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And after all if she can't tell me everything, I'll simply become acquainted with whoever can. I can't just wait around expecting the truth to fall out of the sky, or appear perched atop a silver platter to be revealed as a side dish before the main course; a harsh reality.

I lack any sort of appetite for whatever it is, but then again I really don't seem to have a choice for now do I?

How could ignorance be any sort of bliss here?

I've been transported to a cove that is under the protection of a powerful witch that's certainly existed way before my time; if the legend is as true as I think they say it is. A cove that most likely holds thousands upon thousands of werewolves and who knows what other kinds of beings. I can't even imagine the type of things they're capable of. Who knows what other fairytales and stories have coexisted all along that we've been made to believe are fake. It was all a lie. The truth within a truth they wanted us to believe. A truth they've taught against and ostracized people for. A truth they made movies about, written thousands and thousands and books about, and a truth they've joked and joked about knowing the entire time it was real.

I don't know who to trust.

And for these mystical creatures sit up there and believe I really have any interest in coming to a ball their kind from 'all over the world' is supposed to be coming to is clinically insane.

I mean come on.

In my opinion the most logical response would be getting the hell out of here.

But I won't be able to do it on my own.

"What are you allowed to say. . . if you can say anything? You make it sound like you have no choice in the matter," I say calmly, evening my tone in an effort to dissuade any possible suspicions of resistance to her wishes. In reality my mind sped miles and miles ahead of the two of us; searching for clarity in the cold mist of confusion.

Aching to disappear into the nothingness my life held before.

Unfortunately I was almost too sure she wouldn't be leaving without me, and quite frankly I truthfully had no where else to go. Plus, given everything she's said I'm sure Ruth would choose to indulge me as much as she could in hopes of being on my good side.

You could say I'm kind of stuck with her for now.

Same way I'm stuck with an invisible blob fuck on my forehead.

I guess there's some sort of bliss in not seeing it in the reflection of myself staring back at me.

"I honestly never had a choice, and don't find myself needing one anyway. This is how it's supposed to be," she said with a pause, pride and a dash of confidence exuding from not only her tone, but by the hard look within the depths of her eyes.

"There isn't much I believe I can say."

How what should be?

"What about the cold shoulder you gave Velori? I'm sure you could elaborate on that."

Ruth's eyes widened briefly and both eyebrows raised ever so slightly; a small part in her lips forming at my boldness. I watched as she seemed to stare at me with utter shock, most likely at the fact I cared to ask or even noticed at all. It was soon replaced with calculated eyes that once again peered deeply into my own.

I'm not sure where it came from, but I found myself withholding a smirk at her reaction.

It wouldn't hurt to be as curious as I already was.

"That's different."

"How so if she's a stranger?" I asked as I quirked an eyebrow at her objection.

"Even so, I know more than enough Blythe. What kind of person abandons their child? Who knows what could've happened to him?"

"Luckily it doesn't seem like you're a predator. . . At least not in that way," I said teasingly as a giggle escaped my lips, yet I could gauge beyond the shadow of a doubt I must've agitated her.

Especially when she shot me a glare that held the sharpness of a dagger.

"Blythe!"

"I'm serious. If you know enough then what's the real reason behind her coming and going?"

"A man," she reluctantly admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Seriously?"

"Yes seriously. A man. Singular."

"I didn't think it was plural?"

"Could be for all I know. Either way she leaves her son behind for him," she says looking around the two of us a bit before allowing her arms to cross against her chest. She seemed uneasy just talking about it and I watched as she shifted from one side to another.

But where does she go?

"Is that a guess or assumption?" I quizzed.

"Neither. It's all I need to know about her and I cant find myself caring about the rest. She chose a man over her son. Her own flesh and blood. Not to mention leaving him in the care of whoever without batting an eye of concern once."

"Maybe she's battling something herself. It's been a while since she last left, right? Doesn't that at least tell you something?" I asked curiously.

"There's a lot you've yet to understand Blythe and we don't have time to be bickering over something you wouldn't know much about. Not yet at least."

It was almost as if she scoffed in disbelief that I was still curious about the woman who had parted ways with us just moments ago. She must've hoped after she apologized I just blindly followed her lead into my impending doom. I think not.

"Actually I have all the time in the world. I still haven't agreed to go to the ball and I'm perfectly fine waiting here. Feel free to go on without me."

It was my turn to fold my arms against my chest as I faced the direction opposite of where Ruth stood. I closed my eyes briefly and opened them once more only to look into the blackest depths of the night sky. The darkness was violent and threatened the violet dusk into fits of rage. They clashed and fought against another before finally as most battles end; one overcame the other. Night happened to claim it's victory and day broke into submission. I found myself watching as the dusk that previously hung over the sky fell into the bitter warmth of the night. The madness of it's beauty only seemed a mile away but wouldn't be found, nonetheless restored until tomorrow. The clouds buried the moon beneath their tufts and carried it away from the view of any prying eyes. How selfish.

A piercing howl signified the loss of day almost mockingly.

In that same second I couldn't help but find myself looking toward Ruth, who looked to the sky as if the sound of night beckoned her forward. Her eyes searched for the moon briefly before she hung her head and squeezed them shut. I watched as her arms in that same instance fell to her sides; the hand in my line of sight clenching tightly as if to restrain itself.

She was fighting against herself.

"I can't," she roughly bit out.

"Oh really? What a shame," I cooed as to ease my appearance into the grasp of nonchalance. It was more than challenging to remain unfazed by the obvious declaration of night, especially when noting Ruth's visible response, I couldn't imagine how the many others would enact their emotions as the events bound to this night unfold.

"Im not supposed to tell you this."

I found my face swiveling over my shoulder to peer at her though my body remained still.

"So if I tell you, we must be on our way," she spoke as her gaze met my eyes briefly.

