The rise of the dawn brought the rise of a new conversation.
Until now, Kingston and I used to brush our teeth, standing at the back of our homes.
But today, the sudden wave from him as an invite for me to join at the back of Robin's house was something else.
Taking a teaspoon of ash in our left palms, we began the routine.
"Amelia wouldn't talk to anyone." That was his first word before putting the ash in his mouth and start rubbing it.
I could only blink in wonder. Spitting out a little, emptying my mouth, I shrugged my shoulders. "It just had to happen. As Karam's family, we all are supposed to compromise for him."
"Did you do it, with heart?" He asked after spitting his first round and gargling loudly.
I moved my tongue around for any extra powder stuck anywhere in my mouth. "I didn't do it as his mate or anything. I just did what any good human being would do in my place."
He scoffed humorously and continued using the ash. I began my second round of rubbing the molars at the back of the jaws.
Spitting again, he gargled and let out a splash across half the field in front of us. Nodding at his amazing performance in satisfaction, he breathed in content.
"That is what the question is, little sister-in-law."
My eyebrows raised slightly at the name. His tone was engaging and firm with the new day's energy.
"If Amelia fights you, she cares for you. She doesn't want you to witness the heartbreak at seeing Karam's love for his pup growing more and more by years. It only ends bad."
I blinked while spitting it all out. Gargling hurriedly, I tried to catch some breaths and was satisfied that now my morning breath was gone. My mouth was clean.
"Why would my heart break at seeing a child growing in front of my eyes?" I asked in confusion. "And if this how she cares, then forgive me, Mr. Alpha. I don't need her care."
He nodded in amusement while moving his gaze around the belt of trees like a hawk.
"By the way, if she fights me because she cares. What does she do to the beings she doesn't care about?"
"She kills them."
I couldn't blink because Kingston's calm and steady voice held the vibe of extreme truth. Though, he was cheeky about it.
I gulped slightly while shifting on the rock I was sitting on. Sipping the water from my bowl, I did some flossing and spat the water far away.
"That was a progress." He commented at the distance.
I nodded absentmindedly.
A moment of silence passed when the big brother was doing the last of his flossing and gargling. My gaze wandered towards the belt of trees, wondering how many kilometres away was the pack.
The night of the ceremony, I had fainted. I didn't know how far Karam had brought me.
"Is temple safe for the females?" The sudden question came in his rough voice. Kingston put his bowl away after washing his hands and wiping his mouth.
The sky was turning the lighter shade of blue slowly. The green of the trees was lightning up too. The grassy ground in front of was soon to catch its much awaited sunlight. While the mountains peaks were all hidden behind the fog for now.
The question had caught me off guard.
I hadn't thought about narrating my experience to someone else other than Chelsea. Not even Karam. I was sure how much I had to hide from him. But this was Kingston. The Alpha.
Telling him everything could be against my benefit. I couldn't take risk at being all honest. I had to be careful before revealing any important thing.
"Yes, it is. The temple is built strong and beautiful. The chieftain and her follower are helping them. A little scolding is only for the stubborn ones. Otherwise, the temple is really a great place to heal them from the heartbreak and loneliness."
He looked like he didn't believe it. But then, he had to. But for me, I wasn't lying at all.
"The girls dance in their devotion to Severa. They play together and eat together. These is harmony in the temple."
The rough bushy beard moved as he moved his tongue inside his mouth in thought. "What of the full moon night, erh? Was it still harmonious?"
My gaze went down to the mess we both made on the ground ahead of us.
"Some had a tough time. Some were helping the one's with tough time." I replied quietly.
He looked at me, making me glance at him. Giving me a serious determined look of those narrow eyebrows, he asked, "Were there any kind of hymns and rituals? Something evil?"
"Li-Like dark magic?"
He nodded slowly while I shook my head. "Only prayers."
He sighed slowly while looking away. Pushing his beard downwards with his right hand in thought, he put another hand on his thigh, seated in the rock with a serious face, looking like a grim King.
His undefeatable and unmatchable aura reminded me of the first time I had seen him. Lysar and Beta Barald were by his sides, I guess. But he himself, was so brief to Pete. He watched the packs arguing about me.
"Would you mind if I ask a question?"
His movements stopped and continued slowly. His silence signed me that he was listening.
