Enigma novel Chapter 1

Amara and Steven waited by the dining table with their children for their eldest daughter to descend the stairs so they can surprise her. Arabella was turning ten today. It was especially a special day for Amara as she was about to introduce Arabella to her extended family.

Arabella descended the stairs in almost a sprint and the chorus of happy birthday started immediately.

Little Elliot and Eros were clapping ferociously in excitement. Valentina and Elizabeth were trying to take a sneak at the cake in the midst of the distraction and the twins, Benjamin and Ethan were beaming and singing loudly to their sister who was turning red with embarrassment every passing second.

“Come on pumpkin. Blow the candles already.” Steven teased Arabella.

“Yeah Aria. I want to eat the cake.” Elizabeth exclaimed.

There was a little bit of drool visible on the side of her lips.

“Don’t drool on the cake Betty.” Ethan said with a look of disgust on his face.

“But I am hungry and I can have all the cake if I drool over it.”

“Betty it’s your sister’s birthday. Let her at least cut the cake before you try to inhale it whole.” Amara signed shaking her head.

She swatted Valentina’s hand as it reached the cake making the six year old pout.

Arabella shyly walked towards the head of the table and blew the candles. She cut the cake as the house rang with the birthday song again.

“Kids get your bags or you will be late for school.” Amara told her children once the celebration came to an end. “Steven please drop them off.”

Steven nodded and went to grab his keys.

“Why aren’t you dropping us off?” Benjamin asked confused.

“I will be spending my day with Aria today.”

Arabella looked at Amara confused and shocked.

“I want to stay too.” Elliot voiced and Eros nodded in agreement.

“Not today. We will go out some other day. Today is only for Aria.” Steven explained coming inside to collect the grumbling children.

Steven already knew where Amara was taking their eldest daughter and he knew she needed to go there with only Arabella. He quickly pushed the children out of the house and stowed them inside the car. He grinned at Amara in encouragement and drove off.

“What are we doing today mom?” Arabella’s soft voice snapped Amara out of her thoughts.

“We are going to a very special place. Wear something comfortable. We have a long walk to look forward to.” Amara told her a little nervous about the upcoming meeting.

Arabella nodded and made her way to her room. She quickly changed into a track pant and a loose t-shirt and skipped down the steps. Amara was already by the door waiting for Arabella to join her.

As soon as she came down, the mother daughter duo started their walk into the dense woods of Greycoast.

Arabella was shocked seeing how well her mother knew her way in the woods as she saw Amara gliding effortlessly through the dense forest like she knew every branch and stone that were there. For all she knew her mother was a human for the most part just like her and she never went in the woods before.

Not at least in front of her and her siblings. But she knew there was something mysterious about her mother which she couldn’t decipher.

Arabella had always found a weird connection with Amara. This connection was deeper than what she had shared with her biological mother, Elena. It had been there since as long as she could remember and when she moved in with Amara after Elena died giving birth to Eros, her little brother, the connection got intense.

Arabella still remembers the day her mother died. She was seven and her first half’s exams were in a week. She was in the school when a woebegone Steven had picked her up from her school in the middle of the day and taken her directly to her house.

A baby’s cries could be heard when she entered her house but the atmosphere was thick with melancholy. Her father, Alexander was sitting beside a pale female corpse, wailing pitifully. She saw her aunt Amara looking dazed at the dead female. Her aunt Natalie was trying to calm the child down but he won’t stop crying.

Once she had stalked near the unmoving female, she knew who she was. She ran towards her father and latched onto him. Alexander had wrapped his arms around his trembling daughter and both of their bodies shook with sobs at the loss of a mate and a mother.

They had arranged a funeral after five days for Elena but the most shock came the day after the funeral.

Alexander had vanished leaving behind a letter to his family. Arabella had lost her mother and father in mere span of a week. She was so lost in the misery that she failed that year and had to repeat it.

The Knights had decided to go in search for Alexander when he didn’t return for a few months but they couldn’t take Arabella and Eros with them.

Amara and Steven had stepped up and took them in. Arabella couldn’t describe how grateful she was to them. Her brother Eros didn’t even know about not being their child till date. They raised Eros and Elliott as twins. That’s how loving and impartial they were and Arabella had eventually started calling them mom and dad but she didn’t forget her mother and father either.

Arabella was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that Amara had stopped walking and she bumped into her, stumbling back a little.

“Sorry mom.”

“It’s alright sweetheart.” Amara told her smiling.

Arabella looked around to find herself standing in a clearing. It had a small cabin to the side. The sound of rushing water could be heard over the quietness of the woods.

“We are here to meet someone important.” Amara explained looking at Arabella’s confused expression. “Someone really important to me. To us.”

Arabella looked at Amara with furrowed eyebrows.

“I met them when I was ten years old and now it’s time you meet them too.”

Arabella nodded reluctantly.

“Ryder.” Amara called in the mind link.

Arabella gasped as she saw the massive transparent golden wolf walk out of the woods behind her mother but somehow she knew the wolf won’t hurt her or her mother.

“This is Ryder, Aria. My older brother.”