Aeress

     They all were on the train, soon to leave the island. Aeress, Warrick, Klein, Maribelle, Mikya, and Idris. She was surprised of Idris' presence, though grateful for his part all the same.

     "We've narrowed her possible location to four areas," Mikya addressed the group, showing his marked map. "In them are what we call Pukka Packs, with as little interaction with human civilization as possible, so that'll be nice."

     Aeress took Warrick's hand in hers. "Why the Pukka Packs? She could be in a regular pack, or none at all."

     Mikya nodded. "We've interviewed some of his former followers, tracking his progress in recent time through the correlation od certain accounts."

     "What did you find?"

     "Exactly the area he told you was the one he frequently visited. What makes this strange is that he went himself instead of sending one of his minions, which leaves us to infer that-"

     "He was trying to sense her on his own, and he thought it would wise to leave his followers in the dark?"

     "Precisely. This activity initiated after Jonah killed you," she felt Warrick's hand on hers tighten, "thus the return of Bakir. He must have known that his access to you depended on whether they were aware that his intentions didn't align with Jonah's plan to overthrow the throne. Above all, he somehow knew she would be in one of the Pukka Packs."

     Aeress sat forward. "If he could sense her, then I have to." She grabbed the map and watched it in frustration. What was she missing?

     "What is it, Aeress?" Warrick inquired, securing his arm around her waist. "Can you locate her?"

     "I hope so." She closed her eyes and focused, drowning out the sounds around her. She pictured the steady heartbeat of Avathara, a sound she knew well because she had listened for it a thousand times before. A strong, steady sound, a musical note that brought love to Aeress' heart, adoration for her daughter.

     It was faint at first, and she thought she was hallucinating, but it became louder and louder until it couldn't be denied. "Avathara?" She whispered in the most hushed tone, afraid of breaking the connection. No response, just the beautiful thumping of her life-force. She wasalive. Aeress slumped back at the revelation. "I can't believe it."

     "Did you find her?" Warrick held her up, studying her eyes in question.

     She swallowed. "Not exactly, but when we do, I'll know."

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     They got into the hotel room and Aeress slammed the door behind her. Defeat overtook her and she began to crumble. Warrick caught her and they both went down. She turned her face into his chest and began to sob. "I can't, I can't, I can't hear it anymore!"

     He brushed his palms over her locks, peppering kisses on where he could reach. "That can mean anything, Aeress."

     She shook her head. "It means she's dead. There's no other explanation. Her heart's stopped. How are we going to find her if I can't hear her?" She continued to cry so hard that her body began to shake. "It's happening again, Warrick. She's died and there's nothing I can do about it. This is all my fault." The sobs left her body without permission, and it displayed only a slither of the pain she felt internally.

     His voice cracked as his loved warmed her, lessening the blow. "Please, Aeress, don't cry. I can't see you like this."

     "How can I live knowing that I've lost her again?"

     He leaned back to cradle her by the face, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears. "You don't know if she's dead, Aeress. Please don't do this to yourself. Just because we haven't found her yet, doesn't mean we should give up hope, okay? You gotta be strong for her."

     His words worked in soothing her hysterical state of mind. Her breathing was still rough though, but she swallowed past the cotton in her throat and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. "

     He grimaced and hugged her tightly. "Don't be, love." He pressed his lips to hers. "It's going to be okay-"

     His phone went off.

     "Answer it," Aeress commanded immediately.

     Warrick nodded. "Klein." 

     "Hey, Boss. You'll never fucking believe it, we found her."

     Aeress couldn't breathe.

     "You're certain?" he demanded.

     "Yes, very certain, Premier, but there have been some complications."

     They both sprung up. "It doesn't matter. We're coming to you, don't let her out of your sight."

     "Hold on just a second. By complication, I mean one colossal clusterfuck, you get me?"

     "What is it?"

     "Long story short, Idris took her."

     Aeress couldn't contain herself. "What did you just say?"

     "Just get here, okay?" ________________________________________________________

     Aeress pushed the food on her plate around.

     "You know he's not going to hurt her, you read the message." Warrick broke the silence, attempting to take her hand in his.

     She slammed her fork down, nearly cracking the plate in half, looking up at him with barely reigned-in fury. "No, I don't, actually. The last time me and him interacted, it was of him with his hand around my heart!"

     His eyes blackened, and clearly what she said was the wrong thing to say. "I know that, Aeress, don't think I haven't considered killing every single one of them for what they did to you." His voice was deepened into a growl.

     She raked her nails through her locks, so close to ripping all of it out. She couldn't take this. "Then why aren't we going to look for them right now, huh?"

     He unexpectedly calmed in the next moment. The red lessened in his pale cheeks. "Because we both know she is safe. No matter the past we have had with Idris. I know you want to see her," he successfully took her hand in his this time around, kissing her knuckles with tenderness in his eyes, "but I have a feeling she's got a full plate right now. Let her clear it off some before we enter the picture, okay?"

     She tightened her fingers around his. "What is that supposed to mean?"

     Warrick rolled his eyes, distracting her with such an uncharacteristic move. "Don't act like you don't know the real reason he took her."

     She blinked a few times before briefly looking away. "I don't." It was a lie. There was only one reason Idris dare piss off the mother of werewolves.

     "Aeress."

     "Maybe he just really likes her?" She looked back at him with wide, pleading eyes.

     He shook his head. "Just as I liked you? I don't think so. She isn't the little girl you remember, she's a full grown woman, and just like you, has lived a completely new life up until these last two years when Avathara's soul returned... Give her time. She needs it like you did."

     "I just want to meet her, Warrick." She felt her eyes water. "I want to see my little girl."

