Renaissance

Episode 13

*Cecelia’s POV* 

I felt amazing. I had the most fantastic experience of my life! I had a delicious mate, a very caring one at that! I couldn’t believe how he could reject me when he had this much care and love towards me. I felt wonderful under his touches and everything he did to me. I looked at the load of sandwiches Damon brought for us and took my second helping. Autry just watched me as I put food into my stomach. 

“Why aren’t you eating,” I asked. 

“I will, once you are full,” he answered. I shrugged. 

“I wouldn’t mind eating together,” I said. “They are delicious, I might just eat them all, and then you will not have any helpings.” 

“That’s exactly why I’m not eating,” he said with a smile. “Besides, watching you is so much fun!” 

“Is it now?” I said, raising my eyebrow. I was sure I was a mess by now. 

“Yes, it is,” he said. I just shut up and continued eating. I was done in no time. There still were a few sandwiches for Autry to eat. He took one, and I stared at him, leaning back to the arm of the sofa.

“What?” he asked. I smirked.

“Well, it’s my turn staring as you eat!” I said nonchalantly. “Is it a mate thing?” I asked, “I normally hate being around people when they are eating. Too many disgusting voices… I hate it.” Just the thought of it raised the contents of my stomach to my throat. 

“Well, I hate that noise, so I try to make as little as possible.” He shrugged. 

“I was raised with humans, well, I didn’t know then but, I guess my hearing was better than them, and I could hear everybody in the dining hall, slurping at the same time. I got so sick that the headmistress had to issue special permission to eat alone in my room. Then I was able to gain some weight. Before that, I was like a skeleton for a while.” I said.

“Wow! That should have been painful, Goddess,” he said. 

“What is it with that pet name?” I asked. I wouldn’t complain about any pet name coming from his mouth, but Goddess was a bit excessive. 

“But you are my Goddess.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I have this urge to worship you. I love it; it suits you.”

“Well, I like the compliment. But I am not a Goddess; people will think funny things.” I voiced my concern.

“People,” he said, swallowing the food in his mouth and looking me dead in the eyes, “can go f**k themselves. I don’t care a soul about what they think! I thought what people would think and look what it had done to us!” he was shaking his arms between us furiously. “No, I am not caring about what people think ever again. Especially if the issue is concerning my beautiful mate!” he said. He was serious, and that was a good thing! I smiled at him. 

“I’m glad you think like that.” 

“I’m glad you opened my eyes; though we had to experience a painful break, I am never making this mistake ever again!” he paused then started talking again “you know, even if you didn’t turn out to be a werewolf, I was going to track you down. I know it may sound creepy but, I regretted it the moment I rejected you.” He looked at me. “I hated every word I had to say. And even if you were a human, I wanted you. I didn’t care. I was ready to give up my position. I could have given up the pack altogether, for that matter. I was going to talk about our situation to my parents, and according to their rejection, I would either make the human-you my Luna or leave the pack and find you. Either way, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you before you even walked out of the door.” He confessed. I was utterly confused. I could sense he wasn’t lying, but then…

“Why didn’t you stop me, then?” I asked. He slumped in his seat.

“I don’t know; I was so dumbfounded. No one ever dared to speak to me that way other than my mother. Even my father never did! So I was taken by surprise. I felt like a little child. I just couldn’t move.” He said. 

“But you could have traced me,” I said. 

“I didn’t know you left that night. I was in so much pain, I thought it was the bond, but it really was your transformation. I felt your pain, and I passed out from its intensity. I tried to come to your room two days later, but you weren’t there. And I couldn’t see you at the campus either. I was thinking of a way to find you, but then, time flew.” 

This new information was the last thing I needed to know to erase all my doubts about our relationship. He has only been honest with me; even when he was breaking my heart, he was wrong but honest. He never tried to have his way. I had no reason to doubt his sincerity. And to be honest, it wasn’t his rejection that hurt me most but the reasoning lying under, since it was no longer there…

“I forgive you,” I said, taking his hand, which rested on his lap. He looked up as if he couldn’t hear me.

