Layahla

Please note the story has angst and hurt/comfort, it gets rough and might have triggers from abuse and there is a chapter depicting rape, so if you are looking for sunshine and flowers this ride has that mixed in with monsters and mayhem! Fair warning! Do not read if ANGST is not in your cup of teas. However I am a fun Author and you will have good times here. Don't be fooled by the gentle opening, it gets rollercoaster-y really fast 😎. Any and all sexual themes are 18 yo characters and up. In the Shashiva (the name of their species) world you are allowed to make your own decisions/seen as an adult at 19yo. So if they are being called a kid/child, it's a youth reference and not an underage reference.

Also hello my new precious readers. Welcome to the gorgeous gummy bear club. We talk around here 👀 But also I still adore all you silent lurkey lurkers who spam the love button*forehead kisses*. Don't be ashamed to be yourself in the comments, we have fun here ❤️

Prologue

"Will you come? Why wait here for a fleeting bolt of lightning when all you need is here on the ground? Come be with me, join my family, and create a new family with me."

Amethyst and silver eyes reflected the blazing fire in the hearth as a soft sigh escaped her plush berry lips.

"You've written to me for so long. At first I thought it unwise to humor you, but the longer you wrote, the more I came to realize my loneliness has grown as vast as the sky."

"Loneliness is optional in your case. Why wait for a dream when I can spin you a reality equal to your hopes?"

"Your confidence astounds me, your honesty makes me smile, your perseverance makes my heart warm for you. Life is complicated for us both, isn't it? Why put ourselves through more?"

"Do you think waiting here until you wither is the better choice?" Your child may never know his father, and I cannot say I can or will offer him fondness. I am merely a man who knows my own nature, but for you, I'll do what I can."

"You are a complicated creature. You are so true to your word and resolve, but you have a hardened heart. I see the potential for love beneath that stone. I almost wish to make it a project, the task of melting the coldness there."

"If this warmth I feel in your presence is an indication, then your task isn't impossible. To do it, though, you have to say yes." A broad and built frame came closer to the brown beauty, her teal hair waving down her short and rounded frame. "I've felt nothing in my heart for years; you changed that. I think of you endlessly. Titles won't be relevant, no one will bother us about them. Just be you, and it'll work itself out."

Two-toned eyes shimmered with emotions, glancing up at the pools of melted gold that always looked bleak. What a sad and miserable expression, but was hers any less sorrowful? Perhaps she could not solve her sorrows, but she could try to bury them and move on.

"My son is my everything, you understand? He's all I have left of many things. He will always be first. I know I can only ask that you treat him kindly."

"I would do nothing to earn your hate. Life has not made me a loving man, but I'm dutiful and faithful. You'll want for nothing."

"Not even love?"

Silence blanketed the small house. Finally, the stern-faced man answered. "I don't know if I understand love anymore, but whatever I have left, I'll give it to you."

A smile graced soft lips. "I suppose that's all I can ask the Gods for; after all, a sinner cannot ponder their choices."

✧✧✧✧

The cold and rainy night carried the sound of the lone carriage rolling over the soaked cobblestone in a rhythmic trail, blending in with the soft patter of rain. Black and cloudy skies blended with the wispy gray clouds that released the cold downpour upon the secluded little city. Late at night, only a few people walked along the safety of overhanging roofs to avoid the dreary rain. A woman glanced out of the window, her cerulean-blue toned hair reflecting back off of the steamed glass. This would be their new home, the place they would try to start fresh, the place where nothing could follow them, a place where her son could have a chance to live his own life. She owed him that much, he'd been alone too long already.

She glanced to her right, soft eyes full of love looking upon the small bundle who curled up beneath a blanket, a silver tail tucked snugly around him as he slumbered peacefully, the lull of the vehicle putting him to sleep earlier in their trip. They traveled for a long time, the first part of their journey was already long and tiring. Leaving in secrecy was no easy feat.

She stroked the silky, silver strands atop her son's head. Everything would be fine now, they were safe, he was safe, and soon they would have a new family and a new life. She glanced up at the dark cast of a grandeur building, its frame standing high above anything in the city. The beauty of the golden castle painted an ethereal backdrop, but nothing that left her in awe; she'd had enough of such sights in her life.

Soon, however, the buildings disappeared, and another came into view. The manor was mostly pale blue, but it melded with a light wash of gray with silver trim. It spoke of royalty and stature, though the design clearly showed the owner preferred things in the old style. She smiled as it came fully into view—they were finally home.

Impatiently, she threw open the doors herself, just as the doors of the manor opened and a tall, imposing figure stepped out, golden eyes and hair shining from the cast of light illuminating the house. His eyes looked cold and distant, the healed scar stretching from chin to eye giving him an almost ominous look in the dark night. She knew differently, though, she knew what really lay behind those eyes that held such hardness. She paid little attention to the rain, stepping down from the carriage's chambers to quickly run and embrace him, paying no attention to any splashes of water her feet kicked up. It felt good to feel a sense of love again and the warm embrace of a person she looked forward to seeing.

