The Attack

"Should we make ourselves scarce, give them some privacy," Ashley whispered in Chloe's ear.

"Where are we supposed to go?"

"Let's say we are going to get firewood, that seems believable right?"

"Okay."

"Lena we are going to get some firewood, you both talk or whatever," Chloe said nonchalantly as both my friends got up to go fetch firewood.

"Why don't I go? Elena can accompany me." Aaron recommended.

"Sure that works too." Replied Ashley with far too much eagerness.

"Come on, let's, go," Aaron called me.

When the campsite was out of sight. I heard Aaron ask,

"You weren't present at the class today, did something happen?"

"There was a commotion at school, So I ditched classes with my friends," I told him. We kept strolling side by side at a steady pace. We had reached quite a distance when my curiosity got the better of me.

"Can I ask you something?" He turned his head halfway and smiled. I took it as a cue to continue my Inquisition.

"I was told long ago that adolescent wolves turn involuntarily every full moon until they reach adulthood. Then they can control the change. The process is said to be very painful for the first few times. Is it the same with you?"

He stopped in his tracks after hearing my question. I realised I should not have asked such a personal question.

"I am sorry. I should not have asked you something so personal. It was wrong of me". He stood there quietly for some time making me feel all the more regretful of my presumptuous behaviour.

"It is not a secret that I was turned. It's just that no one has ever asked me whether it was painful. It is considered a right of passage amongst shifters. Even for those who have turned". He told me with a wistful expression. I noticed since I met him this was the very first time that he looked so desolate. Despite his mood, he continued,

"I do have to turn every full moon but it's not as agonizing as before. Who told you about me? Though the details of my past are not a secret they are not common knowledge either."

"My sister, she wanted to know if I was serious about you or it was just mere infatuation that I held towards you."

"Hmm so which one is it?" He asked solemnly. I looked at him and instead of replying to his query. I asked,

"What do you think?"

"Though I don't know a lot about celestials. I do know,

Like all magical beings, they have predestined mates and I am very sure. I am not yours. So even if I were to accept your feelings, one day you would find your mate and undoubtedly choose him as your life partner, but the thing is. I don't think I can ever let go of someone I love. Mate or no mate. I may be a shifter but I still believe the person I spend my life with should be someone, I love not someone who is destined to be mine, that is why I can't return your feelings however genuine they may be."

"You know this is the first time in my life that I am so enamoured with someone that I can not even think about anything else. I understand where you are coming from but I am not going to ignore my feelings because of a probability. You can take your time deciding whether you feel the same way or not. I can wait for you to decide." I suggested, trying to hide my disappointment.

"We should get back. We have been gone for far too long and haven't even collected firewood so we should hurry." Then I started searching for dry wood.

"Yeah we should hurry, or your friends will wonder what we were up to all this time." He spoke with hilarity in his voice as he started collecting dry wood with me.

'I guess we are done with the serious talk.'

"Yeah, they do tend to let their imaginations run wild. But what I don't get is why we are collecting firewood, when we don't even need it." I asked annoyed.

"Pffft, don't you think it's a little late to wonder about that?"

His laugh for some reason did not annoy me even though I am pretty sure. if it was anyone else. I might have punched them in the face, by now.

"I am glad. I amuse you", I said, turning to him with a wooden expression.

"I am sorry. I won't laugh. Promise!" But as expected he laughed again. when I turned back. This time making me chuckle as well.

When we came back to the campsite, It was a sight to behold with everyone sitting across each other on wooden logs, near a small lit campfire, that was surrounded with multiple small fish skewed on wooden sticks buried in the surface near the fire. The scent of roasting wafted in the air. There were three additional tents planted near ours and sounds of conversation filled the air. Aaron and I looked at each other with confounded looks.

' How the hell did they do all that in such a short time?'

‘’Looks like we were too late,’’ Aaron spoke in a low whisper near my ear.

‘’You guys sure took your time coming back?’’ taking notice of our arrival Darius commented in an impassive matter.

" Look Elena, both Marcus and Darius set up tents, caught the fish and set the campfire. while you were gone.’’ Ashley enthusiastically expressed her admiration.

‘’ I can see that. We just had some trouble collecting firewood that is; why we were a little late.’’ I said in a fake regretful manner; that wasn't fooling anyone.

‘’Yes, that's understandable. I mean, where would you find sufficient firewood In a forest so big,’’ Darius commented very seriously, but sarcasm was evident in his voice.

