Side-Story: 12 - What if...? - Part 5
Cassian
Two years had passed since he left. Snow was falling from the sky and covering the world in white. The sunlight was reflecting in the snow and making it shimmer and shine. It was a beautiful sight.
Little clouds formed in front of my face. My hands were buried in the pockets of my jacket. It was pretty cold but not unbearable. There were much colder places on earth.
I was on my way home from school - I took my time to enjoy the cold. I didn't live with my parents for some time now. I lived at a place I had renovated with my father. An old place Kyran and I had loved to play at as children.
I wanted to live there because I felt closer to him, even if he wasn't here.
My headphones played songs I got from Ethan.
Their band had recorded a few songs back then when Kyran was still here and now I listened to them most of the time. I never got sick of listening to them.
At the thought of Kyran, I sighed heavily and my mood went downwards.
We were longer apart than we were together. Still, I had gotten the chance to be with him and that alone filled my heart with warmth.
My birthday didn't go as planned because I hadn't found my mate in our pack. However, my father forced me to visit other packs and we took a look at their members. It was pure torture. I found no one at the end.
I didn't care. I was even glad.
As long as I didn't find my mate I wouldn't forget about my feelings for Kyran.
Of course, I had some problems. An Alpha without his Luna was like a ticking time bomb and I had moments where I lost my cool. But I held back with all I had. It helped when I listened to Kyran's voice. His singing helped.
In all this time we hadn't heard of him. Well, not exactly, because I heard of him one time.
On my birthday a package arrived at my place. It was without an address from where it came from. Though I knew he was in Canada, I wouldn't go there until he said so.
A letter and a gift were inside the box.
Hey, Cas,
I hope my package reaches you.
Happy Birthday!I won't bother you much because it's your birthday and you probably have found your mate already or will find her or him tonight or whenever. I don't know.Because of Elli's rule of no contact I won't write much too.
But you should know that I'm fine and that I wish you a great birthday.
You will be a perfect Alpha for the pack, I believe that from all my heart.
I'm fine at the moment but I'm not fully healed.
T
he family here is wonderful and treats me as if I'm a true member of their family.
As long as you don't hear from me, you can be sure that I'm not dead and that I will return sooner or later.
Kind regards,
Kyran
A small key-chain of the Canadian maple leaf came with the letter. The key-chain was now hung together with my car keys.
I had hidden the letter though it had nothing in it that could have told someone else about our relationship. Still, his parents didn't know about the place he was staying. I was careful and I wanted to be a bit egoistic and keep his letter a secret. Keep it as only mine.
I wasn't sure if he wasn't lying. Kyran often had told me he was fine when he was not. He could be lying about being fine and could suffer in reality.
However, Kyran was right with one thing.
Until we heard nothing of the Canadian pack about his condition, we could be sure, his life wasn't in danger. And I was relieved because of this knowledge. If not, I would have probably gone crazy.
My phone suddenly hummed and I looked at the message of my mother.
[Mom]: Dinner with the Crimson's.
I hadn't taken my car because I wanted to enjoy the weather. And now I took the way to the house of the Crimson family by feet.
The snow crunched under my soles and the cold wind pierced my nose and filled my lungs with frosty air.
He had loved the cold. Did he still love it?
The cold season in Canada must be much colder than the one in Germany. It even snowed much more there. The forests were giant and if he was really better, he would enjoy running through them.
If he returned we could request a visit to their territory and explore the forest. I would love to get to know the family he was with now. And I wanted to thank their Alpha for taking Kyran in.
I took my phone out and texted Caleb.
[Cassian]: Are you still at school? My family is invited to dinner at your place.
His answer came just minutes later.
[Caleb]: On my way, the last lesson ended a bit earlier. I just slipped with my bike on the snow.
Ouch.
[Cassian]: Damn. Everything okay?
[Caleb]: Yeah, my palms are a bit hurt but they're already healing. But I'm wet and cold.
He sent a selfie of himself and it showed him in wet clothes. His hair was wet too and hanging over his eyes.
[Cassian]: Both hands at the handlebar or you will slip again.
We would have walked together if we knew about the dinner. Well, I had at least waited for him at school so we could go together.
[Cassian]: Should I wait here? You should come past me if I wait.
His answer took some time.
[Caleb]: Slipped again. Yeah, wait for me if it's okay.
So, I waited and after about 15 minutes he arrived. Wet and now with more bruises.
»Slipped two more times,« he grumbled and pushed his bike towards me. »I choose to walk after three times. Didn't help. I slipped even without being on the bike.«
I snorted amusedly and took his bike to push it, so he could rest his bruised hands.