“What did you say?” 

“I said I forgive you,” I said, this time looking directly into his eyes. I smiled. I watched as he threw the sandwich in the air, the contents flying all over. He stood like a crazed person. Hovering over me.

“And you mean it?” He asked with a crazed voice.

“I mean it hundred per cent!” I said. The smile plastered on his handsome face was priceless! He took me from my waist and just picked me up like I weighed nothing. He started to turn, jumping with me in his arms. The wind from his spinning made his beautiful hair dance; it was an incredible sight. I laughed to my heart’s content.

“You forgave me! YEEEEESSSSSS! AHAHAHAHHAA! SHE FORGAVE ME!” he shouted, his lungs out! Laughing! I smiled at him. I bet his screams reached the campus.

“Yes, big boy, I did.”

He slowed down. He looked like a little child right now, and I adored his reaction. 

“I can’t believe it!” He put me down. “Goddess, I am so happy!”

“I can see that”, I giggled. He then kissed me. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow. And I loved it.

*Autry’s POV*

I didn’t want to overreact but, I did anyway. I felt like I weighed nothing. I suspected my feet were hovering above the ground; that’s how light I felt. She forgave me!  I kissed her; I kissed her with such force, I was dizzy from happiness. I didn’t know what to do. I broke the kiss, feeling she almost suffocated. I looked at her. She was panting with a huge smile plastered on her little face. 

“Oh, my beautiful Goddess,” I said with a sigh, my nerves finally able to calm down a little bit. I studied her face, trying to carve every detail into my mind. “I love you, Cecelia!” I confessed clearly this time. “I love you so much; it hurts my heart. And now you've made me so happy, and I couldn’t believe it!” I looked at her as she happily smiled back at me.

“Calm down, big boy. It’s not like I accepted your proposal or anything.” She said with a grin.

“What proposal?”

“Humans propose their one and only love,  for their hand in marriage.” She explained.

“Marriage?” I asked.

“Humans wow to tie one to another, just like mates. A whole ceremony is made, and they wow in front of their loved ones and their God that they will love and cherish the other in sickness and health. But they don’t die when their partner passes away.” She explained. It sounded like the Luna ceremony. This made me wonder.

“Do you want one?” I asked.

“What?” she looked at me, unable to understand.

“I mean a human-style wedding, do you want one?” I asked. She looked puzzled. 

“Really?” she asked, eyes double in size.

“Yes, I thought humans raised you, and you may have an adoration to their God. I could understand if you wanted one.” I elaborated. 

“Wow! Yes, I mean, I don’t have any friends, but the headmistress is like a mother to me, and I would love to have her shall I ever decide to unite my life with my significant one.” She said. “I always dreamed of wearing a beautiful dress and walking down the aisle.” Her eyes were shining when she talked about this wedding thing. 

“Then you shall have one,” I said.

“Autry Garrett, this is a proper way to propose! Go and make me a better one, or I will not accept it!” she said, faking a fit of anger. I giggled. 

“Yes, ma'am!” I said.

“Good.” She giggled. “Hey, what do we do today. I don’t have school, as you know.”

“Yes, your new room will be ready shortly. We will settle you up and then go to the student relations to sign you up for our class. We really need all the help we could get about the pack business. I do have a few ideas already but, I'd love a pair of fresh eyes to help me see if we are missing anything.” I said. I didn’t mind her getting a proper role in the management of the pack, more than just throwing pointless parties. My mother has always been left at the sidelines when she was so skilled. We might not be in this situation, shall my father let her manage some of the business. I sighed.

“Is it that severe?” Cecelia asked.

“We are about to go bankrupt altogether,” I said. I came here, hoping I could find a solution to the situation. We have maybe five more years of resources. If we couldn’t, we will fail to feed our members anymore.

“That sounds awful!” she said. “I’ll help, if I can, in any way.” She said. 

