It Is You I Have Loved

Chapter 16

A few minutes later, Alastor was rolling a large boulder away from the mouth of a cave. 

"Will this due?" He asked the maiden who was anxiously watching the sunset.

"It's perfect." She said. "It just needs some homey touches."

"Such as?"

She pulled a tremendous slab of bark off a nearby tree with just bare hands, once again surprising Alastor and now Angel with her strength.

"A door." She said in reply to the question. "Well gentlemen I bid thee goodnight."

She adjusted the bark to the cave entrance and stepped inside. 

"Do you want us in there with you?" Angel asked.

"No! Only Vaggie is allowed in here!" She said slamming the door.

"Really Angel, where is your sense of respect and decency?" Alastor said. "A gentleman never shares sleeping quarters with a lady."

"Cut me some slack, I haven't been around the fairer sex since my Ma and sister." He turned to Vaggie. "What about you sweet wings, you turning in early? Or are you going to stay up late with the big boys?"

"I'm sorry but who are you again?" She asked.

"Wait, you mean you don't remember trying to make a move on me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Back at the castle. You were ready to choose me to be your life mate."

"I was?!" She cried out in disgust. "Eww! Oh God, the collar must've made me very desperate!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Angel asked.

"No offense, but in my previous state of mind I would have gone after anything  that was male and  built somewhat close to my species. Hell, I would have mated with a common cockroach or even an earth worm."

"Are you saying that a female would only want me if she was in a primal state?"

"I can't speak for all females but I know that's the only way I would ever want you."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You're too cocky and full of yourself for my liking, also you run your mouth way too much."

"Excuse me?!"

Alastor bit back a laugh.

"Now wait a just minute-"

"Sorry but I must now watch over my princess and ensure nothing harms her while she sleeps, and you two better not try creeping in on her or me."

"Oh don't flatter yourself!"

Vaggie then turned to her heels and entered the cave. 

"What a couple of ingrates!" Angel scoffed. "We save them from a prison and they insult us."

"Yeah well that's how it is Angel." Alastor sighed in acceptance. "We could save someone from death and they'd still treat us like dirt. Best to get used to it as soon as possible."

With that said, the duo decided to gather up some wood while it was still daylight and by the time night rolled around, they were on their backs around a campfire and gazing up at the stars. This was a common activity for Alastor when he was a boy. Nearly every Summer, he and his mother would go outside after dark and just admire the stars. She'd hold him in her lap and tech him all about the constellations. Some that weren't even known by scholars. 

"That one over there is called Lakota and that's his brother Matwau." Alastor explained. "They say that they were the first of my kind and that they were originally human but when conquistadors  invaded their tribe they went to a shaman and asked him for the strength to defend their people. To do so, they had to give up their humanity and become an entirely different species. They devoured many conquistadors and those who were spared fled in fear. But Matwau loved the power that came from his new form and he turned on his own people. Eating them or changing them into wendigos that would serve him."