Chapter 5: The Prophecy

The wind blew over Mia’s face and her paws dug into the ground as she sprinted through the woods. The dry leaves on the ground made a shrieking sound as her paws threaded on them. Blood coursed through her veins, and her heart hammered loudly. She felt alive more than ever.

She and the king had detached themselves from the pack of wolves that had shifted and raced into the woods after howling and hunting together.

She was much aware of her environment. She had run through these paths after shifting in the last few summers along with her mate, king Xavier. Just like those other times, he was racing beside her and every time with him felt like the first time to her.

Excitement rushed through her and she could hear his sprinting heartbeat and it matched hers as they raced toward the much quieter and desolate part of the woods.

She was almost at the first part of the segregated point of the woods when Xavier bumped into her and she slowed down, knowing what was about to take place. She turned to him, his eyes glowing, but she could see the lust in them as they beheld her.

Shivers ran through her as her stomach tightened, anticipating what they were about to do.

They stopped running once in the quiet part filled with tall pine trees. This was where they normally completed their shifts and sometimes they burned with lust until the morning. There were provisions of clothes to change into once they finished shifting. Sometimes they had food because the shift and the activities they engaged in would drain the energy that they would need to eat and regain their strength immediately after shifting into their human form. Once, they had enough provision, and they stayed there for an extra day before going back to the palace.

Xavier nudged his head against her, communicating to her his need for her, which she already picked up on half an hour ago.

He licked over her face a few times before moving behind her and sniffing her out. She was ready for him. She had been since he pinned her against the wall and took her a day ago while his brother and father waited for them in the palace. She wanted him to finish what he started and take control of her. But she could barely hold herself up with the many emotions rushing through her and she shifted back into her human form and on all fours.

Despite her shift, Xavier didn’t stop sniffing her.

“Xavier,” she called out. She was filled with desires more than anything else.

He placed his hands on her back. “Mia,” he drew out before leaning in and kissing her back.

Mia didn’t need to look to know he had shifted into his human form and she arched into him. She wanted him to take her and drag her to the point of ecstasy. She wanted to writhe and ache under him from fullness and abandon. He alone could do that.

She lay on his chest, playing with the few hairs there while listening to the steady beating of his heart as they stared at the sky.

“I’d never change this for anything else. I’d never change you for anything else,” she mumbled and leaned in to place tender kisses on his chest.

“Me too, my love,” he answered, moving his hand to stroke the left side of her face, and she tingled at his touch.

“We should stay here forever.”

“I have no complaint, but the last time we spent a day, you nagged us to go back. I don’t think you are equipped to abandon the kingdom duties in pursuit of pleasure just yet.” he chuckled.

She scrunched her nose up, not loving his fun at her expense. “We will be married in two days. We might need to leave for our honeymoon, which means I will leave for pleasure pursuit.”

“Yes, you will.” he didn’t argue with her.

Mia got dressed and ready for the Maiden’s court meeting. This would be her last meeting with the court before her marriage. From what the king told her, she would leave with him to a place called the ‘honeymoon’, and they hoped to spend at least two weeks there.

The Maidens also know about her marriage plans as the news had gone far and wide and they supported her. In their words, she’d done a lot and deserved to enjoy and be happy, even if it was a day.

She hoped to seize every moment of this opportunity. She looked forward to having her husband to herself all day without the worry of title or palace or duties. She wanted to wake up at sunset and sleep at sunrise, and perhaps the next two weeks would give her that.

Since the announcement of her marriage to the alpha king, she had received gifts and wishing notes. It felt like she was getting married for the first time, even though she wasn’t.

Those around her made her feel like she was.

She glanced at herself once more before leaving her room. She made a turn in the hall that led to the outer part of the palace when someone grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the corner.

Her heart skipped, and she immediately moved to defence, swinging her hand out to hit who she was yet to see. This person, however, caught her hand and pushed it back. She looked up, and she saw Julia, the daughter of the late shaman named Kai, who currently worked in the palace as a chef.

“Julia, what are you doing? I could have seriously hurt you...” she stopped speaking when she noticed Julia’s eyes as white as snow, although she normally had grey eyes.

She knew in that instant that something had changed in Julia and whoever she was now wasn’t their chef.

She struggled to set herself free from her tight grip, but Julia wouldn’t let go. “What happened to you?”

Julia did not answer, instead she began to speak. “The older shall not sit on the throne of Wahala to rule or doom shall befall us all. The younger shall rule and he shall be greater and do exploit throughout his reign, and though death shall come for him, he shall not stop fighting,” she spoke in a hoarse voice that Julia didn’t have and this voice terrified Mia.

“I do not understand. Is this a parable or a prophecy?” Mia asked, her voice reeked with confusion and fear.

“Those with ears, hear and those with sound minds, understand? The kingdom of Wahala shall fall and come to ruin if the older rule over the younger. Let your heart guard you, my queen.”

As Julia finished speaking, her grey eyes return, and she dragged in a deep breath. She saw Mia and released her from her hold before stepping back.

“My queen,” confusion registered in her eyes as she stared at Mia, “What happened?”

Mia held her hand over her chest where her heavily pounding heart lay. “You just told me a prophecy and now I’m lost more than ever.”