Enchanter

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Stepping up to the roses, Anton sliced his hand along his scar and bled onto the rose that was as red as blood. Once again, all colors began to fade from the roses, and the colors absorbed itself into a single rose that grew ten times in size until Bleeding Rosebud popped out.

"Well, well, well," she tsked. "Right on time. I must say, I am very impressed."

"Just as you said, ma'am," Anton assured. Stepping up to her, he asked, "Did you find a way?"

"Of course I found a way, you fool," she hmphed. "There is a reason why I am the best."

"Because you're full of yourself?" Raven deadpanned. Everyone shot their faces at her and glared, but she stood her ground and shrugged.

Bleeding Rosebud began to laugh whole-heartedly and nodded. "Very true, my dear. Confidence is a key factor. When you are confident in what you do, there is plenty of room for failure, but you are aware of it, so it does not hold you back. If I were not confident in my abilities, how else would I become the witch everyone dares to find?"

Clapping her hands, a book fell from the sky and into her arms. "Alright, let's begin. I need a safe space where I will be able to work," she demanded.

"I know a place," Anton began, and he led her up to the secret side room in Aaric's bedroom.

"Yes, this will do. I will need a few hours alone, if you do not mind," she instructed and kicked them out. "Come back at five o'clock, dearies, and the two of you will be unlatched in no time at all."

^^^

Aaric stared at his mate on the back patio. Anton stared outside at the trees, facing away from everyone, trapped in his own thoughts. No one seemed to be able to talk to him. It was almost as though he was completely turned off.

"Is he normally like this?" Robin questioned.

"I've only known him for a few days out of the past month, but he only gets like this when he's really depressed," Aaric responded.

"He's probably just worried about what life is going to be like once Azalea is no longer in it," Raven explained as she walked out to the back porch. She leaned against the wall and sighed. "Once they're unlatched, it will become near impossible for them to ever see each other again. They're dimensions apart. It's like Romeo and Juliet."

"I don't think it's anything like Romeo and Juliet," Robin commented.

"Mid-Summer Night's Dream?"

"No," Robin and Aaric exclaimed.

"Then what Poe poem is it?"

"That is not Poe," Aaric snickered.

"I mean, you're a Poe poem. The Raven," Robin smirked.

"No, you're thinking of Shakespeare," she stated before walking up to Anton.

'I know it will be hard, but it'll be worth it in the end. Sometimes you have to say goodbye in order to say hello,' Azalea said, her voice soft. 'I will never forget you.'

'And I will never forget you. I will find a way to see you, I promise. Even if it's not physically, I will find a way to communicate with you. I will not let this be the end of us,' he stated.

'But what if it is?'

"Anton?" Raven whispered, slowly rubbing his shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"Not good," he admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled, but...I'm scared. I don't want to lose Azalea." He could feel her arms wrap around his soul, and he wrapped his arms back around himself. "I grew up with her. I can't just say goodbye when I know she is still alive out there. That kills me inside."

"Maybe a run will help you out," she suggested. "We'll go for a small chase through the woods and clear our minds. It's been far too long since you've let your wolf out. Surely he is growing anxious."

Anton admitted it was true. When he let his wolf out during the attack a few days ago, he felt alive, and when he had to put his wolf back inside its cage, he felt trapped. He needed to be let out, to feel at ease with everything going on.

Taking a charge for the woods, Anton ripped his shirt off and began to run before shifting. Aaric, quick on his feet, quickly followed, and when Raven transformed to fly along, Robin shifted as well. They all charged through the woods, attempting to keep up with Anton. Due to his small size, it wasn't hard to catch him.

The size was quite shocking to Aaric. He always assumed his mate's wolf would be larger than he was. But what he lacked in strength, he made up for in power. Nothing about his small size could possibly hold Anton back from strangling someone with one look in his eyes.

Unaware to them all, eyes were watching. While Aaric was sure he could feel something sinister in the forest, he was unable to sense the rogues watching over them. Smiling crooked wolf grins, the rogues were prepared to fight that night, as they all finally knew that the black wolf was real.

Sitting on the edge of the river, Anton looked at his reflection, only to see Azalea's sorrowful face flash a pitiful smile his way. He backed away from her, placing his chin on his front paws as he sulked.

Aaric walked up to Anton, nudging him with his nose. 'What's wrong, baby?' he questioned.

'I don't want Azalea to be away from me. She's about to leave my life for good, and I don't want her to. I'm not ready to say goodbye.'

'Neither am I,' she spoke. 'I don't want to be away from you either, but we both know it's for the best. You need to be away from me in order to thrive, and I know you will unlock all of your powers this way.'

'I know,' he sulked.

As painful as it was for Aaric to watch his mate suffer, he knew he needed for them to be unlatched from one another. It would be the key to unlocking something great for, not only him and his mate, but for Azalea as well. He didn't want for Anton to suffer, but he understood that the two needed to be separated, and he knew that both Anton and Azalea knew so as well.

'Come on,' he gently nudged, 'let's go unlatch you two.'