»Today is the day Kyran left, right?« Caleb said and I flinched. Right. Today was the day. I remembered the date from memory and because I had it in my calendar.
»How long do you think he will take to return?«
I feared the answer to his question and I didn't know it. But he should take all the time he needs.
»I don't know,« I answered. »But he will return at all cost.«
I was confident that he would return. Not only because I hoped to see the man I loved. But because that was Kyran. It was Kyran's personality to take responsibility for his rank. To think about the well being of our pack.
He put the pack above himself and his own feelings.
A bit later we arrived at the house of the Crimson's. Strangely, a sweet scent was mixed with the other scents. A scent that pulled me to it.
Bewitched me like the song of a siren.
At the back of my head, I heard Caleb calling for me, but I already followed the scent and before I could reach the front door it already got opened.
And then I saw him.
I saw his shining blond hair, his sparkling brown eyes. I saw the man I loved.
I whimpered in joy.
He was back.
And not just that. My instinct took over and carried my feet to him. We met halfway because he ran to me like the wind itself pushed him forward.
With a bit too much force he crashed into me and pushed both of us in the pile of snow.
He was the one smelling like that. He was the one I felt this bond to. This mate-bond.
He was my mate.
Kyran was my mate.
Not only the snow wet my clothes but his tears too.
»You are back,« I whimpered and pressed him closer to me. »I'm back.« He sobbed and grabbed my cheeks with his already cold palms.
Teary he looked at me but his lips were widened with a bright smile.
»My mate.«
I shuddered from the sound of his words.
Mate.
My fear of forgetting my love for him when I found my mate disappeared instantly. Because he was my mate. He was the one I was destined for. My true love. My forever mate.
»My mate,« I said back and cupped his face too with my palms.
We gazed into each other's eyes before he lowered his head and kissed me with love.
»I missed you so much. I couldn't forget you. I was afraid I would try to murder the one fate chose for you,« he mumbled close to my lips when we parted a bit.
»I couldn't forget you too. I love you. I missed you,« I gasped and brushed my lips against his lips for a quick moment.
»I love you too.«
We kissed again before we buried our faces in the other's shoulder and just hugged. We didn't want to let go. It didn't matter how cold it was. How wet we were.
We just wanted to be close to our mate. To the man we loved and had yearned for. To the man we had missed. To the man we had feared to lose on the day of my birthday.
I wanted to mark him right away but not here - not with everyone watching. But I covered him in my scent. Marked him in another way. And I could smell him do the same.
Covering me with his mesmerizing scent and burying it deep within me.
»Can we leave?« he whispered against the skin of my neck. »I want-« He cut off when his stomach rumbled as if he was starving.
»We can.« Lovingly I stroked through his hair. »But first you should eat the dinner your mother is preparing. A return party, right? That's why we got invited for dinner?«
He smiled shyly. »I wanted to go to school to surprise you there. But I was too exhausted from the flight. And Mom wanted a big surprise for everyone and forbid me from contacting anyone.«
»How long are you back?« I would have dropped everything if I had known he was back.
»Not long. One hour, I think. My flight got a bit delayed because of the snow.«
»As long as you're back.« He smiled and nodded and buried his head in my neck again. His breath tickled me and made me shiver.
»Are you cold?« he asked worriedly. »Not with you being on top of me,« I said with a mischievous smirk.
He blushed but didn't stop smiling.
»Do you two need more time or can we eat now?!« Ellinor's voice cut through our dream bubble and let us both look at her. Her hands were akimbo on her sides and she was panting loudly.
»Later, I will take you to my home.« Surprised Kyran turned back to me. »And then we can...« I left the rest of my sentence open and he understood. I would only go as far as he wanted us to go.
»Yes. Take me home with you.«
[Authors Note]
Not me, liking this plot more than the one the book really started with :,D
But it would change the whole purpose of the original story.
The original story is about personal change, forgiveness and feelings that some may not understand, like too heavily overthinking, despair and fear.
Still, I love this 'what if...?' because it shows another universe where Cassian could have just been confident and confess his feelings even if he feared getting rejected. He didn't need to suffer just like Kyran didn't need to suffer. How they had loved and now can be happy because all their fears about the never existing mate disappeared.
I will continue this side-story for one more chapter ;) You know what will happen.
What else do you expect could come with the side-stories?
The next chapter will be on Thursday not Tuesday because now both German and English side-stories are running at the same time!
LeseMate