“Thank you. So it’s settled. Let’s get ready and head out. Take a shower; I’m waiting here.”

“Yes, thank you.” She said and disappeared behind the bathroom door. I mind-linked Autry.

Brother? he answered.

Where are you? I asked. 

In my room.

Come here. I need to talk to you. I said.

Sure, on my way.

He knocked on the door within a minute, and I stepped out.

“Autry, sorry we need to talk here; Cecelia is taking a shower.”

“No problem, brother. What’s the matter?”

“I need you to research human weddings and proposals. I have no idea what that is, but we need to prepare one for Cecelia.” I explained. 

“Are you aware that she, in fact, is a wolf?”

“Yes, one raised by humans and gotten kicked out from her pack by her mother! She holds the human who raised her dearly. So she wants a human wedding. And I’ll give her one.” I said.

“Yes, I understand now. It’s well taught. I’ll research it. We will prepare the best wedding a human could have for our adorable Luna.” He said with a warm smile.

“You liked her, didn’t you,” I asked, smiling. 

“Hell yeah, I liked her! She kicked your ass. No one kicks your ass! I loved her even before I spoke with her.” A dark growl formed in my throat. “It's brotherly love! Chill! Also, what is there not to like. She’s gonna be the perfect Luna to our pack, and I bet she’s powerful.” He concluded.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I did some research on the Maya Pack. There are legends… incredible ones!” I was startled to hear that, so far, she was a normal wolf.

“Send your research to me,” I said. 

“It’s a mess right now. It'll take a few days to conclude everything up.”

“I don't care. Make it easily understandable. I will read it together with Cecelia. I don’t really care, but she might want to know.” I said. 

“Sure. No problem.” Damon said.

“And Damon,” I called just as he was about to leave. He looked at me from over his shoulder. “sorry for earlier” he just lifted his hand, as if saying no problem and kept on walking down the aisle. I shook my head. He was so cool. I was lucky to have him as my brother. I returned to my room and closed the door behind me. I tidied the sandwich I had thrown in the air when Cecelia said she forgave me! I still couldn’t believe it. I changed my bedsheets since they were smelling s*x. I took the tray out to the kitchen area, and when I returned, I saw Cecelia already left the shower and was fishing through her bags. 

“Hey,” I said. Kissing her neck and hugging her from behind.

“You’ll get wet.” She said. 

“I don’t mind getting wet.” I kissed her marking spot softly, making her shudder. 

Alpha Autry, the room is ready in ten. Kenneth linked me.

Thanks, Ken, we'll come there within thirty minutes. Please wait for us?

Yes, Alpha. Although I wasn’t The Alpha of the pack yet, Ken had a habit of calling me that. I didn’t mind because eventually, he was going to become my Gamma. 

“I’ll go and take a shower. Wait for me?”

“Sure, not like I have anywhere to go right now.” She said. 

“Okay, I’ll be quick.”

When I left the bathroom, fully bathed now, Cecelia was dressed in the above-the-knee cream pleated skirt and the burgundy coloured blouse we bought the other day. She was wearing matching burgundy coloured sneakers. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she looked divine. She was reading the same book she took from my bookshelf last night, sitting comfortably on the sofa. She looked up while I walked towards her. She formed this habit to look at me from up to down and back up whenever I left the shower. And it made my heart race and the following smell of her want, crazed Godric to his limits. 

“Hello Goddess, do you like what you see?” I asked playfully. 

“Very much so,” she answered; oh, that smirk… was it mine rubbing up on her or was it her own beautiful smirk? I had no idea, but it gave her a naughty aura, and I loved that! 

“Your room is ready,” I announced. 

“And where is it located?”

“Seconds away from here,” I answered. She pouted. “What is it, Goddess?” 

“Nothing,” she answered. I wasn’t satisfied at all. I saw that pout, even though it vanished in less than a moment. 

“Goddess, tell me, don’t you want to be close to me?” I asked a little hurt. 

