My Wild Beast

Nova sighed, her head dropping back as her state of mind fell away, the patterns flickering out of her sight, and found her head cradled in Yoa's palms. She relaxed further, staring up at his masculine beauty, feeling frail and beaten up like she'd done a few rounds with Aiyana, or a stampede had run over her.

Days had passed, and Nova had returned like she said, habitually at this point, to complete this task, and finally, after all the strain she was putting her body through to amplify the power within Tayun again, she was almost done.

She could tell that tomorrow was the final day. More life had returned to the island, or so she could tell from the patterns running along the ground. The ancients had also calmed down, all except for Akhlut. It wouldn't settle into the waters and seemed almost restless with its kills.

Yoa hadn't been called away by Tayun to push the creature back, though. Its victims… Vampiras. Had these ones also somehow escaped the cave, like the time she saw one at the Maw Feast? Since there had been no sightings of the creatures.

Nova also wondered why Tayun wasn't suddenly protecting them, but she was too tired to think about anything other than this final task.

"If your task is done, we should leave before they start to wake up," Aiyana informed them from the entryway. She was still alert while Atia leaned against the other side of the giant opening to the hidden gem location.

Atia yawned. "They haven't chased after us in the last few sunrises." He waved it off.

Aiyana frowned at him and went to smack him with her staff, but he caught it at the last second and held her gaze in a burning one of his own. Nova blinked slowly, looking between them. Had she missed something? Why was it so heated in here? Again, she dismissed it, aware she was probably missing social cues on stuff at the moment.

Her mind and body had been entirely focused on this task, and until it was complete, she hadn't taken much notice of the Tahraka pair.

"They seemed to have given up…" Nova murmured through a yawn, one that was definitely instigated by Atia's and her own fatigue.

Slowly, Yoa helped her up. Dizziness flickered across her mind, but she steadied herself. She didn't want to rely too much on him, but her mate would never dare allow her to walk the return journey, not now. He never did, and today she did not argue with him as he picked her up and allowed her to sit on his forearm, head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

"Vampiras never give up," Yoa answered. "Their thirst would never allow it."

Nova frowned as she felt her body vibrate with each step Yoa took, walking by the gem. She glanced at the creature that had curled tighter into a ball, and coiled back from them, unable to produce enough power to blast the others away like usual.

She never did understand why it never tried to attack her. Was it because she was not born on this island?

Nova's attention returned to the conversation as she was carried through the cave. Glancing up, she noted no bats, heard no scuttling sounds, or even a single ravenous vampira.

"Then it is suspicious… is it not?" Aiyana voiced Nova's thoughts as she gently swung her staff, body remaining tense, ready for an ambush.

Nova lifted her head, ignoring the heaviness of her eyelids and the darkness closing in around her. She should be alert in case those creatures try to attack them. The very thought of those flying rodents made her shiver with a chill creeping over her.

'Sleep.' Yoa's tender tone warmed her from within, the mind link rumbling in soft tunes. 'You have done more than enough for us, little mouse.'

Nova's lips curled at the nickname, and she nodded, knowing well this little party would be fine. And if they weren't, then perhaps Tayun would make her superhuman again and let her body fight the weirdos in her sleep, because would she really make much of a difference to these giants? Probably not. Would she still try to fight beside them? Absolutely, she hated the damned flying bats.

Yoa chuckled at her responding thoughts and didn't scold her for remaining awake for the first part of the journey. He knew she just wanted to make sure there was no ambush waiting for them. Fortunately, there was none.

Though their little group was still concerned, Atia was left pouting. It was apparent he counted on the ambush for a little bit of fun. It had been particularly boring for him and Aiyana for the last few sunrises. They enjoyed the fight like the crazy jaguars they were.

Honestly, she didn't know how she became such good friends with what society might have labelled as serial killers, but here, on Tayun, they were just doing some sort of pest control. Pest control on creatures that, if well-fed, or even at their lowest health, were still extremely powerful. She shuddered to think what might happen if they ever became free again.

That night, Nova and Yoa slept under the stars with the wind softly caressing their hair as they snuggled freely without any worries. The following day would be the last day to worry about Tayun dying and dark powers trying to spread along the island.

Their sleep was peaceful, but when that 'final day' came, something felt off. Nova couldn't shake off this strange feeling that something could go wrong. It settled in her gut while they broke their fast together. They were lounging along the decking, near the edge of the treehouse, where the netting was just beneath Yoa's feet, listening to the forest's calls, and talking among themselves.

That was when Yoa's head snapped up in the way it did whenever he was about to be called away.

Something was wrong.

