Austin absent-mindedly stood in the kitchen while cutting the vegetables in the kitchen. Contrary to his tasks, his mind was wandering in a spiral of thoughts.
"I think that Amara was tortured because of 'what' she is"
Ever since Lucas told him that Amara might've been kidnapped because of what she was he persistently stuck by her side. He was afraid that one day he would wake and she would be gone.
He knew it was wrong to keep her here when she should return home but he just couldn't find the strength to let her go. He tried to justify himself by thinking that they were fated to be with each other and that she was safe here in case the people that took her was looking for her, but it somehow did not lessen the guilt he was feeling.
While Austin was lost in his thoughts, Amara obediently sat on the bench table in front of him and watched as he prepared their meals.
Her eyes caught his blank look and couldn't help but call out to him.
"...Austin?"
She was met with no response
She got up and walked towards him. When she stood next to him and his eyes were still vacantly looking down, it became apparent that Austin did not notice her movements.
It wasn't until he felt a hand on his cheek that he was brought back to reality. Surprised by the sudden contact he flinched. As soon as he turned his head he was met with Amara who stood very close to him
"Amara?" His eyebrows furrowed
"Mn?"
She brought her hands to his cheeks to keep him from looking away from her. For some reason, her steady green eyes made his heart pound.
Oblivious to the effects she had on him, an idea struck her. She once saw Jessie touching Felix's head and remembered how his eye's softened. Remembering the effect it had on him she thought it wasn't a bad idea to try it out.
Amara brought her hand to the top of Austin's head. At first, he was confused as to what she wanted to do but when she had started petting him he froze.
Amara observed his reactions, seeing that he was not displeased about her actions she continued rubbing his head when Austin abruptly grasped her hand.
She innocently looked at him with a confused look as if asking 'what's wrong?'
Austin's heart felt as if it was overflowing. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, gently kissing her fingers.
All his previous worries were completely forgotten.
Austin's eyes were filled with so much love and adoration that it made even Amara's heart race.
"Would you like to go out today?" His voice made it hard for anyone to refuse anything he asked.
Seeing that Austin's face, that was previously filled with worry, relax, couldn't help but make her smile.
She nodded
The small smile that appeared on her face stunned Austin.
He coughed before bringing out the food that he had prepared, they both quickly ate their lunch and got ready to go out.
When they entered the town, both of them were clueless to the disruption they caused to the people.
They couldn't help but stare at the two beautiful people walking by them. Amara's beautiful long legs, and milky white skin attracted everyone to her. Her simple beige dress that hugged her body bewitched both men and women alike.
Many of them wanted to come up to her but the moment they saw the man beside her, their confidence immediately plummeted. His cold temperament and piercing gaze made it hard for anyone to come close to her.
Austin noticed all of the stares directed at Amara 'tsk to many flies' he thought. He was so focused on her that he ignored the ones being directed at him.
The girls were just as stunned to find such a handsome man in front of them, his broad chest, and cold temperament made their eyes dark and calculative as they thought of ways to approach him, but when their eyes saw that beside him was a beautiful girl, their hearts immediately filled with envy.
And yet, consciously or unconsciously they thought that they were no match for such a goddess-level beauty and so in the end all of them were only able to look and not touch.
Not paying any mind to the attention giving to them, they continued to walk in a comfortable silence until Austin asked
"Where do you come from?" In an attempt to get to know her better
Amara gave him a quick side glance and then looked at the direction where she felt the ocean was. With her silence, Austin merely thought that she didn't want to answer until she said cryptically
"Somewhere far... "
His hand unconsciously clenched and a sense of relief flooded him, but soon felt guilt that he felt this way.
"What about your family? Do you want to contact them because I'm sure they'd be worried"
Her head tilted to the side "Family?"
"Your parents, and siblings?"
Amara blinked before lightly saying "I don't have parents"
His face hardened and a trace of sadness flashed through his eyes. What he didn't know was that Amara felt absolutely nothing about this fact because sirens leave their children after teaching them how to survive, this made it so that she didn't form a strong attachment towards her.
"I don't have parents either. My father... was a cruel man to everyone but his family, and my mother loved him enough to turn a blind eye to it"
He had never personally told anyone about his past, but for some reason, he wanted to share it all with her.
Amara silently listened as he talked, although she could not feel sadness towards the story itself, she felt a little prick in her heart at the sadness in his voice.
"My father thought that to be strong, he needed to be feared, and to have a strong pack, he needed total control so he punished anyone who displeased him. My mother was kind and cruel at the same time, she took care of me and my father but she ignored the cries of the people in the pack." He laughed darkly "Luckily I met Felix and his father, they taught me what it truly meant to be strong and to be a good leader, otherwise, I would have been like my father"
Whenever he thought of the kind of man he could have grown up as.... He didn't even want to think about it because it made him sick to think that he could've been anything like his father.
His pace became slower until he finally stopped walking.
"You're not human, are you?"
Amara who was a few steps ahead of him did not speak and kept her back to him. After a couple of seconds, a soft voice said
"nor are you"
His eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"What are you? Because you are not like me"
She turned around and faced him, her eyes calm. In a blink of an eye, she closed the gap between them, their bodies only centimeters apart. It felt as if any closer and they could feel each other breaths on their skin.
Thinking that she was not going to answer his question, he asked another one.
"How are you so sure? That I'm not human?"
She slightly narrowed her eyes, as if scrutinizing him.
"I just feel it" she simply says