Hello everyone,
Today is national writing day, so I had to update!
Originally, this chapter was going to be super long, but I decided to split it in two!
Please VOTE and COMMENT! Thank you to those of you that do, it really means a lot to me and I hope you like the chapter!
(Just a recap in case anyone forgot what happened in the previous chapter, Alaric kissed Valerie for the first time!)
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Valerie
Alaric leaned down slowly, and before I knew it he was pressing his lips against mine.
I was beyond shocked but somehow my eyes involuntarily closed, and I didn't fight or push him away. His arms encircled themselves around my waist, pulling me closer so that our bodies were pressed against each other. I could feel the hardness of his abdominal muscles through his soaked white shirt. The kiss was sweet and simple and barely lasted five seconds until he pulled away. His eyes scanned my face as if he was looking for any expressions of uncertainty, the warmth depths of brown made my heart flutter. I saw something different in his eyes, something that I hadn't seen before.
Alaric opened his mouth to speak but no words came out as soon enough I leaned up and kissed him again. As soon as our lips touched, it felt more than right, as if I was meant to be kissing Alaric. My arms wrapped around his neck, as I stood up on my tiptoes to reach him easily.
I had no idea what I was supposed to do, my touch was soft and unsure but it was soon changed. Alaric parted his lips slowly, before pressing them down onto mine fiercely. He took control, the pressure, the pace and everything was under his will. His lips moved against mine fast, my heart beating fast and my mind clouding. He pulled away and leant his forehead against mine; looking deep into my eyes. Gold flecks were speckled on his brown iris, he breathed in heavily, holding me close to him. His hand trailed up my damp back, slowly moving up to tangle his hands in my soaked hair.
No words were needed to say, I didn't want to ruin the moment by saying something awkward and stupid. Despite not feeling the mate bond, I knew that it was right that Alaric had kissed me. I instantly regretted my question from earlier, I should never have asked him if I really was his mate. Even if I couldn't feel the bond, I felt his feeling through his kisses.
Our heavy breaths and perhaps the hammering of my heart were all that could be heard.
"I know you don't feel the bond between us, but I can assure you it's real and I feel it," Alaric whispered. My stomach fluttered at his words, and I was pretty sure that the hair on my arms had stood up.
"I feel that you were meant to belong to me, and no matter how long it takes I will prove that to you, Valerie," Alaric declared.
I wanted to feel the sparks of the mate bond, right now at this moment. I knew he would never hurt me if anything he would protect me with his life if that was what it took. He had already proved that when he ripped out the black heart of a vampire.
I watched as Alaric's eyes flashed from brown to gold over and over. His wolf was itching to come out, itching to have the control to continue the mating bond.
"I'm not ready for us to mate... I-I... just want you to know that I trust you-"
"I can wait, Valerie," He promised, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. That was all I needed to hear, before I hugged him tightly, pressing my face into his hard but comforting chest.
**
Just when I was getting comfortable being with Alaric, he revealed something that had my anxiety spiralling into a dark cloud.
Alaric had woken me one morning, gently stroking my cheek. I had barely felt his touch as it was so light. My eyes fluttered open, and I blinked the sleep away. Alaric was sat at the edge of the bed, next to me. He was fully dressed in a dark suit, with a tie and cufflinks. His hair styled neatly, as well as that he had trimmed his bead slightly.
"Good morning love," he smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Morning," I replied groggily, turning onto my side. "What time is it?"
"It's early," he answered. I turned my head and saw that it was five in the morning. Why was he awake so early? Usually, Alaric wasn't up until seven and he would normally let me sleep in.
Before I could ask why he was awake at this ungodly hour, he said four words that made me frown.
"I have to go."
"Okay, that's fine," I replied normally, trying to get comfy again in the covers. "I'll see you later."
"No, Valerie I mean that I have to go out of Regnum."
I sat up abruptly, the covers falling off me.
"Go?" I frowned. "Where?"
"I have some business to attend to, it shouldn't take more than a day," he said in a tight voice, running his hand through his hair. "I'll be back tomorrow."
"You're leaving," I stated, processing what he had said.
He nodded his head, and with a heavy breath, he exhaled sharply.
