The dress Mina was wearing only reached to just under her knees, allowing her to move fast. Magic crystals hung from trees all around the island, and their soft lighting let Mina see where she was going. She jumped over rocks and branches, sprinting deep into the forest. Jayden had assured her that only herbivorous animals lived on the island. Many generations ago, during a Trial of the Land, the Andarra of that time got hurt by a shadowbeast. After that, all predator animals on the island were hunted and killed.
The black wolf, which Jayden could morph into, was chasing her. She could feel him nipping at her heels. In his wolf form, Jayden was faster than any other ocxoa she had seen—she often watched Jayden and others hunting in the forest close to the Stone Tribe. His wolf was magnificent. His fur was ink-black, and his sharp canines were as long as those of a shadowbeast.
A branch spanned behind her, and her heart raced in her chest as she forced herself to run faster. She took twists and turns, hoping to mislead Jayden—if she felt him on her right, she would go to the left; if he was left to her, she would turn right, and so on. He had never told her what happened during the Trials of the Land, and she was nervous with excitement.
Except for her labored breath, the forest was utterly silent—as if it had forgotten everything else while watching Mina and Jayden.
Mina looked for a place to hide. She wasn't sure if it would work since Jayden could smell her scent, but she needed to rest. The air was sticky with humidity, and Mina wondered if it would rain again. It was common during that time of the year for rain to fall frequently on the island.
Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by thunder.
Mina jumped over another branch and wondered why Jayden hadn't caught up with her. She was not a fast runner. While she ran with Rona for an hour or two around the Stone Tribe, she was still slower than an ocxoa child.
Big drops of water fell from the sky, and Mina wondered if she could find shelter nearby. Howls sounded far away, and she was starting to believe Jayden was playing with her. Of course, she could be wrong, but it was impossible for Jayden not to have caught up with her by then.
A rocky hill appeared in front of her, and she thought she spotted a cave on top of it. She had always been good at climbing, especially trees, and she was sure a hill would be easier. The rain kept pouring from the sky, and she was shivering with cold. She wished she had the cloak with her. Or a proper dress. Or at least undergarments.
Moss covered the rocks, and Mina was almost at the top of the hill when she slipped on it. She tried to grab onto something, to steady herself, but the rain made everything slick, and she ended up rolling her way down.
A few rocks later, Jayden materialized out of thin air, scoping her up. "Are you alright?" he asked as his eyes scanned her face for any cuts.
Mina bit her lip. "I think I might have hit my head on a rock. And I am sure I have a bruised rib."
Jayden clenched his jaw and rushed to the cave Mina wanted to reach before she slipped on the moss. It was dark inside, but Jayden seemed to have no problem navigating through a tunnel leading to a small chamber. An old tree log was near one of the walls, and Jayden helped Mina sit on it. Then he searched her body for wounds. Most of the paint covering Mina's body had been washed away by the heavy rain. Except for a bump on her head and a dull ache in her left ribs, Mina had no other wounds.
When her eyes adjusted to see in the dark, she noticed Jayden was naked. "What happened to your clothes?" she asked while wrapping her arms around her torso. She was so cold she was shivering.
"When I am in an ethereal form, I don't need them, so they disappear." He shrugged. "Or I lose them; I am not sure. In any case, I need to imagine myself being dressed before I turn back into my human form, or else I end up being naked. Wait here!"
"Where are you going?" Mina asked fast, scared he would turn into a black mist and disappear.
"To bring wood and some healing plants. I wasn't counting on it to rain tonight. I should have listened to the Lady when she warned me," Jayden replied before leaving the cave in a blur.
Mina wasn't sure how long Jayden would be gone and decided to walk around to keep herself warm. When she tried to stand, pain shot through her left ankle. She bit her lip, let out a few curses, and removed the soft shoes Jayden bought for her to wear on their mating night. Most times, she wore boots, and she regretted not doing so, but the ocxoa females that prepared her insisted they would not look good with the dress. She massaged her ankle and hoped she and Jayden would not have to stop the Trials of the Land because of her clumsiness.
Mina stared at the tunnel that led outside while running her palms up and down her arms, praying Jayden would return quickly. Time passed slowly, minutes stretching out like hours.
It felt like an eternity before Jayden returned with two satchels and an iron tripod. To Mina's relief, he was wearing a pair of pants. He removed her dress before wrapping a blanket around her. After that, he placed a few magic crystals around the tree log and built a small fire. When a kettle hung from the tripod above the fire, Jayden finally sat next to Mina. He was silent while looking for something in one of the satchels. His shoulders were tense, and his teeth clenched hard.
