Lavender and Vanilla
860 Words
Chapter 8: Lavender and Vanilla
Kael wandered deeper into the forest, the crunch of leaves and the rustle of branches his only companions. The cold air clung to his skin, sharp and invigorating. His mind was a war zone. Cassie. The dream girl. The aching confusion lodged between them.
He kept playing the scene from earlier that day in his head—Cassie’s subtle glances, the cold frown, the way she had pretended not to notice him.
She knew.
His wolf knew. And it hurt like hell.
Kael sighed, rubbing his temples. The forest usually calmed him. Not today.
A branch cracked behind him.
He froze.
His eyes narrowed as he scanned the thicket.
"Who's there?" he called, voice firm.
And then...
It hit him.
The scent.
Not cookies. Not cinnamon. Not vanilla.
Lavender.
Fresh. Floral. Earthy.
Still beautiful.
Still wrong.
He didn’t have time to react further because Cassie emerged slowly from between the trees, her gaze cast downward. Her heels crunched on dry twigs. Her long curls hid most of her face, but she stopped a few feet in front of him.
Kael’s breath caught.
She looked up.
Eyes empty. Calm. Determined.
He already knew what was coming.
"Kael Staunton," she said softly, "I reject you as my mate."
The words cut like knives.
Before he could even plead, a howl burst from his throat—long, tortured, and raw. It echoed across the trees, a sound filled with heartbreak and fury.
Cassie flinched, but she didn’t cry. Not like he did.
Because it didn’t hurt her the way it was destroying him.
Just as she had appeared, she turned and walked away.
Gone.
Kael dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.
His wolf clawed and screamed inside him.
His vision swam. His ears rang. His body collapsed to the side.
And then, darkness.
---
A forest.
Not the one he was in.
The air was different here.
Sweet.
Warm.
Vanilla.
And there she was.
She appeared like a ghost through the mist, her form glowing with soft moonlight. Her eyes were wide, grey, glistening with emotion.
She didn’t speak. She only saw the pain in his eyes.
Kael couldn’t move.
His knees were still on the forest floor, hands still trembling.
Then she walked to him.
She knelt beside him.
And she hugged him.
Not just a polite hug. Not gentle or unsure.
A full, tight, soul-saving hug.
His body relaxed into her. His arms wrapped around her like she was the last thing keeping him together.
And she was.
The scent that wrapped around her—the cookies, cinnamon, and vanilla—was better than anything he’d ever known.
She smelled like home.
They stayed that way for what felt like forever.
Then he pulled back, but her face was still a blur. He couldn’t see it.
He whispered, "Thank you."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Light burst around them.
Then—
Kael gasped awake, back in the real forest.
His face was wet with tears.
His wolf was quiet now.
But that girl…
That girl was real.
He knew it.
---
Back at Crescent Ash Pack
Sandy sat frozen in her seat during third period.
The pain had started as a twinge in her chest.
Then it grew.
Bigger.
Tighter.
She clutched her desk, face turning pale.
The teacher’s voice was a muffled drone in the background.
She raised her hand, didn’t wait for a response, and rushed out.
Her legs moved on instinct.
Not the bathroom.
The janitor’s closet.
She barely shut the door before her knees gave out.
She collapsed to the floor, hand on her chest.
A sob broke from her lips.
She didn’t know why it hurt this much.
But it did.
She was suffocating.
Then the world went black.
And dreamscape took her.
---
There he was.
The boy from the dreams.
Those grey eyes of his were dim. Broken. His entire body trembled as he howled into the forest, pain spilling from him in waves.
Her heart shattered.
She ran to him.
She didn’t speak.
She just hugged him.
He hugged her back, fiercely, like if he let go, he’d fall apart.
She breathed him in.
Wood.
Vanilla.
Sweetness.
Warmth.
Her soul stopped aching.
So did his.
They stayed like that, swaying gently in the ethereal light of the dream world.
He pulled away, though his face stayed blurred to her.
His voice was low.
"Thank you."
Then—softly, like a breeze—he kissed her forehead.
Light exploded.
And she woke up.
---
The janitor's closet was dark.
Quiet.
She blinked up at the ceiling, heart still pounding.
Her limbs felt heavy.
Her hands trembled.
She slowly pulled herself up.
Checked her phone.
School was out.
The hallways were empty.
She rubbed her arms, trying to collect herself.
Those dreams…
They weren’t just dreams.
She knew it now.
Something was happening.
Something bigger than her, bigger than Crescent Ash, bigger than Zayne.
And she had no clue what to do about it.
But the boy with grey eyes?
The one who smelt like peace?
He needed her.
And maybe… just maybe… she needed him too.
- Writer
