Enigma

Amara and Steven waited by the dining table with their children for their eldest daughter to descend the stairs so they can surprise her.

Arabella is turning ten today. It is especially a special day for Amara as she is about to introduce Arabella to her extended family.

Arabella descended the stairs in almost a sprint and the chorus of happy birthday rang through the dining room.

Little Elliot and Eros were clapping ferociously in excitement. Valentina and Elizabeth were trying to take a sneak at the cake in the midst of the distraction and the twins, Benjamin and Ethan were beaming and singing loudly to their sister who was turning red with embarrassment every passing second.

“Come on pumpkin. Blow the candles already.” Steven teased Arabella.

“Yeah Aria. I want to eat the cake.” Elizabeth exclaimed dramatically.

There was a little bit of drool visible on the side of her lips.

“Don’t drool on the cake Betty.” Ethan said with a look of disgust on his face.

“But I am hungry and I can have all the cake if I drool over it.”

“Betty it’s your sister’s birthday. Let her at least cut the cake before you try to inhale it whole.” Amara signed shaking her head.

She swatted Valentina’s hand as it reached the cake making the six-year-old pout.

Arabella shyly walked towards the head of the table and blew the candles. She cut the cake as the house rang with the birthday song again.

“Kids get your bags or you will be late for school.” Amara told her children once the celebration came to an end. “Steven please drop them off.”

Steven nodded and went to grab his keys.

“Why aren’t you dropping us off mom?” Benjamin asked confused.

“I will be spending my day with Aria today.”

Arabella looked at Amara confused. This was news to her.

“I want to stay home too.” Elliot voiced and Eros nodded in agreement.

“Not today. We will go out some other day. Today is only for Aria.” Steven explained coming inside to collect the grumbling children.

Steven already knew where Amara was taking their eldest daughter and he knew she needed to go there with only Arabella. He quickly pushed the children out of the house and stowed them inside the car. He grinned at Amara in encouragement and drove off.

“What are we doing today mom?” Arabella’s soft voice snapped Amara out of her thoughts.

“We are going to a very special place. Wear something comfortable. We have a long walk to look forward to.” Amara told her a little nervous about the upcoming meeting.

Arabella nodded and made her way to her room. She quickly changed into a track pant and a loose t-shirt and skipped down the steps. Amara was already by the door waiting for Arabella to join her.

As soon as she came down, the mother daughter duo started their walk into the dense woods of Greycoast.

Arabella was shocked seeing how well her mother knew her way in the woods as she saw Amara gliding effortlessly through the dense forest like she knew every branch and stone that were there. For all she remembered, her mother was a human for the most part just like her and she never went in the woods before.

Not at least in front of her and her siblings. But she had a suspicion that there was something mysterious about her mother which she couldn’t decipher.

Arabella had always found a weird connection with Amara. This connection was deeper than what she had shared with her biological mother, Elena. It had been there since as long as she could remember and when she moved in with Amara after Elena died giving birth to Eros, her little brother, the connection got intense.

Arabella still remembers the day her mother died. She was seven and her first half’s exams were in a week. She was in the school when a woebegone Steven had picked her up from her school in the middle of the day and taken her directly to her house.

A baby’s cries could be heard when she entered her house but the atmosphere was thick with melancholy. Her father, Alexander was sitting beside a pale female corpse, wailing pitifully. She saw her aunt Amara looking dazed at the dead female. Her aunt Natalie was trying to calm the child down but he won’t stop crying.

Once she had stalked near the unmoving female, she knew who she was. She ran towards her father and latched onto him. Alexander had wrapped his arms around his trembling daughter and both of their bodies shook with sobs at the loss of a mate and a mother.

They had arranged a funeral after five days for Elena but the most shock came the day after the funeral.

Alexander vanished leaving behind a letter to his family. Arabella lost her mother and father in a mere span of a week. She was so lost in the misery that she failed that year and had to repeat it.

The Knights had decided to go in search for Alexander when he didn’t return for a few months but they couldn’t take Arabella and Eros with them.

Amara and Steven had stepped up and took them in. Arabella couldn’t explain how grateful she was to them. Her brother Eros doesn’t even know about not being their child till date. They raised Eros and Elliott as twins. That’s how loving and impartial they are and Arabella had eventually started calling them mom and dad but she didn’t forget her mother and father either.

Arabella was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that Amara had stopped walking and she bumped into her, stumbling back a little.

“Sorry mom.”

“It’s alright sweetheart.” Amara told her smiling.

