HAZE'S POV;We had slept in separate rooms but had somehow awoken at the same time. We stepped out of our rooms at the same time and when we set eyes on each other, there was a small smile on our faces. I didn't know why I was exceptionally shy this morning. I walked towards him while twiddling with my fingers and as soon as we stood before each other, he slowly took my hands and pulled me in for a kiss.I forced myself to pull away even if I didn't want to. "We have to go out this morning, remember?" He wasn't even listening to me. His hands and his eyes were busy. His fingers caressed my bare skin and his pupils dilated as he placed a kiss on my neck. I sighed and fell back against the wall for support. "Xavier- we really need to. Ah...""We really need to do what, huh?" He muttered under his breath before placing another kiss on my collar bone. My arm slipped around his neck and pulled him in. I couldn't resist him no matter how hard I tried. His scent hit my nose— a mixture of w
HAZEL'S POV; By now, the settlement is alive with slight activities. The air is still filled with sorrow and uncertainty but as soon as I enter into the settlement, the healer rushes out of her hut and falls to the ground in tears. "Help us!" She cried out and held onto my feet. I stopped because I was unable to move and crouched to her level, my hand on her body. I knelt on one knee, before her and sighed. "I understand what you're feeling. But don't worry, they will all return in one piece, okay?" "My girl. She's gone, too. They're going to kill her! She has a sharp mouth and she'll be the first to be killed," The woman sobbed and kept pulling at my breeches. "You have to save her. You have to save the children. Save them all!" Xavier stepped forward and I sighed in relief. I didn't know what exactly to say to a grieving woman and I felt like he was the best person for this situation and he really was. "We already discovered the tracks," He said in his most gentle tone. "In no
XAVIER'S POV;When we kiss, I feel a surge building up from my insides like a volcanic eruption, bursting into my favorite colors.I adored her body the same way I adored her. She was such a beautiful soul and a beautiful woman, exuding strength and grace.It's in the way I run my fingers on her skin, feeling her silky smoothness, tracing every scar, bump, birthmarks, dips, and crevices of skin against skin tongues swirling as we scour our depths.One thing that struck me was her skin. Her hair was the darkest shade of black but somehow, she had gotten a tan skin which was quite unusual. Most women with jet black hair were mostly pale but her skin, like burnished gold under the candle lights as we tangled legs under the sheets.My fingers were sinking into her soft flesh, souls entwining and moans softening like the colorful rays of the setting sun, as it went down the horizon, welcoming the ultramarine night skies, stars dancing like stringed fairy lights, like glitters scattered acr
HAZEL'S POV;I had told Felix about me leaving because I knew he was going to tell his best friend immediately.I watched as he rushed towards Xavier who was already walking before us and from the way they were speaking, it was about me.In their course of speaking, Xavier had stopped but Felix grabbed his arm and said something that caused him to continue walking. The squeeze in my chest was so hard that I lost every reason to want to breathe.Why was he acting this way towards me?He rejected me already but accepting me again was somehow hard for me. When I informed him about it back in his room, he waved it off like it didn't matter. Asking that we talked about it later. I had expected him to do it immediately and it was going to make me genuinely happy.And now, he was waving it off again. I did not know what to feel. Anger? Contempt? Pain? Hurt?They all swirled into one emotion, causing me to be frustrated and it showed in the way I walked and climbed the hill with so much speed
XAVIER'S POV;There was a celebration in the settlement and obviously, I wasn't going to attend. I had other matters to attend to. Luckily enough for me, she didn't leave as she had told Felix she wanted to.The warriors, tired and hungry, decided to join in the party and even when I was crowned, I only smiled and continued on my way back to the pack house.According to Green, Iris had gone back immediately and it was all over and she had told them not to follow her as she wanted to be alone, which they did respectfully.As I trudged back up the hill, I felt a weakness in my joint. I was tired from having to move from one place to another in the space of two days. I needed to rest. At least, a day of recuperation.The ouchless was empty and that was due to the celebration that was going on back at the settlement. I knew I had the time to settle everything now. We could yell at each other all we can without being bothered about anyone hearing, not even the maids.The maids had been sen
XAVIER'S POV;The last time I had seen her, it hadn't been a good memory. I was carried away from the pack house that night as raiders attacked. My father was badly wounded and she had already been abducted. The last I saw of her was on one of the horses, struggling with one of the men who hit her across the chin."You're supposed to be dead, Mother," I said, almost losing my voice.She shook her head and smiled tearfully. "No, I am not. I am alive. I have always been,"I shook her head and stepped back. She was definitely a ghost. She even looked like one. Her brunette hair looked tangled like it hadn't been taken care of for years. Her face was stained with dirt and slight bruises and her dress-- tattered."You're a ghost," I said and turned to Felix. "She's a ghost. Are you blind?!"Felix sighed and closed his eyes. I could see the pity in his eyes but I didn't need any of that.Iris, on the other hand, stood there, frozen like she had seen a ghost and that confirmed my fears. I ge
HAZEL'S POV:Before I blanked out, I felt myself being picked up from the ground and there was shuffling of footsteps before I was placed on a soft spotWhen I woke up, it was very dark and I still had that splitting headache. I tried to make sense of my environment to no avail.I sat up slowly and winced when the ache moved to the left side of my head. I had the urge to climb out of the bed and seek for air as I was feeling suffocated in this room.Once I stepped out of bed, I noticed that my feet didn't feel how it used to feel. It felt like rubber, susceptible to breakage if care wasn't taken.I was weak in the knee so I fell back on the bed and leaned against the headboard.I remembered everything. How I had gotten to this place. I still found it hard to believe. It felt like I was in a dream. I didn't want to believe a thing she said but I couldn't help it. I knew I had parents but they were the wrong people.How was that possible? I don't even remember an inkling of my childhood
XAVIER'S POV;I paced about in my room. Sleep evaded me. Iris thought I was probably asleep but I couldn't find it.I kept reliving the memories from the past. Over the years, I had forced myself to forget about it only for my mother to appear out of nowhere.Iris had a crazy resemblance to Tatiana and for a moment, I thought she was the one. I was hit by that wave of recognition that was brought by fun memories but she didn't seem to grasp it.I stopped in front of the window and sighed. Maybe taking a walk was going to help and I did just that.The pack house was asleep and everywhere was pitch black. I walked through the darkness, my eyes sight keen and once I got to the french doors that led to the garden, I stopped and sighed.Maybe this isn't a good idea.As I made to turn back, I caught sight of a feminine figure seated on the stone chair and I immediately recognised her.Iris.So she hadn't gone to bed either?Our last encounter hadn't ended quite well but I really wanted to s