Qumar = Moonshine
-_-
"You made it! Oh, goddess, this is wonderful news!" Dalal jumped into the air, hair static as she floated for those few seconds.
"Theres something else I must confess," I said, eyes falling to the ground.
Luca Belluci.
Sure, I'd met him a whole day ago, but his face, his bright pools of amber-blue and voice of honey were etched into my mind for goddess knows how long before I'd fallen asleep. Farewell, Leila.
Goddess, how he'd said my name.
This feeling, the feeling of mutual attraction, want and desire. They were all foreign to me. Never had I imagined myself fancying a man of royal blood, let alone be thrown into the new reality of soulmates, or- as Lara had called them, bond mates. I honestly preferred my term better than hers because it helped to feel some sense of purpose. That my soul wasn't just for me, rather I was made to complete somebody else's half.
It made me feel powerful in a sense, but more secure than the latter.
"What is it?" She asked, eyes eager.
"You mustn't tell anyone, Dalal," I looked behind me, to make sure the walls of my room hadn't miraculously grown a pair of lips and ears, "but I've found my bond-mate,"
She gasped, eyes glowing, "Who is it?"
"I'm not comfortable with sharing that information yet, it's only my second day here, take it easy on me," I reasoned, smiling as she huffed a hair or two out of her face.
"I'll respect that, but we have to ready you to meet the alpha today in the empty fields," She stood from the couch, "I'll get you your outfit for the day, I'll be back,"
My eyes watched her walk to the door, noticing an unfamiliar skip in her steps, until she left the room; leaving behind only the echoes of the locks clicking back into place.
I resumed my staring of the view in front of me, noticing a gleam of purple flash through the sea of snow covered roads.
With furrowed brows, I walked closer to the window, eyeing the gleam of uncomfortable purple. I placed my finger on the glass, trying my best to figure out what it was - all before it disappeared.
"Dammit," I cursed under my breath, my curiosity unsatisfied.
"I have the outfit!"
I turned around at whiplash speed, breath taken away at the surprise that had hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Is anything of the matter?" She asked, clenching the black fabrics in her hand.
Gulping, I shook my head at Dalal.
"There's nothing wrong, don't worry," I pointed my finger to the clothes she was holding, a desperate attempt at changing the subject, "I'll get into that,"
I took the clothes from Dalal without question and left to my room, locking the door behind me.
Silently, I began changing out of my nightgown and into the thick, black jumper Dalal had given me and matching black pants. They were warm, perfecting for the white hot cold the Lycan kingdoms winters brought with them, but they were dull all the same.
I'd expected their outfits to be a bit more than extraordinary, but I guessed my expectations were a bit too high.
My eyes caught the dagger that sat on top of my pillow. I'd chosen to sleep next to it yesterday, the walls of this castle still too foreign for me to sleep soundly in. Without a second thought, I'd grabbed the thing and hooked it to the string of my knickers.
Before leaving my room, I looked into my mirror, the familiar hollowness in my chest rising back to life at the view of my own reflection.
Don't deprive me of those eyes I gave you.
Oh, how I wish you didn't give me your eyes, mother.
One look into them and all I can see is you, on the ground, back bleeding and soul battered.
Before my thoughts could have turned into a never ending cycle of hauntingly beautiful memories and irreversible regrets, I turned around and left my room, heart heavy yet hollow all the more.
"Take me to the Alpha,"
-_-
"The empty fields are a new asset to our lands. Ever since a few nights ago, all sorts of crops have died and stopped growing. The beta predicts someone has poisoned our fertilizer, or that the soil has grown rotten," Dalal said, "We still don't know. It's alarming. We've lost over 10,000 crops, all food, and we don't know why,"
I looked ahead, at the vast acres of dark soil and blackened plants. It evoked a shiver out of me. The sight was all too familiar.
"I'll leave you to it, the Alpha will be here any minute," Dalal bowed her head and scurried away, back into the castle.
The wind kissed the skin on my face as I walked to the exact middle of the field, taking a deep breath. I could hear the sound of the leaves crunching underneath my shoes, the sound of the wet soil gushing over the power of my weight, birds chirping. I could hear everything so clearly.
I squatted down to the ground, eyeing the earth that surrounded me for miles upon miles upon miles. It smelt so familiar, almost home-like.
Confused, I dug my fingers into the ground, trying to grasp the feeling of the soil that evoked in me a nostalgia even I didn't understand.
1 second passed.
2.
3.
Leila Haddad, the winds whispered.
I gasped, immediately pulling my fingers out of the soil.
I looked to my left. My right. Above me.
No one. I found no one. Just skies and more acres of land.
Startled, I stood up, itching to step away from the soil.
"You look as though you've just seen a ghost," Luca's voice seeped into my skin and flew out all the thoughts i'd had before he arrived.
I turned around, facing him.
He was sporting the same colours as me, a long sleeved black t-shirt that moulded the mountains on his arms and a matching pair of black pants that hugged the muscles on his thighs. Goddess, he really was stunning.
"You walk like a ghost," I remarked, raising my brows, "Of all places in your kingdom, you choose this to have our first meeting,"
"You don't like it?" He tilted his head to one side, eyes curious.
