Kai howled in his mind. He stared at the piece of paper where his mate had hurriedly scribbled:
[Dear Dorian,
I need to make some things right and I promise that I won’t let you bear the burden alone.
Yours,
Serena]
He crumpled the paper, out of anger — on her, on himself. His concern for his mate was consuming him inside out. In the haze of anger, he broke the nearest thing he got his hand on which was a vase on the coffee table. Why did she not understand that she was not a burden, that he would protect her even if it cost him his life?
‘Kyle?’
And that's what we call split personality folks. Serena literally has so much anger inside her that it needs some venting out.
The Augur staggered back, falling on his behind. His cane fell on the floor with a clatter. The room was illuminated by the golden aura of this untamed golden-eyed Seer, the last one of her bloodline, the fiercest and the bravest one. Sedona had staggered back as well. However, while the Augur’s face was etched with fear and horror, hers was etched with awe and pride. “You killed my mother. You plan to do the same to me, don’t you?” Serena’s voice had changed. From the dulcet, calm tone, it had become fierce and sharp. “No…no, I di-din’t,” the Augur had never stuttered in his life. He had never seen a Seer becoming this unrestrained. What was this? What was this power? Serena smirked. The curve of her lips looked unnatural on the otherw
‘That bitch!’ The Augur cursed in his mind, ignoring how his granddaughter stood stock still, ignoring Sedona’s ashened face and absolutely not paying heed to how Dorian reluctantly took his mate’s hand, unable to provide any consolation for the news he had just dropped. Meanwhile, the Augur’s mind was racing. Yvonne was gaining power. If she had been able to announce Vulcan’s execution without anyone in the kingdom protesting then she must have gained the subjects’ trust or at least instilled fear in their hearts to have been able to pass such a decision without any hitch. He glanced at the other three in the room and taking the opportunity of their distractedness; he slinked away until he could teleport without any of them stopping him. The moment he was back, he called for Dave, his right-hand man. “Call a meeting
Dorian wasn’t really sure if that was a good idea, but he didn’t want to deny his mate because he was afraid that she might just do something reckless out of her sense of burden and her attempt at saving him. His heart warmed at the thought of his mate trying to face others for his sake. Someone who would do this for him and not see him just as a feral wolf which his mother had turned him into. He suppressed a smile. “We can go tomorrow. Let me make the arrangements. We have to make a surprise visit.” Sedona, however, sounded tense and grim. “I don’t care what the Augur thinks.” Dorian’s eyes flitted to Serena’s determined expression. It was not what he was used to. However, from today’s incident he had learnt one thing - His mate wouldn’t let him shoulder everything alone. While the thought warmed his heart, made his
That night Serena entered Dorian’s room while the other was in the process of changing his clothes. Her heart rabbited in her chest as she looked at him, fidgeting with the hem of one of his t-shirts that she had become used to sleeping in at night. She didn’t know what led her to do this, but here she was and although she could give a lame excuse and run back to her room, she didn’t want that. After their mutual confession, she felt lighter. Her insecurities were no longer bubbling and simmering at the edge of her mind as if the confession had acted as a balm.Dorian’s movement had ceased, however, when she averted her gaze, he put the t-shirt over his head hurriedly and then asked, “What….happened?” His voice came out a little raspy. He cursed in his mind for jumping to inappropriate conclusions. He was confused more than anything. “Did
Serena felt more self-conscious than ever. Even though Viviane had worked her magic, she couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. Dorian had draped a coat around her shoulder because she felt cold, but still, she shuddered. Suddenly she felt his hand on her, dwarfing her hand in his. She felt warm and reassured. She stared at their entwined fingers for some time before raising her head and settling her eyes on the handsome man beside him. He looked regal in his three-piece black suit, a jewelled coat pin adorned at his left jacket pocket. “You look very beautiful today.” She shuddered at the way his breath fanned the side of her nake, the curls ruffled and tickled her skin. This was not the first time he had complimented her. While going down in the elevator, he had pulled her closer and brushed his lips against the crook of her neck. “I am restraining myself from doing anything more only b
A gasp escaped her lips, unbidden, and even though it wasn’t loud, it wasn’t silent either. Dorian’s eyes immediately zoned on to her. “You okay?” he whispered as one of the Elders delivered his introductory speech before the ceremony began. She gathered herself because now was not the time to back out. Even if… “I am…just…nothing,” she mumbled, leaning closer to his side. The mildly chilly air left goosebumps on her skin. She dearly wanted to shrug in Dorian's suit jacket again. She tuned in the speech again, forcing herself to concentrate and not appear ignorant or absent-minded, the pressure of leaving a good first impression and not being triggered by the site of the crowns was taking an immense toll on her mind. “We are proud of how far Alpha Dorian has come,” she heard the Elder say as if Dorian was a notorious child.
