Twin Souls, Twin Worlds

An Explanation (A.K.A 'What's a Twin Soul, Anya?')

Anya turned to look at Anna as they left the building, her gaze firm.

 'An explanation, if you please. I will not allow Emma to be harmed in any way, not again. She is too important, both to my world and yours.'

 Anna blinked. This girl-child spoke with the authority of one who was high in command and used to being obeyed, most likely without question. 'Emma is Darius's one true Mate, Anya. My kind can only fall in love once, and once we do, we do everything we can to protect that person.'

 Anya tilted her head. 'Emma is human. She won't recognize the bond like you do.'

 'No, but if she agreed to it, then Darius would make her a wolf like us.'

 'And what if I said that I planned to take her back to my own world? That I thought she would be safer there than she would here?'

 Anna paled immediately, the blood draining from her face. 'You-you can't be serious! You would really do that? Take her from her friends and family?'

 'Her family either abandoned her or are dead. As for her friends, the ones she's closest to, I would take them with us.' Anya met her gaze firmly. 'I would do it in an instant if I thought she would let me, Anna. She's had enough heartbreak in her life already.' She hissed as her eyes flashed. 'And not just from her former husband, either.'

 'How do you know these things, Anya...? I don't understand...'

 'Surely you've heard of Twin Souls?' Anya's eyes widened when Anna shook her head. 'Silver Lady above! I'd have thought that your people would at the least know about that!'

 'Alpha Darius might, but I don't, Anya.'

 Anya sighed. 'A Twin Soul is exactly that. Two souls that are twins. It's just that they live in different worlds, which are also twins to each other. Your world is twinned with mine, and I am twinned with Emma. The instant I arrived here, I knew all of her memories, from the moment she was born. Our Twinning is what makes Emma a Weaver of Tales, too-it gives her a connection to my world that she wouldn't normally have.'

 'How is a Twin Soul made?'

 'I don't know. Something about being born under the same stars as each other.' Anya sighed in annoyance. 'Do you understand why I wish to keep her safe, now?'

 'Yes, I do.' Anna met her eyes firmly. 'And now I can honestly say that you and our Alpha, Darius, both want the same thing. For Emma to be happy. It's just your methods where you differ.'

 'What do you mean?'

 'Darius wishes for Emma to love him and depend on him, whereas you want her to stand on her own two feet at all times. In some ways, you are both right. Emma needs someone she can depend on, but she also needs to be able to take care of herself on her own. She is already taking steps towards that middle balance, I think.'

 Anya frowned as she thought this over. 'You are... right. Much as I hate to admit it, she does need someone who will help her when her memories take hold, as they often do. She needs someone who can pull her out of them as fast as possible, before they take over her mind.'

 Anna's eyes widened. 'Anya, just how badly has she been treated?! Please, you must tell me!'

 'I mustn't do anything!' Anya's eyes turned gold and silver again as the wind picked up around them. 'Be careful of your tone, wolf, for I will not stand for it! I am Queen of the Elves and Heir to the Throne of Ilonia, and I will not let any speak to me in that way, ever!'

 Anna's eyes widened as she scrambled back, Tom racing out to her as the tie in Anya's hair snapped, and the wind immediately caught and whirled it up into the air around them, the movements making it look like a whirlwind of gold.

 'I decide what to say and what not to say, not some wolf who knows not what she is doing! Emma's past is between her and me, no one else!' Anya snapped a hand out as the earth beneath them shuddered at the force of her anger, and screams sounded from inside the building as people scrambled for safety.

 Everyone, that is, except Emma. She came running out of the building, and when she saw Anya, she gasped. 'Anya! Please, you have to calm down!' Anya didn't hear her, however, and the storm continued to grow as earthquake after earthquake shook the ground beneath them.

 Emma took a deep breath and jumped into the whirlwind, desperately trying to reach Anya. Twigs and leaves pelted her, but she refused to give up, finally reaching the centre of the tempest to discover Anya with her hands raised over her head, her eyes no longer containing any hint of silver or her usual blue, but pure gold that shifted as if it were alive.

 Despite this disturbing sight, Emma didn't hesitate to jump to Anya and wrap her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

 'Anya, please, control your anger, before someone gets hurt. I know you're angry, but this isn't the way. You know that.'

 This time, her words filtered through, and Anya drew in a sharp breath as she struggled to drag her emotions back under control. The wind died down and the earthquakes stopped rumbling beneath them. Emma sighed in relief before pulling back. 'You ok now?' Anya nodded. 'All right. But you have to control it better than that, Anya. You can't let your temper get the better of you like that.'

 Anya nodded again, and then wrapped her arms around Emma tightly, making her cough in surprise. 'A-a little lighter on the hugs, please, Anya. You're a little on the strong side...' Anya let up, and Emma smiled as she hugged her back. 'That's better.'

 'Emma, I-'

 'Save it. I don't want to hear what you have to say.' Emma glared at Tom and Anna. 'I know full well that this is likely because of something that you said to her. I don't know what, and I'll find out tonight in my sleep anyway. That's the thing with Twin Souls-they transfer memories and information as they sleep. So I'll know exactly what's been going on by this time tomorrow morning.'

 Tom swallowed. 'I-I think that Darius wished to tell you himself, Emma.'

 'Tell Darius that while I may be staying in his home on his insistence, that doesn't mean he can order you to follow me, Tom. And if I make a decision, it will be based on all the facts that I have at that moment in time, nothing else.'

 She swept past them back into the building. 'And tell him that I already know exactly what he is, that I figured it out years ago!'