"I don't want to, but I have to go," he said sincerely. His deep brown eyes held concern and regret... why did he have to go? My mind raced and the first thing that came to my head was... vampires. After all, he was the only werewolf in history to end the war between Vampires and Werewolves. Now, in five hundred years a vampire had been sighted and there had to be an explanation.
"Is this because of what happened at the mall? Because of that vampire?" I wondered out loud, pushing the covers further off me.
Alaric didn't reply and that only confirmed my suspicions. I sighed heavily, pushing back my messy bed hair.
"C-can I come with you?" I asked Alaric.
I watched the anger flashed on Alaric's face for a few seconds, his eyes turning dark. I already knew the answer to that.
"No, you can't! Elijah will be coming with me." He said firmly. "You're safer here in Regnum."
I shook my head at his words. To some extent, he was right but wasn't it safer if he was with me.
"I know what you're thinking Valerie and I promise you'll be safe here," Alaric said, taking my hand and holding it in his large one. "I'm leaving Adam in charge and Dean will be here soon."
I wanted to beg him to not leave me, but who was I to stop the demon Alpha from doing what he wanted. Who was I to stop him from going away for a day?
"When are you leaving?" I whispered, looking down at our entwined hands.
"In half an hour."
I breathed in, my stomach clenching in unease. I only had less than thirty minutes with Alaric, but yet he must have known that he would be going for a while. I didn't want to ask him how long he had known for, that would be wasting time. It was clearly none of my business, and he had decided to not tell me anything, in order to protect me... but protect me from what exactly?
I hadn't spent a night away from Alaric in the nearly two weeks that we had been together. It felt alien to know that he wouldn't be here for a whole day and night.
"Okay," I sighed, slipping out of bed. Alaric stood up and gave me a curious look.
"You don't have to get up now," he said, standing up also.
Shrugging my shoulders I proceeded to the bathroom. "I want to."
After doing my morning routine, quicker than I usually would, brushing my teeth and hair and washing my face I left the bathroom to find Alaric zipping up a black bag.
"Where exactly are you going?" I asked standing at his side. He lifted the bag and slung it over his shoulder.
He looked like he didn't want to tell me a single thing. His jaw was clenched tightly as his eyes darkened.
"Alright... don't tell me, it's fine," I sighed dismissively.
"You don't need to worry, love," he said, as he began to walk out of the bedroom and I followed him; grabbing my dressing gown and slipping it on. I was only wearing the usual pyjama shorts and a t-shirt but I felt slightly cold.
Alaric stood in the foyer near the front door, I stood on the last step of the stairs; looking at him. He looked powerful and smart dressed in his dark suit, that was well fitted and showed off the contours of his muscles. Alaric placed his black bag on the floor beside him and held out his hand for me to take. I slipped my hand in his and squealed when he pulled me to him; my body colliding softly into his body.
"I'll be back before you know it," Alaric said softly, looking down at me as I stared up at him.
"I know... it's just that..." I trailed off, looking down. Alaric slowly lifted my chin up and smiled softly, holding me tight. He leaned down and crashed his lips against mine fiercely. The gesture took me off guard but nonetheless I responded to the feel of his lips on mine.
He pulled away reluctantly and glanced at his watch.
"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise," he breathed out.
"Okay,"
"Stay out its trouble, Valerie," Alaric said, stepping back and unwrapping his arms from me. He gave me a final look before he walked out the door.
"Bye..." I whispered as he closed the door, leaving me alone.
Without thinking, I opened the front door to see Alaric reversing the car out of the drive. I watched him pull out and then drive off to the direction of the town. As he drove off, another car drove up and I recognised Dean in the front seat.
Dean pulled into the drive and turned off his engine before getting out of the car. He waved at me as he walked up to the house.
"You don't usually bring your car," I stated as we entered the house together.
"Alpha said I may need it today," he shrugged.
"Do you know where he's going?" I asked Dean as we went into the kitchen. I flipped on the coffee machine and grabbed two mugs out.
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you Vally," he smirked, taking a seat at the kitchen island.
I nodded my head and sighed heavily. Once the coffee was brewed I poured myself and Dean some.
