Last night felt like a dream to Aura. It was intoxicating to be so close to Dax, but stomach-wrenching thinking of how he killed shifters before, how he would react if he knew her true form, and the consequences she would face from the Alpha and the Elders' Council. The Elders' Council is a group of shifters that check and balance the Alpha, maintain beast shifter cultures and act as trial and judge for important issues. Between the general hate and distrust of beast shifters, a law banning interracial marriage, and her clan's rules, Aura's attraction was forbidden.

"Lost in a daydream, Aura?" Jalen asked as they strolled through the village. "Once we leave the village, you will need to be on high alert."

Aura nodded in response. Last night's events continued to roll around in her brain while Jalen just went on about the hard-headed Rhys. He had to entertain all day yesterday before she finally caved into Jalen's desire to take Aura on a stroll outside of the village without guards. Jalen and Aura both need to shift and run through the forest on their paws. Staying in their disguises much longer would cause a force, which is what forced Aura on her little adventure in the first place.

"Aura, just talk about it, please. This silent agreeing thing is starting to bug me. We usually argue about everything." Jalen exaggerated.

"Why did you let me go with Dax last night? You knew it would be some kind of date. I don't understand your motives." Aura said, confused. Jalen's actions made no sense. He knew the whole situation was forbidden in every way.

"Simple. You are attracted to him. You might not be able to mate with him, but it doesn't mean you can't experience a courtship. I suppose you shouldn't, but it does play into the role you have committed yourself to on this mission." Jalen shrugged.

"I see how that might be, but you seem to be playing matchmaker!" Aura accused Jalen.

Jalen only laughed. Aura'sface started to pout looking at her friend and mentor. "Guilty as charged." He admitted. Aura raised an eyebrow waiting for his justification. "Aura, you have never known romantic love. Your childhood was ripped away from you too early, and you never give attention to the males in our clan. I don't want you to spend your life serving everyone but yourself. I don't want you to end up mateless. Everyone deserves to experience romance."

Aura quietly disgusted his words. He had a point about ignoring the males in their clan. Even now, Enoch has been expressing his desires as a suitor, and she was not thrilled with the idea. There were a thousand reasons that she should not entertain Dax's advances either. "But… Isn't it irresponsible of me to lead him on?"

"Maybe," Jalen had an evil grin on his face. "If you break his heart, then it will be revenge for our kind that he slew." Although he was grinning, Aura saw the serious desire for revenge in his eyes.

Her heart ached, knowing Jalen spoke that way out of pain. His mother was slaughtered by a human hunter when he was a child. It's been him and his sister ever since. "Jalen…"

"Aura, you worry too much." He nudged her. "We are clear of the village. Let's go. Ivy is waiting."

Aura gave a nod, following him deeper into the forest. She disrobed and shifted. Magic flowed through her veins like ice, restoring all her fur, fangs, and claws. Her body ached from the shift as bounded across the forest floor. Twigs and leaves crunching under her paws as she chased the brown wolf. Her wounds were still visible on her body, and her ribs throbbed with each movement. Even with her increased healing rate, she would still be injured for another two weeks. Jalen led the way, darting around the trees like an arrow.

At their speed, Aura felt free for the first time in weeks.

Four hours later…

"Could you have taken any longer?" Ivy whined at her little brother through the mind link.

"What's wrong, Ivy?" Aura came speeding into the cave where the other beast shifters were hiding.

"Hunters, Aura. They have been tracking our every move." Ivy whimpered.

Ivy had kept the beast shifters on the move since Jalen and Aura rescued them a week ago. Ivy had a bear shifter and a group of simian shifters. Ivy was able to confirm that the hunters were from the Grim Guild on the other side of the Burnt Bark Woods. Their numbers were smaller after the fire Aura caused, but they didn't slow in their pursuit. The question is why they were trying so hard to capture beast shifters. What was the motive?

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"We need more information from the hunters," Jalen confirmed what they were all thinking. "Let's make a plan."

Ivy introduced Aura to the other shifters. The bear shifter was Boogar who had been on his own since he migrated from the North Mountains. The simians were a set of triplets, Josa, Juli, and Jordy, who were dragged away from their home on the Hailia Mountains. The hunters had come to the valley's borders, and none of us had known. Ivy, thankfully, had reported to Alpha Enoch to keep him apprised of their ever-changing situation.

Still, Aura felt the urge to help these shifters sitting beside her. Although they had all thanked her for her sacrifice the night of their rescue, the shifters still looked heartbroken. The four of them had been ripped from their homes because someone wanted to kill or enslave them for being a shifter. There was so much darkness on this continent. Aura knew that there were places where her kind could be accepted in the world, but she couldn't run away from her home. She was going to find a way to free shifters from the threat to their lives.

"Time to move," Ivy commanded. "Aura, take care of my brother. I will call on you once we shake the hunters."

