Caelum walked past the training grounds and into a secluded portion of the woods. As they got closer to where he could torture his beta, so did Luca’s whining.
“I don’t want to do this,” said he.
“Well, if you had manners, you wouldn’t be here,” Caelum snapped, and he shut up.
They reached a small area, thick with a certain herbaceous perennial. The robust tubers stood tall, proudly displaying clusters of blue-purple flowers that lined the tops of their stems. The domed outer sepals shrouded the inside of the flowers, and bees buzzed and danced from one to another. Carefully cultivated aconite, their own poison.
A small shed was situated a distance away from the plantation. He ordered Luca to bring out the necessary materials and he had no choice but to obey. Luca returned to
Her age didn’t show on her face. Lines formed on her forehead and on the corners of her eyes, but she held a youthful glow. Her hair had a healthy shine to it and she let it hung on her shoulders. Despite her age, she carried herself with a certain charm that would surely lure an old geezer. She bowed to him and said, “Pleased to meet you, Alpha Caelum. I am Astraea’s grandmother.”Caelum’s eyes darkened at the sight of her. For some reason, his gut told him that there was more to her than a calculated smile. She had a kind face and a small voice but he couldn’t trust her yet. Appearances were deceiving and he should know better than anyone.“Follow me,” he said coldly and she nodded in understanding. He turned for her to follow then ordered, “Except you, Luca.”Luca looked at him con
His hand roamed on the other side of the bed and felt it cold and empty. Lazily opening his sleepy eyes, Astraea was no longer beside him. Grunting, he pushed himself off the bed and got up. His feet swayed a little as the blood rushed to his head.Then he walked to a corner of the room, where Astraea laid on the floor, curled up into a ball and shivering. The silk top and shorts exposed more of her skin. He sighed then squatted right next to her and placed a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. He wouldn’t want her to end up sick because of the cold.His palm was warm, but her forehead was icy, and so was the rest of her skin. Her pale lips trembled, while her eyebrows knitted. His heart ached to see her like this but he had to endure, it was part of the process.The mate bond should’ve made things easier but so far, it
His eyes shot open and found her sobbing… in her sleep. Tears rolled off to one side, escaping from her tightly shut lids. She sniffled as liquid mucus threatened to escape and her lips trembled.“P…Please… n-no…,” she mumbled. “I…It…hu-hurts me…”She was doing it again. He shifted closer to her so her head was aligned with his chest and he ran his hand down her back. “Ssshhh… It’s alright, love. No one will hurt you here. I’m here for you,” he whispered, resting his chin on the top of her head and kissing it softly.She kept making incoherent noises as she sobbed harder and Caelum whispered to her, in hopes that his words would somehow reach her, a part of him hoping it wouldn’t be violent tonight. But it wouldn’t go as he hoped
The delicious smell of freshly cooked gourmet filled the room. Anyone would lick their lips while their eyes gleam in anticipation, but Astraea sat quietly, looking down, uninterested with the food being served.Caelum kept a placid expression, but inside he was once again disappointed with himself. He was yet to elicit a response from her when it came to food. Anything, whatever reaction she might give – push away her plate if she didn’t like it or smile when she takes a bite and find it tasty.For dinner, they were served steak. Using only the finest quality of ingredients – from the protein to the butter used. He placed the glass of red on his lips and slowly took a sip as he watched her slice into the meat and take a mouthful.Nothing. She ate it like it was nothing.“How is it, love?&rdqu
Caelum set her to her feet once they were inside their room. She gawked at him and he could feel excitement course through his veins. He wondered if she was curious as to what just took place, and if their encounter with Ryzah stirred something in her.Thinking she needed a small push, he asked her. “Is something on your mind, love? You know you can tell me.”She stared at the ground to avoid his gaze and asked, “Why… Why do you call me your Luna?”He smiled at her; it was a start. At least she was talking to him. “Because you are, my love. My mate, my Luna,” he answered honestly.“But… you’re an Alpha.”“Yeah?” he asked, brows furrowing slightly.“I can’t be your Luna,&rdq
Astraea groaned in her wake; she ached all over, particularly in her wrists and thighs.“Good morning, love,” she heard Caelum say and turned on her side to face him.He had his jet-black hair neatly combed to the back and he smelled pleasantly of soap and cologne, his smile stirring an uneasy feeling in her stomach.“Stay here,” he said getting up and leaving the room.She pushed the sheets aside and headed to the bathroom. Her throat felt scratchy, she badly needed water. Rubbing her hands on her wrists, she tried to recall what happened last night but as always, nothing came up.Caelum told her she’d been having nightmares, but he never divulged what it was about. All she knew was that when she slipped off the bed in the middle of the night to sleep on the f
“They’re waiting for you,” said Luca as he joined Caelum on the way to the office.“What do they want?”“Don’t know. Kaide said they wanted to talk to you.”“They got guts coming all the way here, I’ll give them that,” Caelum mused.Luca pushed the door open and Caelum walked in, instantly filling the room with his dominating presence. His guests tensed before him, there was no mistaking it, he imposed upon them a powerful Alpha aura.A woman who looked to be in her early twenties forced a shaky smile at him, but her gaze shifted to his Beta, who was behind him. Her auburn hair was neatly tied on a bun atop her head and freckles scattered across her face, just beneath her eyes. Her light brown eyes reflected Luca’s shoc
Clusters of blood red tiny roses thoroughly covered the arches that lead to the roses portion of the garden. Nina and Astraea walked under them, stepping on the bright petals, scattered along the footpath decorated with rounded white stones to a white bench that overlooked the scenery.Roses of different varieties bloomed all around them, a beautiful sight to behold. Red, white, yellow amidst the thick foliage. There were other flowers added in between, most of which Astraea couldn’t name, but found them beautiful nonetheless. It was her favorite spot in the wide garden, the area provided a sense of privacy and serenity.Astraea sat beside her grandmother, and rested her head on her shoulder. She held her wrinkled hand, slipping her fingers between her Nana’s.They gazed at the roses in comfortable silence, each lost in their own t