"Have you had breakfast?" I asked Dean.
"Yeah," he replied, looking at the gift bags of chocolate and edible gifts; that I had received from the pack.
"You still haven't eaten them?" Dean shaking his head, in mock disappointment.
My eyes widened and a sickening feeling made its way to my stomach. I had already eaten some of the edible gifts, and Alaric had too.
"No! There's way too much, I told you to take some yesterday," I said grabbing a box of chocolates and sliding it to Dean.
"But it's your gift-"
"Dean, seriously take it!" I yelled desperately. "Actually, take as much as you want and give some to your brother!"
Dean got up and inspected the gift bags, taking what he wanted and leaving what he didn't want.
"I hate chocolate with nuts in them," he said, taking only two boxes as the rest had nuts in them.
After I had eaten and gotten dressed in black high waisted jeans and a floral spaghetti, I found Dean, in the living room; halfway through a box of chocolates.
"Er... You having fun there?" I smirked. He jumped at the sound of my voice and smiled sheepishly, putting the box of chocolates down.
Dean stood up, brushing away non-existent crumbs and made a face. "Well, you're not eating them! So don't judge me!"
"Hey!" I said holding up my hands. "No judgement here."
"Yeah sure," he rolled his eyes at me and shot me a smirk. I went to the couch where Dean was sitting and fluffed up the cushion he had flattened.
"So what do you want to do today?" Dean asked casually, sitting down on another couch and flattening another pillow.
Straightening up, I had a quick think and answered him.
"Can we go to Dorothy's bakery?"
"Uh yeah sure, we've gotta drive there unless you want to walk for half an hour?" He asked.
"I honestly don't mind," I smiled.
"Walking it is then," Dean chuckled. "It'll give you a chance to familiarize yourself with some sectors of regnum."
Once I had slipped on my shoes and made sure that I hadn't left the coffee machine on, Dean and I left the house.
We walked past many pack members, the majority of them smiled as soon as they saw me and bowed their heads in respect. I froze up every single time not knowing what to do or say. It felt wrong that pack members were showing me so much respect, I felt that I hadn't earned it and that I wasn't worthy of it. Other pack members just stared at my eyes and quickly looked away as if they were staring at the eyes of Medusa.
"You need to get used to the attention Valerie," Dean said after we had escaped the few crowds of pack members.
"Easier said than done," I shrugged.
Eventually, we came to a small village area that was surrounded by different shops. I stood in midtrack, taking in the sight before me. There stood in a row, was a bakery, a hairdressing salon, a cute little boutique and some other shops.
"This is... just wow!" I exclaimed.
The Shields pack weren't as lucky to have as many shops in their own territory. Usually, the pack members would blend in with the nearby human town.
"Come on, the bakery is just there!" Dean said, gesturing to the huge shop that had a sign saying Dolly's Bakes. The shop itself was bright with the pastel-coloured theme and a huge cupcake sign with the store name embedded on it. A few pieces of outdoor seating furniture were placed in front of the store and even a few pack members were slowly coming out of the shop, one by one.
"Dolly is often pretty busy-"
"I can see that," I interjected. I started to worry whether I would be disturbing her.
I walked up to the shop and pushed open the door, the sound of a jingling bell filled my eardrums. The smell of fresh cakes and bread engulfed my nostrils and I breathed in heavily; taking in as much of the fresh scent that I could.
Dean closed the door behind me, as I scanned the inside of the bakery. The walls were a lemon-yellow colour, with different pictures of cakes and pastries. There were also a few pictures of different people, and also some pictures of Dorothy.
A huge display case of cakes was placed in front of a stand where a young girl, probably in her mid-twenties was stood in front of a register; handing people their orders.
I suddenly felt out of place and out of my comfort zone. Slowly, I started to back away towards the door but Dean caught my arm and pulled me forward.
"Oh no you don't, stop being shy! This is your moment to let people get to know you," He whispered to me, as he continued to edge me forward; until I was next in line.
The girl at the register stared at me in shock, realising who I was.
"Luna Valerie," she smiled warmly. She had bright hazel eyes and mid-length brown hair. She also had a few dimples on her tanned olive skin. I noticed that she had some flour in her hair and her apron was streaked with what looked like cake batter.