The coronation seemed to Serena like a hazy dream. She drifted from one thing to another, accepting and thanking, pasting a smile on her lips as the crown was placed on her head. The crown felt heavy as if weighing her down with the responsibility it signified. All the while, Dorian’s fingers remained firmly interlocked with hers. Alpha Gavin did not get much support after Dorian's announcement. Everyone agreed to his proposal. The reassuring smile he shot at her was enough to quell her anxiety for the time being. She tuned out half of what was being said in the ceremony. The piercing sound of applause and cheers made her realize that Dorian was being crowned. And then it was she who was being conferred with the most prestigious title. The crowd was ecstatic and this feeling was contagious. She vibrated with joy and a
Serena’s hands were sweating profusely. They had left the venue leaving everyone in awe and the elders gobsmacked. She knew that it would look on Dorian’s part.But the man himself looked unbothered and practically looked calm. She stole glances at him as the car inched toward Sedona’s place. She could still feel the phantom weight of the crown that now sat encased inside a glass box back at The Elders’ Ground.“Stop worrying so much. Sedona told you the people will love you.” Dorian’s murmur was soft and gentle. The silence in the car made it possible for her to hear what he said. She gazed at him. He was looking back at her with a reassuring gaze, but still, she couldn’t share that feeling. How he could look so unruffled was beyond her. She felt the anger that had been simmering clenching her gut, twisting them in knots. How dare they try to humiliate her mate? Did they think he was stupid and ignorant?The
~2 years later~ Serena’s eyes brimmed with tears, not because of sadness but out of happiness. The little bundle of joy, the one she had carried for the past nine months stared back at her with guileless golden eyes. All the exhaustion, the tears and mood changes, everything was worth it. When she conceived, she had already become protective, but now as she held the little one in her arms; she felt she would do anything for her. “Isn’t she beautiful?” Dorian whispered, his voice hoarse with strained emotions as he pulled her closer to him. Serena blinked back to the present and nodded, unable to utter even a single word. Her throat closed up as the bay made soft sounds as she rocked her gently. 4 years had passed in the blink of an eye and now as Serena stared at their daughter, she couldn’t h
Serena could feel her heart constrict. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She distantly heard someone shouting, then someone grabbing her arm because she was swaying on her feet. Her vision had become dim. Black spots danced at the edges of her eyes. Her eyes stung as she breathed through her mouth. Why would…why would he leave? Again? Was she being rejected? She couldn’t even feel his emotions strongly. They were so faint. She blinked furiously, hardly realizing that she was crying. Someone held her close to them, caressed her hair and shushed her. But her sobs suddenly seemed uncontrollable. She was trembling and then she felt a pinprick and before she knew it, her head had lolled to one side. ~~~~~~ Dorian hadn’t expected that his stepping out and going for a run to c
The next day, Alexander King came to visit his grandson in the morning. The old man paused outside the cabin and stared at Dorian through the rectangular glass on the door. He firmed his grasp around the cane and composed himself so that his grandson wouldn’t get a glimpse of his fear, of the terrible feeling of hopelessness he had experienced when Dorian didn’t wake up. He clutched the bent wooden head of the cane tightly to stop the quivering of his fingers. He pushed the door open and walked in. Dorian opened his eyes as soon as Alexander stepped in. Ronan stood up from the couch and bowed. Kyle was yet to arrive and take the former’s post. The beta was juggling between the pack and the company. “I will let you both talk,” Ronan said respectfully before leaving. Dorian sat up.
