Letting go of a past

Victor POV - A few days later

It's been a few days since we woke up. Ayla spends some time normally awake, and that's when we explained to her about her sleepwalking. She understood and didn't mind, she was even excited to hear that she was recovering.

During this time, Ayla slept in various places, in the Garden in different flowers, in the Imperial bedroom, in my room and what Soren hated the most, in Ghost's room, but her favorite was the Hall of Thrones.

Apart from that, there were no more problems with our mate's aura, Ayla is very stable and healthy. Some Heads of Houses came to the Hall of Thrones to check on her and also assess her reaction to other auras, and everything went very well.

During the moments when Ayla is awake, we start her training with more powerful auras. At first, it was difficult, as she got tired very easily, but today she can already handle a full three-hour meeting.

I always find myself smiling as I watch her organize the wedding theme and have very concise opinions about what she wants and what she doesn't want. From the official colors to the decorations, seeing her decide these things is very satisfying, as she is gradually beginning to show leadership.

The last meeting was to decide who would be invited, which is why it took us a while to send out the invitations, but of course, informally all the races that had a consulate within the territory were already invited.

Many others sent emails and tried to call, but we didn't answer any of them, as this meeting was imperative. Ayla made a point of inviting the Wizards as well as the Red and Blue Fairies, as they were the Kingdoms we had problems with.

Of course, the date chosen should cause a bit of a stir, as some races, like the wizards, usually have their own festival, to try and collect as much divine power as possible. He smiles with satisfaction as everything unfolds.

"Um... A coin for your thoughts." Ayla said and climbed onto my lap.

I stroked her cheek and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm happy with all your developments," I answered truthfully.

The meeting hall was practically empty, with just Ghost and me there. Soren had already left for a meeting with Demitri, they were trying to find a solution to the Golden Oak.

"I'm much more confident," Ayla replied sincerely.

I gave her a light kiss on the forehead and hugged her tighter.

"Are you happy with how the wedding is going to turn out?" I asked and began to stroke her hair affectionately.

"Yes, I am, despite some arguments about the main colors, but I think in the end it will be very elegant and suit our personalities," Ayla replied.

I know the wedding isn't just Ayla's, it's mine and Soren's too, but we're happy to forgo that part, just to see our mate develop.

"You know, every time I wake up from my nap on the throne, I feel much stronger and more determined. It feels like something inside me is getting stronger." Ayla leaned her head on my shoulder. "At the same time, the need to feed on your blood is growing. I know that mustn't happen, and that's why I'm holding on."

I continued stroking her hair, waiting for her to finish venting.

"Sometimes it's too strong and that's why I prefer to stay away for a while or make an excuse to go somewhere else." Ayla sighed and watched her close her eyes. "Another time I feel the need to sleep as if I don't want to wake up anymore because I'm so tired."

I lowered my head and gave her another kiss on the forehead.

"There are a few moments when I hear a whisper, but I can never understand what it's saying, it's so low, and I get scared because it always happens out of the blue and in random situations." Ayla opened her eyes and our gazes met.

"Your spiritual side is waking up." "Whether it's the Lycan part or the Vampiric part. Precisely because you have two such strong vampire marks, this vampiric part was created... It was already in the making since Soren accepted you, and now it's only getting stronger."

I stroked the woman's face gently with just my fingertips and saw her shudder.

"That whisper is them getting stronger, and soon you'll find them and be able to talk to them," I explained calmly. "It's normal for your body to be experiencing so many different sensations. When you feel the urge to feed, it must be your strongest vampiric part, because when you turn, we'll have to feed it with our blood, otherwise you'll go into a state of Madness/Delirium."

Ayla listened carefully to my words, and I felt proud that she had understood everything.

"I'm afraid..." Ayla whispered and lowered her head. "That when these parts wake up, I won't be in control anymore, and I'll lose myself in their desires. That I won't be able to say no to them."

My mate's aura grew stronger, and her heart began to beat faster. "It will be difficult at first, but it's nothing you can't do. Remember, you were once a slave and your willpower is so great that you haven't uttered a sound for years." I spoke with conviction. I could feel her aura calming down and her heart returning to normal. "It's true, that part of my life feels like it was in another life. It's so far away that I hardly remember it. I know I shouldn't, but I prefer to think about now, about how you two helped me overcome those traumas and showed me this wonderful new world." Ayla smiled. "I'm happy about that, but you can't let the past fade away, because it's what shows you your strength and how much you've overcome. Even with our help, you could have been stuck in that apathy forever, because it could have been your decision. Neither Soren nor I would have forced you into anything." My tone is calm and concise. I love being able to be like this with my mate and explain everything, as I feel her feelings solidify even more. "Thank you for everything, Victor." Ayla closed her eyes again. "Sometimes I find myself thinking about the day you doubted me, I know it wasn't more than a few seconds, but it hurt me to know that you could think something like that about me." I kept quiet, still wanting to hear more about this outburst. I knew this subject was bound to come up. "It was as if all my history was for nothing and my evolution had been thrown in the garbage can." Ayla continued. "So I needed to prove that this wasn't true, and it was one of the factors why I tortured Klaus, not only because he deserved it, but also to make it clear that I wanted nothing to do with him." I sighed and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. "It wasn't rational what I felt, it was an involuntary reaction, I knew in the next instant that it was wrong, that you would never do something like that. But in my mind came the moment you cried when you thought he was dead." I tried to explain my line of reasoning as best I could. "I didn't cry for Klaus himself, but for Ghost, for my short history with them... for what I had felt when I met him. I cried for myself, for being naive... For taking on that part of me... For remembering how much I let myself be affected to the point of almost losing my second chance..." Ayla blurted out, and I saw a solitary tear run down her cheek. "Then I cried for being able to accept it all. For freeing myself from the last chains that bound me to him." Ayla opens her eyes. They're sparkling, like two precious stones, and so clear that I don't need to use our skills to know exactly what she's feeling. "I'm not perfect... I try not to make mistakes, but it happens. My only way of apologizing was with my actions." "Still, I know how much it means to hear those words. I apologize, my love, for doubting you and I promise never to make that mistake again." It's as if the elements have heard these statements, as the air around us changes, becoming lighter and much softer. My connection with Ayla grows stronger. It's like a tree that keeps growing and for the first time, its roots start to grow from the tiny seed it was.

*************

Note: Don't forget to like, comment and share the book! This really helps it grow on the platform