Gulping in slight terror, I tilted my head while looking at him. "Why don't you create harmony with the packs too? Let's just tell them, this pack's population is dying. That no females would be harmed. Living here is such a great opportunity to get Nirvana. This valley is so-so beautiful. The only thing that keeps this pack apart from the packs outside the border, is its ancientness."
Kingston stared ahead with no change in his serious facial expressions.
I gulped again as my confidence started loosening because of his silence.
"Why don't you ask the packs to help you with new progresses of this world? In centuries, surely nothing has remained same. You must know that. You can't keep this pack behind centuries for forever. This pack needs the modern and advanced ideas of the world outside."
He stayed quiet, making me fear the end of whatever little friendliness he had with me.
"It can never happen." He said, getting up abruptly.
"But—"
A faint growl escaped his mouth, making me stumble back in fright. I gasped while looking up at him in shock because his growl had felt like ripping my spine out of my back. It had travelled across from stomach to up my throat, shaking every limb.
My heart literally ached in terror.
The Alpha everyone feared here, was now glaring down at me.
"After living in a caged territory, telling them our weaknesses would be the end of our world. You think, we haven't tried to be fair in deals with them. We have always been fair. It is not our fault that their sons and brothers could not cross the border then. But they never stay fair. The packs outside the border enjoy the end of Lycan world. They had stopped sending the females in between. Hells would break, the ground will shake. Moon Goddess herself will fall down to stop us from doing that. Because she too knows, it won't benefit anyone. Not even her."
Throwing those heavy words with grunts and anger, he gave me the last angry look.
"You are my brother's bride here. You must stay to that, little one. Do not become our mother." He said sharply, making me flinch hard. "You are here to provide us heirs and that is what you will do, only. The time has almost arrived."
My eyebrows furrowed in fear and confusion.
The loud steps occurred as he stomped angrily towards his house, leaving me all shaken and frightened.
The sun risen slowly, spreading its rays over the ground.
My eyes filled up at the harsh beginning of this day that I suffered.
Closing my eyes, holding the red ruby on my neck, I shook my head.
I must never forget that at the beginning and end of the day, these people were pagans only.
.
.
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_____
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Coming back to the room, the scenario was different from what I had expected.
Any other day, Karam would have left the room to have his bath at the lake and not return until the evening. He would return if there was something important like a drama created by me or to deliver fresh fruits plucked by him.
But today, he had not even left for the lake.
Observing his wet hair and radiant glow on face, I knew that he had just hurriedly taken bath in our bathroom only.
There was a glass full of milk in his hand and a piece of bread in another that he was offering to a freshly bathed Keev, dressed in a newly stitched cream little shirt just like one of his father's.
So, half the tasks were already done.
Bless my mate.
My eyebrows raised and whole mood went up at the adorableness oozing out from them. Karam was sitting on the bed, watching Keev trying to take a bite and chew.
"Why were your heartbeats so fast?" He asked while putting glass of milk away on the table, far from Keev's reach so he won't spill it and walk towards me.
His eyes moved from my feet up to my face, releasing a content sigh. Those big hands grabbed my face with him approaching me faster than I could expect. Though, he was gentle.
"Nothing. I nearly choked myself with that ash." I mumbled quietly, not meeting his eyes.
He raised my chin with one finger, forcing me to look up in those beautiful amber eyes. At night, his close proximity was like a tight and warm hug, a calm ocean for me to swim, a melodious poetry, a soothing touch of wind and so much more.
But in the daylight, it felt as if every object in this room was our audience. His advances in front of them or even a single person would warm up my ears and being havoc to my stomach. I felt too shy to reciprocate any advances.
The more he would behave like a responsible father and mate, the more it would make me blush to even meet his eyes for some reason. As if the age gap was now really settling in my mind.
"You aren't even breathing, my mate."
I gulped and released a long breath that I didn't even realise holding all this time.
Rubbing his thumb over my lips, he stared at my face. "What's wrong?"
The conversation with Kingston was a defeat. I didn't want to share about it with Karam. Mostly because I wanted to avoid every possible reason that could make him choose between me and his family even in his thoughts.
He loved his family and I knew the value of having a family. I knew the pain of not having a family.
Thus, I changed the topic.
"Can I take Keev to the lake to show him to my friends there?"
A smile curved his lips. "Not so soon."
My lips parted at the answer. "Why not?"