“How are you feeling?” Serena turned her head to look at Viviane. Her gaze was nothing but sympathetic. She bustled around a bit before helping her to sit up. She didn’t know how to explain what she felt. She was glad but that emotion seemed hollow. She felt a strange emptiness in her heart, a sickening satisfaction at having killed Yvonne and…“How’s Dorian?” she asked instead. Her voice came out raspy. Viviane held a cup in front of her mouth with a straw. She took slow sips before pushing the cup away.Vivane placed the cup on a nearby table and said, “He is fine. Exhausted but he is resting and…” Serena read her silence.“He knows.” It wasn’t a question. She let out a shuddering b
Serena opened her eyes to the same terrain, on the muddy grass where she often finds herself. She felt that her head was on someone’s lap. There was no pain or exhaustion as she sat up, taking in the calmness. The cliff did not look so threatening, and neither did the sea feel tumultuous. It was unnerving to some extent. “You are wondering why everything is so quiet today, aren't you?” Serena turned quickly to see her mother smiling at her, but there was a hint of ruefulness in that smile and a tinge of sadness in her gaze. “Mom..” she whispered before rushing towards her, even though she half-expected to feel her warmth but was pleasantly surprised to feel her mother’s arms envelope hers, pulling her into a hug that she often missed since she lost her.
[warning: mild gore] Dorian did not really feel the hit. His brain took a second to decipher, and Kai’s roar followed after that. One moment he was trying to break Barbara and Liam free from the binds, and the next moment he felt his entire body become immobile. He could hear Serena’s shout and Barbara’s scream but his vision was turning hazy and before he knew it he fell on the ground in a heap, like a dead weight. ~~~~~~ All the visions that she had seen played in her mind in a nightmarish loop. Was this what it meant? Was this how this would end? Serena refused to believe this. She scrambled towards his prone form, every other thought leaving her mind. “Dorian…” she gasped, his name a litany on her lips as she felt the pain that her mate might be feeling twice more than her. But…bu
Yvonne’s smirk and malicious gaze were enough to turn the simmering embers into a blazing fire. Her eyes flashed golden, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her back. She looked up to see Dorian, shaking his head subtly. “Listen to your mate, Miss Viotto. I wouldn’t want to harm someone close to my son after all,” she said tauntingly, making Serena angrier. She suddenly regretted bringing the book with her. It felt as if she had walked right into the trap. She clutched her tote bag tightly. “I don’t need his permission. The fact that he is stopping me because he knows what i am capable of,” she retorted and was thankful for the snarkiness in her tone. Yvonne’s face darkened before she began to walk towards her. Dorian immediately came in betw
Serena rushed to her father who collapsed on the floor as soon as Jordan let him go. Jordan watched the reunion with baleful eyes before his gaze settled on Dorian who was staring back at him with open hostility. The Alpha King’s gaze flickered to the former Fae King momentarily before they went back up and remained settled on Jordan. “What happened? Are you…are you hurt? Oh my gosh, what happened to your wings?” Serena bombarded the two fae men with question after question as she continued inspecting her wounded father. Vulcan felt too tired to speak, the teleportation having taken much energy away from him than he had fathomed. “I think we should move him to the guest room. I’ll call Viviane.” Dorian proposed. Jordan who had been silent until now murmured his assent. Dorian helped Jordan to pull Vulcan up and practically dragged him to the room because the older man was in no condition to walk, even with help. Serena’s heart clenched as he watched the once regal ki
She was standing in front of her father, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him writhing on the floor. His wings lying somewhere far, bloody and twitching. “Save…save me…save me…” But Serena remained silent. The moon shone brightly, brighter than any other day. She could hear the high tides, she could hear their impatience. The rune of Nauthiz (ᚾ) hovers and disappears. She doesn't know what to make of it. It’s the rune of need, urgency, but also conveys the acceptance of the unchangeable. Did that mean…? Her eyes closed for a moment, as she tried to gather enough courage to say the next words. But those words didn’t leave her mouth for when she opened her eyes, Vulcan was lying still, a garbled groan came out of his lips. A sob esca