Renaissance

Episode 2

*Cecilia's POV*

I have been unable to sleep since I received the acceptance letter from University. I was accepted into the Social Studies program, and I was proud of myself. I sat up and stretched my muscles. The sun barely started rising. It was the perfect time of the day to move my body a bit. I threw on some jogging pants and a black sports bra before leaving for the running tracks. 

The orphanage I have been raised at was a decent one, and I was very thankful for everything they provided me. However, soon I will become an adult, officially, and wouldn't be eligible to stay here anymore.

I started Jogging at a steady pace. I never had many friends. I was an average-looking girl strong on many levels, therefore usually ignored or made fun of. I didn't care as long as they didn't touch me. I hated being touched. 

I started picking up my pace. I even found an internship program that paid for all my needs through University. I was lucky to be accepted to the program. Considering…

I took some deep breaths and started pushing myself further. Considering my situation, I thought to myself. 

We don't have a situation! that voice rang in my ears yet again! Yes, I heard voices, and that was my situation! If I had a family, I would tell them to take me to a doctor, but I cannot afford to be locked away being the orphan I am. Not now. So I have to ignore it as long as I can.

And, it's not going to help, Cecelia, I am you, and you are me. How long are you going to deny me?

I didn't answer the voice. I shook my head and ran until every muscle on my body burned, and I couldn't take any more.

After my long and tiresome run, I took a shower and readied myself wearing a deep blue knee-length dress and matching short heels. I braided the top half of my hair, leaving the rest as loose waves. I had a meeting with the head minister before catching my bus for the town. All my belongings were already packed upstairs.  

I knocked on the office door twice.

"Come in." Called Mrs Hailey.

"Good morning Mrs Hailey; how are you today?" I greeted her. To my surprise, she got up and walked towards me, wearing a warm smile on her lips. She shook my hand enthusiastically.

"Good morning, Cecelia. I am glad you can stop by my office today. Not every day are we able to send our graduates to a reputable University. I wanted to congratulate you in person." She said, half hugging me. 

"Thank you, ma'am. It's an honour hearing these words from you." I quickly exclaimed, being weirded out by the oddness of the situation.

"Is there anything at all I can do for you, child?" She asked, surprising me even further. But there was one thing she could give me nonetheless. 

"Mrs Hailey, do you have any information on my birth parents? Anything about my origins at all? I would appreciate that as a parting gift." I asked. I saw her forehead getting wrinkly.

"It is confidential information but, considering your overall nature and the fact that you will become of age within two months, I see no harm in sharing with you." She whispered as if reasoning with herself. My insides twisted with expectation. "Your name, you see, Cecelia. Not all kids who end up here are fortunate enough to be named by their parents. But your name was given to you by your own family." she said, rummaging through a few of her drawers; she brought out a golden necklace, too big for a baby's neck. But perfect for an adult like me. "Here, this is yours." She said. "We tried searching your family, to avail." Mrs Hailey dropped the necklace into my awaiting palm. 

I took a look at it. It was a beautiful pendant with the thinnest chain. The pendant itself was made of gold, with a five-armed star embroidered onto it. It looked almost like a family crest. On the backside, it bore my name and birthdate written with the most elegant handwriting.

"Cecelia Alcmene," I read aloud.

"I am sorry, Cecelia, you have been a wonderful kid to raise. I am so sad that your parents weren't there to witness your growth. The pendant is the only clue we have of your family." She said, dismissing the issue. 

I felt utterly thankful that I have received a family heirloom after almost 20 years. I smiled at her.

"I am glad I had a guardian as caring as yourself, Mrs Hailey. I am the individual I am today, thanks to you." She gave me a short hug and an understanding smile.

"Let me see you off. Your car should be here." She said, leading me out of her office.

After settling in the university's guest house, I ate some lunch and went shopping for some food and appliances. We had a shared kitchen, so I planned on cooking my meals.

I was walking through the aisles of the local grocery store when I saw him.

