Mate 01: Trip

|CHAPTER 01|

Zaitelle Axis

I excitedly make my way into my vanity table and take a seat to see my reflection in the mirror. 

I nonchalantly stroke my fingers on my midnight blue shoulder-length hair causes it to be messy which makes me look more presentable enough. A smile can't help but slip out on my lips as I think of why I am dressed up right now. Completely different from what I usually wear when I'm only at home. 

Kester and I will go to the Capital to stroll around. I ask him to go with me and he agreed. That's why I chose the most presentable outfit for today. 

The light blue sleeveless dress underneath a white shirt and with my white 2 inches wedge heels. 

I also wear pair of simple earrings that I usually wear when there is an important gathering within our family or business. I am thinking if I will put makeup on my face but on the second thought, I'll be overdoing it overall.  

We'll just stroll in the Capital, not a date. 

My smile suddenly fades when that thought crosses my mind. Uh, yea. Why am I making efforts on this trip when in the first place, there's nothing special behind it? 

I unconsciously put my hair that is blocking my sight and tuck it behind my ears. 

My dark gray pair of eyes turn glassy that I need to blink it to shake it off of my eye sockets. I scrunch my nose and shake my head and stare at myself. 

Shake those unnecessary thoughts, will you? 

"Maybe, I should change?" I ask under my breathe, and heave a sigh. 

I curtly move my head up and down as I decide what to do next. Yea, maybe I should change. I look at my closet just beside my vanity table on the left and the moment I am about to open it for me to pick new clothes when several knocks from my door resonated all over my room. 

"Zai?!" I glance to my right when a voice of a woman enters my ear. She again knocks three times on the door as I am busy trying to remember that voice. 

"Nana?" I ask unsure. The door of my room is a bit far from my direction that's why her voice sounds muffled. 

I then think of the possible reasons why she's already here calling me. 

"Are you done? Kester's already downstairs!" She's shouting now for me to be able to hear what she's saying. 

My grip on the handle of my closet slowly loosens up. 

I look down at my outfit and then to the door. I'm I thinking over the line? Maybe, I'm only overthinking things. I should just enjoy today rather than sulking at nonsense things. 

I nod at myself, trying to cheer myself up. Or if there's something that can cheer me. 

I do my breathing exercise before fixing myself and grab my channel shoulder bag. I like it because the strap is made of chains. 

"Coming!" I shout to let her know and take one last look at my reflection in the mirror. 

I smile and left my room. 

Suddenly, my heart fills with nervousness. I don't know why I am feeling like this when in fact, I should feel normal because we're quite used to strolling around the kingdom. With just the two of us. 

What change? 

While walking down the staircase, I hold on to my shoulder bag as if my life is on the line. It's as if, as I am walking in a different dimension and it's taking my breath away. I keep my gaze on the steps, afraid of what my eyes can see once I raise it. 

One last step, I take enough courage that I can inside me and raise my head. 

I almost lose my balance when I realize that no one is waiting for me in the living room adjacent to the staircase. It's a good thing I manage to balance myself well. 

"Zai-," I quickly face the person behind me as I scream. 

"Oh, my Goddesses!" I hold my chest and my knees turn to jelly and slowly lose their strength. But before my butt meets the hard floor, a strong arm grabs my left arm cause me to face my right and almost bump into something hard as a wall. 

"Hey, careful!" His baritone voice makes my knees give up and just fall. Note, only my knees, okay? 

His golden-brown eyes are the first one that meets my shaking eyes. I try my best not to look perplexed and shocked. 

"Are you okay?" He asks as I secretly clear my throat. 

"I'm sorry, Zai. Are you hurt anywhere?" I hold my chest and breathe heavily when Nana, my Nanny ever since my childhood until now, saves me from the awkwardness that will happen afterward if she did not intervene. 

"I'm okay, Nana. Don't worry, hmm?" I pat her shoulder and rest my hands over it and breathe in and out. 

"Why are you even wearing heels, Zayi?" Puffing air, I face him and playfully roll my eyes to hide my uneasiness. 

"Come on, Kester. Were going to the Capital. Of course, I should wear presentable ones," I argue when he starts with scolding me in terms of my clothes whenever we go out from our village. 

His thick eyebrows almost meet each other as he looks directly at my heels that's why my gaze slowly turns to my feet, wearing my 2 inches wedge heels. 

"Are you comfortable with that?" He's too busy checking my heels that he doesn't seem to notice how I turn to a statue for seconds after hearing his question. 

How can I stop myself from falling when he's like this? Ever since we exchange names years ago, he has been occupying my heart. 

He gets strict with me and scolds me sometimes but instead of having a grudge on him about it, I just find him more attractive and cute at the same time. The way he cares about me behind his strict and serious facade always got me.  No reason to back it up. 

"Zayi?" I am pull back from my trance when I hear him calling my nickname that he made when we were young. 

"Uh, uhm. Yea, I'm okay," I answer him and look away. I face Nana that has been standing beside me, supporting my body. 

"Nana, since it's getting late, we need to go," I smile at her and stare at her loving eyes and her gentle gaze that I'm too familiar with staring back at mine. 

"Enjoy your day, Zai. Don't think too much, okay?" Even her gentle voice makes me want to cry right now. 

She knows. Yea, what's the point of having me with her for years of growing up if she doesn't know? I calm myself and just smile at her. And when she hugs me, I close my eyes and I thank her for being with me through times like this. 

"Thank you, Na!" I sincerely whisper to her

"And here we go again. Nana, we're just going to the Capital. I'm not going to get her away from you, so stop acting like you two will be apart forever," as soon as we hear him say that, we break from the hug and laugh together. 

He's even kidding that time but his tone is just kind of different? 

He has this aura that he emits whenever he's around. You can feel that he's intimidating when it is your first time meeting him but later on, you will find out that he's a literal baby. 

Maybe because he's going to be the Alpha of this generation that's why he becomes more serious about it. Ever since we were young, his parents always tell him that he will soon take care of the whole clan. And we all know that being one comes with greater responsibility and danger. 

He's still young and his mindset is all about how can he manage their clan and the whole tribe among werewolves. He sometimes becoming sleepless because of it and when I ask him to rest for a bit he reasoned out that he still needs to read and understand all of the things related to him, becoming the Alpha. 

"Let's go?" I quickly look at him beside me. I even need to move my head back because he's towering over me with his height. I'm tall, yes, but compare to him? I look like his sister who will be lost in her way. 

Walking with him side by side feels like my whole life's already complete. 

I just need to enjoy this day and think nothing.