[~♠CORAL♠~]“Is it to your liking?” I hear Raegan’s cool baritone voice question beside me and my attention snaps up to him. He’s seated next to me, his short white hair grazing his forehead as he watches me with a look in his eyes.I nod, looking back down at the breakfast buffet on the dining table but especially at my pancakes, topped with whipped cream and wild blueberries.“I’m glad to hear it. I guess I haven’t lost my touch yet.” He says and I sneak a glance up at him but his intense ice blue orbs catches mine. The look in his eyes morphs into one of content and he smiles softly at me, his orbs glinting a silvery glow.I sweep my gaze back to the table, it lands on Kiara at the other side of the table and she’s in her own world, her sole focus being the dishes on the table. In addition to the pancakes, bread and cookies, Raegan also went out of his way to make cream stew, bacon, fried eggs and served with orange and sweet lemon juice and tea. I get that he wanted to make me bre
[~°RUNE°~]I watch my brother grumble as he trails his pen over a piece of paper. He’s sitting behind the desk in father’s office— former office. it belongs to Raegan now but he’s barely used it, choosing to convert his study into an office.It was his safe space which he’d chosen to be converted into a working space when he took up the role as the pack leader. He’s usually there reading books or writing poems.“Curse that Raegan,” Damian groans as he scribbles on the paper, his face tightening with a deeper scowl. His fingers clench harder on the quill. “How dare he make me do his work for him while he goes to spend time with my mate.”“Relax, Damian. It’d be overwhelming for her if we’re all with her at once.”“Don’t you think I know that, Rune?” He snaps, lifting his gaze to me, halting whatever it is he was writing. “Still, I wanted to be the one in his place.”I relax into the seat opposite Damian. “Well, It’s not as though we’re competing for her.”“Who does he think he is? I wa
[~♠CORAL♠~]The sound of Rune’s voice has my footsteps faltering and my head perks up to stare into enigmatic amethyst eyes— those pools of surling violet and lavender purple mixed hues that I’ve always found fascinating.Rune has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. They were the kind that stuck to you, the unforgettable dazzling gaze that shone like the purple stone of the necklace I love wearing.I breathe in his scent for the first time in a while; I was so caught up in my emotions with Raegan that I didn’t notice him standing by the door until he called my name.His scent is a perfect balance of spiciness and earthiness. It gives off a sense of comfort; one that makes you want to soak yourself into it.My head shifts to the door he stood in front of, catching the faint scent of Damian and I’m almost tempted to ask about him. I purse my lips instead.“Are you heading out?” His question has me turning my attention back to him. He digs his hands into the pockets of his black trou
[~♠CORAL♠~] The sight before me seems unreal. Unbelievable. But the more accurate term would be, shocking. And to think I'd ever see him wear such an expression on his face. I was struck with an overwhelming sense of disbelief as I watched the colour of Rune’s orbs glow fiercely with every second I stare up at him. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen him wearing such an expression on his face. He looks livid and wild and so ready to shred the person that I'd bumped into. His expression makes my skin crawl with a strange feeling but not the bad sort. And my gaze doesn't leave the side image of his hardened face, too spellbound to speak that when he turns to me and his eyes catches mine, I forget, for a brief moment, how to breath. Rune’s eyes were so intense, they hurt to look at but at the same time, I couldn't bring myself to take my eyes off him. Then they soften, his fierce gaze moulting as soon as they meet mine. “Are you alright, Cor?” He asks, the harshness in
[~♠CORAL♠~] It was a reflex action on my own part but soon enough I realize my action when I feel Rune tense up from my touch when I hide behind him. He looks down at me from the corner of his eyes and watches me with slightly wide eyes and I make to move away from him but he willfully wraps an arm around me. His action surprises me but I don't move from my spot and I fluster myself by breathing in his spicy scent mixed with the soothiness of earth. His body relaxes and for a second I thought he seemed delighted before a cold, predatory look coated his features again as he faced Regent again. I follow his gaze to meet Regent’s brown eyes. There's a wide look in his gaze as he reads my face and I pray he doesn't recognise me. Their gaze made me uncomfortable and I'd always dreaded it since the night of my eighteenth birthday. Shock. Disgust. Envy. They didn't have to say anything because their faces showed a ridiculous amount of their thoughts. I saw it all that night. And m