The man embraced her, his large frame encompassing hers in warmth in the cold night, his face impassive, but his eyes and tone told a different story once they looked at her. "I did not want you to travel in the weather, Layahla. Another day would not have made a difference."

Layahla tilted her head back, her pinkish brown lips set into a smile, and her dual colored eyes crinkled with mirth. "I know Phillius, but Naki was beginning to get restless, and I thought it best to travel while he slept. The journey has been hard on him, and I wanted us to get to our new home as soon as possible." The soft yellow light lit her milky-tawn skin as she stepped away from the arms of her lover and gently called to the carriage. "Naki, sweetie, come to me. We are finally home."

A shuffling came from within the carriage, and a small head peeked its way around the door, small ears twitching atop a shining, silver head as stray raindrops fell upon them. The head quickly disappeared and reemerged, attached to a little body covered by a blanket. "Mwommy iwits wet!" Naki was still learning to properly pronounce his words. The small child gingerly climbed to the step before taking what seemed like a big leap to him, down to the ground. He ran quickly to the safety of the covered porch.

Layahla opened her arms to him, embracing him in her arms as she crouched down to meet him. "Naki, say hello to Phillius. You remember him, don't you?"

"Hwello," he meekly answered in return because his mom said so, before snuggling into his mother.

"Ah yes, Naki... Well, dearest, please come inside. I won't let you catch a cold. Naki, you come along as well and mind your mother. Don't drag your blanket, it will become filthy, and it'll have to stay outside."

Phillius' big hands and broad shoulders pushed open the large double doors, revealing a warm glow littered with blues, gold, and white. Inside, two young boys waited, one a bit older and tall for his age. He sported a dark blue ponytail, a light tan complexion, and intelligent, mossy green eyes. The other was obviously younger, with hair and eye color that matched his father's, though his complexion was bronze in tone, unlike his pale father. The younger boy held onto his brother's clothing, wearily looking back at the two who had just entered.

"Layahla, you remember my boys, Rafeo and Aiden, boys greet Lady Layahla properly."

"Hello, Lady Layahla," Aiden, the younger one, said shyly with a dip of his sun-kissed, curly head.

"Good evening, my lady," Rafeo said, followed by a curt bow.

"Boys, this is Naki, Lady Layahla's son. I expect you all to get along well. He is soon to be your new step brother after all." Phillius' stern tone didn't change as he spoke to the boys while moving towards his lover.

"Hello, Naki," Rafeo offered, a smile touching his face as he extended his arm to the younger child, his dark blue locks trailing over his shoulder as he leaned down to take the other's hand. "You must be sleepy, come with me and Aiden and I will get you settled in. Don't worry, we have lots of blankets, but I bet this one is your favorite. You can bring it with you."

Layahla curtsied to the boys after they acquainted themselves with Naki. "Hello again, boys. Please don't worry about calling me mother or anything of that nature until you ever feel comfortable. I know this is a new situation for all of us, but please feel comfortable with me. I know it'll take some time, but take all the time you need. Naki, go along with Rafeo and Aiden, and I'll be in to kiss you goodnight in a moment. It's very late, this home has a new bed just for you."

Naki looked back at his mother. He liked sleeping with her. She said he did sleep a bit wild, so maybe she wanted him to be a big boy and sleep by himself. Naki followed behind other boys as he was told; he was never a rebellious child. He disappeared down the hall with the two he'd only just met. When he entered the room they guided him to, he jumped as the door slammed behind him, and he turned to see Rafeo giving him a less than pleased look.

"Listen up, runt, this is our home, and if you try to take over with your cute looks, we will make your life a living hell. Do you get it?"

Naki's silver eyes with their amethyst center widened, confusion seeping into them as Aiden leaned against the window, giving him an equally nasty look. "I think he's too stupid to understand, brother. Did you hear him talk? He can't even say hello."

"Well, he better start to comprehend," Rafeo said with one more hard look, a look too harsh for a boy, before he and his brother began to leave the room, "or he won't last here long."

Naki stood alone in the big room, its scenery was unfamiliar and cold to him. His head bent, ears plastered to his head as tears swelled to the corner of his eyes. He glanced out the window at the storm outside, his sandy-brown face reflecting back in a crack of lightning.

"Stuwpid gwuys," he said with a small sob at the sudden scary boys and loniness, "twis isn't mwy hwome... I don't wanna bwe hwere nweither."

A/N: To save you confusion, the story starts off when some of the main characters are young and they are young for about three chapters as a back plot. Naki is just speaking like a young child. It's only this one part. Trust me, buckle that seatbelt.