[~♥CORAL♥~]“Hmm, those would definitely taste as good as they smell.” Damian’s voice fills the air, his large frame filling the entrance as he walks into the kitchen. “I hear we’re having a picnic.” His ember eyes find mine the instant he crosses the threshold and they immediately flash with excitement and something else as he stalks towards me with measured steps.“That’s right, and it’s going to be a big one!” Kiara chirps enthusiastically from the corner but without taking his eyes off me or responding to her, Damian stops two feet away from me and cocks his head to the side. A thin layer of his combed back hair falls free, the dark lock feathers his temple with the movement.“Hmm? Was this your grand idea, sweet girl?” He flashes a smile that could steal breaths away. With his left hand inside his pocket, his right hand reaches for my face and his fingertips caresses the hollow of my cheek.A subtle shiver runs down my skin at the contact but I make a manageable attempt to respon
[~♥CORAL♥~]A Week Later…“Where are we going?” I ask Rune as he rummages through my wardrobe, finally picking out a blue sun dress, he finally turns around to face me.He had come into my few minutes ago, demanding that I get dressed but he wouldn’t spill a word about what the occasion was. Then he proceeds to run through my closet of clothes to fasten my prep up when I’d all but assault him with question after question; my curiosity and confusion remains unattended to.What is he up to now?“This would look lovely on you.” He says with a little smile, the pale cotton dress hangs down the length of his sturdy body and I run my gaze over it, agreeing with him.Taking a proper look at the dress though, I realize it's one of the dresses he bought me last year at a festival. Did he pick it out intentionally? Did he recognize it as well?I don’t get any chance to find the answers when I’m pulled off my bed to my feet and driven to the doorway of my bathroom. “Go on. Freshen up.”“But—”“I
[~♥CORAL♥~] We follow a hidden part into the forest grounds. The part resonates with my memories with every step I take. Rune leads, his hold on my arm, firm, he touch feels gentle, like he wants to keep hold onto it infinitely.Above us, the sky is clear and the trees shield us from the late-noon sunlight, casting shadows around us. Birds chirps in the distance and I could hear the soft rustling of the little forest creatures that move about their nature land.My blood steams with excitement; the smell of the forest—the deep earthy roots, the smell of grass and plants—is something I’ve missed in a while and walking down the familiar part again has an even deeper curiosity festering through me. Rune has remained quiet, refusing to give out any other piece of information that could damper my curiosity. But I did find out that Reagan and Damian were a part of this dern plan that he’d refused to lay out for me. And now the suspense is just really eating at me to know.“We’re here.” Rune
[~♥CORAL♥~]Today's been like a dream. A fluffy, fairytale like dream and I'm floating on clouds, delirious from the ecstasy I feel swirling in me. The sun is slowly setting, casting warm, bright light over us. The river overhead glimmers with the reddish orange hues of the setting sun. The fairy lights glow brighter under the glow it casts over them, it makes the flowers look like they're surrounded by a couple of fireflies.It's perfect. It's beautiful and serene, just like today and I can't help but feel grateful. Being outside has never felt so refreshing and it's because of them.This moment has unexpectedly been exactly what I needed. And as I watch them, sharing in the many snacks and dessert that they'd prepared—mostly by Reagan—a feeling of serenity percolates in my chest.I'm stuffed with so much food and desserts but I slowly munch on the last of my biscuits, enjoying the sweet, creamy flavor and chewy texture when I catch Reagan make an eye gesture to Damian and Rune and
[~♥CORAL♥~]“Do you need me to come with you?” Reagan asks. There's a look of worry etch on his face when I turn around, my hand pausing mid-air from reaching for the front door, to face him.My red hair bobs around me, caressing my face and shoulders. “No, I'll be fine.”“Are you sure?” His pries, his soft ice blue gaze narrows as he watches me intently and I force down a bundle of nerve threatening to push it's way through.Gifting him a warm smile, I grab unto my bag’s straps on my shoulders. “It's not my first day in school, Reagan. I'll be fine.”I tell him, trying to tamper his worries but even my false affirmation doesn't seem to be working either.My smile cracks when he says, “Yes, I know that but, this is different.” He takes few steps towards me until he was closing in on me. I don't drift in my step and let the soothing aroma of his scent seep into me.“We've not exactly made a public announcement.”He was referring to our mating bond. A lot of things has definitely happen
[~♥CORAL♥~]The academy is about forty minutes walk from my house but a few minutes less from Kiara's. And the closer we were to the gate, the stronger my ansty was growing. We follow the main streets and as expected, there are loads of eyes that fall on me as we stroll towards school. It wasn't as though their gazes or whispers didn't bother me anymore but it wasn't also new having people talk about me.My red hair is like a puzzle to them—being the only one in the pack with bright red hair—and they always whisper their hearts out about it. I didn't have the same hair or eye color as mother and father either and that alone makes me stand out in a pack of three—almost four—thousand people.The enigma surrounding my appearance is one that only a few know the real truth about—it didn't stop them from talking though.Holding my head up, I try not to meet anyone's gaze—and if I did, only for a millisecond—my focus on the path in front of me like a light beam until we finally arrive at th
[~♥CORAL♥~]The stares didn’t stop, neither did the whispers. It was like they didn’t even mind that I could hear every word that was spilling out of their mouths. It wasn’t even a whisper at this point and I try to ignore it all even though most of the things they said cut me, not because they were true but because of their oblivion.I couldn’t fault them for it either.“Just look at the way they’re running their mouths,” Kiara sneers at my side. “Maybe I should show them how to keep it shut.” she suggests with a crack of her knuckles.I roll my eyes at her violent display but a small smile still tugs the corner of my lips at her defensive gesture. She was ready to fight about anyone just for me… always for me. I wasn’t the best of the best when it comes to fighting and that is why I particularly dislike the physical training activity at school. Kiara on the other hand was a star. Her father being the chief warrior gave her the upper hand in combat.“You don’t have to solve everythin
[~♥CORAL♥~]“Are you alright, Kiki?”Kiara lets out a deep breath at my inquiry. Slowly she turns around, her face still wears the scowl until she finally meets my gaze and it lets up. Then a smile slowly stretches her face as she slightly cocks her head to the side, her curls bounces.“Of course, perfectly fine, though a little regretful that I couldn’t slug that bitch’s face in.”“I-I don’t think there would have been any need for that.” I mutter.The look on her face is incredulous, her scowl returns. “You don’t think— Coco, she tried to jeopardize our friendship with that little stunt she pulled from her wild mouth.” kiara barks, her hazel eyes wide as she takes a step closer to me. “You don’t believe her do you?”I nibble on my lower lip, not exactly sure what to say. I couldn’t really believe Raina’s words, her accusation was preposterous, after all, Kiara was my best friend and she’d never do or act in a way that would hurt me but somehow, it didn’t sound all too ridiculous. I
[~♥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…