Chapter Seven: Was She About To Reject Him?

Everyone present froze. They were all surprised to see that Rendall was able to transform into his wolf even when it was not the full moon.

Rendall ran to Helia and they both ran out of the Alpha's court. Nobody tried to stop them. Not even Alpha Janus. They just stood, transfixed and unable to decipher what had just taken place. Helia and Rendall both ran till they got to the forest. The Sentinels at the border were not able to stop them. 

When they got to the forest, Rendall stopped but Helia kept on running. He ran after her, hoping she would stop but she did not. She ignored Rendall and ran faster until she got to a strange-looking tree that differed from other trees in the forest. Rendall stopped to watch her.

Under the tree were a lidded container and a bag. She brought out a dress for herself, glanced at Rendall, and gave him a small twisted smile. She brought out a dress for him too, threw it at him and it fell on his shoulders. He frowned but she ignored him, reached out for the lidded container, and went behind a tree. He snatched the dress from his shoulders and begrudgingly went behind another tree to shift and change his clothes.

In no time, he was done. He left the tree to see that Helia was done too and was waiting for him. His mouth hung agape the moment he saw her.

Her dress was a simple, white A-line gown with little shiny stones designing its waistline but she looked like a goddess in it. Her bouncy, lustrous, long blonde hair which fell on her waist and shone under the sun made her look more angelic. 

His heart raced faster at the sight of her but she just stood there, waiting for him innocently like she had done nothing. He did not have the habit of ogling women but he could not stop himself from ogling Helia.

Helia began to laugh and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His face turned red in embarrassment when he realized it was because of the strapless, blue gown he was wearing.

Her laughter grew louder and he glared at her. Here he was, thinking about how she looked like a goddess but she did nothing but laugh at him.

He frowned and sat under a tree. Helia walked to him, chuckling and when she got to where he sat, she crouched in front of him. Rendall scowled and turned his face away from her. He was annoyed.

She smiled and touched his face with her hands and he froze. There were sparks and she retrieved her hands almost immediately. She had probably felt the sparks too. He turned to her and his eyes met hers which made his heart skip a beat. 

Those beautiful amber eyes were on his again. It was like staring at how gold glittered just that the glitter of her eyes unlike that of gold struck his heart and stirred up something that had always been at rest. It stirred up his wolf too and as his eyes wandered from her eyes to her pink, plump lips, the urge to pull her into his arms and grab those lips of hers with his mouth increased. The fact that he had not done that yet proved that his self-control was top-notch.

"I really love your gown, princess," she said, grinning and that was enough for him to break free from the trance her beauty had held him in. He was annoyed and once again, he turned his face away. She giggled and stretched her hands to touch his face but she took her hands back without touching his face. Rendall looked at her. She must have truly felt the spark the first time. Rendall scowled and turned away from her.

Still giggling, she went to the tree she had kept the bag. Rendall turned to watch her and she brought out a pair of khaki trousers and a brown shirt from the bag.

"These belongs to my dad," she said, holding the clothes toward him. "He is more muscular so it won't fit perfectly but it should be okay on you."

"You had those in your bag so why did you give me a gown?" 

"Because it's funny," she giggled and Rendall frowned at her. "Don't you want it?"

Rendall stood up, stomped over to her, and snatched the clothes from her.

"That was rude," Helia whined but he ignored her and went behind a tree. When he came out, Helia was sitting down under the tree she had kept her bag. His eyes fell on the container in her hands and he remembered how she had taken it with her when she went behind the tree. The sun was still up yet she was able to shift to her human form. Apparently, Nyx's curse had no effect on her. He wondered if the content of the container had made her shift. 

"What did you take? It makes you shift whenever you like regardless of Nyx's curse."

"Yes, it does, but for only three hours. It's an elixir. I made it. The herbs you had seen me picking the other day are some of its ingredients. I won't tell you the full recipe."

"Elixir? Like a magic portion?"

"I'm a werelioness, not a witch so I won't call it a magic potion."

"How did you know how to make it? Who taught you? Is it something that all werelions know how to make?"

Helia sighed and sat under the tree.

"I'm the only one who knows how to make it. Nobody taught me how to. The ability just came natural. It's strange though. One day, I taught my father how to make it but when he did his, it did not work. Same as my mom. Apparently, I am the only one that can make the elixir and I am the only one it works on."