"Sure." Aura replied. The shifters crowded around Ivy to leave. Aura was still in amazement at what magic could do. Beast shifter magic can change one's form and allow beasts to connect with each other. Aura knew Ivy would get these shifters to safety at one of the ports south of here. There, the shifters would escape Lunaris.

"Come, Aura. I know Rhys is itching to scream at me for being gone so long." Jalen whined.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you fancy Rhys. You keep acting like you don't want to upset her, but I think you like it when she yells at you." Aura giggled.

"This coming from a mateless wolf." Jalen jokes.

"You had a mate for a year then decided it was too much work and let her go. I think my situation is a little better than yours." Aura fired back. She felt a pang in her heart for the mate being pushed on her and the man she was interested in was forbidden.

"Ha. At least, I have had a mate." He countered.

"All right. I get it. I am the mateless wolf, happy?" Aura said with bitterness in her voice.

"Yes, little mateless wolf." He snickered as they raced back to the Village of Lilies.

The evening had arrived...

"You, dumb elf!" Rhys yelled at Jalen. "You kept her out all day! Between you and that lousy captain, Aura will never get the rest she needs to recover."

"Rhys, I am fine. I promise." Aura tried to sound convincing.

"That's a load of cattle shit. Over half of your wounds have reopened because of this day-long stroll the dumb brute took you on." Rhys gestured all kinds of dwarf profanities at Jalen, who smiled like a wolf staring at sizzling hog bacon. Aura was beyond convinced Jalen had a thing for Rhys. "Stop enjoying this! Go, get a shower, Aura. Captain Dax has news to bring all of us."

Aura complied leaving the shouting dwarf and giggling elf to their games. She wondered what could be so important that Dax would personally come here to tell them the news. Would he stroll in with flowers and declare his feelings for Aura? No, that would be silly, Aura thought to herself as she entered the shower. It had to be something official. Why else would he come here in such a professional capacity?

Aura showered quickly and rebandaged her wounds that reopened from her shifting from wolf to human. The shower had massaged her aching body. She hurried and dressed in a purple sundress that hugged her torso and became slack and flowy at the waist. Twirling around like a dancer, she admired the dress in the mirror. Rhys had bought Aura some clothes yesterday before Dax and Jalen arrived. Aura liked Rhys' style choices for her.

"Aura, lover boy has arrived," Jalen called from outside the door.

Aura opened the door shaking her head at Jalen's obnoxious behavior. "You are twenty years older than me, Jalen. Isn't that joke a bit juvenile, for you?"

"Twenty years, twenty minutes, the age gap doesn't matter. I like the joke, and I will use it how I please," Jalen stated, proudly. He followed Aura to the living room.

"Rhys, this is serious," Dax said as Aura and Jalen entered the room.

"What's serious?" Jalen asked, happily interrupting their serious moment.

"He says that Queen Galadriel Haleth is coming to see our little village because the plague is beginning to spread into Dryadalis. Apparently, she wants to see our situation and figure out why we are failing to contain the situation." Rhys crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Queen Galadriel Haleth? As in the chosen representative of all of Dryadalis that sits on the Alliance of kingdoms?" Aura questioned. She knew exactly who the queen was. Most importantly, she knew what the queen could do for her people.

"Yes," Dax said, stewing in seriousness. "She is going to come in and try to take over if we aren't prepared, which is why I need you and Jalen to start working on the herbal solution as soon as you can." Dax was becoming agitated the more everyone spoke of this queen.

"She won't take over anything unless you ask her to," Jalen said, sternly. He may be a beast shifter, but he is, also, an elf to the outside world. He was proud to pretend to be an elf from her kingdom. "Queen Galadriel Haleth is the first leader in all of Dryadalis to care about other races and creatures. She only takes over places that ask for her help."

"Is that how she came to be known as Galadriel the Conqueror of Dryadalis?" Dax asked, triggering Jalen's anger.

"She went to war because the people asked her to free them from tyrants. You know nothing of Dryadalis, Captain, so I suggest you stop while you're ahead." Jalen spit at Dax and stormed out of Rhys' cottage.

"Why is he so sensitive?" Dax asked Aura.

"Captain, you may be compassionate, but you are oblivious when your own words act like poison." Aura answered. "Queen Galadriel may be known as a conqueror to others, but she has ended slavery in many elf kingdoms, took in refugees from border wars, and fights for the end of legal slavery in all of Lunaris. She believes all races can coexist in Lunaris. She is not scared of murderous beast shifters or orc warmongers. Queen Galadriel knows those people are more than the rumors make them out to be." Aura lectured. "If you have truly traveled across Lunaris, you have seen the tragedies of this land. She is the only leader fighting for a better place for all people." Aura could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She took one last look at Dax's astonished face. Leaving the room, she wondered how she could be attracted to such an ignorant man. She was suddenly happy to be mateless.