‘’Well we all can't be shifters now, can we?'' I imitated his derision aptly.

‘’Yeah, Lena surely it doesn't take this long to collect firewood?’’ Chloe chimed in knavishly probably feeling left out.

‘’Well, I am slow and half-blind in the dark,’’ I stated matter of factly.

''And what are we supposed to do with this bundle of firewood? when you people have already lit a fire.'' I said pointing at the dry wood in my arms.

''You can place it beside the kindling, we collected Ashley pointed at the big bundle of firewood beside the tent.

'Seriously… how long were we gone for? an eternity.'

Both Aaron and I deposited the dry wood on top of the bundle and sat down on our designated positions on the wooden logs.

We continued our conversation while eating the roasted fish which was surprisingly delicious then headed towards our respective tents for our much-desired slumber. However, when I laid down in my sleeping bag, sleep eluded me. After trying what felt like hours to sleep. I decided to go for a light walk which might tire me enough, so I could fall asleep.

I got out of the tent very quietly making sure I didn't wake my friends and with light steps headed toward the riverbank, where I paced back and forth for quite some time trying to tire myself out when my head felt dizzy from the pacing, I sat down on the small stones the river bank.

After some time I heard sounds of light footsteps nearing towards me. I turned around and found Aaron standing behind me.

'Shifters! I just can't get used to their stealth.'

''What are you doing here? Aren’t, you suppose to be asleep?'' I whispered.

''I could ask you the same thing and why are you whispering?", he asked as he came to sit beside me.

''I don't want to wake anyone. you know with your heightened hearing,'' I replied in a hushed tone.

"No one can hear you this far you could scream and they won't hear it.''

''Oh okay. well answering your earlier question, I couldn’t sleep.so I decided to walk but then I got tired of walking, that’s why I am sitting here taking in the gloomy scenery.''

''Pfft!''

''Why is it that almost every word you speak beguiles me to wonderment?", he said, looking in my eyes amused.

''I don’t know maybe it's my charming personality and you still haven't told me why are you here,''

''I am sure it is. you know I don’t get you. I’ve met countless people in my life shifters, vampire, celestials and humans but so far it's only you, I can’t figure out and as to why I am here? like you. I couldn't sleep as well so when I heard someone sneaking about I thought I should check it out.''

''Okay'' '' You know, I defy the social norm that's why you can't figure me out. I can’t be placed into a stereotyped persona that most people like assigning others, so they can easily be fitted into a defining category. Most people prefer being conformed to such stereotypes its makes assimilating into society easier. I never adhered to such views. I think every one of us is different. we experience different things, have different thoughts and that difference is what makes us who we are not just our race or gender.''

'' I never thought of it that way maybe you are right. Before I turned I used to think that magical beings were wholly different creatures from humans but now I can’t fathom the similarities between them, but you know if you were a human you would have considered a social outcast.''

''In case you haven't noticed, I am considered a social outcast. other than my friends and family most people consider me a failure of a celestial.''

''Why? just because you don’t practice magic?

''No, it’s not just that. I never conformed to the expectations that are put upon on a child in our circle. my sister is an extraordinary mage l. ever since I was little, people have been comparing me with her. expecting me to follow in my father's foot’s steps like her and become a mage, but magic never fascinated me. I always like studying science. I always wonder about how the world came into being, how it works. so I always leaned toward traditional education and thankfully I excel at it.''

He asked,'' Your parents don’t mind that? most parents have very high expectations of their children.''

''They tried getting me to study magic until I was thirteen, but when they realised my heart was not in it, they let me choose my path on the condition that I must learn healing magic,'' I answered.

''I surprised, your parents are very open-minded considering the fact that your family is so prestigious''

''Well, my grandparents were very strict with my parents so they decided early on that they would never restrict us.''

''That, I understand my parents were the same with me and my sister, they always encouraged us to follow our dreams. thankfully, my foster mother Maya was the same or I would have had a hard time adjusting after turning,'' he said with genuine affection.

''She must be very kind for you to speak so fondly of her.''

''Yes, she never differentiated between Darius and me?''

''Darius?'' I asked confused.

''She is Darius’s mother. when I went to live with them she was already raising her niece Aisha with Darius.....

''What happened?'' I asked when Aaron quietened suddenly. He gestured me to hush and then took my hand and led me back to the camp hastily.