almost as if he is focussing on something.

"Yes. I went home for a few hours. I...needed some advice," he replies. The part of me that likes to run away from reason, the part of me that is usually the cause of a lot of my emotional anguish; goes straight there.

Did he want advice on Maddy?

He frowns at me as soon as I think this, and he leans back where he is sat.

"How are you feeling, Lia?" he asks, almost tentatively.

My eyes have since drifted down to his mouth, and I drag them back up to those dark, velvet eyes of his.

"I feel..." I begin, feeling a surge of nervous happiness as I feel myself getting lost in those eyes of his.

This is utterly daft.

Ares is meant to be my housemate, my friend, the person I sit with in every lecture.

The person I have several group projects underway with, the person I often played basketball with...this was not ideal.

This was perhaps one of the most ridiculous things my heart and brain had teamed up on in recent times. The potential for heartache and for awkwardness was so great.

...But I didn't care.

In front of me was someone who routinely, easily understood me, someone who made me feel totally fine with being my vague little human self. I didn't feel lost and broken, around him. Being around him was just...easy.

Simple, yet complex and rich.

I felt whole…I felt me.

"I feel great, Ares," I admit, a large smile breaking across my face. He could tell me in the next instance that he wanted Maddy, for all I cared, because at this very moment, I delight in this extraordinary feeling.

Like any great discovery in life, I feel excited, regardless of what happened next.

He returns my smile, just like he always does, a comfortable constant I have grown to adore.

"Did you get the advice you needed?" I ask him, wondering what he needed advice on.

He looks down at the floor for a moment and folds his subtly toned arms across his chest.

"I did," he says bluntly, before his eyes then look upwards at me through those long lashes of his.

"I just...I don't think that I can take it," he adds, his expression softening, his brows raising a little, "I don't want to take it. Not even a little."

I utter a short laugh, smiling back at him a little.

"Advice is only advice, it is not a directive," I say simply, "the question is, what does your gut tell you to do?"

He leans forward, his arms on his knees, his expression light.

"It is telling me to do the exact opposite," he replies with a grin.

...

***Ares***

When I return to my room, an hour after I had come back to the flat, I shut the door and breathe a sigh of happy relief.

I was fine.

I had spent the last hour, casually hanging out with Lia, something we had done many times by now, and...I was just fine.

Just like this morning on the court, I could smell her as soon as I had entered the flat. It had an immediate effect on my instinctual responses, but I had successfully maintained my control.

In a lecture theatre tomorrow may perhaps be a different thing altogether, but it was promising, and I was willing to see what I could handle. I needed to be positive.

I was still perplexed, for throughout the time we were talking, the new red streaks in her aura had rapidly come back with a vengeance, multiplying and shifting around with the strands of gold. Aside from this new addition, her aura reflected her happy mood. I had never seen it look this alive before, and I was intrigued to know what had made her feel this way when she was conversely so miserable this morning.

As I remove my clothes and pull on my pyjama trousers, I am feeling content and confident in my decision.

My father was wrong, I didn't need to stay away from Lia. Thus far.

I climb into bed, an intrepid feeling in my chest as I think about the past day or so.