Five

“Skye, right?”

“Yes, my lady.” He bowed his head before the Luna—his body shivering with anxiety. This was the first time he was being summoned by the Luna, Aurora’s mother.

Though he has met her several times before and she was fairly nice, not only because he was her daughter’s best friend. The Luna wasn’t as cruel as the former one they had. Azzura treats everyone equally and fairly. She doesn’t treat him or the other omegas like the servants they should be to her. Though she has some of the omegas doing her chores, she still didn’t treat them badly.

“You know I’ve always liked your name… so much that if I had a boy, I would’ve named him that,” she said, a smile never left her plump lips.

It made him feel at ease when she smiled at him. He smiled back and nodded, “Thank you, my lady.” He bowed again.

“Hmm. So, Skye… I see you’re one of Aurora’s best friends,” she mentioned, emphasizing on the two last words she stated. He snapped his head up and looked at her for a moment before briskly lowering his gaze.

“Y-Yes, my lady. Your daughter is amazing and I wouldn’t trade our friendship for anything in this world. She’s really precious.” He made sure to choose his words carefully. He wouldn’t want to affront his Luna or say something unfortunate.

She nods her head and observed Skye for a minute. He was calm, by the looks of it. And he seems like a gentle and well-behaved werewolf. He didn’t seem like a bad influence to her daughter. Even when she did her investigation of him few years back, she still doesn’t find anything insane about him. She was thankful for him because of how Aurora could be troublesome at times. He kept her and Azra out of trouble and she liked that about him.

“I’ve noticed that quite alright, Skye. You’ve been a good friend to my daughter, Aurora and I are so thankful for that. But I do need to ask you a few questions.”

He nods his head as he lets out a shaky breath. He was afraid but her body language assured him it wasn’t something he should worry about. “You can ask me anything, My lady.”

“Very well then,” she mouthed, smiling widely. “Is Aurora seeing someone? Someone her father and I should know about?”

She saw the look on Skye’s face and he seemed shocked. He stiffened a bit, trying to figure out the question she asked. “You mean like a lover?”

She nods her head. Skye wanted to laugh—so badly. But he was afraid that might be the last thing he did while he breaths. “I don’t think she has anyone, My lady. Aurora doesn’t hide anything from me or Azra. She would’ve told us if she was seeing someone. And we are always together every day,” he clarified prudently. She heaves a sigh of defeat and nodded—though she wasn’t rather convinced.

Two nights ago, when aurora came home from the woods, she had a mark on her neck. It was a mark undeniably left by a lover. And she could scent the unfamiliar smell off Aurora, even after she took a shower to avoid her parents from grasping the scent of Blake on her.

Azzura wasn’t upset about it, she was happy that her daughter was seeing someone. But why wouldn’t she come out and tell them?

Or was she seeing Kendrix? But Kendrix doesn’t smell like that.

“You may leave now, Skye. A reward would be sent to your home shortly.”

He looks at her, his eyes lit up with joy. He went down on his knees and said, “Thank you, My lady. You have no idea how grateful my family and I are to you and The Alpha. Thank you.”

She dismissed him and went on with her endeavors.

**

“What’s this?” She asked. He gave it to her to observe first. She turned it around—it was slightly hard. When she pressed her two fingers against it, it squished, making her to panic.

“It’s a chocolate bar. The best in the world. C’mon, you have to try it.” He unwrapped it and handed it back to her. With hesitation, she took a bite. Few seconds later, it rang to her of how sweet it was. “Sugary,” she commented.

He chuckled softly, amazed by how all the things he shows her were all new to her. “It’s so… sweet.” She took another bite and another one until she finished the whole candy bar.

“Do you have another one?”

“Uh… no, but I promise to bring more tomorrow, okay?”

She smiled inoffensively and nodded. She felt slightly embarrassed for asking more when he just wanted to be nice and offered her something good.