"It will be troubling for you to handle him near the lake. He can easily toddle around. He is not as innocent as you think he is." Karam whispered while hovering over me, putting his muscular big arm on the door beside my left ear.
He still didn't know how good was I as a swimmer.
"You smell so rich these days." He mumbled while brushing away the flicks from my face. "I cannot get enough of your sweet scent."
Shivers ran across my heart.
Glancing at Keev, he was busy playing and munching on his bread.
While I was distracted, Karam held my arms and put them around his neck, after leaning downwards of course. Before I could even blush, he kicked the door shut behind me, pushing me against it gently.
His hands crawled down to the top of my ass while the sincere expressions on his face turned intense.
The shivers ran down my spine and made whole of my heart nervous. My legs started shaking in uncertainty as I felt too shy to understand what and how Karam was feeling at the moment.
Though, I managed to whisper softly, "What are you doing?"
He touched our noises, making me close my eyes. My lips parted when he took a loud sniff. "My mate is so tempting."
He was already sniffing me further by snuggling his nose at my neck. A gasp escaped my parted mouth while faint enjoyment started to risen.
A thrill was filling the air when he started leaving kisses on my neck. My head craned up in an attempt to move back or just give him more access. I was myself confused. My hands reached for his thick shoulders. His lips reached mine in the next minute, making me tilt my head rightwards.
With closed eyes, I saw the stars dancing. My heart danced along when he didn't stop and only deepened his passion. The beard would make it all cozier and ticklish. But I was getting used to it.
Keev let out a playful squeal in the background, lost in his little acts.
My eyes opened and from the visible view past Karam's pointed ear, I could see the baby playing by himself and tearing up his bread.
When I thought I could break the kiss and remind Karam that we have tasks to do, he turned his passion on this task to strict aggression.
I made one swift move to make a gentle push on his shoulders to break the kiss. But he grabbed my wrists and pushed them against the door. It only excited me more. The thrill was rising. I gasped in between the kisses while he only tilted his head and did it crazily enough to make my eyes roll in ecstasy.
I arched my back, making the gap smaller between us. He cupped my side, roaming his big hand over my bare waist from inside my top. My lips quivered at the warmth it brought me.
My own hands reached to spread the neck of his shirt and roam finger tips on his skin. The more he leaned, the more I absentmindedly hugged his neck. My hands reached for his wet hair.
Karam's hand lowered to palm my ass while I let out a gasp of enjoyment.
Whole of my face reddened while the sensations at the sensitive places had started to deepen.
Karam loved my reciprocation and ended up getting more wild. His pace fastened and bit my lips. Nibbling on the lower one, he knew what he had to do to make me forget the world. My back arched tight when he broke the kiss to pepper some at my neck, reaching down to my cleavage.
A shy giggle escaped me in between and ended up sounding like a painful shocked gasp when he pushed his torso against mine.
My cheeks to my thighs, throbbed crazily.
The magical silence of our harsh breaths was too much in the moment for me to stop. But just as his hand reached inside my top upwards than I was comfortable with, the red flags filled my sight.
His palm cupped my right bosom, giving a light squeeze, ringing all the alarms in my head.
It was enjoyable yet happening too easy and soon for me.
Wherever my sanity had ran away to, had returned from there to awaken be from this lustful mode.
My right knee raised on its own to counter his attempts of closeness. A growl escaped him when I turned my head and broke the kiss. "Karam, Keev's waiting for his milk." I spoke out breathlessly.
"It's too hot for him to drink yet. Wait for it to get mild."
"But—" His lips caught mine in another possessive hold.
The virgin girl inside me was all excited and controlling her throbbing heart. Loud gasps started leaving me when he broke the kiss and pushed down the sleeve of my top. Peppering kisses and sucking on my skin, he made me stare at the front wall in a mix of unpredictability and pleasure.
My mouth opened while eyebrows furrowed in confusion of how my body reacted to his advances. Everything seemed so right yet so soon.
I didn't even realise that my hands were loose now.
His big left hand caught my waist while the right one starting lifting the skirt to expose my left leg.
The alarms started echoing in my ear.
"Karam, its daylight. Early morning—" I was shut up by another passionate kiss, with him grabbing my chin to keep it in unmoving.
A soft moan escaped me while my hand tried to push at his chest gently.
"Would you stop and listen—" I managed to say in between but he didn't listen.
The cool morning air hugged by left leg, making me alert and seriously scared.
