The Elemental Mate

Xander POV

I grew anxious as the week past. Every scout I sent out came back with the same report, no signs of Iris. She wasn’t with the known rogues and she wasn’t with the witch covens I had spoken to either.

I trained Aurora on using the elements in an offensive way, but I knew there was only so much we could prepare for. Elementals weren't supposed to use their gifts for battle. Nature was about balance, not fighting. Something I am sure Iris will want to use against her.

Iris has had weeks to create a plan and no preparation will be able to predict what she is going to do.

I feel Aurora shift slightly against my chest, her heartbeat picking up as she draws herself out of her rem sleep. I can hear her mumble something, but the sound is not even close to being considered as words.

I lean my chin down slightly to place my lips against the crown of her head. Kissing her for a few moments, I smile when she mumbles again, “Good morning, sweetheart.”

She groans slightly as I watch her shift closer to me, not wanting to open her eyes just yet, “Too early.”

My laugh vibrates us, “It’s almost ten. We’ve slept long enough.”

“Only ten?” she questions as she shifts again so her head is facing up and she can look me in the eyes. Her deep blue eyes causing me to want to stop time every moment I can hold them in my sight, “We only got five hours of sleep.”

“It’s not my fault you are insatiable,” I joke as I pull her waist higher so I can reach her lips.

“Oh I’m insatiable?” she laughs as I roll us over until I’m hovering above her. Her fiery red hair is spread out around the pillow, “I’m not the one who woke me up three times last night.”

I laugh loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls. I was about to lean in to connect our lips again when I hear her stomach growl loudly. I chuckle again as a blush spreads over her cheeks and down her neck.

“Don’t laugh at me,” she tries to sound stern, but just reminds me of a cute kitten, “It’s your fault. You never did make dinner last night.”

I laugh louder, “It was your idea to have dessert first.”

She laughs for a few moments before her voice quiets to a soft hum as a seldom look starts to seep into her beautiful blue eyes, “I didn’t want to waste any time that we have together.”

“No moment where we are together is being wasted,” I tell her honestly, “Where is this coming from?”

“If things don’t go our way, if Iris kills me-"

I cut her off, a loud growl breaking from deep in my throat, “Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“We don’t always get a say in what happens, Xander,” her voice is barely above a whisper, “I don’t want either of us to have regrets.”

“I could never regret a single moment that I got to spend with you,” I tell her, causing a smile to overcome any worry or doubt on her face, “And we may not be able to know what happens, but we can face it, together.”

I lean forward to kiss her deeply, only pulling away for a moment to say, “I love you,” her eyes darken as I talk, “I can’t remember a time since meeting you when I wasn’t completely in love with you.”

Her smile grows as her happiness shines, “I never thought I would find love. I watched my mother break from losing hers that I had actually wished that I would never find it. I never wanted to feel that heartbreak,” my fingers softly traced her cheeks as she leaned into my touch, “I'm so happy I never got that wish to come true. I love you Xander."

She moves up the same time I do, our lips meeting in a deep and passionate kiss. Our hands roam over each other as our movements speed up. Pulling my lips from hers, I move down her neck to place open-mouth kisses against my mark.

A loud knock on our front door interrupts my movement. I groan in irritation as the knocks get louder.

Alpha! the pack warrior at the door screams through the mindlink the second I crack it open, Rogues were spotted at the north border.

I want warriors along the entire border. No rogue crosses, I order as I move off the bed and throw on a pair of basketball shorts before tossing Aurora some of her clothes, Is the witch with them?

Yes.

"What's wrong?"

"Rogues at the border," I tell her as she rushes to get dressed before we walk down the stairs and out of the house.

"Is Iris with them?" she asks quietly when we enter the trees.

I give her a silent nod before I pick her up and swing her onto my back. She circles her arms around my shoulders as I run towards the border. I see many of my pack warriors fall in step behind us.

When we broke the clearing, a group of rogues was waiting for us. Iris stood in the center of the field as twenty to thirty rogues stood about fifty feet behind her.

“Iris,” Aurora’s voice spoke first, “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up.”

Her voice was steady, sounding firm and unafraid, but I could feel a small shiver of fear inside of her. She was afraid of how this would end.

“I had something I needed to find,” Iris smiled as she waved her hand towards the rogues, “Bring him forward.”

Two rogues carried a badly beaten man to the front of them. His face was badly beaten as blood-soaked his t-shirt. I could barely make out his face, but his bright auburn hair spoke volumes.

“Michael,” Aurora gasps as she took in the sight of her brother. His blood ran down the side of his face as he lifted his eyes slightly, but he made no noise or showed signs of recognition. He barely looked alive.

“He was a bit hard to track after he crossed into wolf territory a few weeks ago,” Iris mewled, “But I think the effort was worth it.”

“Let him go,” my command echoing clear as more of my pack warriors enter the rim of the clearing, ready to fight when I give the word. We outnumbered the amount of wolfs Iris had by nearly four-to-one.

“Of course. Once Aurora is dead, I will have no need for other violence,” Iris states as if it is the most rational idea in the world.

“I will not allow you to harm my mate.”

“Very well,” she sighs, looking down for a moment. She brings her hand to her neck, twisting the chain around her neck slightly, “Violence it is.”

Before I can take a step forward, I’m blasted back by a large gust of wind. I hit the ground hard, the loose dirt blew into the air before raining back down.

I shift up again and spot Aurora ten feet in front of me, standing between me and Iris.

Iris smile widens, “Luminis ignes.”

The clearing erupted in flames.