He brought out his phone from his pocket. She has seen him used it a couple of times to receive calls or texts. She knew what it was—it was a phone and her father has one. She wants one also, to be texting Azra because she also has a phone but her father refused, telling her until she finds a mate and settles. How does having a mate relates to her owning a Goddamn phone?

“Let’s take a picture,” he said, raising the phone above them. She looked up, she could see her face in the phone. It amazed her, though they’ve done it multiple times with Azra.

He took a picture of them and observed it for a minute. He smiled, his insides churning with a feeling that was new to him. Aurora made him feel things he never knew he was capable of feeling. He loved it.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “This is going to be my new lock screen,” he told her as he set it up. She only smiled not knowing exactly what to say to him.

“Let’s play a game,” he said. She sat upright, looking at him.

‘Truth or Dare.”

“Truth or Dare?” She repeated. She has heard it before from Azra but never really paid attention to what it meant exactly.

“It’s simple. It’s a game where two or more players take in turn to perform a dare set by the other players, or truthfully answer a question put by them.”

Aurora nodded her head. “Sounds risky yet exciting. Let’s play,” she cheered, clapping her hands enthusiastically.

“Ladies first.”

“Okay, if you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?”

He halted for a moment. The one thing he wanted to change was being a werewolf, it was hard for him to control. Everything was new and complicating. If not for Tyler, he would’ve been caught a long time ago. He wouldn’t have been able to reach this far without getting caught or hurting anyone.

“My freckles, I don’t like them. They make me look as if I have a rare disease.” He hated himself for lying to her, for hiding that one truth about himself.

“What? No! I love them, and it’s so beautiful on you. It makes you more unique.” She caressed his cheeks and kissed each side of his face where he had freckles.

Blake took her in his arms and pressed his warm lips on hers. She has been longing for him to do that. She breathes out and ran her fingers through his curly black hair. He moved back, smiling genuinely at her.

He wouldn’t mind if they kissed for hours. He wanted her for himself alone. But he wanted to take things slow with. He wasn’t going to force himself on her even though it didn’t seem like he was.

“My turn,” he told her. She pouted her lips, still feeling the tingling sensation of his lips on hers. It felt so good.

“Truth or Dare?”

“Oh, I have to ask that before I ask my question? Why didn’t you say so?”

He shoulder-shrug. “It’s your first time, so…”

“Truth.”

“Hmm… okay. Have you ever been in love?” The moment he blurted out the question, her eyes widened and he could swear he saw her orbs glowed.

Yes, she has been in love—she is in love… with him. But she wasn’t going to confess that, not just now. She wasn’t even sure if she was feeling is love or she just loves his company. Blake made her feel at ease and safe. He made her feel like nothing matters in the world and she could do whatever she wanted to.

“I’ve never had a lover before,” she told him frankly. “But I’m really hoping to find one… soon.”

He smiled genuinely and nodded. He was vaguely happy about it. Not that he was selfish but it made him feel surer of wanting to be with her.

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he said. She immediately lets out a hearty laugh, already knowing what she was going to dare him to do. “I dare you to call your ex-lover and tell her you miss her.”

Blake’s eyes gaped out as though they were going to fall off their place. He shook his head nonstop. “Come on, Aurora anything but that. I’d rather have a leech sucking my blood than call that two-timing cheater and tell her I miss her.”

She threw back her head and let out a soft, appealing laugh. Her laughter was contagious—he couldn’t help but smile. He loved seeing her smiling and happy.

“Do you hate her that much?”

He nods his head without hesitation. “That girl played with my mental health and I loved her wholeheartedly. She cheated on me with a college guy back when we were in high school. We ended things and she also got in trouble with her parents for getting intimate with an older guy.” He shrugs it off and she knew it wasn’t the time to ask for more questions about it.

“Your turn. I choose dare,” she said as she massaged his shoulder with her hand softly. He smiled, loving the kind gesture.

