Red String {EDITING}

Aftermath

"It's by the beach, isn't it?"

"Yep." Carol nodded. "So you won't have to walk far after your little trip to the beach." She said, before turning her attention onto Lyra. "How's my boy been treating you, Lyra...? Aside from taking photos of you while you're sleeping, of course. That was a minor lapse in judgement on his part."

"He's been nice." Lyra mumbled, shrinking under the woman's intense gaze. "Everyone has been."

"Including your mother and father..." Leopold said, smiling at the thought. "I never thought those two would protect my son... Not in a million years..."

"It's funny, though..." Carol sighed, staring wistfully into the distance. "The Rogue Princess and the old Alpha Prince... Who would've thought...?"

"If only you'd touched each other at the orphanage..." His father sighed. "We would've been able to bring her back to Blagmoor and..." He trailed off, smiling sadly. "She never would've been kidnapped..."

"We can't change the past, dad." Rylan sighed, pulling Lyra into his arms once she'd finished eating, watching as his father did the same with his mother.

"Careful, Rylan." Blaze grinned at him from across the table. "Don't get yourself into another heated make out session..."

"Shut up."

"Oh, do tell." Leopold grinned, leaning towards the green-eyed blonde. "What happened last time?"

"Your son forgot about what happens when you touch your mate's mate mark..." Blaze said, a wide smile still plastered across his face, despite the glare Rylan was giving him. "I had to pour a glass of water over dear Lyra before they started something on the dining table..."

"Oho..." His father turned to the glaring Alpha King.

"That's it." He grumbled, picking Lyra up as he stomped out of the room. "Come on, Ly. You must be tired after everything that's happened..."

"A bit." Lyra yawned, snuggling into his chest, content with being carried back to their room at Stonewall Castle.

"There's an ensuite, if you want to brush your teeth or have a nice hot bath or shower..." Rylan said, pushing open the door to the bedroom with his foot.

"Are you trying to tell me I smell?"

"Maybe." He winked, setting her down in the bathroom. "Just make sure you're ready, because I'm not going to be letting you out of my sight once you get into bed... I don't want a repeat of what happened on the train."

"I'm stronger now." Lyra crossed her arms. "That won't ever happen again. I won't be the damsel in distress. Never."

"Never say never." Rylan mumbled, yawning as he wandered back into the bedroom, leaving her alone in the bathroom. Lyra stayed in the bathroom for another hour, by which point Rylan was debating whether or not to break down the door and check whether she was OK.

"Rylan..." Lyra's head poked around the door, a towel wrapped around her wet hair. "Could you pass me some pyjamas...?"

"Sure." He mumbled, going over to the drawers they shared, freezing when he spotted what was inside the large drawer. "I don't remember packing these..." He whispered, his eyes narrowing as he realised who had replaced all of the pyjama sets he'd packed for his mate. "BLAZE!"

The green-eyed blonde was currently sitting downstairs with Rylan's parent and his partner in crime. "I think he's found out..." Blaze grinned, having heard the bellow from upstairs.

"Found out what?" Leopold glanced at him curiously.

"That I replaced all the modest pyjamas for Lyra with some very... revealing ones..."

Leopold choked on his tea.

"There, there, dear." Carol patted him on the back as he started snorting with laughter.

"Oh, Rylan..."

The Alpha King in question was currently holding out the least revealing lacy nightwear, his cheeks burning red. "Here." He mumbled, quickly passing her a silky dressing gown soon after. "I'll kill him tomorrow."

"No." Lyra grumbled from behind the closed bathroom door as she quickly got changed. "I will."

It was safe to say that from then on, their night was rather awkward. Lyra snuggled into her mate's chest, stiffening when she felt Rylan's burning heat seeping through the thin layer of lace separating their skin.

She felt practically naked.

That was probably why the two of them didn't get that much sleep that night, despite having opted for just holding hands instead of cuddling throughout the night, like they normally did. It didn't prevent them from waking up in their usual tangle of limbs, though, and Lyra's wardrobe choice made that morning the most awkward of all.

Blaze made matters worse by running in with a camera, taking photos of the pair of them as Lyra pried herself out of her mate's grasp.

Rylan was chasing him out in the next second, shouting after the fleeing blonde, leaving Lyra free to get dressed without any disturbance.

"Where's Blaze?" Blaine glanced around at the large dining table that was currently short one-person at breakfast that morning.

"That idiot..." Rylan shook his head. "He tripped while running down the stairs... and he didn't exactly have the best landing..."

"I've healed him, but he's currently sleeping in the hospital. Seems the excitement this morning was too much for him..." Finar said, placating Blaine as worry shot across his face. "He'll be fine to go to the beach with you guys later."

"Oh joy." Rylan grumbled. "Are you sure he shouldn't stay there for the next few days? Ideally until we leave...?"

"Very funny, Ry." Blaze appeared at the door.

"I thought you said he was sleeping?!"

"And miss terrorising you two for the last few days of this lovely holiday? Never!"

Rylan's shoulders sunk.

After all, Blaze always kept his promises.

Those next few days were no exception, either.

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ILLENIS HERE

We're going to be having a bit of a timeskip after this bit - so basically they should be back at Blagmoor by the next chapter.

Just prewarning you in case you were hoping for a cringey beach scene or something.

Currently on holiday in Spain.
No WI-FI where I'm staying but thankfully there is where my parents are otherwise I wouldn't have been able to upload this.

Have fun.

Until next time.

Toodles.

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