Forty Eight

By the time Ash and Camila had gone back home, dusk had already caught up with them. They had burned the entire Grey clan and thus couldn't succeed in bringing any of them to their side. They walked hand in hand, letting the silence around them occupy their minds, or maybe none of them was aware of the silence at all because of the numerous thoughts that had been flooding through their minds, making them sigh every now and then.

Ash still couldn't believe what had happened, and even though Camila had explained everything to him and told him about being her guardian angel, he had yet to accept all that. All his life, and that was until a few seconds ago, he had been nothing but a werewolf. He was a partial witch because of his mother, but that didn't have anything to do with him being some prophesied mythical creature.

Just like the Lycans, guardians were also believed to be myths. It had always been said that if any Lycans were to be found, they were to be killed as soon as possible because they were to take over the world and deprive everyone of their happiness. That wasn't true anyway, but no one was ready to say that. So if Lycan's were in danger, there was no way he, as the first guardian after a hundred years, could be safe. His life was now at risk, just as Camila's was.

"Ash, you need not dwell much on this. When we go home, we will ask your mother about all this; after all, she is a witch." Camila jarred him from his half-conscious state of mind.

"I don't know Mila. I am just confused. Maybe I need some rest," he sighed.

"It's all right, and if you want to know more about yourself, just tell me, and I'll take you to the library, okay?"

"Okay, but don't you think that's risky? I mean, won't people get suspicious when we go around looking for libraries with this kind of book?"

"I got us Ash," she smiled and pulled him to the couch. When I first came, I walked around this house wanting to know all its interiors, and that was when I pressed a small green switch on the door and this secret door opened. Although it seems like where we are standing below is the foundation on which this cave was built, that's not the case. Down there, there is a library twice as big as this living room with all the books about the prophets, Lycans, witches, guardians, and werewolves. To cut a long story short, the library is full of books about the supernatural. Books that you'll definitely not find anywhere in this world." She explained.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go right away." Ash responded, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him towards the place where Camila had pointed the switch.

"We need lights, Ash. It's dark down there. The bulbs are not working, and I don't know how to fix them," she sighed.

"It's alright. I've got us. Do you have some torches and a few extra bulbs? I'll go and fix them." He responded. Camila ran upstairs, where she grabbed a torch and some bulbs. She took Ash to the library downstairs, and after he had done fixing the new bulbs, she gave him the books he wanted and excused herself to go back upstairs, where she busied herself in making their dinner.

The timing was not on their side either, given that they were planning to go back home secretly. Walking in the kitchen, she wore her apron, cleaned her hands, and made a cup of coffee for Ash, which she took to him. She then went back to the kitchen, where she made some indomie with meatballs. Ash had suggested they shouldn't eat heavily because when they get home they will be forced to eat something as well, which will be rude if they say no to it.

Ash, can I ask for how many days we will be gone?" She asked later on, after she was done making dinner. She was preparing her clothes since she knew she wouldn't find any of her size back home.

"Not long, Mila. Don't forget that we have rogues to bring on our sides given that we have killed the thousand we have succeeded in getting." He reminded Camla of what had happened, getting her to chuckle.

"Well, we'll go for two days then because I am so sure your mother wouldn't like it if we went for a day. Don't forget tomorrow is your grandfather's death anniversary as well, so I am sure she would want us there." She reminded him.

"Right, my god, the way I hate those anniversaries." He sighed, closing the book he was reading, and walked towards Camila at the door.

"What is it?" She asked when he started getting touchy with her.

"Hug me, that's all." He murmured while hugging Camila from behind.

"Tired, huh?" Camila smirked, "Look, Ash, I know all of this will be confusing because it's something you have never expected, but don't worry, I am here with you, and we'll figure all this out together. Don't forget your mother is a great witch, even though she hides it, and I am sure she will be the one who will help us."

"Of course she will, but Camila, aren't you confused? What is true—what we have been told since we were young, or what is written in books?" He asked her after a while.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She turned to face him.

"The books say that I and you are the first species in this world after a hundred years and that we are supposed to save the world. What are we saving the world from? I think all this might be a lie. It's too much, Camila. I mean, we are about to save the world for something we don't know of." He shrugged.

"How can you say it's a lie, Ash? That's an abomination! Don't forget that those books were written by the messengers of the gods, unless you want to be cursed for doubting them." Camila warned him harshly while pressing her index finger on his lips to shut him down.

"That's not it, Camila, or you can at least ask me why I am saying this all of a sudden?" He gently removed Camila's finger from his lips and started to walk out of the library.

"What did you say then?" She asked while following him.

