a/n happy new year everyone!
I stood somewhat nervously as Lana pressed the doorbell of the quaint apartment.
"Marcus?" she spoke suddenly.
"Yes?" I reply, my voice betrayed my nervous inner state. "Try not to say anything stupid, alright. She--this woman, she doesn't have the highest opinion of you." Confused, my brown eyes met her almond ones. "I don't even know her, how could she have an opinion of me already?"
The sounds of footsteps approaching the mahogany door cut her off from replying. The door swung open to reveal a small woman who looked to be of East Asian descent, and from the soft greeting she spoke to Lana I assumed she was Chinese. "Zhenzhen. My daughter." She then looks at me, her coffee black eyes masked of any emotion, "And you, Marcus. The boy who broke my daughter's heart. Come in."
A giant ball seemed to be lodged in my throat as I avoided the woman's--Lana's mother, apparently--steely and unwavering gaze. Jesus Christ in a manger. I had thought Lana was scary, but her mother takes the cake. I could feel the slow freeze of the cold sweat I began to develop. "So, Marcus," Her mother whose name I hadn't received began. "I take it my daughter had made clear to you the situation at hand--the Kraken, General Stamos, Galdoni. She has told you she was the first Galdoni, hasn't she?" I crinkled at the unfamiliar name. "General Stamos?" I questioned, turning to Lana who now had a grim look on her face.
"He's the man who runs the Kraken organisation. He was the man who turned me." I frown, extremely confused and worried. "Wait, he changed you? How could he--you're over 200 years old, how has he survived that long?" If it was even possible, her frown grew deeper. "That's an entirely different problem that luckily has nothing to do with you." She turned to her mother and began to converse in rapid fire Chinese. "No," her mother answered. "I never get to see you anymore. You and Marcus are welcome to stay for the night before heading back." Lana started again only to be cut off. "You won't be putting me in danger by spending a few hours here. And I know you're busy trying to preserve the werewolf civilisation, eradicate government influence in wolf activities and diminish the existence of Galdoni in the modern wolf world but I made mooncakes and I refuse to eat them by myself on New Year's Eve."
"My name is Ruby, by the way. Could you give us a minute to discuss some business, Marcus?" I nod, afraid to deny her request. "Here," she states, handing over to be an expertly designed box. "Have some mooncakes outside in the garden." She leads me outside and softly closes the connecting glass doors. My eyes were drawn to the closed up blue flowers at the edge of the murky pond. They look vulnerable and afraid, kind of like I was. If they bloomed right I knew they would grow to become a wide, gorgeous white signifying hope and peace. The unnecessary symbolism of the flowers distracted me so I didn't hear the soft footsteps of my mate.
"I've always wanted this, you know." The sound of her voice interrupting my musings. "The mate, the pavilion, the mooncakes. Little things. Human things. Love. Enjoyment. The taste of real food."
"As opposed to what?"
"Rotting carcasses." I laughed, no longer fazed by the savagery of wolves. "Sound delicious.
"I'm sorry." I apologized, realizing the extent of what my presence has done to her life. "I know I haven't been the greatest mate--"
"It's almost New year, Marcus. Don't ruin it."
In the distance, the soft boom of the countdown was drowned out by the heavy silence of the two mated. In which Marcus wanted to fill with endless apologies after seeing the look on her face. I'm sorry, he wants to say. I love you, she wants to say.
"3!2!1! Happy New Year!" the screams filled the heavy silence and the two turned to each other.
"Happy new year, Marcus." He smiles.
"Happy new year, Lana." she returns.
And as the flashing lights of the fireworks illuminate the sky, Marcus's slim fingers caress the porcelain face of his mate and he kisses her deeply, hoping she received the message he intended to voice.
a/n
shortest chapter because not much happens
sorry for the change in POV at the end
anways its back to the action in the next chapter!