Aura ran off toward the village leaving a baffled dwarf and guilty, naked Jalen behind her. Her problems had just gotten infinitely more complicated. Jalen's mistake might cost them their friend and their lives. Hopefully, Jalen can salvage this situation without her, but she needs to go fix her trouble with the annoying, yet adorable captain. She face-palmed herself at the thought of him being cute. Her speed brought her to the forest edge where she watched and waited for the next patrol. The sun was above the horizon, meaning Dax would be on his way to the greenhouse.

To her surprise, Dax was walking with the patrol passing by the forest. She ducked back behind the tree when she was certain Dax looked back at her. She curled up listening to their footsteps, but they seemed to be getting closer to her instead of further. Crap… Dax must have seen her. Were there going to be more mistakes that she made today?

"Who's there?" Dax called out, impatiently. "Come out before I come in after you."

Aura sighed. It was now or never to talk to this man. She stood up and walked out from behind the safety of her tree. "Hey, Dax." She looked up to see arrows aimed at her. "Quite the welcoming party you have there."

Dax saw the wild woman step out from behind the tree. What was she doing hiding in the forest? Sure, she had been avoiding him for the last few weeks, but she didn't need to hide. Then, he heard her finally talk to him for the first time in weeks. A smile pulled at his lips when he realized she was talking about the arrows aimed at her. He needed to focus on the moment. Why had she been in the forest without anyone else? "Arrows down, men. She is our miracle herbalist." He said affirming that she was not a threat.

"Miracle herbalist?" She said with an eyebrow raised.

The men withdrew their weapons and continued on patrol. "That's what the villagers are calling you. Since you came up with your herbal solution, twenty-three more of the villagers have made a recovery." Dax boasted. He was ecstatic she was talking to him again.

"Yes, but it's not a cure, which is why we need to talk." Aura replied, keeping her emotions hidden. She was here on business, so she will be professional.

"There's more than that to talk about, Aura." Dax countered.

"I suppose there is. Where should we start then? Perhaps, with your insensitivity the other day?" Aura allowed her tone to drip with bitterness. She started walking toward Rhys' cottage. If they were going to argue, she didn't want anyone to watch them. She had a feeling it would be long and unpleasant.

"I deserve that, but where are you going? We need to talk!" He raised his voice, chasing after the snarky woman.

"Out of the public eye, genius." She yelled back at him.

It was then that he realized Aura was headed to Rhys' cottage. She was keeping their private discussion from being a public spectacle. He silently followed her through the cottage door. They stayed quiet until they were seated on the sofa and chair.

"Can we talk now?" He asked. The awkward silence was eating at him.

She nodded although her legs and arms were crossed. "Go ahead."

"You seem to have recovered well from your injuries with all the work you and Jalen have completed," Dax said, cautiously.

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"Rhys made a good medic for sure." Aura sighed. "I am glad to hear that I have been helpful."

"There's talk of them throwing you a celebration when the village is back on its feet," Dax said with mild excitement.

Aura shifted in her seat. "Dax.."

"Look, Aura, I didn't mean to offend you or Jalen. I am sorry if I did, but I only know what I know. I don't know what you know about Queen Galadriel. I have known you for a little over a month, and I know very little about you. I can't be expected to know everything about you and your views." Dax explained. "However, I do want to learn more about you, your friends, your views on the world, and your experiences with Queen Galadriel."

Aura processed his words. This stubborn man had apologized with sincerity, which Aura was not used to. Rhys had scolded Dax more than a few times over the last three weeks when Dax had come by the cottage to talk to Aura. She had to forgive him, but she wondered if Dax had come to this conclusion on his own or had someone told Dax what to say. Her heart wanted to believe Dax was capable of apologizing so well on his own, yet her experiences taught her most men needed guidance to come to such a conclusion.

"Dax, I don't expect you to know me and my political views after only two weeks of knowing me. That would be ridiculous. I do believe that you need to be careful how you talk about someone else's political leader." Aura said, sternly.

"Yeah...sorry, again." Dax apologized.

"I am glad you want to get to know me." Aura gave a small smile of reassurance. If Dax had a tail, it would have been wagging like Aura's when she had a tender steak in her mouth. Now, she had to burst his happy bubble. "Dax, I made enough herbal solutions for the remaining sick villagers for the next week as well some for the other suffering villages."

"That's great! We can start distribution right away. By the end of the week, we could visit the other villages to coordinate with their needs." Dax said with excitement. This was just what they needed in the preparation of the royal visit. The queen should be impressed with their new progress in aiding the surrounding villages.

Aura shook her head. "It needs to last for the next week since I need to leave for a while."

Dax's smile faded. "Leave? Why do you need to leave? People here are counting on you."

"Dax, I said I would stay as long as I could, but I need to go. I have other responsibilities than just helping this village. Besides, the medics can make more since I gave them the recipe for the herbal solution." Aura retorted. She needed to go back to the valley to see the Alpha, so she could be back in time for the royal visit although that means she won't be able to help Jalen or Ivy.

Dax got up and began pacing the wooden floor. He knew he had no right to stop her from going anywhere, but he was concerned for her safety. The last time she left the village alone, Aura was attacked. "Is Jalen going with you?" He turned to look at Aura. Aura nodded, giving him some consultation. She seemed kind of sad sitting there on the sofa. This whole conversation had been difficult for both of them. "Aura, I don't like that you are leaving, given the last time you left you were injured. So, I will just pray for your safe return." He gave her a sad smile. Dax took her hand in his and pulled the gloomy Aura off the sofa. He brought her in for a hug. "I hope this is alright with you."

"Um...yeah...this is fine." Aura answered. Her cheeks felt hot. She could feel Dax's warmth against her, and it comforted her. This human had such a strong effect on her without even trying. She wanted to confide in him all her frustration and from the past few weeks. Her fear about returning to the underground village to see Enoch, and her strange attraction toward him.

Dax tightened the hug. He felt she needed this comfort more than he did. There were things he didn't know about her, and he imagined one of those things was occupying her mind. "Hey, when you get back, let's have another picnic in the lily grove." He said attempting to lighten her mood further. He looked down at her golden eyes, and the world fell away from them both. His hand landed on her cheek, cupping her face.

Aura could see Dax asking for permission to kiss her. Her eyes fell to his soft pink lips, wanting to have another taste of them. She closed the gap between their lips, pressing softly against his mouth. Aura allowed herself to enjoy this one moment because she knew she could never have it again. Dax slid his hand into her hair as his lips began to move against hers. She felt comfort, warmth, and desire pouring through his lips as Aura matched his rhythm. His other hand moved to her lower back to support her while they kissed. Aura let all her pent-up emotions flow through this single kiss.

The heat between them increased, and Dax brushed his tongue against her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth. Aura gave in and opened her mouth slightly. To Aura's surprise, Dax moved slowly to deepen the kiss. His armor was rough against her body, rubbing into her skin. She endured the discomfort to continue this passionate moment with Dax. Aura could have stayed there for hours, but the buzzing began in her head once more. She ignored the buzz as Dax began to explore her body. Her body was filled with heat and desire for this human in her arms. The buzz grew louder as sounds began to escape her mouth between breaths and kissing. Aura focused harder on Dax's hands and lips. The buzzing filled her entire mind to the point of pain erupting in her head. Who was trying so hard to get her attention?

Dax noticed Aura's attention drift from their kiss. She seemed to quiet from her previous noises. He suddenly worried something was wrong. Aura pulled away and grabbed her throbbing head. She looked at Dax's concerned face as her vision went black. God has an amazing sense of humor she thought before fading into darkness with the blaring buzz in her mind.