     "I know, Aeress. You will." He leaned over to kiss her and when they connected, the longing didn't let up but the pain of it did. The sympathy in his gaze gave her console, and she trusted that he meant well.

     "You really believe he'll take care of her?" She asked, but by then she had already released the anxiety of not having control once more. She hoped Avathara found the happiness Aeress did.

     "I'm the one who appointed him as Viceroy," he pointed out, "I would not have if I had thought for a second he was evil. If it's what we think it is, she is the safest she has ever been."

     Aeress sighed and managed a smile. "I trust you, Warrick, with my life, our daughter's life-"

     His eyes widened. "Our? She's mine too?"

     Aeress laughed. "Yes, of course. You are my other half, and therefore you have equal claim. Congratulations, it's a girl."

     He sat back and looked down at his plate, deep in contemplation. "I'm a father?" He said to himself, then looked up, as if completely startled by the fact, "Then maybe we should track them down-" He pushed his chair back, ready to spring into action.

     "No, you're right!" Aeress jumped up, holding him by the hand before he could run off. "As much as it'll kill me to wait, you are right. Anyway if our instincts are true, they'll need some time to themselves."

     He looked to the door before delivering a full-blown, mischievous smile her way. "Whatever will we do in the meantime?"

____________________________________________

     "Warrick!" Aeress moaned, full with him, gyrating her hips in away which made her believe that heaven was not above but right here, in this moment. She let her head fall back as she mounted him, with her hands clutching his thighs, with his hands firmly planted onto her breasts which were sensitize and only adding to the euphoric moment.

     As he faced her, Warrick leaned forward to bite and kiss up and down any part of her body he could find. "More!" She demanded of him as he buried himself in her over and over again. "Yes, more!"

     He growled, becoming brutal in his thrusts. Aeress gasped as he flipped them so that he was on top. Her face hit the sheets, and the loss nearly killed her until he was in her once more from behind. She screamed out her agreement as he took a hold of her hips and controlled everything, once, twice, pumping into her until she soon lost count, or perhaps she was distracted from her orgasm which was on its way.

     This went on forever until he yanked her up against him so that he could claim her mouth, slickness against heat, clashing their tongues and teeth as he continued to plow into her. He reached down to palm her bundle of nerves, rubbing against her in circles, occasionally adding pressure, playing her so expertly.

     She gasped at the intensity of it, and the pressure built further and further, so much so that she was certain there would be no end.

     "You will come!" He commanded, and hardened his hand's pace against her to the thrust of him. She burst, screaming as it finally happened.

     Aeress groaned as he removed his swollen and throbbing erection from her. They twisted again so that he was on her, chest to chest. She wrapped her legs around him as he entered her once more. The pressure intensified her orgasm. "Your turn," she moaned, grinding her hips against his, energy draining, but she would never be completely fulfilled until he joined her.

     He grunted as she bit down on his shoulder, tasting his blood and relishing in it. "You're mine," she breathed against him, "all mine."

     "All yours," he gritted, rushing into her so fervently, so desperate to release with her.

     "Aeress!" He roared, slowing down his pace as he suddenly expanded before pouring into her.

     They settled quickly into one another, kissing, stealing each other's breath.

     Aeress laid back as he settled his head on her stomach with his arms securely around her. She doubted it was the most comfortable for him, yet he favored it above all. She smiled as he looked up at her with those blue eyes. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time," she teased.

     He chuckled. "Never, but I do know how to please my woman."

     She tilted her head. "You love me?"

     "Wildly."

     Her smile brightened. "I love you too, Warrick."

     His expression was suddenly clouded by darkness, doubt. "Why?"

     She sighed and ran her fingers through his copper locks. She began to trace the tattoos which obscured most of his body. "Do you remember when I saw them for the first time? Truly, for the first time, not when we crashed the plane, after that?"

     He nodded.

     "The look on your face then is similar to your face now." She traced his tense brow, "I know what these words mean, hell I knew what they meant before I knew what they meant."

     "And?"

     She breathed in deeply. "I still know you are the most beautiful man I have ever met or will ever meet. You demons do not scare me-"

     "They should."

     "How could I possibly even begin to love you or deserve your love if they did?"

     He shrugged, looking down intensely at her stomach. "You'd be justified. I would understand."

     She took a hold of his chin and forced him to look up at her. "Well then understand this: I love you shamelessly, fearlessly. I want your everything, all the darkness and all the light equally, I want to be your everything until the universe itself stops, and even then I pray this love continues. I will never leave you, ever. I will be for you what many others failed at. I will make for you the life you should have had, what you deserve, because that's what you do for someone you love."

     Aeress was quiet as he continued to look down in silence. Then, she felt a droplet hit her stomach.

     She immediately began to cry as she realized he was crying. He gazed up at her, and his eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears. "Thank you, Aeress. I love you so much." She nodded and pulled him up, wiping at his eyes and holding him so closely, so grateful that he would grace her with the presence of his own vulnerability.

     "Wow," she whispered past her throat which felt stuffed, "what a life, huh? Who thought we'd end up here?"

     He nodded, pressing a kiss onto her lips. She could taste a hint of his tears. "It was never the end with you, Aeress, only the beginning."

     Aeress didn't know whether it was because of the mind-blowing sex, or the boundless love in her heart, but she had a feeling that in spite of all the batshit craziness that had occurred after she stepped inside that nightclub, everything would be okay.

     She looked down at Warrick who was quickly falling asleep and a little curl came upon her lips as if she had suddenly been let in on a wonderful, world-changing secret. "What a life," she repeated, in a hushed tone this time.

THE END