Accidental Encounter
1380 Words
Chapter two
Kaida's head was still spinning from the events of the last moments. Doubting her decision to reveal her powers to an oppressor of her pack, yet still following his orders and talking about her previous actions.
These thoughts drenched her body with heat, like heavy rain on her. She shivered with fear of being trapped by this howler.
Far in thought, his voice sounded faint to her, as he neared her, calling out with a loud voice, "Lady". Kaida was still deaf to his screams until he shook her and brought her back to reality.
"Are you okay? He asked, her mouth opened, but no words were found in it.
"Come, let's sit and talk about those thoughts that took you away for that moment" as he directed her to a lavish, steel-made cushion at the reception. While they sat, he ordered a fine wine for the lady.
He continued to question her absent mind, but Kaida chose to hide her fears.
" I admire your surroundings, it's breathtaking" She took a liking to it as she increased her sighting of every angle of the room she sat across.
It was like being transported to the ethereal realms of myth and tradition. Every surface seemed to be sculpted with luminescent gemstones, bathing the towering pavilions and arches in an otherworldly prismatic glow. The opulence and grandeur were beyond anything Kaida's limited existence could have prepared her for.
"I admire you too, your courage to save my life. I owe you.
"My Lord, I have no such courage. I didn't know what came over me. I've never experienced such a scene before."
"You are humble, can I know you?"
"Kaida Pierce, of No pack, my Lord"
"I'm not your Lord, I'm now your friend. Call me Valtor"
"Okay, Valtor" she whispered.
However, Valtor and Kaida spoke in the inner sanctuaries. Everything was so pleasing and interesting that Kaida barely noticed the steady progression of the night, the rings of the bells indicated a time which was almost too late for her.
With a start, her eyes widened, and fear gripped her whole being, shivering as she remembered the true purpose of her journey: to collect exotic plants for the steam diets and incessant cosmetic rituals of her detestable stepmother Marya.
"Forgive me, Lord Slade, but I have already delayed too long!" Kaida gasped, suddenly standing up in the lavish reception room. She draped the tattered shawl over her shoulders like a shield.
Valtor protested in desperation, pleading with her, full of concern in his eyes, "But, you just got here," She insisted, “My duties await me and I must no longer neglect them!”
Ignoring his ardent pleas to stay, Kaida fled the opulent chamber, skirts billowing as she ran through the palace's corridors, head bowed to avoid eye contact with the disapproving upper-class inhabitants.
She sharply turned a corner and collided with a solid, immense wall of muscle and male power.
"Calm down, girl. We wouldn't want any accidents in the hallways, would we?"
The rich baritone showed only warmth and gentle concern as he supported Kaida with a light grip on his shoulders. Up close, his striking features were even more attractive: from the majestic contour of his aristocratic nose to the chiseled columns of his jaw punctuated by the slightest hint of a man's beard.
But it was those fascinating eyes of hers that truly delighted him: they seemed to burn between the molten silver and the oxidized onyx like precious stones transformed into liquids. Those unfathomable depths rippled at the corners with true compassion as he studied their messy state.
“Are you well, my lady?” "You seem a little... tense," he whispered thoughtfully.
Kaida felt her cheeks flush with a new glow of color. Despite his concern, she was completely fascinated by the wolf's presence. An almost palpable aura of power and prestigious nobility seemed to radiate from each of her movements and each measured syllable.
"F-Forgive me, my lord. I was just... leaving," she managed to say shakily. "I'm afraid I overstayed my welcome."
Instead of the rejection or fierce disapproval, he had come to expect from a discarded member of the No Pack wandering these hallowed halls, his full lips curved into a surprisingly warm smile that further crinkled his incendiary eyes.
"Really? It's a shame then, that the halls of the palace have been rather devoid of pleasant company lately." He tilted his head and studied her with open appreciation. "I am Jaxton Slade, heir to my family's ancestral territory. And you have completely won me over with your presence here today, my lady. May I know you?"
Kaida felt her breath catch at the affection of his generous assessment and realization of his ancestry, whilst he regarded her with genuine respect and charm.
"K-Kaida," she stammered, struck by the need to look away from those piercing eyes and the thought of meeting two brothers in a day. “Du…du No Pack, my lord.” She replied.
For a moment he seemed to make her hesitate, as expected. Admitting to his abject caste and his affiliation with the anonymous outcasts constantly persecuted by the upper-class elite.
But then, an emotion she couldn't identify crossed those striking features before Jaxton's expression faded into one of easy acceptance and regal composure. She simply nodded as if his background was completely irrelevant.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kaida. I must admit that it has been too long since I met someone who radiated such… heavenly grace amidst these dusty corridors.”
Kaida blinked owlishly, not knowing how to receive such elegant admiration, especially from a noble of seemingly impeccable status and education. She couldn't help but raise her lips slightly in a trembling smile.
"You flatter me, my lord". And with a sweet language that also favors the distinct approach of her family.
To her surprise, Jaxton didn't miss a beat, throwing his head back with a throaty laugh of genuine amusement that seemed to resonate deep within. Kaida's breath hitched at the rich manliness of her sound. It was deep and matter-of-fact, but it resonated with obviously that she would not have expected from the imposing heir to such an austere lineage.
“Well, it seems that today I came across a rose with terrible thorns!” She laughed loudly. “You must allow me to atone for surprising you in this way, my lady. Maybe with a glass of Tregallian wine from my family's private reserves?
There was that suggestive ring again, mixed with the slightest seductive undercurrent of masculine promise rather than lasciviousness. The tantalizing strangeness of an expressive eyebrow betrays your hopeful expectations.
Despite herself, Kaida felt her face grow dangerously hot under the passionate appreciation of those hypnotic depths of onyx and silver. Holding back and knowing someone like Jaxton Slade for pranks and indulgences seemed not only strangely presumptuous… but also reckless and dangerously tempting.
She took a deep breath and forced her voice to remain neutral and not betray her rampant inner turmoil as she responded.
"I wish I could accept such royal hospitality. But I fear I have already lingered too long and must depart quickly." A melancholy pause as he watched every shot of her astonishing face. “Perhaps… another time, my lord?”
Another flash of genuine surprise crossed Jaxton's features, almost imperceptibly. Then he bowed his head in a polite gesture of gracious understanding.
"As you wish, my lady. While I strive not to remain an outsider here, the Slade protects many realms of celestial knowledge that you may find…intriguing."
The subtle hint behind that molten seal made Kaida's stomach clench with a strange shiver. She gathered her tattered skirts and turned on the spot, muttering goodbye.
Only when she felt the heat of Jaxton's lingering gaze finally drift away from his retreating form did Kaida release the unsteady exhalation trapped beneath her ribs. Clinging to the wall for support, she paused briefly to regain her hazy senses.
What kind of disturbing and unexpected power were these descendants of the ruling lineage using to shake her hard-won composure?
And, more importantly will fate be merciful or cruel enough to find a way for their strange paths to cross again?
- Writer
