Tuffs of fur spread through the air as their undercoat came loose and spread to the bloodied field, those from around us didn’t seem to notice the crumpled mess that surrounded me as the shadow souls and Svarog’s army continued to clash. Svarog’s face went ghost white as he watched as I tore his men apart without laying a finger on them, it was at that moment when he fully realized the horrors of the thing that he helped create.
“Caoimhe!” Odin shouted panicked now as he watched the ordeal.
Will he flee from me? I wondered.
I hadn’t realized until then that my gruesome nature could be enough to turn my mate away from me, he was someone who I wanted to protect. I was consumed with losing him over the centuries as the way of his bloodline was ominous as they were determined to keep us apart. I looked over at Odin to see the horrified expression on his face, it was at that moment that I knew I had lost him forever, my heart began to break as a tingling sensation filled my sinuses only for tears to fill my eyes.
“I’m sorry…” I whispered.
I turned away from him as the tears pooled from my eyes and streamed down my face, I could sense the terror and remorse as it steadily filled the air and yet I needed to focus if I was going to protect my mate from the man who no one could kill. The wind began to pick up from around me as my chest began to feel tight, breathing was a challenge at that moment as the unfamiliar feeling consumed and tore me apart.
“I hate you!” I screamed at my father.
Svarog muttered some words only they never reached me as the intense wind Carried them away, my hair began to encircle me as my tears dyed the strands a pale blue, I wanted him to hurt, to feel the pain that was consuming my soul at that moment.
“You will not leave this plane alive,” I cried out.
Svarog lunged at me despite the wind resisting him and yet it didn’t seem to phase him as he closed the distance between us, I stared at him heatedly as I began to crave his tainted blood on my hands. I held my hand out in front of me just before he encountered me and grasped something that slowly manifested within my hand, I arched the weapon upwards just as Svarog stood before me. The blade clung to the mans neck as the arched steel glimmered against the darkened sky, death vibrated from the lengthened handle as its aura vibrated black, the colour mimicked the tainted souls of the wolves that had attempted to harm me just a moment before.
“How,” Svarog said as his voice quivered with fear.
“Mutatio,” I ordered angrily.
The wolf before me stared wide eyed as my command consumed him, he howled from pain as the massive wolf finally crumbled to the ground as his bones snapped and converged in on themselves. His salt and pepper fur escaped his wolf form and brushed against my cheek as his skin was forced to tear apart and change completely. I held the scythe to his neck as he wallowed in pain as I forced him to change back into his human form, it was a form I needed to see before I took his wretched life from him and yet at the same time I wanted to see the man who had helped give me life.
“Caoimhe!” Odin shouted now as he approached me in his human form.
I was too consumed in my fathers suffering to notice my mate’s shifted form and yet I couldn’t help but look away from the man who had caused me centuries of suffering and glanced at Odin as he grasped me from behind. I staggered slightly as he took me into his arms and held me to him, his bare chest was hot and sweaty as it pressed into my exposed back. Odin’s scent began to radiate within me as the ominous thoughts that had once consumed my mind dissipated until they were nothing but a puddle at my feet. I dropped the scythe to the ground where it disappeared as if being absorbed into the earth where it returned to its home.
“I love you,” Odin murmured into my ear as he held me to him.
The once hectic air began to settle from around us as I relaxed into Odin’s embrace.
“I thought you hated me,” I said through the mind link.
“I was just taken aback,” Odin replied.
“What if you feel that way again?” I asked as the tears began to pool once again.
“Mate…” Odin murmured with a hurt tone in his voice.
I turned around to face him and met his sincere eyes and was embraced with the warmth and love that they held towards me, the emotions that erupted from within me took me by surprise.
“You sicken me,” Svarog sputtered.
I glanced towards him to see that the change had finally completed, I sneered at the man as he struggled to climb to his feet, there was no love within me towards the person who helped give me life, just as I knew he held no affections towards his eldest daughter. I was meant to be blessed by the heavens and given to the wolves of Elaara as a gift, to grace them with divinity and prosperity and instead they spat on the gift from the gods and sunk it beneath the sea and granted it with eternal damnation.
“You’re the one with a tainted soul,” I said disgusted.
“Mate,” Odin said scolding.
“You’re done dirtying your hands,” Odin said reassuringly.
“But…” I started.
I couldn’t utter my words before Odin turned me around to face him and captured my lips with his own, his lips were warm and gentle as they distracted me from the world and the chaos that surrounded us and yet I couldn’t pull away. His hands roamed to the curve of my waist and held me to him so that I couldn’t escape. I could no longer see my father as my back was now turned to him and yet I couldn’t help but notice as Ure approached and pinned the man’s arms behind his back and forced him away from us.
“But, the battle,” I struggled to say against Odin’s lips.
“Their defeated,” Odin said as he growled annoyed at me.
He bit my bottom lip as a punishment for focusing on anything but him.
“Ouch,” I whimpered.
“Only look at me, Mate,” Odin said as he licked my bruised lip.