Her eyes beneath the night's lust of the moon glowed an ethereal brown, almost alike the light swirls of a milky hot chocolate. I found myself entranced in their depth, watching as the brown encircled itself entirely what seemed like twice before she turned away almost knowingly.

She wanted me to see.

Ruth began walking in the direction which I could only assume led back to the town's square. The same direction I had come from just moments before I noticed the small illuminating light from the cafe that pulled me toward it's yellowish warmth.

I found myself with no choice but to follow Ruth.

Although I couldn't help but succumb to her wishes, I still was more than aware of those I owned.

The dull ache to escape this fantasy land.

The desire to return to home.

The need to find him.

The unanswered questions.

"I'm sure you have some idea of the significance the term 'mate' has to us. I could only assume based on how many times you've heard of it before." she said as her head slightly tilted toward the sky, her eyes closing as if she was basking in it’s mere glory.

"So, the story about two halves of a soul?"

"Is true, at least to a certain extent. There are several distinct levels of the bond that intertwines two souls together. One of them being divine affixation. This level elucidates the intervention between a soul to another before each of us were created or even thought of. This degree also applies for those of us who find ourselves drawn to another through friendship or coincidence; alike family and strangers who easily become main characters within our lives. It doesn't occur only with the tide of romance. Yet even so, every tie conducted by the hands of Fate may or may not prove to be ideal nor chosen precisely. Even if seemingly plucked and matched to upmost 'perfection'."

My feet couldn't help but stop their light tread behind Ruth as my mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Nearly everything she has said in a single day, whether I liked it or not held some truth within it's bitter deliverance.

It could potentially explain why it felt like me and Noah had known each other longer than just a few months.

Or why I felt compelled to trust him.

Or why I felt stuck like glue to an unavailable lover.

Why I held onto his promises of better effort and bittersweet nothings.

Is this why I felt safer in the arms of a stranger than a man I allowed to grow accustomed to my own home?

Was I meant to meet him?

Either way I was undoubtedly captivated by the mysterious veracity of her words. As if she's lived this life a over again a thousand times and has explained and explained this occurrence a countless amount of moments she’s had to spare.

"Why'd you stop walking? Would you like me to carry you," she asked before also halting in her steps to spin around and observe my idle position. She seemed as concerned as she always was and oddly protective. It put a small piece of my mind at ease that she cared about my well being, but her hyper awareness of my mental state was startling. She approached me slowly as if to not upset my visibly shaking figure.

Gobsmacked wouldn't come a second close to describing how I feel.

I mean anyone would be surprised, shocked even.

Then again it seemed as if this was new to her.

Another human entering the world of unpredictability.

As delicately placed as the words allowed to fall from her tongue has been, I'm sure she's come across more than a few supernaturally disturbed women.

Unfamiliar to her kind and their realistic revelations.

Everything she's said up until now could've been a few rehearsed lines recited from memory.

Still . . .

"Carry me?" I was more than amazed she believed she could carry me. Although I am most certainly smaller than most of the people around this strange place, I know I'm not as light as I appear.

"C'mon Ruth, you may be taller but you're nearly the same size as me."

"I doubt it'd even compare to the weight of lifting a finger," she said with a small smirk as she circled her shoulders in a swinging motion as to stretch her arms.

Cocky.

"If you're so sure then why not," I said with a small shrug as I found the motivation to activate the sensory feelings I once lost in my limbs from being startled to death. It felt as if all the anxious weight that once settled on my chest had been hammered away and replaced with utter fascination.

She was so confident in herself that I nearly believed she could pick me up too.

That was, until she actually lifted me from the ground and swiftly readjusted my body to accustom to the length of her back. My legs swung around her torso almost knowingly, and I felt my arms wrap around her neck with ease as if falling into a familiar position. She lifted me a few times as if to tighten my hold on her.

She didn’t even falter once.

It almost reminded me of being carried by him.

Leo.

Was this delusion?

"Now what was that about being so sure?"

I allowed a moment of brief silence to follow after that smug statement of her's and I was almost too sure she had the silliest smirk on her face.

"I see you’ve lost your gift of speech. Anyways, I recall mentioning something about gaining your trust?” she said disregarding my utter distaste for the honesty that I misplaced as confidence.

“Yea, so? What about the mate bond? What does that have to do with anything you’ve recently mentioned?”

“Well, I seek to obtain your trust more than I care to tell a simple story,” she said, tossing aside everything she’s recently shared in hopes to continue our current conversation.

What a sly, sly dog.

Literally.

“Okay, and how do you plan on doing that?”

“Showing you,” I could practically feel the shift in her tone as she appeared to be verbally preparing herself for whatever was to come.

And with that, I felt myself being lowered to the ground as she engaged in a kneeling position. One leg was propped up in front of her while the other teased the surface of the concrete with it’s weight. I could feel her leaning against it every few seconds as the hold I had on her tensed into near restraint. She paused for a few moments before deepening her stance with the presence of her body’s mass.

Her eyes closed tightly as if to await the onslaught of an oncoming impact.

“Don’t forget to breathe, Blythe. Inhale as much as you can and hold it. You’ll naturally learn when to exhale.”

“What do you mean!? Say something!?”

I nearly exploded into a million electrons of vicious negativity at her lack of explanation for what was bound to happen. She acted like this was just another stroll in the park for her.

I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a piggy back ride before, and I didn’t need to be reminded to breathe.

“Just inhale. Trust me, you’ll need it.”

My eyes closed on their own accord as I released a shaky breath, and only to allow my lungs to filled with the reassurance of the night’s calm air as I inhaled as much of it as physically necessary possible.

And just as the tranquility of the night began to comfort the already wavering nerves residing within every fiber of my being, I felt it.

A shift before she leaped in the air.