[~♠CORAL♠~]After that ordeal, Rune returned to order.And by that I mean, he went back to how I'd told him to act before we left for the market; distant and quiet. I couldn’t quite understand why, since he’d already crossed that line when he stepped in when I bumped into Regent.Somehow, it made me feel a little… I don't know… sullen.But it was what I wanted… wasn’t it?I looked behind me, the space seeming too small for comfort. I still felt uncomfortable, knowing I was out in the open to everyone’s curious gazes. And I catch a glimpse of his tall, lean frame towering over a girl who seemed to be up in his face and holding out something to him.My forehead furrows with a frown and my steps falter. His gaze is trained to her or rather, the thing in her hands… whichever it was. And when she turns a little to the side, her face appears behind the curtain of her dark brown hair and she smiles up at him while speaking.I know Rune is good looking; his pale skin is incomparably smooth an
[~♠CORAL♠~] “Welcome home, Princess.” Damian greets at the entrance of the house, the corner of his mouth tilts with a smile, the very ones that reflect in his eyes. His body hulks the entrance as one of his hands rests against the door frame and the other one rests unto the handle. Before I can react, Damian’s fingers brush against mine as he takes the bags from my grasp and swiftly pulls me into his embrace. His hand encircles my waist and the warmth of his palm seeps into my clothes, sending a sudden shiver down my spine as he draws me closer. His chest presses against me and I inhale his familiar scent, a rich blend of vetiver; woody and earthy, rooty and citrusy with a hint of leather and smoke. His scent reminds me of a crackling campfire and the uninhabited wild, like the deeper parts of the forests, one that leaves me feeling overly overwhelmed and heady. My heart quickens from the sudden invasion and a feeling like unease flutters in my stomach like a bird trapped in
[~♦DAMIAN♦~]“You scared her away.” Rune’s voice breaks through the cords of my mind and my jaw clenched at his words, my eyes closing as I try to control my heavy breath. I could hear the laxed taunt in his voice even though I know that it isn’t a deliberate act, I can’t help the irritation from leaking out of me.“Don’t you think I’m clearly aware of that.” I snap at him, turning my head to his direction.Rune has that glazed look on his face that he’s always wearing and I feel a sudden urge to smack it off his face. But he just shrugs, “Didn’t think so.” He says and starts down the hall, his hands dug into his pockets. I want to punch him so bad. Could he not treat me like an idiot…My arm still rests against the wall, where my mate had slipped out from and I stand upright, turning to the direction she’d run off to. I click my teeth with my tongue and scold myself. What the hell was I doing? I was going to ruin the plan of winning our mate back if I can’t control my emotions.I’ve
[~♥CORAL♥~]“Kiara… What are you doing? You’re going to get us into trouble.” I let out a hushed yell, turning my head around to scan the surroundings.Kiara creeps closer to the wall, placing a finger on her lips. “Shh, you’ll get us caught if you keep bugging me.”“Well, it’s not right to eavesdrop on people.”“Be quiet Coco, I’m trying to hear what’s going on. It’s clearly important.”“That’s exactly why we’re not supposed to be here. Why did you drag me here? I never agreed to this. What if someone sees us and reports it to Raegan.”She rolls her eyes, shaking her head, “Well, for one I know we won’t get caught if you stop making a fuss about it. Secondly, you’re literally mated to the most important people in the pack. No one else is above them, so we’ll be fine.” She says and turns to me. She winks, her smile mischievous and then she returns her attention back to the wall. Placing her ear against the surface, she strains to hear what’s happening at the other side but with the
[~♦DAMIAN♦~]It’s all bullcrap and I can smell it.If that shifty fucking smile on his face isn’t enough to prove it then I don’t know what else will. There was something other than just bringing an end to our long held feud that he was attaining for. I don’t know much about the strategic stuff in a war, that was Rune’s line of expertise but with Kane’s reputation and what I’ve seen through the long years, this war has become more than a conquest for power. Our land has one of the rarest items that any pack would kill to obtain—a mine with an abundance of mythril.It’s a stone that’s considered to be one of the strongest ore in the land. It’s used here in crafting the best of our weaponries and priced accessories but it’s never exported in bulk because it’s a precious stone but it’s also a dangerous item if in the wrong hands. It’s an item that can turn the tides of not only war but development in any pack. So it’s always been the leading factor to all the wars we’ve faced so far.