"Erm hi..."
She smiled at me, not fussed about my awkwardness. "What can I do for you?"
"Is Dorothy around?" I asked.
"Yeah, she's at the back... I'm her grand-daughter, Victoria but everyone calls me Tori," she smiled again, extending her hand out. I shook it and smiled back at her.
"Valerie... but you already know that."
Tori glanced behind me and smirked.
"Hey Dean, haven't seen you or your brother in a while," she said to Dean. He walked over to my side and greeted Tori.
"Good to see you, Tori, just been busy," he said apologetically.
"Mr Rivers over here used to come almost every day with his imbecile of a brother-"
"Yep, until I realised that it wasn't helping me gain any muscle, just fat!" He laughed.
Dorothy, suddenly emerged from the back of the store, wiping her hands on a towel. Just like Tori, her hair was speckled with some flour and her apron was also covered in streaks.
"Ah Luna Valerie," she greeted, coming to give me a hug. I returned te hug slightly awkwardly and pulled away to smile at her.
"Just Valerie," I told her and she nodded her head.
"I'm glad you popped by, I was just in the middle of decorating some cupcakes! Do you want to help?" she asked.
I froze in shock at her question, and slowly nodded my head.
"Great!" she grabbed my head and pulled me along with her to the back of the bakery. It was extremely tidy and just like she said, placed on a cooling rack was a selection of different flavoured cupcakes waiting to be decorated.
"Here, put this on and tie your hair up please," Dorothy said passing me a clean apron. I did as she said, putting the apron on and tying it up, as well as gathering all my hair and putting it into a high bun.
Dorothy explained how to use a piping bag and the particular technique of piping she wanted on the cupcakes.
"Make sure to add firm pressure when piping," Dorothy advised, as I watched her demonstrate on a few cupcakes. "A steady hand also helps, just relax and let your hands work."
I nodded my head and took the piping bag that was filled with chocolate buttercream.
"What if I mess up?" I asked Dorothy nervously.
"Don't worry honey, I've got plenty of spare," she winked.
I took a deep breath, and just like Dorothy had shown me I made sure that the piping bag had enough buttercream in it, and that the bag was tight with no visible air bubbles in the bag. With a steady hand, I squeezed the piping bag; guiding it around the circumference of the cupcake.
"See, you're doing great!" Dorothy cheered. I smiled, as I finished the last swirl of the icing and added a few white chocolate sprinkles around the icing swirl I had made.
"It's really good Valerie!" Dorothy beamed, taking the cupcake from me and placing it on a tray.
"Thanks, Dorothy," I smiled in relief.
"Come on sweetie, I already said call me Dolly, everyone does!"
"Alright, Dolly... so I just gotta do this another thirty times?" I asked, gesturing to the bare cupcakes without any icing.
"Yes, please!"
I had managed to decorate all the cupcakes that Dorothy... also known as Dolly gave me. Some of the cupcakes looked pretty, some looked a little wonky but she didn't seem to mind. My hands and probably my face was covered in icing and I was pretty sure that there were sprinkles in my hair too.
"Come on, let's take them to the front," Dolly said, helping me to take a few trays.
We took the trays to the front and placed them on top of the counter.
"Oooh, these look really good!" I heard Tori say, as she examined the decorative skills on the cupcakes.
"Thanks, " I murmured shyly. Tori began to but the cupcakes on a stand.
Dean shot his hand out to grab a cupcake. "Lemme taste one - ow!"
I snickered as Tori slapped his hand back. "If you wanna taste one, you have to buy one!"
Dean grumbled under his breath and glared at Tori. "You got meaner!"
"Nah, I was always like this, you just forgot!" Tori smirked, placing another cupcake on the stand. The cupcakes did look really good, with the exception of a few that looked like they had been decorated by a five-year-old.
The door of the bakery opened, and the jingling bells filled the whole bakery with melodic sound.
"Why wasn't I informed that she would be in my sector?" I heard a bitchy voice snap, stripping away the melodic sound.
I swiftly turned around and gulped loudly.
Oh crap!
***
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to vote and comment! :) x