The Poisoned Bond

Birthday Crown

The gate swung open with a soft creak and closed on an even louder grown of metal. I need to fix that. The moon had risen high in the sky, casting a silver light over everything, and painting the leaves with an almost ghostly glow. I plucked a few of the wildflowers, daisies, and lavender we kept close to the gate before heading further into the maze of hedges. The cool breeze whispered through the hedges cooling me down from the panic I had begun to suffocate on inside.

The scent of the garden was intoxicating. It was like walking into a memory. With shaky hands, I began to weave the flowers into a chain, the soft petals brushing against my skin. Each daisy was placed with care, the lavender intertwined to create a fragrant necklace. It was a silent mantra, a prayer to the moon above that my heart wouldn't shatter. The process was soothing, calming the turmoil that swirled inside me.

I was navigating towards the middle where my mother’s bench was. My father and I had built it out of a fallen tree one summer and we had placed it here in my mother’s favorite garden.

I used to come here with my father a lot. He was the one who taught me how to make these flower chains. Now I make one every time I come here – without thinking - like a ritual or a strange habit. He used to call me his little princess and he would say that every princess deserves a crown. I rounded the final corner into the center and took a seat on the bench. I rested the remainder of my flowers in a pile on the seat next to me while I continued to work. I started to hum while I continued and before I knew it, I was quietly singing an Irish lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was little.

Today was my birthday and I had spent it alone. But now I had finished my birthday crown – so I knew my father was with me, at least. I almost came out of my skin and screamed when I heard someone crunch on the small gravel behind me. I ripped my little crown on one side and turned to see who the intruder was.

"There you are." He said before stepping out of the shadows and handed me another little daisy. He was looking at the ground.

I looked up over my shoulder and smiled at Chase. "Here I am." I said. He had the biggest smile on his face: bordering on goofy. I patted the bench next to me and turned back to my chain with the new flower in hand.

"I have been looking for you everywhere." He sat down next to me, so close that our thighs touched.

"Why?" I asked. I laughed a little but did not look back up. I was so nervous. "You know why." He said to me and his breathing had picked up a little. He smelled wonderful. Like Lavender and vanilla with a hint of something else - something almost sour but it was so faint that I could not make it out. He had started to inch closer, and I realized he was smelling me too.

I had finished fixing my chain and decided to slip it over his head before looking down into his eyes- now that he was looking back at me. I suddenly felt very calm, and my headache was slipping away. "Are you alright?" I asked. I could not look away. How had I never noticed that his brown eyes had tiny little flecks of green in them? Like tiny mossy stars in a muddy river - but they were beautiful.

He brushed my hair back over my ear and smiled at me. "I missed you." his voice was getting deeper and huskier. It pulled me in. "I missed you so much."

Suddenly, Chase's lips were on mine, and it was as if the universe had snapped into place. A warm jolt of electricity shot through my body, setting every nerve ending alight. The word "MATE" echoed in my mind like a primal chant, echoing through the very marrow of my bones.

I leaned into the kiss, feeling the strength of his arms as they wrapped around me, pulling me over to straddle his lap. My right thigh was fully exposed, the high slit of my dress revealing my bare skin to the cool night air. My panties were peeking out a little...