[~♠RUNE♠~]The tension in the air is remarkable. If active it would be explosively destructive.Even though Raegan might have agreed to this meeting, everyone present is on high alert. That doesn’t exempt me though. But I’d rather have a peaceful resolution than a destructive war.“My, you guys should really chill out,” Kane inputs when he takes the seat at the end of the long table. Reagan takes the other, at the head. The rest of us settle into the seats at each side of the table. Damian and I sit at opposite sides; I on the left and him at the right. Leon and a few others take their individual seats as well and Kane’s beta, Talon sits next to him, at his right side. Kane crosses his left leg over his right. The table is high enough to conceal it but his body movement is enough to read his actions. He smirks. “There’s enough animosity in this room to chill my bones. It’s almost like I’m the enemy here.”“You are the enemy here, you fucker.” Damian growls.There’s a subtle pause b
[~♣RAEGAN♣~]“What do you want Rune?” Damian hisses at Rune, not taking a look at him. His attention is held up by the man in front of him and Alpha Kane is just as reeling to go as he is.“What I want is for you to stop misbehaving.” Rune scolds. “Are you trying to make things worse than they already are?” Damian snarls at him. “He’s the one asking for a death wish.” Kane lets out a disdainful snort at his remark and Damian shoots him a glare.“Are you really going to do this? You’ll only be contradicting your stated intentions of peace if you engage him in a fight,” Rune says, and it earns him a smirk from Kane. “But don’t think we’ll be letting you off just because my douchebag of a brother caused a scene.” Kane’s smirk widens into a darkly, amused grin and his eyes flashes, noting the threat behind Rune’s words.He straightens, completely relaxed from his battle stance. His muscles are slightly tensed so I know he’s distinctly aware of Damian’s threatening presence in front of hi
[~♣RAEGAN♣~]“What the hell are you doing here?” I snarl at the man in front of me.I was in the middle of a meeting with my brothers and the pack’s elder council on finalizing the next step of action to take regarding Kane's message when one of my border guards busted in like his ass was on fire.He came with troubling news. Kane had already arrived at our border and the guards had apprehended him and were bringing him here.The news set my brothers and I and everyone else in the room on high alert. We rushed out a moment before he arrived at the pack house, surrounded by the pack guards with their weapons poking out behind him.The news of his sudden arrival was upsetting but not the most surprising thing, even though it completely threw me getting the message. We were unprepared and hadn't expected him to show up so soon and so suddenly.He’d requested a meeting through his messenger. It was the reason we were in-deep in this meeting, arguing our heads off on whether to take Rune’s
[~♥CORAL♥~]“You didn't drop by this morning. What happened? Is everything alright, Kiki?” I ask, walking up beside her just as we step out of school premises to the street.I call out her name this time when she doesn't respond to me. When I get no response again, I quickly grab her arm. Stopping in my tracks, I pull her back. It cause her to jerk back too until she halts in her track. “Kiara…” Her mind seems dazed but then she blinks and gasp as though snapping out of a hypnosis. Her eyes fills momentarily with shock and a clip expression before it falls off her face.Her breath settles and then her hazel gaze holds mine. “Sorry Coco, what was that?”I frown a little, a small pout puckering my lips and I release my hold on her arm. “You didn't show up at my house this morning… what happened?”I must have imagined the flash of anger in her eyes. “Why? I'm not your mother, Coco.”I know she didn't mean to be rude but her curt remark still cuts me like a gullet wound but in the chest.
[~♥CORAL♥~]My face is red. Beet blood… maybe even tomato red. I know because I can feel the heat smoking off my face, hotter than any heated ore or metal. Probably even hotter than molten lava itself.It's scalding and it's caused by the two large figures hanging at the doorway of Rune's bedroom.I'm overcomed by sheer embarrassment as Damian's teasing words hit me. That's right… I had come here to bring Rune over for breakfast. He's been engrossed in his new craft piece, I'm not sure he's had a proper rest. I wonder what he's making this time. I do love all his pieces. They were always enchanting. I'm sure all the females in the pack would love to wear a piece if they could. However, the thought made my mind scream with disapproval. I wouldn't want any other woman to wear his art piece. Actually, more correctly than that, I didn't want them wearing any of his piece. I know that it sounds childish to think but I can't help but think that they'd be wearing a piece of him on them a
[~♥CORAL♥~]“You want… to kiss me?” I mutter the words slowly. My cheeks instantly heating with a blush.“Mhmm, I deserve one too, don't you think?” Rune says, turning me slightly in his arms.I flush deeper, stuttering. “Well… um, I–”“You don't have to if you don't want to, cupcake.”“No, that's not it. I just thought you were angry about it.”“Cupcake… what in goddess’s are you on about?”“What? You're not angry?” I ask, surprise. I'm not so sure why I am but I also don't really know how I expected him to feel about it. “Why would I be?” He arches a brow at me.“Well, because you saw Raegan kissing me?” I point out slowly. My cheeks heat from both the memory of the kiss and suddenly feeling dumb.Rune scoffs, then roll his eyes and shakes his head. The white highlights of his soft, dark locks scatters across his face.“Why would I be angry about that? It’s perfectly normal between mates.” He remarks.I bite my lip then add. “Raegan was mad,” I pause. “Actually, no, he was jealous
[~♠RUNE♠~]A soft knock on my door has been stirring out of a daze. But I don't look up from my work when I mutter the words “Come in.”There's a low humming in my chest before the door pulls open and I'm raising my head to the door even before she pokes her head through the opening of my door.“Hi,” She calls out in a sweet, low tone. A coy smile graces her beautifully plush face as she steps onto the threshold. She stands there, not crossing and my gaze catches the nervous twirl of her fingers around her midriff.A smile of my own coats my face, my lips twitching with the amusement I'm suddenly feeling at her shy demeanor. She looks so cute fiddling with the material of her dress. So cute and so edible in the soft looking, white, sleeveless dress with soft pink flower prints, she's wearing.Noting my own thoughts, I mentally hit myself in the head when I realize I haven't responded to her greeting.“Hi,” I say, getting off my stool and dumping my piece of art on my work table.“Um…