A man at least 25 centimetres taller than me had dark wavy hair, framing his beautiful face. As soon as I laid eyes on him, his dark green eyes bore into mine with such an intense look in them. He was gorgeous with a very toned body, showing off proudly from the tight-cut shirt he was wearing. He had something pulling me towards him. I realized that I have been staring for a long while now, and he hasn't looked away at all, either. I felt very comfortable yet self-conscious under his intense gaze. Quickly averting mine, I started walking down the aisle, walking right past him and realizing that he had company, only then. Two huge boys accompanied him. Siblings, I thought, since their ages varied.

I gave a quick nod of my head for acknowledgement while passing through, and my hair whipped the air behind me as I turned my head to look where I was going.

*Autry's POV*

We reached the town, settled ourselves in the university's guest house, and went to the close-by Grocery Store to buy stuff. Being the young wolves, we consumed a lot of food. I was thankful to find out we got a small kitchen to be shared in the guest house. I was mindlessly collecting every instant cooking item I laid my eyes to when the time stopped for me, forever, with the screams of Godric in my head.

MATE, MATE, MATE, MATE, DUDE! MATE! 

She was standing a few feet from us, looking me up and down. I was fortunate enough to lock my eyes with the beautiful green eyes of the fairy before me. She was the prettiest being I have ever laid my eyes on, for sure! She had a petite frame and ginger hair flowed down her shoulders like a silk scarf, and cute little freckles brought colour to her pale complexion. 

I watched as she grew uncomfortable under my insistent gaze and started walking towards me. It was taking every damn cell in my body and every ounce of strength in me to prevent myself from jumping on her and claiming here right there and then. I was aware of where we were and that she most probably was human, so I had no choice but to contain myself. She looked into my eyes and nodded once while passing me, then turning, causing her hair to whip behind her, filling my nostrils directly with an intoxicating honeysuckle scent, which made me lose control for a split second, allowing Godric to come to the surface. I had no time to react before he captured her arm and had her against one of the shelves. 

"Hello, little mate." I heard his husky voice calling her. Something shone in her eyes as a response to that. 

"Um, I- sorry for- I…" she started mumbling. I couldn't understand why apologies. Clearly, so didn't Godric.

"Why are you sorry, little mate?" He asked, too close to her still. I saw confusion passing through her eyes. She gulped a big one before finding her voice.

"I didn't mean to stare, I, only," she said. No longer able to look at us. "I just…" her voice trailed off.

Godric, maybe it'll be better if I spoke to her right now. I suggested, seeing her distress.

All yours, he said before giving me back my control. The first thing I did was to let go of her arm.

"I am sorry," I said. "I acted on impulse. I didn't mean to scare you. In fact, you have nothing to apologize for." I said, smiling down at her. "We started quite oddly. Let me introduce myself properly," I said, offering my hand for a shake. "I am Autry Gerald Garrett, and I will be studying here for a couple of years."

After blinking at me a few times, she accepted my hand, answering, "Cecelia Alcmene, I will study in town as well. It is very nice meeting you, Mr Garrett." With the prettiest smile plastered on her very kissable lips.

"That is Autry for you," I said with a smile of my own. I watched as her eyes diverted from my eyes to my lips and lingered there for a moment, causing the blood to rush into her cheeks. She gulped audibly. 

“Then it’s only fair if you call me Cece, Autry,” she said softly. Leaving her lips, my name had a whole different level of meaning. 

“Tell me, Cece,” I exhaled, trying to silence Godric’s pleadings to mark her right there, “when will I be able to see you, next?” I asked.

“Mis-Autry, I just moved into the guest house, which is not so far away from here,” she answered. Causing me to relax visibly. 

“Then tomorrow evening, I would like to cook dinner for you, Cece, if you would be so kind as to let me.” I planned quickly. I can kick the pups and have some alone time with my mate. I watched as she contemplated my offer, seriously. Good, I thought she is taking her security seriously. I patiently waited for her answer. 

“To be honest, Autry, I am not a risk-taker by nature. But I have this indescribable pull towards you; that is why I would like to take you up on your offer, although, promise me you will not pull anything funny with me?” I smiled. 

