Athena Laurent

The minute Shani leaves the small room, Athena is on edge. Even though she could feel Shani's desire to go into the forest, she now realizes she should have advised against it. The woods aren't safe, not for a lone she-wolf; especially in the dark. Athena sits up straight in the bed, conjuring a map of the forest in her head. With a little concentration, she's able to witness every little creature present. Most of them, she ignores, and soon, she finds Shani. Too quickly. The adrenaline and happiness are rushing through the she-wolf's body, leaving a very visible trace behind. Watching the forest again, she notices she's not the only one who picked it up; there are two werewolves approaching her. Fast.

Shit. They could be rogues again. Shani is conscious this time, but Athena isn't assured she would be able to handle two murderous rogues at the same time. Without thinking twice about the situation, Athena leaves the room and walks towards the forest. The two werewolves are closing in on Shani; she must have felt it too, but instead of running away, she chose to stay. Why on earth would she do that? Athena considers her own options, but she already knows there's only one possible option... she can't let her friend face two dangerous animals by herself, even though it may reveal who she is. What she is. She may know Shani for only five days, they've developed an amazing friendship Athena never thought she could ever have. And that's worth fighting for.

She murmurs a spell, making her scent invisible for everyone before she sprints into the forest. She's not afraid someone will see her; the human mind isn't able to since she's running so fast. It is one of the few advantages of being part vampire. While she runs, she keeps scanning her surroundings; in only a few seconds the two werewolves will come face to face with Shani. Athena frowns when she senses a change in Shani's scent. She shifted back to her human form. Why? Does she think they wouldn't consider her a threat? Athena has met too many werewolves to think there will be friendly conversation; not when you're in a forest at night approaches by two fast and strong werewolves. Even from a great distance, she could sense that. This can become a fight even she would want to walk away from. But right now, she can't; Shani needs her.

She's close, she feels Shani's presence nearby. Being faster than most supernatural creatures, she managed to be at Shani's side before the werewolves were. "Shani, what are you doing?" The she-wolf jerks around, visibly surprised by her presence. "Athena, what are you... how did you get here so fast?" Athena checks her surroundings, ignoring Shani's question; the two werewolves will be here in a few seconds. "Don't do anything, okay? We have to stay calm and convince them we're not their enemy."

The downside of using her vampire speed is that it increases her thirst for blood. Fighting that terrible craving, she looks towards the approaching werewolves. These two aren't rogues and therefore not so easy to kill. We have to be careful, Athena thinks, inhaling a big breath of air. She would rather disappear in thin air, with everybody still breathing. Dead bodies always leave a trace, and since she's trying to be invisible, she would like to leave behind as few traces as possible. "Don't look them in the eye until they ask you something," she whispers to Shani as soft as she can. If it comes to a fight, they could win, but she doesn't want to show them her powers. Being a hybrid is dangerous. Yes, she has amazing powers, but when people learn about them, they often intend to get scared and angry, which usually results in them trying to kill her. Violently. Let's just hope it doesn't come to a fight.

Athena's surprised she isn't picking up any hostile feelings from them; it relieves her more than she would like to admit. They seem mostly curious when they come towards them, but Athena isn't convinced yet. Still, she allows them to come closer. For now. They disappear behind some bushes and to her amazement, she hears their bones cracking. They are shifting. Athena feels more relaxed by the second. Her stomach whirls suspiciously again, but the feeling doesn't make her feel vigilant... quite the opposite actually, it's more of an ecstatic feeling.

Athena casts a brief glance at Shani, who's not really trying to hide her fear. The reassuring smile Athena gives her doesn't really change her facial expression. "I think we're going to be all right," she says to her friend, grabbing her hand to squeeze it softly. I start to act like Alexis, Athena thinks, trying to hide the chuckle that follows. Shani still sees it and watches her with big, confused eyes.

A few seconds pass before the two wolves reveal themselves again. The first thing Athena does is ignore her own warning. Don't look them in the eye. She can't help it, he is pulling her eyes towards him, even though he hadn't even looked at her. The moment she looks up, he gazes at her too, and in a split second, the air around them changes. They look at each other. One second, two seconds, three seconds passes. They are still staring; the shock visible in both their eyes. Athena has heard stories about it, but does that mean it can be true? A mate? A real mate?

Silence.

Only silence.

A simple silence.

But a blissful silence.

The wolf takes a step towards them, towards her. Athena approves it, she wants him to. Trusting the animalistic urge she feels to remove the space between them, she strides forward too. Her mouth is slightly open, producing a breathless sound; her eyes show the impact of this revelation much clearer. They are wide open, filled with shock; they only blinked once, maybe twice since they gazed upon the werewolf before them. And yet, it's not her eyes but her heart that's experiencing the biggest change. It's beating faster than ever before; never has she felt more alive than in this moment. And she knows, it is because of him. Her mate. She can almost feel her core growing, making more room for the beautiful man in front of her, who's staring right back at her, mirroring her emotions almost identically. And yet, she can read so much more in his; astonishment, hope, admiration; feelings that make her body heat up even more.