“No, that’s not it at all,” she said.

“What is it then?” 

“You say it’s close; I think it’s too far,” she answered me, blushing sweetly.

“Did you just confess that you don’t want to stay away from me?” I asked calmly. She blushed to an even darker colour. 

“Well, you can’t hold me close if you are seconds away…” she said. I took a deep breath. 

“My love, we can make new arrangements if that is your wish,” I said. 

“Autry, I meant it when I said I forgave you. I have very intense feelings regarding you, and I think it may not be all the mate bond.” She said, leaving me bewildered. “I am not one to take feelings lightly; I wouldn’t say anything if I were not sure that is, in fact, how I am feeling.”

“But, my love, I started arranging your room yesterday, as soon as we came here. So I didn’t know.” I said. “Let’s make a different arrangement for our accommodation.” She just nodded. 

“Let’s go anyways. I want to see what you did.” She said.

“I’ll get dressed really quick.” I excused myself.

*Cecelia’s POV*

He took my hand while he escorted me. I was stunned when he walked out wearing a burgundy chino and cream polo. He dressed in matching clothes with me. My heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness. I was surprised that we really just walked to the next door.  He knocked on the door, and it was opened by the other guy who was with Autry that day at the grocery store. 

“Ken,”

“Alpha,” he bowed. He bowed to me even lower. “Future Luna,”

“Please call me Cecelia,” I said.

“I’m afraid I am not permitted to do that, Future Luna,” he bowed again.

“Can’t we manipulate the permissions?” I asked Autry. 

“Not now, I am not the Alpha to the pack. I can’t change my father’s rules.” He said.

“Too bad he isn’t here.” I winked at him. His eyes enlarged.

“Witty!” he said. 

“What can I do? I said, being raised in an orphanage, you learn how to bend the rules to your convenience.” I shrugged. 

“Let’s get in,” Autry said, pushing the door further and revealing the room. 

The rooms were definitely not ordinary. The walls were painted to a soothing light grey colour, and the room was clearly decorated. I looked around. There was a lounge area just like in Autry's room; the double couch was a cosy one in a very, very light green colour. There was a round shaggy light grey rug in front of it, and above sat a round coffee table. Behind it, there was a study area with a vast white desk, a laptop and four extended bookshelves on the left side. Over the table, a desk lamp was situated very thoughtfully. 

The sleeping area was divided from the lounge with a folding screen. My closet was moved here from my previous room, apparently. But the bed looked divine! It was calling for me already. It was a king-sized bed with a very comfortable looking headboard. The sheets were plain white, but a cosy mint colour throw blanket was on top, so it still looked cosy.

“What a waste… it’s decorated very tastefully.” I said. 

“Thank you, Future Luna,” Kenneth said. “But what is the matter?” he asked. 

“Well, our Future Luna doesn’t want separate rooms,” Autry said. 

“Why, then we could just very conveniently merge the two rooms.” Kenneth proposed.

“You have a genius as your friend,” I said. “Why didn’t we think about that at all?”

“It's decided then. Let’s do it, Ken. I trust you on the arrangement. We need to head to the student relations.” Autry called, and after saying goodbye, we left. 

Autry very easily was able to convince the school that I was in fact a good student, which had some unfortunate family matters that came out of nowhere; and that I wouldn’t disappear on them again like that. I was surprised by how easy it was to convince the people, I felt his manipulative power. He was good at what he was doing. But again, he wasn’t lying, just stating the facts. 

I felt very happy, again having a purpose to pursue, I felt alive. I looked at Autry, he was walking beside me, with his hand resting in the small of my back. Such a gentleman. 

“So where are we headed now?” I asked. 

“Well, the sun will set in an hour or so, so I thought, we could go get dinner, and then go dancing,” he said. 

“Dancing?” 

“I just want to show off with my beautiful Goddess and show the world that we belong to each other,” he said jokingly. 

“Well, this mate will be happy,” I said with a smile.