“I dare you to give me a hickey.” He gave her a sly smile when she gasped. Her cheeks went warm as her insides twirl with unnerve. He caught her off guard, she never thought he’d dare her to do so. She loved the idea of it but how was she going to make the first move? Does she grab his face and start kissing him, or does she just kiss his neck until he gets a hickey?

“C’mon, I just can’t seem to keep my hands to myself whenever I’m around you,” he admitted, inching the gap between them. He gently placed his hands on the sides of her face and raised her head up to look at him.

Their eyes met and they shared a smile. “I want to kiss you—all the time.”

She felt her face flush at his delicate words. She felt the same way—she wanted to kiss, hold hands, hug him… spend every moment she could possibly get with him.

Slowly, she brought her lips up on his. Her breath was hot as her kisses trailed down his neck. His face softened while she stroked and kissed him.

He brought his hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb running along the curves of her cheekbone. She nestled into his hands, breathing heavily, feeling his warmth seep into hers.

Looking at her adoringly, Blake kissed her lightly on her forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks before he finally captured her lips in another series of zealous kiss.

Moments later, she moved back and looked at him, feeling hazy from all the kisses. “Let’s jump into the water,” she told him. She has been wanting to do that with him for so long. “It’s a dare,” she added.

He smiled and nodded. Without hesitation, he got to his feet and removed his shirt and jeans. He jumped into the warm water. “Come on… it’s your idea.” He splashed the water toward her, making her to squeal. She took off her tank top and short jeans before jumping into the water.

She swam towards him but he dived deep into the water before she could reach him. Looking around, she couldn’t see him. “Okay, you win. Come out, now. It’s not funny,” she said out loud. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Bla… Ahh…”

He tugged her down into the water with him. They shared a laugh and hugged. He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

They could swim forever, dive forever, be here in this underwater world together forever.

“This is the first time I’ve dived into this water,” he told her the moment they went back to the top. “Really? Why not?” She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her waist, closing the inches between them.

Her lips find his in a tender, yearning kiss. He held her tight against his bare chest, deepening the kiss into a fervent embrace.

They swim back to the rock and he carefully lifts her, pulling her on top of him as he sinks back into the rocks.

“I’m not letting you leave without a hickey.” He showers kisses on her chest and neck and she shudders with pleasure.

His kisses dot up her neck, until he reaches her lips. He enraptures her in a heavy kiss until pulling back.

“Aurora,” he calls out softly.

She looks at him, her stomach churning. She loves it when he calls her name. He looks at her admiringly as he pushed away strands of wet hair off her forehead.

“I am faithful until I am repeatedly betrayed and injured… then I leave. I love until the other proves that they cannot comprehend true love. Real faith and love require the heart of a true warrior, a true fighter, a kind of toughness that is devoted to kindness. New love is precious. Real lasting love is my holy grail. So, be that, be hat rare kind of true love and this bond will be eternal. That I promise to you.”

She stares at him for too long, making him to think twice on what he had just blurted out. Did he say too much? Was it too soon to ask her to be his girlfriend? Does she even want to be his girlfriend?

She thought this was what she wanted. But now that he has told her, now that he has said it, she didn’t feel the excitement and eager she thought she’d feel. She felt disappointed for some reason. She wanted to say yes, but she couldn’t lie to him just to make him feel better.

She’d never love out of pity.

She smiled softly as she caressed his face with her cold fingers. “No,” she said to him, still smiling. He looks at her quizzically.

She got off him and settled down beside him. “I don’t want to be your girlfriend… yet. It’s too soon, Blake. I mean I like you but…”

“I get it,” he told her, smiling. He held her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll wait. Baby steps.”

She beamed at him and nodded. “Baby steps.”

She appreciates him for his patience and adoring gestures. She knew he’d help her value her verdicts and support her—even if it will take her forever to be ready.

“Have you ever tried ice cream before?” He asked her. She hesitantly shook her head no. She has heard of it before but never tried it. “That cold sweet thing? once, but I’d love to try it again.”

“How does 7pm tomorrow sounds like?”

She chuckled softly and nodded.