The Inauguration

Solani stood before the creek, breathing in the fresh air that settled around her.

She missed him dearly, she didn’t know him, she didn’t know how he was or what he liked but she missed him.

She missed his warmth, she missed his grey eyes. The way his eyes turned darker whenever he thought hard. She missed his voice, his deep yet soft voice when he had talked to her in the kitchen.

She had woken up today feeling this empty hole inside and she didn’t know what to do about it but she knew that she wanted to be alone today. To wallow in her pain, her misery as well as to focus on her thoughts.

So she had shifted into her wolf and had set her mind on laying by the creek for the rest of the day. She never wanted anything more but Lugar had other plans for her.

Lugar was happy, pleased that his pack wouldn’t be subjugated to anything lower than what they were. He was happy that his pack wasn’t reduced to bodyguards for some pompous wannabe royalty.

So he wanted to celebrate but Lugar’s idea of celebrating was different to the packs. He made everyone do laps around the pack perimeter before doing basic exercises and combat lessons.

But by midday, Solani had, had enough of Lugar’s chippy mood and wanted to be alone so badly. So she had more ordered than begged Lugar to stop the nonsense and have a pack picnic to celebrate this joyful day.

This also gave Solani the moment she needed to escape and enjoy the view before her. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. She couldn’t get his words out of her head but most importantly she couldn’t wait for the moment he would come and take her away.

But at the same time, she didn’t want to see him again because that meant seeing her again. She had wondered why there was a scent of familiarity when she had entered the hall that evening.

She remembered how she looked at every single person in that hall trying to identify this long lost smell but she got distracted when her eyes collided with his eyes.

She remembers the feeling of her whole body feeling warm and something close to the feeling of hope. She wouldn’t be alone, of course, she wasn’t alone before that. She had Lugar and William but this was different.

She had or has someone who is for her, her mate, her everything.

Her male.

And that filled this hole in her heart that thought that she’d always remain alone but she wasn’t alone, there is someone out there waiting for her, looking for her, coming back to her and she couldn’t be more thrilled.

But then that scent came back and she remembers scowling, her nose scrunched up in confusion, trying to finger something out. Something so close but out of her grasp.

Skip over a few days and there he was, pressing his chest against her back, filling her with warmth and promises and she felt like she was in heaven. Just thinking of the moment right now makes her wolf whimper, wanting to see and have their mate beside them.

He had left her in the kitchen, left her feeling like she was in cloud 9 but that cloud fell and dissipated. The words of the woman, she could hear the promise in her voice, how she would make sure that Lucius would never come back to her.

She remembered how angry she was, who was this she-wolf to stop her from being with her mate. She remembered the growl that had escaped her lips the moment the words left the wolf’s mouth but her growl was matched.

She had turned in a quick spur wanting to see who had dared challenged her but everything in her froze when she was met with the emerald eyes that haunted her dreams, the snow-white hair that reminded her of her father and the coconut skin that resembled her own.

She had shrunk back under the scrutiny eyes and she would never forget her words,’ you will never see him again and if by chance that you do, it will only be because I sent him to reject you, that is the only mercy you deserve’, and with that statement and promise, she watched as the woman followed after Lucius.

She growled annoyed, humiliated that she had just stood there and let her walk all over her again. She was angry with herself that she didn’t fight back, nothing would stand in her way, nothing would come between her and her mate.

She growled again, now standing up and pacing back and forth on her paws. She has had enough of people walking all over her and she was done.

She groans when she feels someone pushing past her barriers,’ what!’.

'We’re being attacked', with Lugar’s voice leaving her, she gets the feeling that someone’s watching her.