Today, Aurelia would leave with Noxus for the Otherworld, leaving everything she knew behind. She hated the way that it appeared, chasing after a guy. She knew deep down that this was truly what she wanted and not for what others would think. It wasn’t about Noxus; it was about her. She needed to find herself, to grow, to let go of everything from her past that had held her back.

She packed light and only took a few outfits and books. Leaving her phone on the bedside table, she locked her doors and exited the building. She wasn’t sure if she would ever return, and the thought of that didn’t seem to bother her.

Noxus held his breath as he watched her come out of the front doors. She was stunning. He had witnessed her in her dress upon their first meeting and her outfits from a couple of days at work. Today, he was floored. He glanced at her black boots before moving his eyes up to her form-fitting black leggings. His eyes wandered to her stomach as her crop top black shirt showed her sleek stomach, her belly button sitting right above her pants. As he looked at her beautiful face, he saw a look of disapproval.

“How many times are you going to check me out? It’s becoming a bit unsettling,” Aurelia said in a bit of a joking tone.

“You just keep surprising me,” he said as he lifted the long hair within her low ponytail.

“Please refrain from touching me,” she said.

His touch didn’t bother her in the way that he thought. It bothered her in the sense that her whole body erupted with fire, and she wasn’t willing to allow herself to be brought into the fiery pits that he came from. She didn’t want to feel closer to him. Her heart couldn’t handle him; he was just another one of the men that she had dealt with throughout her life.

“I apologize. Are you ready to go?” Noxus said as he dropped her hair from his hand.

“I need to make one stop, and then I am.”

He nodded his head once and then gestured his arms out for her to lead the way.

She walked to the post office box a few blocks away and deposited the letter into it. She turned to him with a small smile.

“Now I’m ready.”

“Let’s go home,” he said with a genuine smile.

The word home rang through her mind. Unsure what to make of that word, she wished it were true. She hadn’t had a real home since she was a young girl.

They trekked up the mountain outside of the city. Aurelia was glad that she had chosen the attire that she had. As they reached the top of the mountain they both waited for their breath to catch up to them. Noxus could see the sweat dripping on Aurelia’s face and her abdomen. Shaking the thoughts away he stood upright.

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“This will not be pleasant for you. It will hurt, but I can promise you that when you arrive on the other side, the pain will subside quickly,” he said with a solemn look in his eye.

His hand reached out to touch hers, and she felt the coldness that it had kept before he pulled it away.

Aurelia kept his eyes in hers, saddened by the pullback of his hand. She knew she was failing at keeping him pushed away. She was scared. She wanted nothing more than to feel his safety. Reaching her hand out, she cupped his cheek, feeling his small flinch as she did so.

“I trust you,” she said.

She did. She knew that if he was risking everything to protect her from the faeries, he was sincere. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her if he could help it. Dropping her hands to her side, she grabbed one of his.

Stepping into the dark mouth of the cave, the doorway to the Otherworld filled her with the worst pain she had ever experienced. It felt as if every bone within her body was shattering under pressure. Her lungs quit on her, and her skin burned. She felt the hand that held onto hers and tried to focus all of her thoughts there.

As soon as it had started, it was over, and she noticed the pain was swiftly subsiding. She felt reborn.

The world around her was nothing any research could have prepared her for. Everything was bigger. The trees soared to the sky, and the grass was blue and up to her waist. The sky was a shade of purple no human had ever seen before. No clouds were in the sky, but she could see several suns and moons as she turned in a full circle.

Hearing shuffling beside her, she looked to see that Noxus had transformed into his serpent form. The end of his tail pointed to a part of his body. She knew deep within her that he wanted her to go to that spot. Nodding her head, she walked to it, and he coiled her within part of his body. His form engulfed her, and she was left only to see his black and gold scales. She felt the start of movement and made a note of the way his muscles felt as he moved while carrying her. It was gentle; he applied just enough pressure to keep her within his grip.

The movement and the dark within her vision lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

When they reached Noxus’ castle, he shifted partially so that his arms could hold her before he shifted completely back into his human form.

He kept his eyes on her as he walked her up the steps to the front door and into one of the nicer spare bedrooms. It pained him not to take her to his room, but he didn’t want to start something she didn’t want.

He undressed her, surprised that she didn't wake. He tried to keep his eyes from wandering to her body, but couldn't resist at times. He cussed himself, he knew this was not something that she wanted. She was there only for protection. She didn't sense the ethereal mate bond.

Walking to the wardrobe, he found a nightgown and dressed her quickly, before spraying a mist around her that would hide her human scent from others within the realm who may get close.

Before he left the room, he stood at her doorway, watching her sleep. He was amazed at how much he craved her, though he had just met her. He pushed the feelings down. He didn't want to risk losing her. If this was the only way to keep her here then he was going to have to be stronger. He wanted to tell her about the mate bond but worried that it would frighten her or make her feel betrayed.

He walked to his room where he pondered ways to tell her, that wouldn't cause her to run.