Chapter Two - Wildflowers
1595 Words
The next morning, there’s a knock on my door.
“Luna. There’s someone here for you.” My dad’s voice. Then his footsteps retreat.
I rush downstairs, still feeling a bit sleepy.
When I open the door, he is there.
Kael.
Standing on my porch with a funny looking bouquet of wildflowers - purple and yellow blooms, like something he just picked on his way here.
“Good morning,” he says with a confident smile. As if showing up unannounced is completely normal.
My father appears beside me in a second, as if he’d been hovering around.
“Kael,” My father’s voice carries a careful politeness he reserves specifically for important wolves. “Would you like to come in for coffee?”
“Thank you. I was hoping Luna would take a walk with me.” Kael says, eyes steady on mine. “If she’s free that is.”
I look at myself. Still in my pyjamas, still looking obviously unprepared.
“Give me few minutes?”
He nods. Steps in. Closes the door.
I dash upstairs. Shower. Change into a pair of grey jeans and a nice green top. Head back down.
When I come down, Kael is already having conversations with my father.
Then he turns and looks stunned. Eyes popping.
My father notices. Stands up to see us off.
“You tell have fun. Bring her back by sunset.”
The door closes behind us.
Kael hands me the wildflowers and his fingers brush mine for a slight moment.
“You look really beautiful.”
I blush.
He lets out a soft chuckle. “Shall we?”
“Where are we going to?”
“There’s a clearing not too far from here. It’s a neutral territory so it’s fine. Just us. No noise.”
I feel the bond kicking with excitement.
Even though I’ve never shifted, I can feel it.
We walk through the fields. The morning air is still fresh. Sweet. Crisp. Birds chirping softly above us.
The walk to the clearing is quiet. Mostly.
“You don’t speak much.” Kael says, about ten minutes in.
“I’m just…I don’t know what to say. This is all very new to me.” I reply, looking away towards the trees to help overcome the first date nervousness.
He glances at me briefly.
“We can start with the easy stuff. Tell me about yourself.”
I don’t know where to start. What do you say to someone who just claimed you’re their mate out of nowhere?
“Um…I like books,” I say, which sounds stupid the second it comes out of my mouth.
But he doesn’t laugh. “What kind?”
“Fictional books mostly. Romance. Fantasy. Anything that takes me somewhere other than the daily shame and expectations.”
He nods slowly twice. Like he’s really interested in it.
“Sounds nice. Most people around here read only pack history books and traditions. Good to know someone’s different out there.”
“Thank you. What about you?” I ask, because I can’t keep talking about myself only. “What do you like?”
“Well…” he taps his chin. “I like running. Fighting. You know, the physical stuffs. It releases me.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It is.” He looks at me from the corner of his eyes. “Ever tried it? Fighting, I mean.”
I laugh. Can’t help myself. “I’m not exactly built for combat as you can see.”
“You’d be surprised. Size isn’t everything.” He pauses. “I could teach you if you’d like.”
“Really? You’d do that?”
“Of course. I want you to be safe and strong too.”
“Well, thank you. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
The rest of the walk isn’t far anymore.
We arrive at the clearing. An empty wide space surrounded by trees. Sunlight filters through magnificently. We spot a fallen log seated at the edge of the trees.
Kael sits on the log first. Pats the space beside him.
I join. Leave a small distance between us - about a foot.
He notices. Smiles gently.
We talk for a while. Just us. Staring into the open space and watching the animals play.
We talk about different stuff. About my mother - apparently that was part of the conversation he was having with my father. About how powerful she was, and how her bloodline doesn’t just “disappear.” Then we talk about my wolf.
“No. Luna, listen to me. Your wolf is there. It’s just dormant. Dormancy doesn’t mean absence. It means she’s just waiting.”
“Waiting for what? I’ve been waiting for twenty-three years. What else could it be waiting for?”
He exhales. “Maybe she’s been waiting for something worth waking up to. Something like the bond. I’ve heard of it happening before. Wolves having late shifts when their mate comes along.”
He places his hand on top of mine. Warm.
“You’re not broken, Luna.“
I want to believe him so badly, but after all these years, belief is a strange phenomenon to me.
I let it go. Swallow my doubts.
“I want us to go on dates, spend time together, get to know each other more before the ceremony.” He pauses for a moment. Like he’s thinking of something. “My father respects traditional courtship. I want to do right by him. To show him that this bond is worth honouring. For him to see that I chose well.”
Something irks in my chest.
The way he says it.
Alphas have expectations. Sons want to make their fathers proud. That’s normal. Right?
“Okay,” I say.
His smile is so wide it could light up the forest.
“Good. I was hoping you’d say yes.”
He leans closer.
I can smell him.
His hand moves to my waist. Lightly.
“Is this okay?”
I nod. Can’t speak.
He pulls me closer. Not necessarily against himself but close enough that I have to tilt my head to meet his eyes.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been looking for you,” he whispers.
“But we just met yesterday.”
“No. I’ve been looking for you my whole life. I just didn’t know your face yet.”
The way he says it makes my breath catch.
The bond pulls even more between us.
He leans down, slowly, giving me time to pull away.
But I don’t. How could I? In this moment?
His lips brush mine. Softly. Gently.
I kiss him back.
When we pull apart, I’m dizzy from being lost in the moment.
“Sorry,” he says. “I couldn’t help it.”
“Don’t apologise.”
He grins devilishly. Hands still on my waist.
We sit like that for a while. His arm now around me. And my head against his shoulder.
“I should get you home,” he says eventually. “Before your father organizes a search party.”
“He’d probably send you a thank-you note for taking so long.” I laugh out loud.
This time, Kael laughs too.
He gets up, offers me his hand.
I take it. Get on my feet.
We walk back slower than we did while coming. Our fingers locked into each other’s.
When we get to my door, he hugs me, plants a light kiss on my forehead.
Then turns to leave.
I float inside practically. Lost in the events of the last few hours.
My father is pretending to read the newspaper in the sitting room. Failing terribly at it.
“So?”
“So what?” I feign ignorance.
“How was it?”
I can’t stop smiling. “Good. It was…good!”
He looks at me like I just handed him the biggest news of his life.
“I’m proud of you, Luna.”
The words hit harder than they should. When was the last time he’d said something like that?
I go to my room. Close the door. Place the wildflower on the nightstand. Sit on my bed. Wondering.
I can’t contain my excitement.
I open my laptop. Log in to my OnlyWolves account. Do a few stuff.
One new message from MoonWatcher27:
“You sound different today. Much lighter. Something good happened?”
I smile and type back. “Actually, it was really good. Something unexpected happened.”
“Tell me about it.”
I hesitate. Should I really share this? But MoonWatcher has been there for months. Listening when no one else would. Understanding when everyone else judged. They’ve been there through all my worst moments. Why not share the good ones?
“I think I met someone. Like, really met someone. Someone that actually sees me for who I am.”
“That’s wonderful! You deserve to be seen. You deserve everything good, SilverWhispers.”
“Thank you. For always being here.”
“Always. I mean that. Stay safe out there.”
The words make me smile.
I close the laptop.
Lie and stare at the ceiling.
Later that evening while we’re in the parlour, a soft knock comes from the door.
When I open the door, there’s a guard by the door with an envelope in his hand.
“This is for you.” He hands me the envelope.
I open it.
“My family wants to meet you formally. Friday night. Dinner. Can’t wait to show you off. - Kael.”
- Writer