Nova's foreboding feeling worsened as she watched her mate go still, dropping his coconut.

The red crashed into the gold of his eyes like waves into rocks as Yiska scented a raging fire in the jungle. It flashed through the bond, and Nova felt the sudden adrenaline rush, the alertness that overtook his body. She had to snap out of it.

"A fire?!" She frowned up at him, rising to her feet as his muscles trembled with the urgent need to shift, his eyes bright, locking into the distance, seeing past all the trees to where the danger lay.

Atia and Aiyana also shot to their feet. "A fire? Now?" Atia looked to the skies. It was mostly unheard of to happen naturally, and it certainly wasn't the right season now to have a wildfire. They were starting to head into their wet season.

Yoa narrowed his eyes, then lowered his eyes to find Nova's starry blue ones already settled on him, her expression determined. "Can you wait until I return?" He asked, feeling troubled, aware that it could take an entire day to finish this gruelling task Tayun had given his mate.

Nova's brows rose. She was surprised that her Serakai was still here. Usually, he'd shoot off by now, either commanding Atia or Aiyana to guard her. She bit her lip at his question. Could she wait?

The power thrumming in her veins was like an unsteady pulse, like it needed to be released. "I'm not sure," Nova whispered truthfully. "This power… It's like a mind of its own. I'm pretty sure it controls me more than the other way around…"

What would happen if she did hold off from using it?

Yoa read the question and concern in her gaze and nodded once. "Aiyana and Atia will assist you," he replied, the command in his tone rumbling without even glancing in their direction. "I will come for you when I can."

"Of course." Nova nodded. "Thank you for understanding, and please…" She reached for his hand, placing it between her small ones and squeezing gently. "Please be careful. Something doesn't feel right."

"You sense it too…" Yoa murmured, glancing to the sky like he was trying to detect the fate Solkara had woven for them today.

"Go," Nova urged after the jaguar splodges rippled along his skin, trying to push against it and follow his instinct and Tayun's call.

"I will hold off as long as I can," she added before his face rushed down to meet hers, and his lips crashed into hers in farewell before his body shuddered and he sprinted off the decking and shifted mid-leap, landing onto the tree trunk across from them and side-hopping from tree to tree, his claws clinging onto the bark. Each tree braced itself, then eased out a breath once he let go.

"Show off," Atia called out.

A loud jaguar's roar answered in the distance.

Nova smiled, but it gradually dropped as that feeling wouldn't budge. She couldn't tell him not to go, and he would never accept it if Atia offered to help. There shouldn't be a need to worry about Yoa, but she did, even when this dreaded feeling hadn't settled into her nerves.

They held off leaving the treehouse for another hour or so. Nova paced the length of it and climbed up the tree to help ease off the pent-up energy within her. Yet after a while, she couldn't stay any longer.

"Aiyana..!" She called out in desperation. The heat in her body was almost to the point of sweating.

The trio left the treehouse, all of them alert. Nova sheathed First Mark. She wouldn't ignore this feeling. No, in a place like Tayun, instincts were what kept you alive.

The scent of smoke burned in the air, but it was distant, on the other side of the island.

"It's too convenient…" Atia muttered, his bow half-drawn while he walked slightly off to the side of them.

"Yoa being called away?" Aiyana answered with a nod. "True, but Tayun wouldn't force this on Nova if it might cause harm to her or Yiska. No, we will be fine."

Nova felt a little comforted by Aiyana's words. She was right. Tayun wouldn't lead either of them away straight into danger… Although, technically, that was what Yoa did all the time. But this task was important. She had to complete the final patterns and restore the island's power.

"You're right… Everything will be fine…" Nova breathed out just as they arrived at the cave.

She instantly regretted her words.

Giant wings appeared out of nowhere, flashing in the stream of sunlight before the cave, with claws outstretched directly for Nova.

What the…?!

Atia's roar announced his outrage, his arrow slicing through the air before a loud thud landed into the earth.

"Nova!" Aiyana shouted out as a net shot out and yanked the feline back.

Nova swiped her blade out at the claw heading for her face, and a pained screech followed the line of blood on the golden skin. A harpy eagle shifted, leaping back until she stood tall, blocking the entrance to the cave, and held up her wounded hand into the light, concealing her face.

"My, I didn't expect that… then again… I didn't expect big boy over there either…" A chilling voice, one familiar and belonging to a woman who was meant to be dead, chuckled cruelly.

The fine hairs on the back of Nova's neck rose. Her jaw dropped. Literally dropped. It could have been on the ground for all she knew because this striking, lethal woman before her was somehow alive.

"Ixana," she breathed.