Once Aubrin hoists himself over the fence after previously helping me, he grabs my arm again and we start to run into the quickly darkening forest. Tree branches hit my face and I trip over multiple roots as I'm pulled towards a small, somewhat abandoned looking cottage.

"What is this place?" I look up at his red face while just barely panting my words out. He doesn't answer, just keeps walking and drags me inside. "Seriously dude!" I yank my arm away. "Tell me what's going on!"

I stare him down with as much intensity as I can muster. He looks down at me with a very intense look. "We don't have time right now!" He grabs at my arm again, but I pulled it away. "Tell. Me." My eyes grow dark and I stand up straighter, demanding his attention.

"Fine." He holds my hand firmly. "I'll tell you as soon as I'm sure we're safe." I calm down a little bit and let him lead me through the dark and dirty cottage. There's a small door that almost blends in with the wall at the end of the dank hallway.

I stare at it warily and my breath catches in my throat when Aubrin opens the door for me to find a completely dark room. "Walk forward and don't take your eyes off of me." I let out a laboured breath and walk into the room, never taking my eyes off of that gorgeous red hair.

I am startled when the lights turn on very sudden and very bright. It is completely barren with its off white wallpaper and falling apart fireplace; except for a metal hatch that has been uncovered by the dingy rug in the center of the room.

"We need to go down here." He opens the hatch with ease to reveal yet another dark hole except this time, with a ladder. He starts down the ladder swiftly and slides down the rest of the way, automatic lights illuminating as he touches ground.

"Come on down!" I'M not so sure about this...

I close the hatch and lock it before I start my way down. Not being used to physical labour, I find the short climb to be excruciatingly long. The first few pegs were easy, but as I continue down the weight of my body feels like too much and I fall down the rest of the way.

---

I wake up in Aubrin's warm embrace, My dark blue eyes meeting his pale brown-gold ones. I'M hit with a sharp pain in my neck and hold onto it tightly. "You're lucky I caught you, y'know." I laugh dryly and smile through my pain.

"There's no way that I could let my mate die" He lets out in almost a whisper.

"Wait. What did you just say?" I sit up in his lap suddenly. His cheeks are dusted a pale pink. "I said that I couldn't let my mate die." He puts his hand behind his head, nervously.

"How in the hell are we mates!? I barely even know you!" I stand up and back away a few steps. He stands up slowly. "I-it's very hard to explain."

"Then tell me dammit!" I get in his face and grab his shirt roughly. "I'll tell you! Just calm down and sit... please." His calm expression compels me to do so. When sat down I crossed my legs and let him tell me everything.

"I'll start from the beginning or rather, the beginning of the earth." I look at him quizzically. "Before the world, was the big, dark, vast emptiness called, Guingapap. To the north was the place of Niflheim. Very dark and cold, consisted of only ice, frost, and fog. To the south was Muspelheim. So hot it only consist of fire, lava, and smoke. The Fire Giant Sortr would become the ruler and live among the other fire giants and demons."

I adjust myself so i'm comfortable and continue to listen to his fantastic tale. "It's said that Nilfheim, a place in Hvergelmir, is where the cold rivers are from. Said to be the source of the Elven rivers. There are eleven of them. Hvergelmir was the origin of all existence and the place where all living being will go back.

In Niflheim there is also a place called, Eliuvager, meaning Ice waves. Those eleven rivers from Niflheim met with the lava from Guingapap, forming the rock that we walk upon today.

The ice that dripped formed the very first giant, Ymir. When he slept, the sweat from his armpits formed a male and female giant. The children were fed off of the family cow's milk, who ate from a block of salt.

One day, the cow was licking the salt block, an arm appeared. On the third day, a head appeared and out emerged a human... the first of the gods. Buri. He produced a son, Borr, who mated with Bestla, one of Ymir's descendants. From them came Odin and his two brothers, Vili and Ve. The brothers slew Ymir and fashioned the cosmos from his corpse.

Odin created the kingdom of Asgard and yet, was always known for wandering the world. He married an Aysynjur, or a Goddess in English. Her name was Frigg."

I stare at him with such disbelief and shock that I do not realize that I am staring at him. He snaps his fingers in my face and i am startled back into reality. "What does any of this... this... I don't even know have to do with us!?" I stand up suddenly and begin to pace around the cold room. "Just let me finish explaining! please..."

I stop pacing yet my heart feels as though it is about to burst from my chest. I look up at him with wide eyes and place my hand on his shoulder and whisper shakily. "Please, help me understand." I feel so scared... I don't know what I am. He puts his hand on mine and the other on my cheek. My face flushes and my knees fell week. "Then let me in." He kissed me lightly on the forehead and sat me back down gently.

"Our entire existence is because of the Aysnjur, Freyja." He says lowly. "She is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, and material possessions. Even the God Loki has accused her of sleeping with every god and elf... This is where we come in." I suck in a deep breath and begin to feel even more nervous than I did before.

"You see, Everything that he accused her of was true. She even bore a son. That son, was you." I bite my lip til it bled. "But,... How come I don't know about any of this?!" He soothingly rubs his thumb on my shoulder. "I'm getting to that... Your father is an elf. He fell in love with Freyja because she practiced seidr. At the time it was known as the most controlled form of Norse magic. She would often find pleasure in manipulating the desires, health, and well being of others, including your father. She was angry that he never took any especially romantic interest toward her. So, she used Seidr to lure him into her bed. You were the product of that.

Being as how elves are linked between the Aesir and Vanir gods it seemed only fitting that you be raised with the other elves instead of the gods. Unfortunately, you and your father were killed by another jealous elf that craved Freyjas' affection." I speak up. "Then, how am I alive?!" He keeps calm.

"You are not the original person that you once were. You are what you would call a reincarnation. It has been many eons since you were born. Now that you are much older, Me, Your mate is revealed to you. Your soul is not that of a human, soon your elf and god soul will become physically obvious." I didn't question it and but, I don't know everything that I need to.

"What are you then?"

"I am an elf. Actually, I am the current prince of the entire kingdom." He smiles and laughs nervously with a hand behind his head. "What the actual fuck?" I stare up at him confused. He looks confused at my rhetorical question but then continues with his explanation. "I'm not a reincarnation either, I am only a couple of centuries old."

"ONLY??" I screech out. "Yes, we don't die of old age." holy shit "Well, that explains a lot."

"Will you finally tell me your name now? I-I never knew more than your story. Nobody, not even Freyja, revealed your god given name." I can't keep it from him forever. It is not embarrassing I just hate being personal.

"It's Stormen."

"Absolutely fitting."

and his lips were on mine.