How can he feel all that? Athena is mostly shocked. She had never even thought of the possibility of a mate. It happens so rarely in the witch community; nobody ever speaks about it. And as an only part vampire she thought she wouldn't be in the race for a mate, let alone a werewolf... oh boy, like she doesn't represent enough species already. The Moon Goddess doesn't mate werewolves with vampires, or werewolves and witches. But then, how is she standing here before him, feeling the way she does? She almost doesn't care how. She really doesn't care why; she feels with every bone of her body the bond between them and she wants nothing more than to explore it.

While her thoughts were racing in her mind, the space between them has become so small, she could touch him if she wants to. And boy, does she want to. But, Athena thinks, maybe I should say something first. Something nice, something sweet, but clever, something like...

"Hi."

Disappointed by the lack of words coming out of her mouth, Athena closes it to not humiliate herself even further. Another silence follows, and this time, she waits impatiently for him to say something. She sees he's close to talking and can't wait to hear him speak.

"Hi..." She doesn't need magic to curl the corners of her mouth up. One word. One word from him is all it takes to make her smile. But he doesn't stop talking, he continues.

"I-I am Darius and you are... breath-taking."

No, my name is Athena. She wants to say, but the immediate connection between them makes her only blush. His voice, the manner he moves his lips to speak makes her stare in awe, unable to do anything else. The design of his face is perfect. His cheeks are a bit darker than the rest of his face, highlighting his cheekbones. If I touch it, would it feel soft or rock hard? Despite a certain roughness in his facial expression, brought to light by a small scar next to his left eyebrow, he possesses gentle brown eyes.

She senses the presence of his wolf immediately too; he's acknowledging her warmly and she's almost certain he can feel their connection as vividly as she can, probably even more.

"Darius," Athena repeats, letting the word roll out of her mouth so easily as if she had practised it before. She hadn't.

Darius reaches out his hand towards her; it's shaking a little bit, barely visible, but enough for Athena to notice. Quickly, she takes his hand, which seems to surprise him.

"My name is Athena."

"Athena, what a beautiful name," he says. She shivers.

"Are you human?" He asks her, a flash of panic enters his eyes. Athena knows why, human mates are very rare, and oddly forbidden in their world. Athena shakes her head quickly; a comforting smile appears on her face; she lifts a hand and picks up the leaves with her mind; making them fly around Darius's body. The wind sings softly in their ears, making his brown hair flutter. She reaches out to him, placing a lost lock of hair behind his ear. Her other hand is still in his. "Do you want to guess again?" Her tone is playful; she's relieved to feel her senses return to her. Watching her mate is amazing and fascinating, but actually talking to him would be simply marvellous.

"A witch," He answers breathlessly, more acknowledging the fact than actually asking it. Athena nods but answers, still smiling. "I prefer Enchantress, but you can call me a witch."

"I think I will, but only with the best intentions." It seems Darius has found his voice as well; it sounds clearer than before. It feels more natural than the low, husky voice he used to repeat her name, which had made her legs weak and her heart beat faster, longing for another sound. His other, more usual voice she assumes, makes her want to listen to every word he says.

"Uhm, Athena... are you all right?" Athena turns around and sees Shani watching her; a hint of entertainment dancing in her eyes. Suddenly, she realizes what just happened and what Shani must have witnessed. A shameful red colours her cheeks and she averts Shani's amused eyes.

"He is... we are..." Is this really happening? Since when isn't she able to speak properly? She can't even blame Darius or their connection because her happiness overrules any shame she's feeling.

"I think an explanation is a little overdue," another voice says, sounding equally amused by the situation as her friend. "Hi, I'm Demir," the young man says, offering his hand which Athena accepts. This must be the wolf Darius is travelling with. "Nice to meet you. I am Athena and this is Shani," she says, pointing her other hand to her friend at the last name.

"Yes, he knows, we've already introduced ourselves to each other," Shani whispers to me, not trying to hide the giggle bubbling in her throat. Athena raises an eyebrow. "How? When?"

"When you were drooling over your mate. He probably knows more about me at this moment than you do; it took you guys quite some time to get back to the real world," Shani answers.

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed."

"You're a witch?" Demir asks when he releases her hand after shaking it.

"Enchantress," Shani and Darius correct him simultaneously. They look at each other and start to laugh, also simultaneously. "Wow," Athena mumbles to herself. I've got some good friends here already. The two of them shake hands too and Athena's certain they'll become good friends too.

"I've never seen a werewolf being mated to another supernatural creature, Demir says grinning, "oh well, there is a first time for everything," he continues, patting his friend on the back. "Congratulations man, she's beautiful."

"You stay away from her." Darius growls, which only results in him getting amused looks from the rest. Athena smiles at him, she thinks it's adorable.

"We assumed you all wanted to stay together now, so, Shani and I thought the most convenient thing to do tonight would be to stay here in the forest and discuss tomorrow what's gonna happen." Apparently, Shani and Demir already had an entire conversation while Darius and she were drooling at each other, as Shani put it nicely.

