Chapter 92

chapter Ninety Two

*Ariya*

"Poison? Like it would kill them?" I asked.

"No. My understanding is that it would basically burn them or feel like they were drinking acid if they tried. Unless they hold on and keep going through that they will be fine." Ivan explained.

"Sounds pretty brutal but I'm kinda glad that no one is going to feed from you but me. But now I kinda feel bad for Caleb." I said.

"If he doesn't want them to feed from him, he'll tell them. But trust me, it's not like it's a major inconvenience on our side." Ivan laughed.

"Yeah I still don't understand that."

Ivan's wolf eyes flashed at me, "It's something that we need you guys to do otherwise it feels like our body is going to explode. It doesn't hurt us. It hurts humans, like Boss. But it doesn't hurt the Navi Wolves."

"But Caleb wasn't hurting the entire time I was with him."

"That's because he didn't bond with anyone yet. It doesn't hurt new wolves. You have to reach a certain age or bond before it starts to hurt."

"Certain age?"

"Yeah, Original Navi Wolves are the only ones that have that issue. When we reach a certain age, kind of like when you guys hit your prime you're supposed to turn, it happens to us. Or if we bond with someone and then don't get fed from for a while."

"You would be at that age, wouldn't you?"

Ivan nodded, "The first time, when I asked you to as myself, I needed you to."

My eyes started to change and I shook my head, trying to stay in control. Ivan lifted my head to his and kissed me softly. I relaxed instantly and rested my head against his chest. Ivan had his arms wrapped around me, holding me close. We hated the distance from each other. I wasn't sure if it was the mate bond, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be close to him.

"Ari, we should talk about the mate bond." Ivan said, softly.

"I want us to be able to communicate through our mind already. I would be able to talk to you when you left. I hate it when you go." I pouted.

Ivan laughed, "I hate leaving. But I am on the same page with you. Honestly, I wouldn't care if you lived in my head rent free. If you were always there. I miss you when I'm not with you."

"Can we do that?" I asked him, excited.

"I don't see why not. If we want to always have our mind connected, I'm sure we'd be able to. Except when I'm Justin, I think. I don't know how it will work like that." Ivan said.

"I worry about us being able to feel what the other feels though." I told him.

"The torture?" Ivan asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I don't want you to feel it. I don't want you to be in pain with me. All the good feelings, yes, but not the bad ones. I don't want you to go through that." I said, softly.

"I don't want you to go through it either, but after seeing Boss' ability, I know we aren't going to be able to escape from here very easily. Ari, I'm ok with feeling the fear and the pain. I'm not going to be ok about anything hurting you but I already feel that way. I'm not sure if it works in the same exact way though. I don't think it will debilitate me but if I could take some of the pain from you, maybe it won't be so hard on you?"

"Promise me if it's too much that we can cut the mind link until I'm healed. Promise me you won't be angry with me for cutting the mind link to protect you from the pain and promise me that if I cut it you won't force the link." I said, refusing to budge.

Ivan sighed, "I promise we can cut the link, but only if you promise to take as much as you need from me to heal quickly. I can't promise that I won't be angry but I will do my best not to be angry at you if you cut the link. I will promise not to force it if you cut it for that reason."

"Deal." I told him and saw him visibly relax.

"The ability part doesn't bother me but I don't think we should do it unless we talk about it or have trained with it a lot first. The last thing we need is one of us to be trying to rely on one of the abilities and the other is actively using it. I don't know exactly how it works but I'm guessing that only one of us can be using it at a time." Ivan said.

I nodded, "I agree, but I think we need to work on trying to figure it out sooner than later. We don't know what Boss has planned exactly and we need to be prepared. As for the aging part, I think we both already knew about that so that doesn't bother me."

Ivan smiled, "I agree, that's just what we're used to. Besides, it means that I get you all to myself for as long as we both live."

"That only leaves 2 more things. I worry about the visible marks. I'm not worried about the marks on me because Boss won't even really know. But I worry about you. If Boss or anyone sees it, you're going to get caught and I'm not going to be ok with that." I said, worried.

"I have a feeling the marks will be like my hair, Ari. Even still, I can probably just pretend it's a tattoo. I doubt that they'll notice. But I will let you know if I feel something even slightly off if they do see it. But they shouldn't."

"Ok." I said.

I was still a little concerned. We didn't know what the marks would even look like but Ivan didn't seem worried about it at all. I thought about all the time that I'd spent with him as Justin and never once did I see Justin injured or his clothes ripped. I relaxed when I thought about it. Ivan was strong and by default that made Justin strong. If we trained together I had a feeling it would only make him stronger.

"I guess that brings us to the elephant in the room. The actual act of completing the mate bond." Ivan said.

"Have you thought about it?" I asked him.

Ivan laughed, "Princess, if you haven't been able to tell already, I've thought about it many times."

I giggled thinking back, "It's kinda hard not to notice. No pun intended."

Ivan blushed, "Sorry. I can't necessarily stop it from happening sometimes. But Ari, you need to know, it will be my first time."

I gawked at him, "Wait really? I would have thought that. Sorry. Um"

Ivan laughed, "Don't apologize, princess. I get it. We were kids when we were separated and when I infiltrated I was only focused on that. I never really talked to anyone. No one here is my friend. The only people that ever got more than 1 word answers out of me was Boss and you. It wasn't something I ever thought of. When I met you again I did but I never acted on it towards you as you know. I was sent in on a mission by Drake. I don't think he did it on purpose but my only focus was that."

I blushed, "I get that. I was the same way. I never looked at Caleb in a romantic way. He was always a friend but when we were all separated it was like we all had to grow up overnight and Caleb took on a Guardian role for me instantly. He was basically a parental figure for me. I think we were all just focused on surviving whether we realized it or not. I think when Drake locked our memories he didn't take the emotion part away. So our last emotion was survival. I knew I was a Navi but I didn't know all the details of everything."

"So everyday you were in survival mode. Trying to hide who you were. Trying not to get caught?" Ivan asked, the concern evident on his face.

"Yeah. So it's the same for me. This will be my first time. I'm glad though. I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else. I trust you and I love you. You're the one I want to be with, Ivan." I told him.

Ivan's lips crashed into mine as he kissed me passionately. I could tell that he was trying to convey his feelings to me. That this was his way of saying ditto. When he pulled back from the kiss his eyes were glowing his wolf's blue. My blue.

"Are you sure this is what you want, princess?" Ivan asked me, out of breath from the kiss.

I nodded, "Are you?"