Arabella looked around to find herself standing in a clearing. It had a small cabin to the side. The sound of rushing water could be heard over the quietness of the woods.

“We are here to meet someone important.” Amara explained looking at Arabella’s confused expression. “Someone very important to me. To us.”

Arabella looked at Amara with furrowed eyebrows.

“I met them when I was ten years old and now it’s time you meet them as well.”

Arabella nodded reluctantly.

“Ryder.” Amara called in the mind link.

Arabella gasped as she saw the massive transparent golden wolf walk out of the woods behind her mother but somehow, she knew the wolf won’t hurt her or her mother.

“This is Ryder, Aria. My older brother.”

Realization dawned on Arabella as she stared at the beautiful wolf standing too close to her mother. He looked almost possessive of her.

“Are you telling me that this is Uncle Ryder? As in the Uncle Ryder?” Arabella exclaimed.

Ryder snorted making Amara glare at him. She nodded at Arabella sheepishly.

“Wow! Can I hug you uncle Ry?” Arabella asked shyly.

Ryder looked at her in awe and nodded. Arabella dashed towards him and flung her arms around his neck as much as her small hands could go. Ryder nuzzled into her.

Amara looked at the duo in wonderment but her expressions soon changed to a groan of pain as she was landed on her ass by a huge golden fur ball tackling her to the ground.

The said fur ball was wagging his tail ferociously and nuzzled into Amara’s neck. Before Amara could weave her fingers through the new arrival’s fur, a growl ripped through the silent woods.

“Get the fuck off my sister.” Ryder growled.

Arabella stepped away from him in shock, looking at the unfolding scene. It looked almost comical.

Amara groaned in frustration at the antics of her brother and Xander cowered into her, trying to make himself smaller.

“Language Ryder. There are kids present here.” Amara snapped.

“Then tell him to get away from you.” Ryder grumbled stubbornly.

“Xander sweetie, do you mind getting off me please?” Amara said signing.

Xander moved from above her, sulking in the process.

“Wow mom! You weren’t exaggerating when you said Uncle Ryder was overbearingly possessive.” Arabella said snickering.

Ryder glared at her but she just looked at him amused.

“This is Xander, Aria, my nephew and Ryder’s eldest son.”

Arabella nodded, beaming at Xander who was still sulking.

“Xan, this is Arabella, Aria for short. She is my eldest daughter.”

Xander still didn’t look happy.

“Sweetie don’t be sad. Your Papa is a minnie. I will spend an entire day with you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Aunty Amy.”

Xander gave a wolfish grin.

“WHAT? WHAT ABOUT ME?” Ryder bellowed.

“You were mean to him. Again.”

“So what? He was taking you away from me.” Ryder said growling at Xander.

“For heaven’s sake Ryder. How old are you? Stop throwing tantrums like a child. He was not taking me away from you. I seriously want to thump you sometimes.”

“But you didn’t hug me.” Ryder whined.

Amara sighed and hugged the big wolf, burring her face in his neck. Ryder literally purred and pulled her to the ground.

Arabella watched the interaction between her mother and her uncle with amusement. She had never thought what her parents told her about her uncle Ryder was true but it was. He wis just as possessive and loving to her mother as they said and she also saw firsthand that the treatment didn’t extend to anyone else.

She watched the big bad wolf go putty in her mother’s arms. The scene looked hilarious to the least but she was still intrigued about these fascinating wolves and her mother’s connection to them.

“Hello Aria.” Xander said startling Arabella from her staring.

“Hey Xan. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah cousin.”

Xander gave a wolfish grin receiving an equally bright smile from Arabella. Amara and Ryder were still bickering in the background.

“He is your father?”

Zander nodded.

“Where is your mother?”

“We spirit wolves don’t have mothers. There is no female wolf here. You will understand soon.” Xander explained.

Arabella looked at him confused. Many questions were swirling in her head.

Why was she here? What are these wonderful creatures? How can they be related to her mother? How was she related to them? The questions kept coming.

“I know you have a lot of questions Aria and I am going to explain everything to you.” Amara said, startling Arabella out of her pensive. “You might want to sit down. It will take a lot of time to explain.”

Arabella made herself comfortable on the forest floor and leaned against Xander. She didn’t know why but she already trusted these massive spirit wolves.

Amara opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a very expectant Ryder.

“Will you groom me after you have had the talk with Aria?”

“SHUT UP RYDER.” Amara growled at him making him actually shut up.

Amara explained everything to Arabella that day with a grumbling Ryder sulking behind her.