"I mean, don't forget that these messengers of the gods have written that a guardian and a Lycan are mates and are supposed to find each other when they are young. Isn't it ridiculous? Your mate is Alpha Killan, a pure-blood wolf, and my mate is Keziah, a pure-blood wolf. Or is there any chance that Killan is a guardian and Keziah is a Lycan and they don't know about it just like you and me had no idea about this?" he asked.

"Before I respond to your question, Ash, who is Keziah, when did you meet her, and how come I was never told about her?" She held her hips.

"Forget about Keziah because it's none of your business. Just answer my question." He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Camila stared at him for a while while nodding in agreement. She knitted her brows, played with her nose using her index finger, and, releasing a sigh, smacked her lips together. Chuckling, she licked her lips and raised her right brow. "Right, it's none of my business. And to answer your question: I don't know about that as well, but like I said, your mother will make us understand everything if she wants to." She shrugged and went upstairs.

"You kn…" Ash was about to say something, but Camila walked out of there and went back upstairs, where she said she would be packing their bags. Upstairs, Camila went to take a shower because she had packed their bag long ago. After she was done, she went to bed after making sure she had set the alarm, which was supposed to go off exactly at midnight. Downstairs, Ash was left having his dinner all alone.

"Mila," he called softly when he walked into their room, but she remained silent. Letting go of the thought of waking her up, he tucked her under the covers and retreated silently to the living room. Ash stayed for some time, switching from one channel to another. Bordom overpowered him, and he was left with no choice but to go to the library downstairs and try to uncover more of his species and origin. Everything Camila had revealed to him was the truth. He was indeed a mythical creature whose existence had been unknown for thousands of years.

He was indeed a Lycan's guardian; he was supposed to be a Lycan's teacher, and abandoning them or denying any Lycan his help would be an abomination. He was supposed to stand by his Lycan at all times, see her fighting and getting rid of all the evil alphas in the world, and be by her side when she is coronated as the leader of the people after she is done with her vengeance. He was to make sure that all the prophecies came true and that he would help her with everything she needed. He was to be her pillar.

What astonished him most and what had driven his sleep away was the clause that stated that guardians and Lycans were supposed to be mates. The books said that in case any foul play was to be done leading to the mate bond between a Lycan and a guardian being broken, the universe would always tear them apart from any relationship they were in and bring them back together so as to continue their real bond and bring their kind to the world. It was from them, the first mythical creatures to exist, that the entire clan of Lycans and guardians would be born again and take over what had belonged to them from the start.

"That must be the reason why Alpha Kilan suddenly banished Camila and why my mate rejected me. It was written that we were to get back together. But how? We aren't mates in the first place. Or is it that foul play was committed here? Is it true that Camila and I were separated? But who could have done this? No one knows about Camila being a Lycan and me being a guardian. Oh God, what is going on?"

Ash thought while raising himself from the chair he was sitting on. He walked to the window that overlooked nowhere and sat by it on the couch cropped against it. He sighed, sucking some air through his teeth as he let his mind wander around as he tried to figure out what was going on.

A thought rushed through his mind, and he sat upright, gently massaging his head. "What if us going back would create problems? I mean, are we doing a good thing by going back home? Of course I trust my parents and will not tell anyone about me and Camila being mythical creatures, but I can't trust my brother Kaden. Before I went out looking for Camila and met with the accident, I had witnessed how close he was getting toward Lakisha. I am so sure if he hears about this, which is obvious, he will; he won't hold this secret for long. He will go ahead and reveal everything to Lakisha, who will tell everything to Alpha Cameroon, and our plans will be hindered." He nodded, breaking from his thoughts.

The library door creaked open, and he noticed Camila walking in. She was already dressed up and had a small bag on her side. "We were to leave at midnight," she grumpily said, sparing him no glance.

"Ah, Mila, I think we shouldn't go. We are mythical creatures, and if we go home and reveal this to our father, it won't take long before everyone knows about it. Our plans will be hindered." He sighed while simultaneously signaling for Camila to go and sit beside him, but she sat somewhere else.

"So, what do we do? Shall I go back to sleep?" She asked, still sparing him no glance.

"Maybe we should get everything we want first, and then we shall go back home. And if you want to go back to bed, it's alright, but you should eat something. I know you might not be hungry, but what of the baby? You need to take good care of him given that we have no doctor with us here. I'll go and heat something for you," he suggested.

"There is no need. I can take care of everything by myself," she said, rising from the chair. She squeezed herself past him because he was already standing at the door and stomped upstairs, furiously banging the door behind her.

"Oh, God. What wrong have I done now?" Ash was left wondering on his own.