"Okay," Darius and Athena say at the same time. Athena doesn't want to think strategically right now; she simply lowers herself to the ground and watches everybody doing the same. Shani and Demir leave a bit more space between Darius and her, giving them some privacy. After a couple of minutes, she hears them both fast asleep.

"We should get some sleep too," Darius suggests and Athena nods. She's split between two dominant thoughts that keep her mind occupied and with Darius staring at her deeply, she makes a quick decision. "Can we keep some distance between us tonight? It has been quite overwhelming meeting you and constantly feeling your presence; it's not you, really, I'm just so used to being on my own, I can't change how I feel about that overnight, I'm sorry," she whispers. Darius only smiles, he doesn't seem hurt by her words, which relieves her very much. "Don't be. Really, I understand."

With those words spoken out loud, they both lie down on the ground. Athena doesn't want to turn away from her mate, but watching him makes her want to stay awake. So, she forces herself to close her eyes, even though all the tiredness she possessed before, has left her body. A mate, she really has a mate and he's lying only a few meters apart from her. How did this happen? Her mind is playing the memory of their first meeting, but her conscience is asking the question she wants to ignore for now. She's scared; how can she ever tell him what she really is? Even if he accepts her nature, will he also welcome her deepest fears and flaws? Her past? She felt it today, as a result of the fear of losing her friend right after she found one and the stress that comes with this mission. The urge she had resisted for so long, to take the blood of a living being. She had struggled with it in the past a lot, and since she left France, she never drank the blood of a person again. But it sadly didn't mean the craving wasn't there anymore. She knows how to protect herself from others, how to erase someone's trace. How to use illusions to become someone else? That, she knows, but how does she protect herself from herself?

She knows why Alexis asked her for this mission. As a hybrid, she has the power of a witch and the strength and the speed of a vampire. It makes her more powerful than any of them. She's able to draw more energy from her body, which means she can easily cast powerful spells. Not any witch can stop a heart without touching it, many would die if they ever tried, but not her.

Athena is still wide awake and she knows he is too. "You're not going to sleep, are you?" She asks him softly. "Not when everyone else is sleeping, it's not safe" he whispers back. She smiles, feeling her body temperature rise because of his comment. She sits up straight and crawls up towards a tree. This is a moment as good as any to talk and to get to know each other, isn't it? Darius was following her every move and when she gestures to come to sit with her, he immediately approaches her. She wants to get to know him; everything tells her to trust him and she already does, but that's also what's scaring her. She trusts her gut; she always has, but this is happening so fast... it almost doesn't seem real, or possible. But that is what the bond between mates does; it opens your heart in ways nobody can imagine and nudges you towards a person that's supposed to be your other half.

"Shall I light a fire?" She asks. He nods when he also leans back against the tree. With a simple flick of her hand, a fire starts. They both stare at the flames for a few minutes, both trying not to look at each other; pretending not to notice how their shoulders keep touching.

That night they talk. The right words to say just keep coming until the sun comes up. From the moment the last bat appears from a hollow tree until the first bird starts to whistle, Athena asks him everything she wants to know since the moment they started talking. When she was silent, he would ask her everything he wanted to know about her. Which was... a lot.

"What is your destination?" She asks eventually. Darius must have seen it coming, but a frown still appears on his forehead, giving him a sad expression.

"I don't have one," he answers, which makes Athena wonder. "Don't you have a home to go back to?"

"Not anymore," he whispers, tightening his grip on Athena's hand. She doesn't mind at all, every touch he gives her feels amazing, but she realizes this was meant for his sake. Something must have happened. Something bad. Darius continues, "I've been on my own for years, later travelled with Demir, but we never found a new home. It's stupid, really, but all I ever wanted to do with my mate was bring her to my home." He looks ashamed. Perhaps because of his words or the fact he won't be able to give her a home. Athena kisses his hand softly – just like he did minutes ago – trying to show him there is nothing to be ashamed of.

"I don't have a home either, but I am looking for one."

"Where?"

"In the North, there is a pack there, for everyone, no matter what or who you are."

"That sounds... nice. And peaceful."

"Come with us, Darius, maybe you and Demir can find there what you're looking for."

"Maybe, but you know what they say, home isn't a place, it's the people you live it and I honestly can't imagine not following you wherever you go, Athena. I know we just met, but the bond between us makes it impossible to split up."

"I know, I feel it too," she whispers. "it's kind of scary, isn't it?"

"It is and I'm relieved you feel it too. I thought only shapeshifters and vampires felt the connection of the bond." Athena stiffens slightly. And vampires. She doesn't want to tell him. Not yet. She just found Darius. Being a hybrid has already ruined many things in her life, she doesn't want to add losing her mate to it.

"You seemed surprised, or conflicted though when we met, why?" Athena asks him, subtly changing the subject.

"I-I just never assumed I would ever meet my mate, honestly, being alone for so long clouds your optimistic thinking," he says, chuckling grimly. While he spoke, his heart rate increased, which indicates he's trying to hide something. Athena doesn't care. She has secrets too. The things he does say out loud and the way he looks at her tells her everything she needs to know.