Mina fidgeted with the blanket. Jayden had waited anxiously for the Trials of the Land, and now he was upset. If only she had not wanted to climb the hill in the first place and kept running, she would not have had a sprained ankle.
Jayden added healing plants to the boiling water before pouring tea into a cup and offering it to Mina. She accepted it gladly, wrapped her fingers around it, and blew on the tea to cool it while Jayden stared at her left leg, his brows knitted.
Her shoulders dropped, and she put the cup on her knees. "I don't think I can run anymore. I might have twisted my ankle on the moss." She bit her lip. "I am sorry for ruining this."
"Mina," Jayden breathed and gently lifted her foot and put it in his lap. "You didn't ruin anything. Moments like these make me wish I could also heal, not only destroy," he said while applying pressure across her ligaments. "Drink your tea." Mina put the cup against her lips and stared into Jayden's eyes as she sipped from it. "The Trials of the Land are not only about running. That part was only to excite you. Arouse you even. Of course, the rain had to happen and ruin my plans."
"Oh!" Jayden kept working on her ankle while she thought. "So what happens now?" asked Mina.
Jayden shrugged. "Each Trial is different, depending on the couple. It is the male's choice of what happens on this night. How he proves himself to his mate. For now, I will take care of you, and when you are better, I want to show you something. If the rain stops."
Mina fell silent while she finished her tea, then put the empty cup down next to her. Jayden filled it up before giving it back to Mina.
"And if it does not stop?" asked Mina.
Jayden looked around the cave. "This was not what I had in mind when I planned this night. But it will have to do." His eyes fell on hers. "Before I take you to the Crystal Cave, I will show you what life with me will be like. What you mean to me. I am also supposed to win your heart, but..." He cleared his throat. "I can't demand you love me when I can't reciprocate the feelings. One day, when we are far away from this, and my heart is healed—"
"I'll wait," Mina interrupted him.
Jayden nodded and kissed her forehead.
By the time the rain stopped, Mina was almost healed, and her dress was dry. Jayden cleaned the remaining paint off her body before helping Mina dress. She put on her shoes and stood. To her relief, her ankle was better, and she could walk. Jayden turned into his wolf form, and when he signaled Mina to get on her back, she did not let his big size or razor-sharp claws intimidate her. She walked up to him and stroked his head. When he licked her fingers, she laughed and put the blanket over her shoulders before getting on his back. She circled his muscular neck with her arms, and he darted out of the cave.
Jayden ran fast, the trees were a blur around them, and she buried her face in his warm fur. Even as a wolf, Jayden smelled like pines. When he stopped, Mina lifted her head and looked around.
Her jaw fell open.
Wild lilies, violets, and other flowers covered the ground. Birds sang in the trees while butterflies with multicolored wings danced in the air. Mina could not take her eyes off the butterflies. When magic dust fell off their wings, a small rainbow appeared, and she looked closer and realized they were—
Jayden turned into his human form and stood behind Mina, and placed his palms on Mina's shoulders. She leaned on his chest. "What do you think?" Jayden asked.
—pixies.
Mina could not take her eyes off the small pixies. "I thought they were a myth."
"From what I know, they only live on this island. The Lady created them."
Some pixies noticed Mina, and they flew around her and Jayden before rushing to pick up flowers and make a garland necklace. More pixies joined them, and Mina watched, fascinated by how fast they worked. When they finished, they placed the garland around Mina's neck.
Jayden nuzzled her cheek. "This is how you always smell, like violets, lilies, and other flowers." He inhaled deeply. "I can't get enough of your scent."
Mina turned around and looked at Jayden. He gazed at her with blue eyes full of emotions before kissing her. When he lifted his head, his eyes glowed gold. She placed a palm on his chest and frowned. "You are missing your pants."
Jayden chuckled. "My clothes seem to disappear when I change forms. Besides, I am too distracted by your beauty to think about pants, shirts, and other things. And when we finally get to the Crystal Cave, we will be naked anyway. So why bother?"
Mina shook her head while trying to hide her smile.
The pixies grabbed Mina's attention again and pointed with their tiny hands at something far in the forest. "Do you want me to come with you?" asked Mina, and the pixies nodded before flying away. "Wait up!" Mina shouted, but they had already disappeared between the trees.