She stopped talking and looked at Rendall.

"What you did is more marveling. You're immune to Nyx's curse?"

Rendall walked over to her and sat beside her but he regretted taking that action immediately because his wolf was becoming restless.

"Mark her!" Conri screamed but he ignored him. He was trying hard to control himself.

"I have always been immune to the curse. But, I do not know why?"

"That's also strange," she said softly and Rendall gave her a small smile.

"Well, it is as strange as a werelion making magic portions," Rendall said and Helia chuckled.

He looked at her as she laughed. She was so beautiful. The first time he had seen her hair, her hair was jet black and her eyes, green. Now, she was a blonde, with amber eyes. 

Weird, right?

Well, he liked weird. He was also weird. He was enjoying the company of a werelioness despite how werelions were sworn enemies of his people. 

He shuddered when he realized he was still ogling her. He did not blame himself. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"Make her yours," his wolf growled but he restrained himself from doing that. Controlling his wolf was hard but he had to.

She looked at him and she stopped laughing.

Nalea, her lioness roared. 

"Control yourself Nalea," she chastened it.

Rendall looked away. If he looked at her face more than he already did, he might end up marking her that very moment.

"We share the same birthday," he said trying to start a conversation. As he read her facial expression, he saw that it had worked. She was interested in what he had said.

"We do?"

Rendall nodded.

"Do you think that's the reason behind our difference from the rest? The day of our birth was the day the greatest curse in the wereworld hit our land." Helia was lost in thoughts.

"Perhaps."

Silence prevailed.

Rendall looked at Helia and he saw how much she was immersed in thoughts.

"Maybe our destiny is intertwined with this curse saga."

"Maybe."

Silence again.

"I know who we can meet for answers," Helia said enthusiastically, breaking the lingering silence.

"You do?" Her words had gained Rendall's interest. If she knew someone who could provide answers to at least half of their questions. Then, that was great news. 

Rendall's hopeful look suddenly turned to a worried look.

"Is this person you speak of a werelion?" 

"What if he is?"

"I'm not going to Khron to see a werelion," Rendall said with an air of finality.

"Calm down," Helia chuckled. "He is from Khron but he is not at Khron."

"Is he at Wulfe? A werelion lives at Wulfe?"

"No, he lives in this forest. He can live among the werewolves though. That is if he chooses to."

"Really! He has your magic potion?"

"Nope but unlike other werelions, he remains in his human form both day and night and again, it's an elixir, not a magic potion."

"So, I'm not the only one immune to Nyx's curse."

Helia thought for a while before speaking.

"I don't think that's the reason because I don't think he can shift. Nobody has seen him shift. Rumor has it that he had lost his lion a long time ago in an accident."

Rendall chuckled. "Is that even possible?"

"Probably. We're still young and inexperienced but this man has lived for centuries."

"What's his name?"

"Alecto."

Helia smiled as she said his name and Rendall felt his heart squeeze in pain. Was he... Jealous?

Alecto was an old seer that Helia had grown fond of since childhood. She loved following her father whenever he visited Alecto.

"Alecto has answers to every question. He'd most certainly have answers to the one we'll ask him."

Silence.

"Why does he stay alone in this forest?"

"Alecto longs for solitude. Khron is very much like a forest anyways."

Rendall was not surprised. They lived most of their life awake in their Lion form.

"Do you want to see it?" Helia asked teasingly with a smirk. She had a playful look on her face that told Rendall that he had no guts to visit Khron.

Rendall watched her as she dared him. Her mouth was twisted to a mischievous smile which he found cute. He wanted that mouth that teased him to be in his mouth badly. His wolf kept on pushing him to do what he wanted and it drove him crazy.

He drew closer to her. He expected her to move away and he was surprised when he she moved closer to him too. He looked at her face. She did the same and their eyes met. 

"No!" Helia thundered startling Rendall.

"What's wrong?" Rendall had not expected the sudden outburst. He wondered if she had just realized he was her mate.

Rendall tried to reach out to her but she moved away before he could do so.

"Don't touch me," she warned sternly. "Don't dare come near."

Rendall's heart squeezed in pain. Was she about to reject him?