~Alexander~~
It has been two days since we had searched for an exit from the cave, and I was getting agitated because of the lack of visible exits. I feared nothing, so why did I suddenly become scared? Blake is worried that I have been quiet lately, and all I did was yell and say mean things to him. It broke my heart when he started crying, but I couldn't stop at this point. He had a high chance of meeting someone if he left. I couldn't even protect him. I wish I could take back all I said, but he needed to hear them. Maybe they would make him leave.
My wolf was restless, trying to take over my body so he would find his mate, but I shut him off. He would be back in the morning.
However, it has been two days now, and the cave is endless. Any direction I took brought me back to where I had started. My wolf is in pain, but my human body is stubborn and would not bulge. I will search for him again tomorrow, I murmured to myself. It was the last thing I thought of before I dozed off.
When I woke up, it was 6 am. I was restless as my wolf stirred within me. Calm down, I will look for him, I mumbled.
All the caves I walked past, I marked them, but I walked through one I hadn't been through before. This cave is colder than the others. As I approached the entrance, I saw sunflowers, lilies, daffodils, iris, roses, and orchids at the threshold of the cave. As I walked in, I found a pond filled with flowing water. They adorned the green grass with red, white, and yellow roses, and white rabbits. The place looked more like a mini-love garden. It was picturesque. My mind drifted to Blake and I wish he was here to see the beautiful magical place with me. As I turned to leave, I saw a white light flash so brightly that my vision became blurry. It took some time for my eyes to acclimate to the new lighting situation.
As soon as I opened my eyes and looked in the light's direction, I saw a woman. In the light breeze, her striking long silvery hair rested on her back and followed the direction of the wind. Her glittering dress floated like waves as if they were shifting in the breeze.
She's certainly the moon goddess!
Alexander, what are you afraid of? The tone of her voice was soft and calm.
In a calm and deep voice, I replied, "I'm not scared of anything.".
You are! You reek of fear! Do you fear he will leave you after finding out about it?
I stared at her in astonishment and asked, "Who would not be afraid?".
Why don't you talk to him about it to find out where he stands? She inquired.
I can't, I whispered at the end of my lungs.
"Are you aware of all the trouble he has put himself through to get the cure for your poison?" Her voice was high.
"He told me he had got the cure from the cave," I murmured. Her smile spread across her face as she laughed. "Of course he did." She replied.
After she finished narrating all the difficulties that Blake had to endure so that I could get the cure, I felt like an idiot.
In a state of the puzzle, I sighed at the thought of what I had said to him. It made me feel so ungrateful and insensitive. In my mind, I cursed myself.
Her voice drew me back in a moment as she whispered, "Let me tell you a story."
Three decades ago, there was a hybrid girl who was half wolf, half fox. She had a crush on a wolf and wished that he was her mate. She was a free-spirited girl who loved nature from an early age. In the course of her play, she wandered into the cave and entered the moon-popping trees, and the place where you and Blake found, she set it herself. This garden we are in is her mini-love garden for her supposed mate. It took her three months to finish it, and she never missed a day throughout the three months. It made her feel so excited to show it to him. As she got closer to her eighteenth birthday, she lit the place up. On her eighteenth birthday celebration, she was told that the man she loved had turned out to be her mate, but he was in love with someone else!"
While sitting there quietly listening to her, I felt compelled to ask her a question. Do you know what happened to her?
I'm surprised that your father hasn't told you this story yet, she said suspiciously.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I wondered, Wait! What do you mean by stating that my father has not told this story to me?
Your father was her mate, but he was in love with your mother, so he rejected her, and that drove her crazy. One day, she wandered around and disappeared.
Disappeared in what way? It confused me a lot.
"She has become a spirit wolf," she whispered.
"Am I being punished because of my father's sin?" Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
She echoed through the cave before she disappeared. What? No, no, you are not. It has nothing to do with your father. Your fate was sealed a long time ago. YOU ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND WEAK WHEN YOU ARE APART. He will find you. She exclaimed to me before she disappeared from the cave.
My heart raced as I hastened away.
~Blake~~
This cave is tricky. I have been inside it all morning and couldn't find Alexander. Everywhere I turn, I return to the lake. I tried at night.
Hopefully, he is now calm.
As I walked in. Alex was pacing. I was a wee bit excited. He was still here and also worried about why he was pacing.
Alex, are you okay? I asked as I approached him. He turned to look at me, his expression varied from worry to excitement, as he rushed to hug me.
Thank goodness you are okay. My heart has been in the middle of my head because I am so worried about you, Blake, and I am sorry for the way I spoke to you. I could hear his voice returning to what it was like before he entered the cave.
I'm sorry I meddled. I should have been quiet, I said as I hugged him back.
Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong, he said, squeezing me. I could feel his heart racing.
Alex, I couldn't breathe. I whispered to him.
I'm sorry, he murmured.
As soon as he let go, we both settled on the edge of the bed. Upon clearing his throat, Alex turned to face me before he began talking to me.
I'm sorry, Blake! I didn't mean any of the words I said to you. It wasn't my intention; I swear. It scared me that something would happen if you were with me, and I could not protect you. I can't live with myself if anything happens to you.
We will protect each other, Alex. Before I could finish my sentence, he cut me off.
My right hand has been numb since I woke up. How can I protect you? There was a tinge of tears in his voice.
Alex! As I held his right hand, I felt comforted. We will figure something out, okay? Just four days, so give it time. We'll see Cece when we get home, okay? I reassured him.
My eyes were wide open when he asked me, "What if I break the curse, and you're not my mate?".
The thing is, I do not intend to leave you, Alex, MATE OR NOT. As long as we are in this together, no matter what happens, we must protect each other.
In a moment of pure emotion, he said, "I can't lose you, Blake," as tears streamed down his face. Even before I met you, I fell in love with you."