ETHEREAL

15

Rosa strolled through her gardens, fingers stretched on each side as she walked along the path, allowing her nails to touch the soft petals of the flowers she had planted months prior. It had been the second time she had returned since the incident had occurred. An anger was forming within her stomach that she had never quite felt before, a fire that couldn't be sedated until she avenged herself for what had been done to her. They tried to take absolutely everything from her, from her love for nature that she held so dear to her heart to her very life. They would not succeed again, she vowed - no, they would have to try much harder.

It was an odd afternoon, with the air thick with tension from each and every angle and clouds littering the once blue sky; leaving a tint of grey above the pack house with an equally grey atmosphere suffocating her. Everything felt dark. Gloomy. Only the fire in her stomach remained, only that provided light in that very moment.

She stopped to observe the roses that Dante and herself had tended to personally, her face seemingly normal from the outside and yet the emotion bubbled in her mind beyond anything she had ever experienced. Her fingers brushed against the petals of the white flowers, watching as it almost responded to her touch, it seemingly blossoming before her very eyes making them widen slightly. She had noticed instances like this before, but she deemed them to be normal. Her observation skills had reached an all time high due to the situation she was in and this was something that intrigued and yet confused her. Before she could observe further, a sharp tingling sensation ran through her spine. He was here.

She turned, almost instantly, watching as her mate walked towards her, dressed in one of his many expensive suits, a typical brooding face alongside a cold demeanour. Dante was every bit of the Alpha the world feared, and yet she fell in love with him more and more each and every day. Her fingers fell from the odd flower and walked towards him, as he did her, subconsciously as her eyes met his with parted lips. They hadn't seen each other since she had been discharged where they agreed she would attend the meeting today, much to his dismay of course, and despite the mere hours apart, it had felt like a lifetime.

Dante watched as Rosa approached him slowly, something he was incredibly grateful for in that moment as he observed her. Her dark hair was down in natural waves, but her body. It was then, truly, Dante knew he was destined for the deepest and darkest depths of hell for the devilish thoughts that ran through his mind at the mere sight of her. Her body was dressed in a tight, black dress that reached just below her knee, incredibly simple and yet enough for his possessive nature to run wild. Her makeup, also, was simple, with her naturally flushed cheeks peeking through and her eyes in no more than mascara. She was a vision as per usual, but the most notable feature was the evident gleam in her eyes. Rosa wasn't quite Rosa anymore, he had noticed the fire in her spirit, he could feel it strongly through the bond. It was addictive, smoky even - but it terrified him for he realised that his little Rosa was capable of much more than either of them quite knew.

Once he reached her, he lifted her manicured hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles whilst his harsh gaze never left hers. The dark stare would be enough to scare anybody into submission, and yet all it did was challenge little Rosa, something she was more than willing to oblige to as she grabbed his shirt collar, bringing him down to her level. "No kiss?" She murmured, almost cheekily.

"I'm afraid a kiss would merely be the beginning of what I plan to do with you." He replied almost instantly, his hands grabbing her and pushing her into him.

"We have time," she found herself whispering, her fingers tracing his lips as she looked up at him. "You're the alpha, after all." She teased, but their faces showed no signs of humour. It seemed even that emotion had left them in the wake of the events of today.