I looked over the area once more, taking in a deep breath, "It is hauntingly beautiful, I'll admit that,"
"Beautifully said," He replied, not looking me in the eyes as he took my hand in his, raising a brow in question as he eyed the remnants of dirt on my fingers.
"Curiosity never killed the cat?" I said sheepishly, pulling my fingers away from his to wipe the dirt away.
"I believe the term is curiosity killed the cat,"
"Not this one," He let out a loud, throaty laugh at my response, head falling back.
"You do look like one," I furrowed my brows at his words, urging him to elaborate, "Your features are dainty - soft. You could fool anyone into thinking that you don't have claws hiding underneath there."
"I'd like to think so," I agreed.
"Feline females are a males favourite challenge, verde,"
Hot, red heat flushed to my cheeks, forcing me to look away from his eyes and at the view in front of me. There was this smile that stained my lips, one that wouldn't go away despite my greatest attempts at pushing it away.
He had this way with words. They were light, but they were all two way mirrors with underlying meanings and secrets made for only you to unravel.
I felt him silently creep up on me, his front facing my back; his heating oozing into my skin, evoking razor edged butterflies to bloom into my stomach. Very delicately, he placed two fingers onto my shoulder. He proceeded to walk them down the trail of my arm. Once they'd reach the dips of my elbows, his two fingers jumped playfully to the curve of my waist, making me gasp lightly, before he slipped his fingers into my pants and slid out the dagger I'd attached to my knickers.
Immediately, I turned around and grabbed his wrist, forcing him to halt his movements.
He eyed me with a lively fire in his eyes, head tilted to one side.
He had a habit of doing that.
"I'm going to need that back," I ordered, tightening my grip on his wrist.
"Do you plan on assassinating me when I'm not looking?" He asked, stepping into my personal space, "Verde, I can smell your movements,"
"That was there for the sole purpose of my protection and not your endanger,"
"Thats not the kind of protection you're going to need around me,"
I gasped, raising my knee to his crotch.
I may have left the north for 6 years, but I was still a northern woman. And that. That was certainly not anyway to talk to a Northern woman.
Luca doubled over in pain, dropping my dagger. Without a second thought, I squatted down and snatched my weapon from his huddled figure, huffing a hair out of my face.
"That comment was a little too comfortable for out first meeting, Alpha," I said, meeting his pained eyes.
"That was expected," He said, voice strained, "Though I do not take back my words,"
"I still have the upper hand here, qumar,"
His eyes shone with surprise at my words. This time, I could tell it was the good kind by the way his lips had rose to one side.
Even when he was in pain, he was undoubtedly beautiful.
"You're from the north,"
"How did you know?"
"My beta's form the north, he call's his mate moonshine too," He stood up, groaning slightly, and I followed suit, "He taught me a word or two,"
"That brute is from the north?" I asked, distraught.
"Yes, and that brute is my mated to my sister,"
"I noticed," My heart bloomed, "I cannot believe I have a sister in law,"
"That, you do, bella," He said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, "You need not to carry a weapon around me, Leila. You are my mate," His tone turned intense, forcing me to look into the abyss of his eyes, "This may be our first meeting, but you must not feel in danger around me,"
"It's not you I fear,"
"Who is it," The fire in his eyes grew at the mention of my tormentor, "I'll murder him. Just give me his name,"
The whispers.
The monsters I met outside the kingdom.
Anyone that's not you.
Mother eyes.
Her red blood.
"Thats a story for another time, Luca," I sent him the best smile I could muster up, trying my hardest to remove the frown that had taken the place of his smirk, but failed miserably in my mission to do so.
He swallowed, his Adams apple bobbing as he started deeply into my soul before he nodded, "I'll wait for you,"
My heart burst at his confession.
"Thank you, Luca,"
"Anything for you, Verde," I watched as his nose scrunched, sniffing the air around him before he looked back into my eyes, "Someones coming,"
I stepped away from him, pursing my lips to prevent myself from smiling at the annoyed expression that overtook his face. He shook his head and whispered into the afternoon atmosphere, "if you would let me, I'd make you my Luna this instant, but you're a pain."
"That, I am, qumar," I whispered back.
Finally growing the balls to look away from his eyes, I turned around and looked into the distance and there appeared the brute from the north walking up to the alpha and I, face expressionless and posture slumped as though he didn't want to be there.
Something in him made me want to punch him across the face, but I resisted the urge.
"The Luna has requested your presence, alpha," The beta sniffed the air and turned to face me, a scowl appearing across his face, "what is she doing here?"
"What a piece of shit," I whispered underneath my breath.
"Say it louder, crooked-nosed knave,"
"A classic," I bit back.
"She's here because I ordered her to write me a statement of the reasons she believes our soil is growing rotten," Luca growled at the both of us, eyes glowing at our immaturity, "Royal Guard, you've been excused. I expect the statement to be at my desk tomorrow morning,"
I bowed down to him, mischief shadowing the bright hue of my eyes, before leaving the fields to go to my room, dagger strapped to the lining of my knickers.