“Your wish is my command, Cecelia; I will respect you in every possible way. I promise! Please meet me at the entrance gates tomorrow at five pm, and you will make me the happiest male in this universe.” she giggled with a heavenly voice. 

“I will be there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to run some errands,” she said, nicely. And I let her go. 

My heart skipped the thousandth beat in the last 5 minutes as she turned back to check me one last time with those innocent eyes before disappearing behind the many aisles of the store. 

When I finally turned around, I realized two curious pups looked at me with their jaws on the ground. 

“Will explain, be quick,” I ordered, pushing them to move quickly so that we could reach the secrecy of our room as soon as possible.

*Cecelia’s POV* 

I wasn’t able to pass clear, he caught my arm, not quite forcefully, and before I knew it, my back was pressed against a shelf, and his gorgeous self was hovering over me, closely. I had no chance but to look at his eyes, only to find out that they were no longer those magnificent dark green colour but turned completely black, and only his pupils had a deep red spark. It should have been scary, although I couldn’t help myself from staring directly into this magnificence. 

“Hello, little mate.” he purred in a deep, husky voice, making my insides twist with need.

I realized that he should be angry with me. I tried to apologize for staring too much and openly to an extent. It could be considered rude, but all I could muster were some unintelligible words.

“Why are you sorry, little mate?” he asked. What was it with him and calling me little mate? I concluded it should be some kind of slang I wasn’t accustomed to. I was confused. If he wasn’t angry, why attack me all of a sudden. I gulped my nerves audibly. 

“I didn’t mean to stare, I, only,” I said, looking down, searching for my words. “I just…” I mumbled. I felt his grip on my upper arm retract, and when I looked back into his face, which now stood a decent distance from mine, his eyes were back to their dark green colour. 

"I am sorry, I acted on impulse. I didn’t mean to scare you; in fact, you have nothing to apologize for.” he was looking at my eyes more gently now with a slight smile plastered on his lips. “We started quite oddly; let me introduce myself properly,” he said. I saw him reaching one of his hands for a shake. “I am Autry Gerald Garrett. I will be studying here for a couple of years.” it was all so unbelievably. I paused to breathe a few times before answering him properly. Taking his hand, I said: 

“Cecelia Alcmene, I will study in town as well. It is very nice meeting you, Mr Garrett.” I smiled by the end of my first proper sentence. 

“That is Autry for you,” he said. I don’t know what it was, but the way my name left his lips, I couldn’t help the desire filling my insides, adoring the lips that sang my name so beautifully. I gulped again. Trying to control the need to kiss those full lips. 

“Then it’s only fair if you call me Cece, Autry,” I said. He pursed his lips together.

“Tell me, Cece,” he said once again, melting me from inside out. “When will I be able to see you next?” 

“Mis-Autry,” I started, catching myself adding Mr “I just moved into the guest house, which is not so far away from here,” I answered. 

“Then tomorrow evening, I would like to cook dinner for you, Cece, if you would be so kind as to let me.” wow, I thought to myself. On my literally first day out from the orphanage, I was about to have my first date, literally tomorrow. I didn’t know this man. I didn’t know his intentions. Why did I feel like I could just trust him? Just like that? Before I could catch myself, I was answering.

“To be honest, Autry, I am not a risk-taker by nature. But I have this indescribable pull towards you. That is why I would like to take you up on your offer, although, promise me you will not pull anything funny with me?” I watched as the corner of his lips lifted playfully. 

“Your wish is my command, Cecelia. I will respect you in every possible way. I promise! Please meet me at the entrance gates tomorrow at five pm, and you will make me the happiest male in this universe.”. 

“I will be there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to run some errands.” I said, trying to justify my need to get away from there as soon as possible, as I didn’t know for how much longer I would be able to contain myself from claiming those painfully gorgeous lips. As I excused myself and walked down the aisle, away from him, I felt a stinging in my heart. I had to turn and check him one more time before going my way. It was a nice surprise to find him watching my retreating figure.