29 — Forget. About. Thorian
1588 Words
Asmeria approached the bed, running her fingers over the fine fabrics and delicate designs of the garments.
Each piece seemed to have been carefully selected with her tastes in mind.
Turning to the dressing table, she saw a collection of exquisite jewelry laid out before her.
Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings glittered in the soft light of the room.
Thorian. Why would he do all of this?
She picked up one of the delicate necklaces, studying it closely. The design and sparkling gems were beautiful and honestly, looked very expensive. But even as she admired the jewelry, her mind was filled with questions.
Why had Thorian gone to such lengths to lavish her with gifts, especially after their heated exchange earlier?
Well, one-sided heated argument — she was the only one who seemed mad.
What did he hope to achieve by this gesture?
Asmeria shook her head and dropped the necklace. She sighed and turned around, making her way into the bathroom to freshen up.
-:-
When she was done freshening up, Asmeria made her way to the river.
As she approached, the sound of splashing water reached her ears, signaling that he was still immersed in his activity.
As she drew closer, she caught sight of him in the distance, his powerful strokes slicing through the water with ease.
The sight of his athletic form, glistening with droplets of water under the sunlight made her come to a halt, taking a moment to observe him.
She found herself mesmerized by the sight of his muscles rippled beneath his bronzed skin, and the way his wet hair framed his face.
It was impossible not to admire. f**k.
But she quickly shook the thoughts away, reminding herself of the decision she made about five hours ago.
Forget. About. Thorian.
With a determined shake of her head, Asmeria tore her gaze away from Thorian and continued to approach the river.
"Thorian," she called out.
He paused mid-stroke, turning towards the sound of her voice. As his gaze met hers, Asmeria felt a surge of emotion wash over her.
Shit? She still couldn't control herself. Not around those emerald eyes, that was for sure.
He swam closer to the riverbank, his expression curious as he regarded her. "What is it, Asmeria?"
“Why did you get me those items?” she asked, her hands clipping her waist.
“Items? Expensive clothes and jewelries you mean?” He chuckled shortly, proceeding to swim away from the shore, “A ‘thank-you’ would have sufficed. Those were from foreign designers, and the jewelry were custom made.”
Asmeria hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to counter what he had said. Finally, she spoke up. "Fine, Thorian, I appreciate the gifts, but I have to ask – why did you get me all of those expensive clothes and jewelry?"
“They were actually supposed to come in yesterday. I wanted to cheer you up, but they ended up arriving today instead."
She mentally rolled her eyes — of course he would think that gifts would erase her son's absence in her heart.
But praise to his efforts, she guessed.
“I didn't ask to he cheered-up.”
He paused to face her, “I know nothing can replace Evander, but I didn't want to see you sad — I guess. And I could only think of one other way to make you happy.”
Asmeria's brow furrowed, “Other?”
Thorian's lips curved into a rueful smile as he replied, "Well, since you didn't seem to prefer my first method of cheering you up," he said suggestively, referring to their eventful night, "I thought women-wear might be a safer bet."
A blush crept up Asmeria's cheeks at his implication, but she quickly banished it.
She rolled her eyes. "Thank you, but I won't wear them," she stated firmly, "Clothes cannot replace my son's place in my heart."
“I know they can't. But I just wanted to give you something that might lift your spirits, even if just for a little while."
Before Asmeria could protest further, Thorian continued, his tone firmer. "And oh, you will wear them, one of them at least. We have a ball to attend this evening."
"A ball?" Asmeria repeated in surprise, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Yes," he nodded. Before she could protest further, he changed the topic to what should have been the topic in the first place."So, how did things go with Asannah?"
"You should've asked that first before talking about clothes and a ball," she retorted.
Thorian's expression remained impassive as he countered, "You were the one who started talking about clothes first, you should have talked about the visit first," he pointed out before continuing his swim.
His retort left Asmeria momentarily speechless, her mind racing to come up with a response. After a moment, she finally found her voice again. "Why are you going to a ball when your son is missing?"
"My son?" He asked.
"Evander," she corrected herself, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "My son, Evander, is missing."
Thorian's expression darkened at the news, his concern deepening into a frown. "You couldn't get him from Asannah?"
Asmeria shook her head, "Asannah is innocent,"
His brows furrowed even deeper upon hearing that, “What? She said she's innocent? And you believed her? What the hell, Asmeria?
And then, he moved to come out of the water. Asmeria quickly turned around, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realized he was swimming naked.
She heard him reassure her, "Relax, I have a towel here."
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Asmeria turned back around to face him.
Droplets of water glistened on his bronzed skin, accentuating the contours of his muscles — which she couldn't get enough of, by the way.
His tousled hair framed his face, strands damp from the water.
Her eyes lowered, stopping at the hem of the towel around his waist. The V-shaped indentation at his lower abdomen drew her eye.
Fuck.
Clearing her throat, Asmeria forced herself to meet Thorian's gaze, her cheeks still tinged with a faint blush.
"How do you know she is innocent?" He asked, a bit calmer than his initial tone.
"I am sure of it. She doesn't have him.”
"Okay, so who does?"
"My point exactly," Asmeria responded, her own frustration bubbling to the surface. "We should be thinking about it instead of attending stupid balls."
"This is an official ball we have to attend. If I decline, it will be obvious that something is wrong. Do you want our predicament to be broadcasted amongst the other packs?" Thorian's tone was firm, his eyes locking onto hers with intensity.
"No.”
"Then be ready by seven pm," He instructed. "And put on one of those dresses. I got an array for you so you have many choices. No more protests allowed.”
Asmeria nodded in reluctant agreement.
He sighed softly as he slipped into his robe, the fabric cascading smoothly over his shoulders and settling around his frame. And then he left.
Asmeria stood nearby, her gaze fixed on him as he departed.
-:-
Thorian leaned against the door frame of Asmeria’s bedroom, watching as stood before the mirror, admiring herself.
She wore a stunning gown, the fabric a rich shade of midnight blue that complemented her complexion perfectly.
Great selection. How did she know that the dress was his favourite?
The dress hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her slender figure with a subtle elegance.
Her hair was swept up into a bun, adorned with delicate strands of pearls that cascaded down the back of her neck.
The dress's neckline dipped gracefully, revealing a hint of cleavage that drew the eye without being too revealing.
Her beauty? To simply put it, it was breathtaking. In greater words, it was as gorgeous as the melody of the stars and the moonlight — each chord pulling at his heartstrings, each rhythm creating a warmth in his soul.
It was all too much to resist.
And then, just as she was about to put on her necklace, she felt a presence approached from behind, causing her to flinch instinctively.
Before she could react further, Thorian's familiar voice reassured her, "It's just me." Slowly, tilted her head to find him standing there.
She watched from the mirror as he reached for the necklace. Her pulse quickened as he gently fastened the necklace around her neck, his fingers brushing against her skin with a feather-light touch.
A shiver coursed through her spine at the sensation, sending a wave of warmth through her body.
His touch was like a soothing balm, calming her nerves and grounding her in the moment.
Fuck. This hold he had over her.
Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the unmistakable throb of the mate bond mark. In an instant, she turned to face Thorian, her hand instinctively reaching for her neck where the bond pulsed with a warmth that enveloped her entire being.
She found him resting his own hand resting over the same spot on his neck.
Their eyes locked for a moment. She could clearly see it in his eyes. He wanted to kiss her, badly.
And she wanted to give in as well, to taste those lips of his after five long years. But — but what? f**k restrains, she couldn't hold back anymore.
She wanted to give in.
And then, without breaking eye contact, they both leaned in for a kiss.
- Writer