The heart that was throbbing in excitement had now started to shrink in a sudden fright. Because at every try of my refusal or resistance, Karam had started to growl wildly.
I was shaken and still wanted to believe that he was in his senses. But when the loud breaths escaping his mouth were sounding deep and rough, I knew that if I don't stop him I would be doomed.
"Karam, stop it. You are scaring me." I whispered out hurriedly when he brushed his mouth against my shoulder.
All of body had started to burn.
Goosebumps risen everywhere while he only made me aghast by leaving my waist and using that hand to loosen the strings of his breeches.
My mouth opened in fright while he let out a possesive growl.
"Karam, enough." I spoke out shakily while pushing him a little harder, trying to take a step sidewards.
He pulled me back, more like kept me in place by holding my shoulders and growled again. Both hands moved up to the sleeves of my top. A rip was heard when he pushed them down my shoulders, making me whimper in terror. Everything he did had an urgent pace that was scaring me to the core.
"Karam, what the fuck are you doing!" I shrieked in a whisper while pushing him harder on his chest and face.
But he just pushed his torso against mine again, making my breath stuck. Something hard touched me intimately on the stomach, scaring the virgin in me. With one hand, he grabbed my neck and with other, he cupped the back of my right knee, raising my leg.
I let out a shaky, terrified gasp when he placed himself against me, trying to raise my skirt and loosen his lace of the breeches one by one.
My glossy eyes looked up in his eyes and my heart stopped beating.
The amber was burning crimson.
"Karam, " I choked out in terror while he was only busied in making an another attempt at kissing me passionately.
I tried to resist hard wildly by moving myself crazy. This made him angry and manhandle me.
That was the time when the fight in me came out and I let out the loudest scream.
As if his reverie broke, he stopped moving while I took that as an advantage to push him hard on the chest. He didn't stagger but moved a step back knowingly in shock.
The crimson smoke in his eyes started disappearing.
"Fucking stop!" I whispered out a cry.
With those ripped sleeves of the top, swollen lips most probably hickeys on my neck, breathing in terror and fright, with my hair disheveled, legs shaking hard— I covered my face with my hands and turned around to calm my shaken soul.
"I. . ." he began to say something but I could only hear my harsh breaths of relief.
A hand came on my shoulder. "My mate, I thought you were ready—"
I jerked away from him hurriedly. "No. I am not." I choked out hoarsely, still not able to believe that I gave in so easily.
"I didn't realize—"
I wiped my burning cheeks, breathing hard. "That was stupid of me."
My insides were aching for more. That's how human body worked when it's the person you believe in. It was asking for more and throbbing at places, desiring more when it shouldn't.
While in my heart and shaking legs, my own soul, were trying to contemplate what just happened.
My body felt like a confused mess.
"Misty. . ."
The second time he had called me by name. Just like the last time, he sounded helpless and upset with me.
It was a desperate sigh, asking for a chance to ask further for a conversation.
"You need to leave, " I whispered shakily, slouching more and more.
"You didn't refuse when I began!" He stated while clenching his jaws.
"It was my fault. But please—"
"You want it. But you deny it because of your unnecesary human superiority settled in your mind, " he said in a dangerously calm tone. "I will not suffer this rejection again. I am losing my control. You won't be spared next time, my mate."
I flinched when he grunted angrily.
A restless long sigh escaped him, followed by ground shaking growl. He kicked the bed hard angrily, bringing out a confused cry from Keev, leaving the room, slamming the door after him hard.
While I wiped a tear that had fallen off in confusion and turned around.
Keev was on a close verge of bursting in confused tears, partly because his loving father was gone.
Walking around the big bed, I picked up the glass of milk and sat beside him, guiding him to drink it.
Watching him gulping it down, I took my hand back to correct my top only to realise that the back was connected merely on five-to six threads.
He had almost ripped it open.
The lust and desire started to refill my veins while my heartbeats fastened at the mere thought of repeating it with him.
Staring down at my shaky hands, I tried to contemplate my feelings for him.
But all I could conclude was that nothing was important than having the dream and plan of crossing the border.
This previous moment was just a slip of priorities, done forcefully by Moon Goddess to distract me.
I needed to be careful enough to not let Karam come in my personal space at the first place.
I had to hide away from him for my own good.
_______
"What do you think?"
Please vote and comment.
_
I tried to keep the chapter short this time.